# Customer Marketing Alliance > We're the biggest advocate of customer marketing around. Fact. And we're on a mission to grow, support, and connect customer marketers in every corner of the globe. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About us URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/about/ Last updated: 2024-09-04T08:29:27.000Z Our mission is plain and simple. We want to provide those in customer marketing positions with the resources and information they need to fulfill their potential. Whether you’re a novice or a master, we’re your go-to resource for everything customer marketing-related. We relish in the chance to make you the no.1 customer marketer you can be, and see that achievement acknowledged. ⭐️ With customer marketing on the rise, we can’t wait to inspire, inform, and create alongside you as this position grows. 🪴 ### What we do - Our specialist **community** presents an incredible opportunity for you to network alongside customer marketers from all stages in their careers. Collaborate with like-minded professionals, ask questions, debate, and share ideas, to navigate your challenges and enhance your credentials. - Our **blog** is a constantly evolving source for customer marketing insights to help you progress, plan, and explore more of your career subject. You can also contribute too… - Our **Contributor Program** gives you the chance to boost your individual brand. Register now and put your name and words on the radar of 1,000s of global customer marketers. Our collection of unrivaled reports offer indispensable knowledge from esteemed customer marketers who’ve been there, done it, and are continuing to flaunt the customer marketing t-shirt at some of the leading brands. - Our upcoming **events**, both virtual and in-person are a wonderful way to connect with the vast customer marketing community. Watch talks from leading professionals, get valuable insights, and build a diverse network. - Our **courses** are wonderful resources for you to get stuck in with any of our particular topics. It is a good place to develop your career journey. ## We're proud to be a part of The Alliance umbrella [The Alliance](https://allianceled.io/) is the world’s most forward-thinking professional development platform for high-growth organizations and individuals worldwide. Through market-leading accredited courses, unrivaled membership plans, industry-shaping reports, thriving communities, and first-class events, it’s redefining the way companies access education and scale. Other communities inside The Alliance ecosystem include: - [Product Marketing Alliance](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com) - [Sales Enablement Collective](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com) - [Product-Led Alliance](https://www.productledalliance.com) - [Future of SaaS](https://www.futureofsaas.io) - [AI Accelerator Institute](https://www.aiacceleratorinstitute.com) - [Customer Success Collective](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com) - [CMO Alliance](https://www.cmoalliance.io) And *much* more... ![The Alliance is the world’s most forward-thinking professional development platform for high-growth organizations and individuals worldwide.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/The-Alliance-1.png) ### Contact us URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/contact-us/ Last updated: 2024-09-03T15:06:15.000Z We’re always in the mood to make new friends 👋 Wanna share some insights for our next report? Desperate for a specific industry expert to speak at our next event? Wanna just say hi? 👉 Drop us an email 📩 , and we’ll be happy to get back to you. ### Want to get in touch? We’re here to help. Here are some quick links to get you started: - Sponsor or partner opportunities: [partnership@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:partnership@customermarketingalliance.com) - Content contributions: [contribute@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:contribute@customermarketingalliance.com) - Event enquiries: [events@customermarketingallliance.com](mailto:event@customermarketingallliance.com) - Ambassador enquiries: [tytti@pmmalliance.com](mailto:tytti@pmmalliance.com) - Community enquiries: [tytti@pmmalliance.com](mailto:tytti@pmmalliance.com) - Anything and everything else: [hello@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:hello@customermarketingalliance.com) ### Create and contribute URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/create-and-contribute/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T15:14:14.000Z Customer Marketing Alliance is home to an ever-growing global network of customer marketing professionals, from those starting their journey in the field, to seasoned pros with years of experience under their belt. Each year, our website receives tens of thousands of visits from customer marketers, all looking to learn more about the latest trends and best practices across advocacy, retention, and growth. To feed our ever-expanding community of customer marketing professionals, we're always on the lookout for people just like you to share your expertise and help shape the future. If you're interested in sharing your insights and experiences with the world's largest customer marketing community, here's how you can contribute to Customer Marketing Alliance. ## Get involved #### ****Write for us ✍️** Each and every month, thousands of people make their way onto our site. That’s a lot of eyes and exposure for your article. If you’ve got the insights, we’ve got the platform. Here’s how to contribute 👇🏼 ****Step 1: Submit your subject 🧑‍🎓** Before you put your fingers on the keyboard, drop us a line and let us know what you want to write about. ****Step 2: Follow the rules 🛑** We’re a reasonable bunch and we don’t expect too much, but what we do ask for is: - Articles to be no shorter than 1,200 words - Any pictures included to be royalty-free - A picture to sit with your contributor profile - A short bio (200 characters or less) Also, individual contributions shouldn’t promote your company’s products or services. For that sort of stuff, we have sponsorship opportunities. See below for these opportunities! ****(Note about AI) 👇** **We will not publish any articles created by a generative AI tool.* We have to be extra careful about publishing AI-generated text because of potential SEO issues and wanting to maintain originality for our readers. We want expert insights from CS leaders like yourself, so let your voice shine! We’ll happily edit your work, but the bones of it need to be your own words! 😀 ****Step 3: Submit your work 📩** Send us a message by email at [content@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:content@customermarketingalliance.com). Remember to include the link/attachment to your article along with your profile pic and bio - if you’re not already set up as a contributor, that is. Have you already published something awesome elsewhere? Not a problem. With custom canonical links, you can still share it with our audience too. Yawn 💤 time for the boring (but important!) bits… ****Image policy** We include images with every post. Stock photography will be chosen by our team and will be posted with your entry unless you have a particular image you wish to use. By including any photos, screenshots, or images, you consent to allow Customer Marketing Alliance to post this image with proper credit to you and/or the creator. ****Link policy** Links in your post should be relevant to the story you’re telling and provide context to your audience. When referring to another article or piece of research, please use proper citations or links to the source material. ****Syndication policy** We reserve the right to use any and all contributed content, with credit to any authors, in its entirety or in portions for promotional purposes, including in social media, other blogs, or newsletters. Customer Marketing Alliance may choose to cross-post to Medium, LinkedIn, or other blogging services. #### ****Speak at an event 📆** Every year, we team up with leading customer marketers and host a wide range of customer marketing events and summits across the globe. Our goal? To deliver insightful customer marketing presentations from leading experts to help **you* and others in the industry enhance their credentials. If you have insights to share, we want to hear them. [Apply here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/call-for-speakers-customer-marketing-alliance/) and we'll be more than happy to consider you to speak at one of our summits. #### ****Sponsorship opportunities** 💪 With more and more customer marketers rapidly joining our community, it’s the prime place for you to support them on that journey. If you want to market your products and gain exposure to 1,000s of companies looking for solutions to support their customer marketing team, look no further than our sponsorship opportunities. Become a sponsor: - Events - Articles - Reports - Webinars - Virtual summits See how you can collaborate with us [here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partner-with-us/). #### ****Be a course beta tester 🎓** Our expert-led courses aren't created in isolation, which is why we need your help. We seek support to ensure that our training programs deliver everything participants need to take the next step in their careers. Interested to know what you'll get in return for being a beta tester? First and free access to accredited courses - for life. What do we need from you first, though? Candid, thorough, and timely feedback. To join our CMA beta tester program, or to learn about other ways to work with us, please email the [team](mailto:courses@customermarketingalliance.com). #### ****Meetup organizer 🏘** We've got a few regional meetups coming up and we can't wait to see you there! The best part? They're free. And better yet, you can run your own meetups in your city and chat with your local peers. If you're interested in being a meetup organizer, you can find more details [here](mailto:community@customermarketingalliance.com). --- ### **Why you should get involved** - **3,000+** members in the community - **2,000+** members on LinkedIn - **50,000** website visitors a year ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-dac94b14-fd77-42b2-9e8f-26b083c8ffab.png) ## Join the Customer Marketing Alliance community Chat with like-minded customer marketing enthusiasts from around the world! From beginners to experts, the community is for everyone. Find the latest content, job ads, events, and more. [Join the community today!](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## ### Meet the Customer Marketing Alliance team URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meet-the-team/ Last updated: 2024-10-10T11:50:50.000Z Lovely to meet you! Each one of us has a pivotal role in making sure you feel like the valued community member that you are. Interested in getting to know us more? Feel free to add us on LinkedIn with the links below. [**Richard King**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardking001/) CEO at the Alliance [**Rebecca Boucher** ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaboucher500/) Director of Community & Events Marketing [**Ediz Cosar**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ediz-cosar-253455161/) Director of Strategic Partnerships [**Rose Johnstone**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosejohnstone/) VP, Community & Events [**Liza Shtilbans**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizaveta-shtilbans/) Event Producer [**Eve Chatfield**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eve-c-7b7315216/) Midweight Copywriter [**Grace Gupta**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/g-g-grace-gupta/) Senior Copywriter & Content Lead [**Robyn Leech**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynleech/) Events Marketing Executive [**Tytti Hyysalo**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tytti-hyysalo-29b888158/?ref=aiacceleratorinstitute.com) Community Manager Any questions? Contact any of us at any time. See you around! ### Partner with us 🤝 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partner-with-us/ Last updated: 2024-01-22T07:44:32.000Z ## Partner with us 🤝 Got a product or service to astonish and astound the customer marketing community? Want to put it in a place where you’ll get the right kind of exposure for companies that will use your product? Then you’ve come to the right place. We offer a selection of **sponsorship options** to best tailor the service to you and your product. Check them out below. 👇 Got something else in mind? Reach out to [charlene@pmmalliance.com](mailto:charlene@pmmalliance.com), or [book some time in with her to chat](https://calendly.com/charlene-102/30min), and tell us what your ideas and objectives are so we can help. ## **Why Partner with Customer Marketing Alliance?** 💛 Become associated with the **only independent source** for customer marketing. 💻 Network with all our cross-industry customer marketers on our **slack channel**. ✉️ Get your message seen by email subscribers and our social media networks. 📌 Your content gets to sit front and center on the Customer Marketing Alliance website for 1,000s users to find. ✈️ Get into the spotlight and network at our global or virtual **events.** ## **What's on offer?** Whatever your size. Whatever your budget. Wherever you are in your journey. We’re sure we have something that fits. ### **In Person Conference Series** Bringing together hundreds of customer marketing leaders, these are the ultimate opportunity to meet your prospects face to face, and have a business conversation over a cup of coffee or lunch. ### **Webinars** We’ve got you covered: we’ll guarantee that a certain number of customer marketing pros will sign up for your webinar. ### **Virtual Summits** Thousands of customer marketers tune into each of our virtual events. Why wouldn’t you be there? ### **Content Spotlight** Want to showcase your solution, product, or thought-leadership? Our Content spotlight can help increase your exposure. Provide us with your article and we’ll get it published for the eyes of your target audience and more. ### **Whitepaper Syndication** Similar to our webinars, we don't leave anything to chance: we’ll guarantee that a certain number of customer marketers will download your whitepaper. ## **How can I get involved?** Does that all sound peachy? Get in touch with us [charlene@pmmalliance.com](mailto:charlene@pmmalliance.com), or [book some time in with her to chat](https://calendly.com/charlene-102/30min), to talk next steps. ### Pro membership plan. URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/ Last updated: 2024-04-23T15:11:22.000Z Join Customer Marketing Alliance’s members-only area to access all the content, tools, tips, and templates needed to accelerate your career. [Join now](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/#/portal/signup/free) ### All the tools you need to succeed. Not just bits and pieces, this is everything you’ll need to ensure sustained customer marketing success, and more. 🤩 **Exclusive content.** An entire library of action-led content written by customer marketers from orgs like **Salesforce**, **Meta**, **Adobe**, and more. Added to every other week. 🛠 **Templates & frameworks.** To save you time, streamline your processes, and work off industry-standard documents. Updated every month. 🎬 **On-demand event coverage.** Catch-up on every single second of our virtual and in-person events. Any time. Anywhere. And learn from **Slack, Zendesk, Dropbox,** and many more. 🔥 **Amplified expertise.** Take your knowledge to the next level with our members' discount off courses and events, and early access to reports, projects, and updates from our community. 🤝 **Create lasting connections.** Network with fellow members with all levels of experience, ask away, and begin to reach new heights in your career. Together. **Psst.* Wanna get a *team subscription*? Drop us a line on* [*membership@customermarketingalliance.com*](mailto:membership@customermarketingalliance.com) *for group rates.* ### A sneak peek into what’s to come… ![](https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/elt495mm2b/swatch) [Become a member](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/#/portal/signup/free) ### Exclusive resources, templates, slide decks, videos, and more, put together for customer marketers by powerhouses from the likes of: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/image.png) ### FAQ **How long will I have access to the content for?** It’s yours forever! Once you’ve signed up, as long as you keep your subscription active, all the content, frameworks, templates, videos, and slides are yours to access as much as you want, for as long as you want. **I work in B2C, do you still have stuff for me?** Absolutely. All of our materials are transferable and can be applied for B2B OR B2C use. **Can I request for something to be added?** Sure! We’re always looking for ways to improve what we’ve already got so if you can’t find something you think would be useful, let us know and we’ll see what we can do. We can’t promise to say ‘yes’ to every single request, but we’re always open to exploring ideas. 😉 **This sounds great, how can I sell it to my manager?** Easy. At just $29 a month, if one idea sparks one change that converts just one customer, you’ll already have made your money back. In reality, you and I both know the results will span far wider than that though. ### State of Customer Marketing Survey 2022 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022/ Last updated: 2024-07-18T15:59:21.000Z The first **ever** 100% independent customer marketing report is here and we need your input! 👊 Our **State of Customer Marketing Report 2022** will offer you an invaluable look 'behind the curtain' at the way other customer marketers work. (All answers will be kept anonymous unless expressly allowed by the survey responder themselves.) Our report will provide a bird’s eye view of the customer marketing landscape, including: 👓 Key responsibilities, 💼 Company culture, 🧠 Career ambitions, 🥇 Industry placement, 📈 Team metrics, 🤝 Cross-functional collaboration. Plus much more… **But first, we need your help.** The takeaways from this report can be used to better understand the market surrounding the customer marketing specialism, and compare their current processes with that of other competitors. Help us shape the report. 👇 Take the survey ### Welcome, fellow customer marketer 👋 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/freemium/ Last updated: 2022-05-27T07:24:35.000Z Sit back, soak up the blogs, start networking in the community, and let us know if you want to start raising your personal brand. _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Member perks URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/members-perks/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T14:08:10.000Z As a Customer Marketing Alliance member, you unlock a variety of discounts on our collection of products, including in-person events. _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Get in the exclusive member zone. URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/members-only-community/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:15:40.000Z Connect with your customer marketing peers all over the world, learn from the best of the best, and help each other achieve awesome things. _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Welcome to Pro membership 🎉 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/welcomemember/ Last updated: 2023-12-12T04:08:06.000Z You're so close to all that Customer Marketing Alliance has to offer. Before we take you to your dashboard, complete these 3 simple steps to get the most from your membership: ### 1\. Tell us about yourself Complete our quick sign-up form in the pop-up for a membership experience that aligns with your goals. ### 2\. Join the Slack channel and introduce yourself [Sign in here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) if you haven't already. 👋 Say hi, let your fellow customer marketing enthusiasts know you're here, and get started building those networks. ### 3\. Member and #Proud? Tell the world Showcase your product marketing standards, bolster your career credentials, and help elevate the role of product marketing by adding Customer Marketing Alliance membership to your LinkedIn. [Here's a handy how-to guide. ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/member-and-proud/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/Screenshot-2022-06-10-at-12.21.01-2.png) **Did you know**...With more than one position listed, your LinkedIn profile gets viewed up to [29 more times](https://blog.linkedin.com/2018/august/6/make-your-experience-stand-out-with-the-new-linkedin-experience-/). **All done? Click below to head to your new member dashboard. 👇** [ Take me to my dashboard ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/) ### Customer Marketing Alliance member and #proud URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/member-and-proud/ Last updated: 2024-03-12T05:33:52.000Z So, you’re a proud Customer Marketing Alliance founding member? Awesome. It’s time to showcase your marketing credentials and let everyone know. With more than one position listed, your LinkedIn profile gets viewed up to [29 more times](https://blog.linkedin.com/2018/august/6/make-your-experience-stand-out-with-the-new-linkedin-experience-/). The benefits of adding your membership include: - They add concrete elements to your customer marketing skills, and definitive way of showcasing your knowledge - With the various functions in customer marketing, the membership encapsulates your proficiency in all of them - It demonstrates your personal drive to excel in the field, as well as your organization and time management - Recruiters may choose to search by license or certification. Now, onto the tutorial... ### 1\. Head to your LinkedIn profile ...and scroll your way down to the ‘**Experience**’ section. Once you’re there, click the **+** button in the top right corner. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/Screenshot-2022-06-10-at-14.20.43.png) ### 2\. Fill in some deets You should then be presented with a box that looks like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/Screenshot-2022-06-10-at-12.19.35.png) **Title:** Founding member **Employment type:** your choice **Company:** Customer Marketing Alliance **Location:** N/A **Date:** whenever you purchased your [membership plan](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)! If you scroll down this box a little more, you’ll see some additional fields too: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/Screenshot-2022-06-10-at-14.16.34.png) **Headline:** Add 'Founding member' And then here are a few words for the ‘**Description**’ box: > *With 100s of hours' worth of customer marketing presentations, tons of templates, exclusive content, mentors and more,* Customer Marketing Alliance*'s membership plans are "game-changing".* The final thing for you to do is tap on ‘**Link**’ and add **[this URL](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/Screenshot-2022-06-10-at-14.11.58.png) ### 3\. Sit back and bask in your membership The end result should look a bit like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/Screenshot-2022-06-10-at-12.21.01.png) **P.s.** Don’t forget, if you use your affiliate link, you could make a bit of $$$ for everyone who signs up from your LinkedIn profile, too. 😉 ### Customer Marketing Summit, September 2021 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-september-2021/ Last updated: 2022-06-23T22:02:46.000Z Catch up with every session from the Customer Marketing Summit featuring talks from the likes of Facebook, Toast, DocuSign, Sage & more. _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer Marketing Summit, Las Vegas 2022 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2022-ondemand-attendees/ Last updated: 2025-01-31T17:04:31.000Z Catch up with all the action from the Customer Marketing Summit Las Vegas. Elevate your role & amplify growth with the likes of Google, PayPal, Adobe, Slack and so many more! _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Thanks for joining Customer Marketing Alliance 🎊 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/activate/ Last updated: 2023-03-01T17:13:38.000Z ## Thanks for joining Customer Marketing Alliance 🎊 You'll receive an **email** shortly with an **activation link**. Please **click on the link** to **activate** your account. If you need anything in the meantime, click the chat-box in the bottom-right corner and our friendly support team will be straight back 👋 ### What to expect: OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-to-expect-ondemand/ Last updated: 2022-10-28T10:18:16.000Z ### Customer Marketing & Advocacy: A Two Way Street Customer Marketing Summit, April 2022 ![](https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/bjkezklpe5/swatch) ### About the speaker: Meaghan Sullivan started her career off in Sales operations and Inside sales at NetApp and Cloudera. Her years in sales taught her the importance of building relationships with her customers that go beyond closing the sale and hitting her numbers. She transitioned into Customer Marketing and Advocacy where the emphasis is on the customer (customer community, sharing the customers’ success and story) as a way of validating solutions, products, and services. Meaghan joined Google Cloud in 2019, as a member of the Customer Programs team at Google Cloud serving as an Americas Program Lead and Customer Reference Manager for specific priority industries. ### Become a Customer Marketing Alliance ambassador URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/become-a-cma-ambassador/ Last updated: 2024-05-08T09:52:39.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/FdsOQWlk-1.png) We’re a brand new community of customer marketers with one mission...to elevate the role of customer marketing. **To do that, we need you. 👈** ### Shaping the next evolution of customer marketing In the grand scheme of things, customer marketing’s still a relatively new role. You know it exists, we know it exists, but others don’t. CMA ambassadors are instrumental in helping us raise awareness to: **1\. Welcome more customer marketing enthusiasts into our community.** As an ambassador you’ll see the benefits first-hand and we don’t want to deprive others of that, right? **2\. Define the role and bring the next generation into it.** The more people that know about customer marketing, the more prominent it will become. That means more talent, more recognition, and more influence. **3\. Get customer marketing a seat at the table.** You could say it’s only a matter of time until customer marketers are understood by every member of the C-suite. We want to make that time *now*. ### The characteristics of a CMA Ambassador **Passionate.** 💙 It’s an outrageously overused word, we know, but we want people who’re genuinely excited by and committed to customer marketing - because we are, and our ambassadors need to reflect our values. **Active. 🤸‍♀️** Don’t worry, we’re not asking for blood, sweat, or tears. Every customer marketer knows the value of advocates, and that’s what we’re looking for in our CMA ambassadors, we’re after people who already are, or pledge to be, part of the conversation. **Committed. 🤝** Real change takes time and we want people to join us for the whole journey, not just one stop. Being an ambassador won’t consume your time, all we ask for is a lasting, two-way relationship. ### It’s not just all take... We give a lot back too. Here are just *some* of the benefits of being a CMA ambassador: 📚 Early and exclusive access to new products and reports 📝 Opt-in scheme to BETA test new courses 📱 Reciprocal promotion on our site and social channels 🔮 Actual input into shaping the future of CMA 🎤 Exclusive speaking slots at our summits ### What we ask for in return 🗣 Helping us shout about our work on social media 🧠 Contribution to our website - whether that be with an article, in a podcast, or through a webinar or event 🙌 Helping us out now and then by supporting our new releases ### So, want to get involved? Then we just need a few details from you: In the meantime, if you’ve got any questions, drop a line to **rebecca@customermarketingalliance.com** or find us on [Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/). ### *The small print:* *Please note, as we receive a large number of ambassador applications unfortunately we aren't able to accept everyone onto the program.* *We also reserve the right to remove ambassadors from the program at any time should we feel we no longer have a mutually beneficial relationship.* *It is also the individual ambassador's responsibility to keep us up-to-date with any changes to their circumstances e.g. starting a new job.* --- ### State of Customer Marketing Report Feedback URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-feedback-2022/ Last updated: 2024-07-18T16:45:07.000Z As customer marketers, you know how important feedback is in making improvements to your current processes, so consider filling out the feedback form and tell us what you did and didn’t find valuable in this report. This’ll help inform us how to approach it next year. This report would not have been possible without you, the customer marketers that made up our survey pool, and our community here at Customer Marketing Alliance. We are always looking to welcome new members from across the globe; consider joining our [Slack Community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) as a way to speak to the contributors of this report and your other peers on a regular basis. ### Your Customer Marketing Fellowship orientation pack URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-fellowship/ Last updated: 2022-07-19T13:29:23.000Z _No content available._ ### Privacy Policy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/privacy-policy/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:07:27.000Z [Privacy Policy](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/24731467 "Privacy Policy") ## Posts ### Inclusive storytelling, commercial impact: Turning real voices into revenue URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/inclusive-storytelling-commercial-impact-turning-real-voices-into-revenue/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:44:45.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** September 29 **Time:** 4:00pm BST **Location:** Online [Sign up now](https://www.linkedin.com/events/7503356412828450817/?viewAsMember=true) If your “best” case study sounds like every competitor’s, it’s not a differentiator — it’s déjà vu. Today’s buyers expect stories that reflect the full spectrum of real customer experiences, not a whitewashed, over-polished PR piece. In this session, **Sarah Reynolds, CMO at Benifex**, shares a simple framework for inclusive storytelling, helping customer marketers expand their total addressable market, build trust across the buying group, and turn authenticity into measurable business impact. You’ll walk away with a modern, repeatable checklist for transforming your case studies into an advocacy engine – one that doesn’t just amplify customer voices, but makes them impossible for prospects, executives, and decision-makers to ignore. --- ### In this session, you’ll discover how to: - **Build more inclusive customer stories** that reflect the full spectrum of real customer experiences - **Expand your total addressable market** by creating stories that resonate with a broader buying audience - **Build trust across the buying group** through authentic, representative storytelling - **Turn customer advocacy into commercial impact** by connecting real voices to business outcomes - **Transform case studies into an advocacy engine** that keeps your customers' voices at the heart of your marketing --- ### Meet the speakers: **Sarah Reynolds (they/them)** is a creative, award-winning marketing executive and DEI consultant with deep experience driving growth through storytelling, market expertise, and a desire to stand out from the crowd. Sarah is currently **Chief Marketing Officer at Benifex**, the market leader in employee reward and benefits technology. Previously, they served as CMO at HiBob, helping scale the company's global reach across modern, midsize and multinational companies. A veteran of the industrial software and HR technology markets, Sarah has held global marketing leadership roles for more than a decade. They are also an openly trans and non-binary executive who writes and speaks widely about DEIB, LGBTQIA+ representation, pay equity, the future of work, and the intersection of bias, ethics, and technology. Sarah has contributed to publications including Forbes, Fortune, AdWeek, The Sunday Times, HR Dive, Employee Benefits News, Campaign US, Yahoo Finance and Training Industry Magazine, and regularly speaks at leading industry events. ### How to approach customer marketing strategy at every stage of maturity URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-strategy-maturity-stage/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T12:21:15.000Z “[Strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-voice-unlocked-dropboxs-strategy-for-growth-and-scale/) without execution is useless.” “Execution without strategy is foolish.” You've probably heard some version of that before, and it's stuck around for good reason. I've had the chance to build, manage, and optimize [customer marketing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ensure-success-by-building-and-structuring-your-team-to-your-needs/) of all sizes. I've been a one-woman show [building programs from scratch](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/), and I've led teams of 30+ people. Because of that, I want to break things down by maturity level as we go. ## The definition of strategy and execution Strategy describes the **desired outcome** you're looking to achieve, and it exists in service of your **overall business objectives**. That's it. It's the what and the who. Execution, on the other hand, is all about the **tactics and resources** you're going to use **to reach that outcome**. It's how you bring the strategy to life through a plan, a roadmap, and the day-to-day work. ## The “what”: Your 3 strategic pillars In most [customer marketing orgs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/building-a-modern-customer-marketing-function-team-structure-skills-and-scalable-processes-customer-marketing-labs/), we're responsible for three key strategic pillars: **engagement, advocacy and growth.** [Engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-lifecycle-marketing-transformed-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-at-ivanti/) is about increasing product usage, [adoption](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-product-adoption-where-customer-marketing-fits/), and stickiness across the entire customer lifecycle. This is where you're working on user onboarding flows, nurture campaigns, and often supporting your [customer success team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-story-questions-template-framework/) with new content or tools they need to educate customers. [Advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-strategy-template-framework/) is about creating lasting relationships and building loyal brand fans, then leveraging their voices through reviews, case studies, and references. [Growth](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-customer-marketing-a-growth-engine/) is about expanding existing accounts. This is your classic [cross-sell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/), [upsell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/upsell-email-templates-framework/), and [referral](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-referral-program-challenges-and-fixes/) work. And all three of these are underpinned by customer insights. You’ve got to have a deep understanding of your customers' needs, their [pain points](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/identifying-and-resolving-customer-pain-points-for-optimal-digital-experiences/), what's working and what isn't. Without that, you can't build a solid strategy for any of these areas, let alone the tactics that go with them. Now, you may not personally own all of these areas. You might not be responsible for gathering insights, but you still need to understand them and know how to use them. You might not own customer growth at your company (maybe that sits with a different team entirely), but you should still understand it as a key lever of a [holistic customer marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-marketing-strategy-by-prioritizing-customer-relationships/). The goal is to see how all of these pieces come together, especially if you're building an annual plan from scratch. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Deciding where to focus This can feel like a lot, so how do you decide where to actually spend your time? Usually it starts at the top. Your executive team sets corporate goals, often annually, sometimes quarterly depending on how fast your organization moves. From there, your [marketing leadership defines marketing goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/). What that does is narrow your focus. You don't have to consider every possible area, because [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/blueprint-for-cross-functional-team-leadership/) has already told you that this year the emphasis is on retention, or that you're still in a build phase where net new logo acquisition matters most. Once that pool is narrowed, you start thinking about your customer marketing goals. And this is where customer insights become essential. Whether you own them or not, you should be pulling from: - What's **driving active usage**, and where do people drop off or get stuck? - Which **features** actually **drive retention**? - **What do customers genuinely like** – and dislike – about your product and experience? (NPS, G2, CSAT, annual surveys. Read all of it.) - Why are you **winning or losing deals**, and what's getting in the way of renewals or expansion? - What's **weighing on your customers' minds** right now – internally and in their market? Bring all of it together to figure out the biggest factors impacting your customers today. *That's* what sharpens your goals. You'll never be able to focus on everything, so lean on a **prioritization framework**. A classic one is impact vs. effort. If you don't have one yet, now’s your chance: define a prioritization framework and share it with your team and the wider org. Most people weren't part of the journey you went through. They weren't there when you dug into those insights, so help them understand the data you used and the hypotheses you built to land on your focus areas. ## How focus shifts with maturity Where you spend your time depends heavily on the **maturity of your product**, your customers, and your team. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but I've seen a fairly consistent pattern – so let me walk you through it. ### Early stage (Series A–B) In the early days, your focus is usually validation through [social proof](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards/): reviews and case studies. Advocacy gives you the biggest bang for your buck – you can use it in both net new business and expansion, and social proof plays a huge role across the entire [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-map-template-framework/). So if you're a solo customer marketer just starting out, advocacy is very likely the area you've been tasked with, or the one that naturally bubbles to the top. [Engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/executive-customer-engagement/) tends to be more ad hoc at this stage. Maybe a one-off newsletter, or that first welcome stream. You're focused on the basics. Growth is typically negligible. As a company, you're focused on bringing in new logos and new deals – expansion hasn't come into focus yet. [How to prioritize and allocate resources for scalable customer marketingIt’s easy for customer marketing to get overlooked in favor of acquisition – but retention and engagement are where the real financial impact happens. So, let’s make customer marketing indispensable. To do this, we need to strategically prioritize, scale, and allocate resources.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-f9b43eb3-2c9d-4c59-be50-486a6f8de509.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLisa Pratt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--16--ccb915cf-c0aa-4048-8161-30fbf6985af2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-prioritize-and-allocate-resources-for-scalable-customer-marketing/) ### A real example At Chorus, I was brought in as the first customer marketer. A one-woman show building from scratch. In my first year, I spent about 70% of my time on advocacy, 25% on engagement, and 5% on growth. In my second year, as the team grew, the split shifted to around 50% advocacy, 30% engagement, and 20% growth. ### Growth stage (Series C–E) This is where engagement jumps to a high priority. You'll be [building scalable programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-your-marketing-for-smbs-and-enterprises/) that touch every part of the customer journey, so good customer journey maps become essential for spotting those key inflection points. Advocacy dips to a medium focus. You've got your baselines, so now you're thinking about *scale* – moving from accepting every case study request to building repeatable motions and a real story throughput process. You might also start exploring more labor-intensive programs like a [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-community-advocate-playbook-template-framework/) or [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/). Growth stays low here, either because someone else owns it or because you're starting to leverage what you've already built – asking how advocates can drive referrals, or how case studies can feed cross-sell and upsell campaigns. ### Mature stage (Series E or post-IPO) At this stage you'll get more role specialization: advocacy experts, customer engagement experts with deep lifecycle experience, growth experts with demand gen or integrated campaign backgrounds who can think about customer ABM as a full programme. Engagement becomes a lower focus – the foundations are built, and now you're optimizing and testing. Advocacy stays at a medium investment because relationships are hard to systematize away. But growth? Now, that *skyrockets*. You move beyond one-off campaigns and start thinking about how to drive it systematically across the whole lifecycle. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## The “who”: Understanding your target audience You know what you're trying to achieve. But who should you be targeting? I tend to think about three key dimensions. ### 1\. Their role in the buying process Are they the **decision maker**? You might break that down further into **budget holder** or **technical decision maker**. Are they an influencer with a say in the purchase? Or are they simply the **end user**? ### 2\. Their role as a user of your product Most products have an admin role. At Chorus and ZoomInfo, we sold to sales and marketing folks, so we had distinct user personas with different pain points and use cases. We even went a step further, distinguishing between an SDR, an AE, an AM, and so on. Think about your **different user types**, whether they're official roles in your product or just how you approach targeting them. ### 3\. Their loyalty level Are they part of your general customer population? Have they raised their hand as an advocate willing to speak positively about you in public? Or are they a VIP you lean on for product and company strategy, someone who might sit on your [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards/)? People can belong to multiple groups. Someone could be the decision maker, the admin, and a VIP all at once. When you're starting out, though, drive focus and limit your investment. Don't try to boil the ocean. Pick one area, maybe helping your admins and users onboard. Two simple audiences. Once you've nailed that, add layers, guided by the customer insights you've been collecting. ## The “how”: Bringing execution to life Execution is all about the "how." The tactics, projects, [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-kpi-redesign-template-framework/), timelines, budgets, roles and responsibilities, and your narrative and messaging. Each of these is a building block of a solid plan, and while we can't cover them all here, they're all worth your attention. I like a good framework, and I'm a visual person, so let me share how I bring the what, the how, and the who together. Say you're focusing on advocacy at an early stage, and you want to tailor your efforts differently for decision makers vs. power users, because in your case the decision maker doesn't actually use the product. From there, I think about which tactics can serve everyone vs. which should be more focused. A [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) can have enormous impact, but it's expensive and takes a lot of your time, so you'd likely only invite decision-makers and VIPs. [References](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/) follow similar logic; you want someone with enough gravitas and title to matter. But a [customer conference](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/) or case study program might include your whole customer base, with the experience tailored by tier. Different interview questions for a case study. Different tracks for the C-suite versus end users at your conference. Visualizing it this way helps you see how much you're actually taking on. ## Write it down I always tell my team to write it down. Articulating your thinking in a brief is one of the most important things you can do. Include the key insights and assumptions that got you here, and be specific about risks and dependencies. At ZoomInfo, we ask for a brief on any project classified as medium or larger. My rule of thumb: if something's going to take 20-plus hours, write a brief. It drives focus and it limits scope creep, which matters more than you'd think. ## Know which levers you can pull We've all been in that meeting. "I love the plan, but can you do even more? And can you deliver it two months early?" This is where the classic project management pyramid comes in. If quality stays constant, you can pull three levers: time, scope, and cost. If you want to maintain quality and your time is fixed (you've got a customer conference with a hard date), then you either decrease the scope or increase the cost. Maybe you bring in freelancers to handle event management or external help to craft content. You don't need to map out every permutation, but having a backup option up your sleeve, or better yet, including it in your brief, shows you've already thought through the alternatives. [![Craft narratives that actually move your customers with Storytelling Certified: Masters program](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_--3-.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) ## Communicate and evangelize throughout The real key to bringing strategy and execution together is [communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/). Talk to your stakeholders early and often. ### Invite key stakeholders to actively participate Run listening sessions to understand what matters to them. Try simple voting exercises, giving everyone a hypothetical $100 to allocate across your potential focus areas. Or build something more structured, like an influence council that meets regularly. ### Create joint ownership Are there **shared KPIs** you can set up? Can stakeholders play an active role in execution? Maybe your CS team helps run that new webinar series, manages the community with you, or serves as executive sponsor so they feel real ownership. That leads to **shared accountability** – regular steering committees to talk through what's working and what isn't, shared dashboards so everyone can track progress, and a habit of celebrating the wins while learning from the failures together. ### Who do you include? It depends on your [team structure](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-customer-marketing-success-insights-from-industry-leaders-on-structuring-your-team-for-maximum-impact/) and, honestly, internal politics. But ask yourself: - Who do I need something from – whether that's insights or a view into the product roadmap? - Who's going to help execute the work, on my team or elsewhere? - Who has final sign-off? Bring approvers along early so you never catch them off guard. Then lean on something like a RACI to clarify who's a decision-maker and who's simply informed. [Unlocking customer marketing success: Insights from industry leaders on structuring your team for maximum impactA well-structured customer marketing team is a crucial part of achieving success and growth and our panel discussion, Building & Structuring Your Team for Success, at the Customer Marketing Summit provided key insight.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-8ae27ec9-c91f-491f-8c51-6123c802d5c0.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElizabeth Raffa![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/imattsmart-Vp3oWLsPOss-unsplash--1--1-a301cd62-6358-4fa8-ba70-a739d45332d5.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-customer-marketing-success-insights-from-industry-leaders-on-structuring-your-team-for-maximum-impact/) ## Bring your team along Finally, **don't forget your team.** I think about these conversations across two dimensions: the setting (group or one-on-one) and the frequency. Big group settings usually happen once, like your annual kickoff. That's where you set the tone and sell the vision. You keep that energy going in your biweekly team meetings and all-hands, reinforcing what you're working toward and celebrating wins. One-on-one settings are for constructive, deeper conversations. This is where you help someone understand the personal impact they'll have on a project, or how they'll support the goals you've set. And in ongoing meetings, whether one-on-ones or coaching sessions, make space for clarifications and removing blockers. ## 4 takeaways to carry with you Let me close with the things I hope stick. 1. **Always write it down:** Articulating your strategy is harder than you think, and if you can't write it down, it probably isn't clear in your own mind yet. 2. **Start small:** Crawl, walk, run. Do the basics really well before you reach for anything advanced. 3. **Resist the shiny thing:** That impressive, cutting-edge tactic everyone's raving about on LinkedIn is probably not where you need to be right now. 4. **Communicate your insights,** successes, and failures early and often. Get those four right, and you'll find your strategy and execution meeting successfully in the middle. --- *This article has been adapted from a talk Sophie gave at our virtual Customer Marketing Summit in February 2024\. At the time she gave her presentation, Sophie was VP, Global Product & Customer Marketing at ZoomInfo. She currently holds the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Sinch.* *If you’d like to watch the full recording of Sophie's talk (and others like it from our virtual event), our* [*CMA Pro+ membership plans*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) *give you access to 100+ hours of on-demand footage of our event talks.* [ Don't miss out ](https://customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### The customer activation framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-customer-activation-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T12:03:52.000Z ### What is the customer activation framework? The customer activation framework is a step-by-step model for identifying the specific customer actions that are statistically linked to retention, expansion, and differentiation, then mapping those actions to the right persona and stage so your team knows exactly what to promote and when. ### What's inside the framework? The framework has six sections, each building on the last: 1. Define your business goals 2. Establish the data signal 3. Map high-value actions to persona and stage 4. Design your cross-functional channel system 5. Roll out with crawl, walk, run 6. Measure what matters ### How to use the framework Start with the goals in section one, then prove the correlation with analytics in section two before building anything else. Work through the rest as a small pilot: pick one or two owned channels, segment by stage only at first, and hold off on the full persona map until you've proven adoption lift. Watch section six closely once you're live. A lift in awareness or retention validates the model and earns the buy-in you'll need for the cross-functional "run" phase. ## Download the customer activation framework ![The customer activation framework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/The-customer-activation-framework.png) [The customer activation frameworkThe customer activation framework.pdf160 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/The-customer-activation-framework.pdf "Download") [The customer activation frameworkThe customer activation framework.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/The-customer-activation-framework.docx "Download") [The customer activation frameworkThe customer activation framework Map the customer actions that actually drive revenue, then build a system to activate them. Launching a feature and hoping customers adopt it isn’t a strategy. This framework walks you through a data-backed model for identifying the specific, statistically proven…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-742e151c-c550-4727-8ac4-d05502c8fc7b.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLClwWRBLK3Tojrb_pQnU3Y1U02KEkUFOsPJKOdEsWbByVq-dlzNj0qxeefM6wvA0xZIy5AJwZcuh1cbU8Xq_1NQpL3HJwuvAN__rb4kBs6PKQoqXs-w1200-h630-p-a38a6dc3-1a8b-4b6d-8e1b-4e096aaccf63)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d1Cb9zxU0zDnKkApZROKfxdSMBQrDYaNf3vgaNcoMZs/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### When the PRICE is right: A framework for earning customer advocacy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/framework-for-earning-customer-advocacy/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T13:00:27.000Z Customer marketing rarely starts out strategic. It tends to begin as a collection of individual activities, each valuable, but disconnected from everything else. A [CAB](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards/) here, an awards program there, a [customer story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/amplify-your-brand-with-customer-stories/) sitting in a folder somewhere, waiting to be used. Over time, that adds up to a fragmented customer experience, and any advocacy as a result feels accidental rather than intentional. I've spent the past year working through exactly that problem, and here's what I've learned: the goal isn't to build more programs; it's to connect what already exists, make those connections meaningful, and build something that earns advocacy rather than hoping it shows up on its own. Here's how I've been approaching it. ## Take inventory Before you can connect anything, you need to know what you're working with. Think of it as putting the clay on the table: you have to figure out what clay you have before you can build anything with it. From earlier in my career, when I ran customer briefings, I joined a new organization and was told in my first week that someone named “Steve” needed to be brought in for an upcoming customer session. The only instruction I got was to remind him to put shoes on before walking into the briefing center. Steve was, to put it gently, a quirky individual. Same wrinkled denim shirt every day, his initials stitched into the pocket. He'd sometimes be found lying on the floor of someone's office, just thinking. My first reaction was: why are we putting this person in front of customers? Then I watched him in action. Steve would sit with customers and talk about the decisions his team was making, and more importantly, why they were making them. If a customer pushed back, he wouldn't flinch. "It's okay," he'd say. "You don't have to agree with me. But this was the decision we made, and I stand by it." More customers walked out of that room saying "wow" than after any other speaker I've seen in my career. The lesson: look around your organization and find the gems. They might be a person, a technology, a process, or something else entirely. Find what makes them stand out, because that's where you'll find the authenticity that creates real connection with customers. When I joined Simpler and started building the customer marketing program, I took inventory across three areas. ### The market Think about what your [customers are experiencing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-experience-map-template-framework/) in their own environment. - In healthcare, spending is up slightly, but margin pressure is enormous. - Simpler has more than 30 products, so the competitive landscape shifts depending on which one you're talking about. - We're already in nine out of ten US hospitals, which means our growth path runs entirely through our existing customer base. All of that shapes how I [communicate with customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/), and it drives everything else in the program. ### Cross-functional partners Sales, customer success, services, support, business operations, product, and product marketing all care about the customer, and all have something to offer. I [work especially closely](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-bridge-gaps-customer-marketing-sales-collaboration/) with our VP of customer experience. He looks at advocacy from the angle of finding the right customers with the right stories, while I focus on scaling that across every touchpoint we have. That partnership is foundational to how our program runs. ### Technology and data This is about laundry-listing everything you have access to. - Can you see on the back end where your product is being used? - Which features are underutilized? - What AI tools are available to you? - Can you build triggered or behavioral campaigns? - Do you have in-app or in-product messaging? You need to understand the full range of possibilities before you can decide where to focus. ## A framework for earning advocacy I landed on my framework almost by accident, face down on a massage table (bad back spasms are just part of the job) turning over one question: what actually drives genuine advocacy? I couldn't write anything down, so I just kept thinking it through, and what I landed on was this: when the PRICE is right, you can earn advocacy. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer voice, unlocked: Dropbox’s strategy for growth and scale URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-voice-unlocked-dropboxs-strategy-for-growth-and-scale/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:45:36.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** August 31 **Time:** 5:00pm BST **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.linkedin.com/event/manage/7493928713336758273/) Customer advocacy isn’t just about collecting great customer stories - it’s about activating the right voice, at the right moment, to move the business forward. At Dropbox, the customer marketing team has reimagined what scalable advocacy looks like. By combining an always-on strategy with smart automation and AI, they’ve built a program that brings the customer voice into product launches, sales cycles, and key brand moments - without creating more manual work or relying on the same handful of advocates. You’ll leave with a modern playbook for scaling customer advocacy - one that combines authentic customer voice with AI-powered efficiency and positions customer marketing as a strategic growth engine for the business. --- ### In this session, you’ll discover how Dropbox: - **Scaled its advocate pool** by engaging customers at the right moments in their journey - **Embedded AI into advocacy** to automate outreach, surface customer proof, and streamline content approvals - **Enabled sales teams to activate customer voice** with confidence to help accelerate pipeline - **Moved beyond one-off requests** to build a measurable, repeatable advocacy engine --- ### Meet the speakers: [Emily Gover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/egover/), former Customer Marketing Manager at Dropbox and [Shawnna Sumaoang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnnasumaoang/), Chief Marketing Officer, Deeto ### What to automate in customer marketing and what to leave to humans URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/balance-between-automation-and-human-touch/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T13:53:20.000Z I was the go-to person every sales rep messaged when they needed a [reference](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them-3/) or a customer quote. Every time, I'd be looking for something I knew was in either a deck or a folder, and I just couldn't find it quickly enough. We had a lot of great [customer proof](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/), but no great way to put it in the hands of our sales team. Over time, sales would stick to the few examples they'd heard before, and none of our new assets were gaining traction. That's the problem I set out to solve with my foray into [AI and automation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/revolutionizing-customer-marketing-with-ai-automation/). And solving it made me think harder about where [automation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/martech-and-customer-marketing-automating-customer-interactions-2/) actually belongs in [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) – and where it doesn't. Like all marketers, I'm being encouraged to embrace AI and automation in my work. I've created some internal tools that have really elevated the way my customer marketing programs work. I can surface customer proof faster, find the right [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/) at the right time and scale things that were previously 100% manual. But the more I build, the more I find myself drawn back to why I chose this career path in the first place: the people. It's something I see in our vision for PandaDoc as well. ## Why the human-automation split makes At PandaDoc, we build document automation software and the philosophy is the same. We help teams get documents signed faster, but the point is the relationship it represents. Two people deciding to trust each other enough to move forward. So yes, we automate where we can, but business is still a relationship built on [trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/). That's not something that's going to shift with automation, and the more automated the world becomes, the more that [human touch](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/adding-a-human-touch-to-customer-marketing/) will matter. It's why receiving a package in the mail gives you a dopamine hit, or when a friend gifts you something you mentioned to them months ago gives you the warm and fuzzies. Someone heard you out and they care. Being able to create that feeling is everything. The ones who can figure out where to automate with AI in service of those moments are the ones whose customer marketing efforts will stand out. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg) ## What do I automate? There's a version of this conversation where AI and automation are the bad guys. We've all had our moments where we've wanted to cuss out Claude for [hallucinating](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-hallucinations), or produced content that read like it was [written by someone who's never met an actual human](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/14/ai-opinion-piece-column-writing-articles-certified-human-writer). As AI continues to be the hot topic of conversation on LinkedIn, in meetings and, frankly, even when you close your laptop for the day and turn on the news or scroll through your social media feed, I'd encourage every customer marketer to ask themselves what's sacred in their role, and what should *never* be automated. There's a pretty clean line between what should be automated and what's off the table in customer marketing. The [operational stuff](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/innovate-your-marketing-operating-model/) – finding testimonial quotes, scoring advocates, [tracking engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/), routing [reference requests](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-and-scaling-up-your-customer-reference-program-to-support-business-growth/) – is fair game. It's work that needs to be done for the program to function, and doing it manually means spending time on admin instead of on your customers. But creating [authentic relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-authentic-relationships-in-a-changing-marketing-landscape/) with customers is different. When you check in with a customer just to see how they're doing, or clock that they've gone a little quiet and reach out to say "hey" – that outreach should always come from you genuinely noticing, not from a [health score](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-customer-health-score-how-to-master-this-metric/) threshold being reached. Those touchpoints can't be automated because a workflow can't replicate what makes them land. The purpose of getting the operational layer running smoothly is to free up more time and attention for what really matters. ## What I actually built with AI (and why) The sales rep problem I described at the start is what pushed me to start building. I wanted anyone in the company to be able to find the right [social proof](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/dark-social-tracking/) without having to track me down every time. So I built internal tools using Claude that surface approved customer proof in a searchable, filterable library. A sales rep preparing for a call can search by industry or use case and have something relevant in under a minute, rather than waiting on me. The human part is what comes after: **the judgment call of which customer to approach**, whether the timing is right, whether you have enough information about what's happening in their world right now to make an ask. [![The savvy marketer’s AI companion guide](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/The-savvy-marketer---s-AI-companion-guide--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-savvy-marketers-ai-companion-guide/) ## How to create deliberate human moments The human moments that create advocates don't just happen. You have to truly invest in them, especially as the rest of marketing gets more automated and the baseline for what feels personal keeps shifting. We started logging gifting activity earlier this year as an experiment. If we send a customer something – coffee, a small gift at a moment that feels right – we log it. We don't have the data yet on whether those customers show up differently in health scores, [renewal rates](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-renewal-risk-scorecard-template-framework/) and advocacy behavior, but we're building the discipline now. We do it because a customer who feels seen is more likely to become an advocate than one who only hears from us reactively. We sent a customer a gift basket for an award they received, and they posted about it on LinkedIn on their own, tagged us and talked about what it meant to them. I now have a great connection with that person; we swap G2 tips and bounce ideas off each other on [Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/). That kind of moment comes from someone feeling like they were actually thought about rather than dropped into a campaign. You can create the conditions for that to happen more often, but it can't be automated, and I think any team that tries is going to find that customers notice the difference very quickly. ## The marketers who do this well Over the years I've noticed that customer advocacy attracts a specific kind of talent. Someone with deep empathy and genuine care for what others need (side poll: anyone else an eldest daughter? 😅) I still think about customers I worked with at a previous company. People who went out of their way to speak at events, take [reference calls](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/) and who genuinely became part of how I understood what great advocacy looks like. Most of them have moved on to different roles, different companies, different seasons of their life, but I still cheer them on when something good happens for them. Cheering them on from the sidelines isn't benefiting my programs in any way, but I think it says something about how all customer marketers should hold this work. **Customers aren't a resource to be optimized** and shouldn't be treated as one. They're people who trust you with their name and reputation when they signed up to endorse your product. The customer marketers who are genuinely good at what they do are usually **people-centric and curious**. Interested in what customers are building and happy to hear about a win that has nothing to do with their current program. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## Where the line is Automate what gets in the way of having more time with customers. Keep humans in the loop for anything that involves a relationship decision – who to ask, when to ask, how to frame it, whether now is the right time. Whether a customer seems like they're in a good place or whether something's going on that means an advocacy ask wouldn't land. Whether the reference pairing you're considering actually makes sense given what you know about both people. The more AI-produced content, outreach, and communication people receive every day, the more customers will value the human connections they've built. Customers are becoming more adept at recognizing when they are being processed and when people are really listening. The teams that figure out how to use automation to create more space for real connection are going to build the kind of relationships that are more than just a data point. ### How to turn your customers into a high-performing marketing channel URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-referrals-high-performing-marketing-channel/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T11:59:59.000Z If you actively turn word-of-mouth into a manufactured marketing channel, the results can be transformative. You have the opportunity to turn your customer base into an always-on [lead generation engine](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/how-to-build-a-referral-program-kirsty-sharman/) that compounds over time. I spent 15 years in [influencer marketing](https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-influencer-marketing) before realizing that the highest quality leads always come from genuine users. Influencer ROI has declined as consumers have learned to spot paid ads from a mile away. [Trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) is the ultimate currency, and your customers are the only ones who still have a surplus of it. ## Moving from “organic hope” to manufactured word-of-mouth Many marketers treat word-of-mouth as a hope strategy. Yes, they recognize that referrals happen, but they view them as an organic phenomenon that occurs in the dark. They know they get [referrals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-referral-program-challenges-and-fixes/), but they can’t quite identify the source or understand the mechanics behind them. I can’t stress just how passive this approach is, and how much [revenue it leaves on the table](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/). There’s a massive gap between customers *who say* they’d recommend a brand and those who *actually do*. Research suggests that while 72% of customers are willing to refer, only 29% follow through. This gap exists because we fail to make the process easy or rewarding. ### The shift from influencer reach to customer influence In the early days of influencer marketing, reach was everything. I booked influencers with millions of followers to get a brand in front of as many eyes as possible. Over time, the authenticity of those messages weakened. Your customers might have smaller individual audiences, but their combined reach is often much larger than a handful of influencers. More importantly, their influence is real. When a customer tells a friend to use a product, it comes from a place of genuine experience. ### Why trust is the ultimate currency in modern marketing Consumers have become highly skeptical of traditional advertising. They understand that influencers are often paid to say nice things. A recommendation from a peer who actually uses the product is the only thing many people trust anymore. By building a referral program, you’re simply providing the infrastructure to capture and encourage these authentic conversations. You’re moving word-of-mouth out of the darkness and into a [measurable, scalable marketing channel](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-your-marketing-for-smbs-and-enterprises/). [10 examples of great referral programs to inspire youWe live in a hyper-consumer-driven world where companies bombard us with endless ads and promotional content. Referral programs encourage customers to refer friends, family or colleagues often offering rewards like discounts or credits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-46cd92c2-b3a5-4a9c-9708-a37e33789fd8.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--6--03e64e89-e6a2-421d-9e1a-8dd0a9b1cfb8.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/) ## Your 4-week roadmap to launch your referral program Many brands hesitate to launch a program because it feels overwhelming. They worry about [tracking](https://referral-factory.com/referral-tracking), tax compliance, and technical integration. If you use a structured approach and [referral program software](https://referral-factory.com/), you can go from a blank slate to a live program in just 30 days. ### Week 1: Defining your strategy and motivation The first week is about your **traditional strategy**. You need to decide what you’ll give the person referring and what you’ll offer the friend who signs up. This is also the time to map out your lead flow. You should determine exactly where referred leads will go in your CRM and how you will qualify them. A clear plan at this stage prevents technical headaches later. Focus on creating a win-win situation for everyone involved. ### Week 2: Building your technical infrastructure Week two is your infrastructure week. This is when you build your referral pages and set up automated email notifications. You need to ensure that when a referral qualifies, the reward is issued without manual intervention. If you choose to custom build this, the process could take months. [Using a plug-and-play solution](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/) allows you to install widgets in your product and banners on your website quickly. This week ensures the plumbing of your program is watertight before you tell the world about it. ### Week 3: Promoting your program across all channels The most important week is week three. Your infrastructure is useless if no one knows it exists. You must tell every customer about the referral opportunity. Send a dedicated email to your **entire database**. Train your sales and support teams to mention the program during their calls. Place a permanent banner in your newsletter and a pop-up in your product. You’re essentially marketing your marketing channel. ### Week 4: Analyzing data and optimizing for growth By week four, you should see your first referrals coming through. This is the time to look at your open rates and conversion data. If people are clicking but not referring, you might need to adjust your reward. A referral program is an evergreen channel that requires ongoing optimization. You can change your incentives or update your creative assets based on what the data tells you. From this point forward, the program should provide a consistent trickle of high-quality leads. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Design a program that avoids the salesperson trap A major design flaw in referral programs that I see time and time again is making the customer feel like a salesperson. If you only offer a reward to the referrer, the interaction can feel awkward. The customer might feel they're profiting off their friend. ### The power of double-sided referral programs The most successful programs are double-sided, often called a give-and-get model. In this structure, the person being referred receives a benefit, such as a discount or a free trial. The person making the referral also receives a reward once their friend converts. This shift changes the [psychology of the referral](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-referrals-certified-masters/). The customer is no longer selling your brand; they're giving their friend a gift. It makes the conversation at a dinner table or over a coffee feel natural and helpful. ### Creating a “give-and-get” ecosystem When you give your customers something to give away, they become much more motivated to share. They look like the hero who has a special link or a unique discount code. This motivation leads to higher sharing rates on social media and in private messages. We’ve seen that **double-sided referral programs** consistently deliver better results. They create a positive experience for the referrer, the friend, and the brand. It’s the most effective way to encourage your customers to overshare your business. ## Select rewards that drive meaningful engagement Choosing the right reward is critical to the success of your program. Based on data from millions of referrers, we’ve identified the incentives that actually drive action. While every audience is different, certain patterns remain consistent across industries. ### The top-performing reward types **Cash is the top-performing reward** across almost all categories. This doesn’t have to be a direct bank transfer. Digital Visa or Mastercard gift cards work exceptionally well because they have no conditions on how they're spent. Gift cards for major retailers like Amazon are the second most popular choice. They feel like a tangible treat for the customer. Discounts and store credits take third place, though they're more effective in B2C than in B2B environments. ### Understanding the unique challenges of B2B reward schemes In a B2B setting, you must reward the individual, not the company. An employee rarely cares if their employer saves a hundred dollars on a monthly subscription. That discount provides zero personal motivation for them to make a referral. You should offer a personal reward like an Amazon voucher or a coffee card to the person making the recommendation. Since people in B2B industries often hang out with peers in similar roles, their professional network is a goldmine for high-quality leads. Don’t leave money on the table by rewarding the wrong entity. [![Customer Referrals Certified: Turn customers into your most consistent source of leads.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/Customer-Referrals-Certification-Turn-customers-into-your-most-consistent-source-of-leads--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-referrals-certified-masters/) ## Build the internal business case for referrals Leadership teams sometimes block referral programs because they view them as a risk to the customer relationship. They might feel shy about asking customers for favors. This hesitation usually exists only in the mind of the marketer. ### Frame referrals as a lead generation engine When pitching to executives, you should frame the referral program as a lead generation channel rather than a loyalty play. Executives care about revenue and growth. We generally see that an active referral program can increase lead volume by 20% annually. If you know the average value of a lead, you can put a specific monetary number on that growth. It’s much easier to get sign-off when you can show that the program will pay for itself many times over. Treat it with the same strategic weight as your SEO or paid ad spend. ### Overcoming the internal hesitation to ask If you’re nervous about asking customers to refer, start with a small segment. Send an email to 2% of your base and gauge their reaction. You’ll likely find that they're happy to participate, especially if the program offers them a real benefit. I’ve seen small businesses without a marketing team grow significantly just by turning one customer into two. I worked on a project across 2024–2025 where we focused heavily on SEO and referrals as compounding channels. These are the strategies that continue to deliver value long after the initial work is done. ## Let’s wrap up [Referral marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-referral-program-challenges-and-fixes/) is not a matter of luck. It’s a structured discipline that requires you to stop hoping and start manufacturing. By providing the right tools and the right incentives, you can unlock the massive potential of your existing customer base. A well-designed program is a win for everyone. Your customers get rewarded, their friends get a great new product, and your business gets high-quality leads that convert at a higher rate. It’s time to stop leaving your best marketing channel to chance and start building the infrastructure for long-term growth. --- *This article has been adapted from Kirsty’s episode of the Customer Marketing Catch-Up podcast. You can watch or listen to the full episode on* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2481DWuzmGLidtqcO3Z52i?si=iDahcrcwQuC0UkhNnyPteQ)*,* [*Apple*](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-build-a-referral-program-that-actually/id1639916796?i=1000774736809) *or* [*YouTube*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J%5F9t3v8Ek1c)*.* ### How brands build lasting customer loyalty through storytelling URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-brands-build-lasting-customer-loyalty/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T12:00:17.000Z [Brand loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) isn’t what it used to be. Long gone are the days of customers sticking to a single brand because “that’s what they’ve always done.” [B2C](https://www.cmoalliance.com/tag/b2c-marketing/) and [B2B](https://www.cmoalliance.com/tag/b2b-marketing/) customer loyalty has waned over the past few decades, and with buyers having more options available to them, they're more apt to jump ship if there are cheaper or faster alternatives available. We all know price isn’t the only factor, and every industry has lots of bells and whistles to choose from, so how do we as marketers cut through this noise to remain competitive with our existing customers and procure new ones? To cement true brand loyalty, brands need to move beyond transactional marketing and into relationship building through [storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) and [thought leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/11-exclusive-customer-marketing-tips-from-thought-leaders/). So let’s dive into how we shift from transactional marketing to authentic storytelling. We’ll look at revitalizing brand loyalty, an actionable roadmap for elevating key voices, operationalizing your strategy, and [measuring the real ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mastering-customer-marketing-the-best-strategies-for-measuring-success/) of customer trust. ## Why storytelling builds trust and long-term customer loyalty Human history has always relied on [storytelling.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) It's part of our survival strategy since the dawn of time. Sharing stories not only helps educate but also builds bonds, and these bonds are becoming increasingly more important in a world where AI has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/Long-gone-are-the-days-of-customers--sticking-to-a-single-brand-because-----that---s-what-they---ve-always-done.-----To-cement-true-brand-loyalty--brands-need-to-move-beyond-transactional-marketing-and-into-relationship-building-through.jpg) The great thing about marketers is that we thrive on a good story; we understand the buyer's journey, demographic and our ideal customer, so the shift from only transactional to relational is, in theory, easy. Transitioning to a relational marketing approach requires a mindset shift that extends beyond the marketing team to the entire revenue motion and executive leadership. Without this collective buy-in, you will face an uphill battle. ## The business case for customer loyalty and retention Thankfully, there's some great research to back up your case. According to [Bain & Company](http://www.bain.com/Images/BB%5FPrescription%5Fcutting%5Fcosts.pdf), a “5% increase in [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) produces more than a 25% increase in profit.” Loyalty isn't just a feel-good metric but a massive financial driver for your organization's growth. When you become a trusted resource, you become the natural first call. As [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2024/04/11/17-tips-for-building-brand-loyalty-with-thought-leadership-content/) notes, “This approach positions a brand as a reliable source in its field, building trust. Trust, in turn, fosters loyalty, as customers prefer brands that not only understand their challenges but also provide valuable solutions.” [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## How to build trust through storytelling in marketing So if trust is the backbone to loyalty, how do we actually build it with our customers? Your brand cannot simply shout, “trust us” in an ad campaign and expect it to work. Would you ever believe such a preposterous claim? Instead, we need to weave together [client testimonials](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/), executive thought leadership, and internal brand personalities. This combination sparks deep conversations that can drive real customer retention. The reason this combination works is that we know that the most compelling corporate stories are at their core human stories. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/How-to-build-trust-through-storytelling.jpg) ## Use customer testimonials Now, of course, we’ve all seen the standard client testimonials over the years. Testimonials have been a long-standing tradition in marketing to tell the story of the client from their perspective. A combination of a headshot and a quote is common, but more and more marketers have moved towards video testimonials to memorialize their clients' thoughts and feelings. As social media algorithms prioritize reels and short-form video content, there is an added value of putting not only a face to the name, but a voice to the experience. ## Show up through executive voices your audience recognizes Executives are also now stepping into the spotlight, creating short thought leadership snippets to share with followers. The most successful ones tend to be casual in nature, like they’re truly connecting to the person on the other side of the screen. This connection can win over individuals from three different segments: your current customers, your prospects, and potential employees. If the brand shares the executive’s voice, it not only bolsters the executive, but it gives a more human tone to the brand, and therefore creates more trust with the audience. We’re also seeing them engage in [written content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-main-barriers-to-creating-effective-content/), sometimes ghostwritten but oftentimes penned by the executive and edited by the marketing team. Particularly if the founder of an organization writes an industry-focused piece, they tend to bring it back to the root cause of starting the business in the first place, which is usually a truly compelling story. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## Turn internal experts into trusted brand personalities The area of brand personalities in my opinion is an emerging segment. We are seeing more “Chief Evangelists” who were formerly industry influencers being hired by companies. But marketing teams can guide their own teammates to build up an influence portfolio of their own. Every organization has subject matter experts who are likely well esteemed within their industry. We all have [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) or support teams, who see the struggles that your clients face every day. Your sales organizations are having conversations every day in the field, and all of these people are close to our customers' problems. Putting a face to the people solving those problems builds immediate trust and deepens engagement. ## How marketing teams can operationalize storytelling All three of these personas (the client testimonial, the executive thought leader, and the brand personalities) require guidance from the marketing team to put their best foot forward. Whether it’s through the confidence of a [videography](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/revolutionizing-storytelling-through-remote-video-capture/) team, who is excellent at asking questions and capturing sincere moments, or a scrappy PR professional, who can provide media training and feedback to your team, this approach is attainable by most marketing teams with any budget. Sharing these messages does not need to be high cost either. Yes, of course you can boost videos to get more eyeballs on them, but creating your own methods outside of ad and social platforms to share these stories can be rewarding for all involved. Create impact newsletters for your customers, and share the stories on your website. Most importantly, ask the humans in the content to share these stories themselves, give them guidelines for copy, teach them how to tag the brand, and make it easy for them. Everyone can be part of sharing the message and extending the organic reach of the content. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) # Measure customer trust and loyalty in marketing You’ve got the strategy and the plan to operationalize it, but one of the main issues with loyalty and retention is metrics. How does a marketing team shift some of their efforts from transactional marketing to relational marketing while still proving return on investment? We need a way to measure trust and authentic growth. Tracking retention, referrals, organic direct traffic, social media follows and customer surveys are some of the ways you can prove the benefits of customer trust and loyalty. As your executives and brand personalities become trusted authorities, they will often be presented with speaking or media opportunities. As each individual gains attention, it can be yet another measurable impact of the strategy. The reality is all of these metrics are a byproduct of the hard work of storytelling. Telling a great story allows the speaker to be vulnerable, pushing them to move beyond their professional persona, where they can develop an opinion and speak their mind. When this happens the viewer or reader can tell they are being genuinely authentic, and humans are naturally drawn to authentic people because they are more likely to be true and honest with us. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/Your-team-and-their-expertise-are-the-ultimate-competitive-advantage.-People-buy-from-people--and-we-are-hardwired-to-connect-to-the-stories-other-people-tell.jpg) # To wrap up Take stock of your team and your clients, discover who already has influence in your industry. Chat with folks who you find genuine and authentic, find out who is inspired enough to engage with this process (you might be surprised to learn they tell a great story, too). Those stories will build trust, and trust is where loyalty and the long-term relationship with your client lives. Remember your client is flooded with options to choose from. Your team and their expertise are the ultimate competitive advantage. People buy from people, and we are hardwired to connect to the stories other people tell. By realigning your efforts to the humans behind the brand, you aren’t just focusing on the next transaction, you’re securing the brand’s future. ### The hardest part of AI transformation isn't the AI URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/barriers-to-ai-implementation/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T11:39:32.000Z **Liza Adams, AI Advisor and Go-to-Market Strategist**, has worked with dozens of organizations on [AI transformation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/). Her assessment of where the difficulty lives is direct: > "The transformation is less about AI, and is actually more about the human beings. AI is the easiest part of the transformation. The hardest part of transformation is actually us,**human beings**." Most [CMOs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-building-a-creative-culture-as-a-cmo/) spend the majority of their AI planning time on selecting and implementing tools. Which platforms to evaluate? Which [workflows to automate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-workflows-for-the-overwhelmed-marketer/)? Which use cases to pilot first? That's necessary. It's also not where transformations fail. They fail because: - Teams are oversubscribed and have no capacity to experiment. - The job security conversation was never had honestly. - "Learn AI" became the 16th priority on already-overwhelmed lists. - Psychological safety for failure was never established. - The champions who were quietly experimenting were never identified and amplified. The technology is solvable. Organizations that have invested seriously in the organizational side of [AI adoption](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-adoption-paradox/) are consistently ahead of those that treated it as a software implementation problem. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ff/09/ff09ec2c-5937-45c2-bd7e-bcc809b43924/content/images/2026/05/CMO_AI_for_Marketing_Leaders_2026_Edition_eBook__Supporting-Assets_Article-Banner-1.png)](https://www.cmoalliance.com/ai-for-marketing-leaders-report-2026/) ## The job security conversation CMOs are avoiding [**52.4%** of marketing leaders](https://www.cmoalliance.com/ai-for-marketing-leaders-report-2026/) are still in the testing and pilot phase of AI adoption, and **44.1%** believe AI will lead to job losses. That near-majority concern is present in every marketing department right now, regardless of whether it's being spoken aloud. CMOs who avoid the conversation don't neutralize the anxiety. Instead, they allow it to calcify into passive resistance, underinvestment in learning, and quiet sabotage of the AI initiatives they're trying to build. > **Christy Marble, CMO at Siteimprove**, describes handling this honestly with a team member: "Just a few months ago, one of our[brand strategists](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-brand-storytelling/)came to me and she said, Christy, am I going to be doing less editing now? And she seemed a little worried. And my answer, I think, was kinda shocking to her. My answer was yes, and that's the point." The answer was yes. And then she reframed it with specificity. > "Our[content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/user-feedback-tracker-for-ai-content-template-framework/)demands had grown so much with this content tsunami, with everyone producing content, and what we were getting was really bad. She was no longer doing[brand strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-branding-the-1-key-to-next-level-customer-program-adoption/)at all. She was now our brand police and editor. And the work was routine. It was frustrating. It was unrewarding work for her." AI taking over the tedious editing work was a path back to the strategic work that had made the role worth having in the first place. > "Her value wasn't in watching all of our content messaging for brand consistency. Her value is not in checking for typos. It was in the human creativity, the strategic thinking, the[emotional connection](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/), and the tone that[differentiated](https://www.cmoalliance.com/product-marketing-labs/how-to-differentiate-in-saturated-markets-product-marketing-labs/)our brand." This is an honest conversation that acknowledges that the role will change. It makes a specific case for why the change is better for this person, grounded in what they were doing versus what they were good at. CMOs who want their [teams to engage](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) seriously with AI need to have these conversations. Not a town hall about the exciting future of AI. One-on-ones about what specifically will change for specific people, and what the path forward looks like. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Building AI literacy as an organizational capability, not a specialist function The instinct in many organizations is to build an AI Centre of Excellence: a specialist team that handles AI, reduces the burden on the broader marketing function, and produces outputs for others to use. That model tends to create a dependency rather than a capability. When the AI specialists are overloaded, the rest of the team is blocked. When they leave, the capability walks out with them. And it keeps the majority of the marketing organization AI-illiterate at exactly the moment when AI literacy is becoming a basic professional expectation. > **Monica Kumar, CMO at Extreme Networks**, is explicit about the direction: "We now need AI literacy across the entire organization. This notion of AI specialists is gone. It's more about AI literacy and fluency in the organization." > **Chris Hood, AI strategist and former Google marketing leader**, identifies a practical blocker: "One of the biggest challenges we see across all industries right now is that there is a mix of understanding of the language of AI." His solution is unglamorous and highly effective: "Come up with a shared dictionary glossary of terms for your organization to help you all get on the same page in terms of when we say agent, we mean this." Without shared vocabulary, teams talk past each other. Marketing means one thing by "[AI-powered personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/)" while IT means another. The shared glossary is a first step that takes less than a week and removes a friction point that compounds indefinitely if ignored. > **Naveen Blazey, CMO at Wipro Americas**, describes how a 250,000-person organization approached universal training: "Everybody has that base layer. Everybody's on common ground zero. And depending on your role, your interest areas, you are trained with certain programs and courses." Universal baseline, then role-specific depth. The baseline removes the common vocabulary problem. The role-specific layer produces people who can act. > **Deepak Kumar, CMO at Techies Infotech**, has connected learning directly to accountability: "We embedded learning into performance expectations. Upskilling is now directly tied to team KPIs. Every marketing team member is expected to demonstrate improvement in how they use AI-assisted workflows." When AI fluency is a performance expectation rather than a voluntary development activity, the adoption curve accelerates. ## Creating space to actually experiment Here's the structural problem in most marketing organizations: AI adoption is treated as an addition to already-full workloads rather than a redesign of how work gets done. > **Liza Adams**puts the number on it: "Many of us are 120 percent to 150 percent oversubscribed, and so are our teams." When teams are operating at that capacity, "learn AI" becomes the 16th priority. It gets deferred indefinitely. And CMOs wonder why adoption is stalling despite genuine enthusiasm for the technology. The solution is to reprioritize. **Thiago Monteiro, Founder of Toco Marketing,** describes the cultural conditions that actually work: > "My approach to upskilling is centred on removing fear and making experimentation normal. AI can feel intimidating at first, so I focus on creating a safe environment where people are encouraged to try tools, make mistakes, and learn through doing. To keep momentum, I make AI a standing agenda item. In every weekly meeting, we have a dedicated section to discuss what we have been doing with AI, what has worked, and what has not." The standing agenda item does several things at once. It: - Normalizes the conversation, - Creates peer accountability without individual pressure, - Surfaces what's working across the team faster than top-down reporting would, and - Signals to the team that experimentation is expected, not optional. > **Liza Adams**adds: "You might have a Slack channel where people share what worked, what didn't work, and what their experiments look like. When we succeed, we win, and when we fail, we learn." The critical reframe in that last phrase: failure is a contribution to organizational knowledge, not a career risk. Organizations that can genuinely establish that norm move faster through the learning curve than those where failure carries stigma. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Identifying and amplifying champions > **Francesco Federico, Global CMO at S&P Global**, offers one of the most practical pieces of advice for building adoption momentum: "I'm sure you already have your teams filled with AI enthusiasts that are trying AI in their spare time. They can be transformed from enthusiasts to evangelists and really become those agents for change." Those people exist in almost every marketing organization. They are the individuals who proactively develop custom AI workflows, utilize emerging tools to drive efficiency, and experiment out of genuine curiosity. Rather than requiring formal training, these innovators need an organizational platform to amplify their impact. Identifying them takes a brief survey or a few conversations. Amplifying them means giving them time to share what they've learned in team meetings, asking them to run internal workshops, and featuring their results in the organization's AI reporting. The peer-to-peer learning that follows is more credible and more adopted than any mandate from leadership. Francesco's recommendation extends to how wins get communicated upward: > "Celebrate successes. Celebrate successful pilots, celebrate a successful conversational chatbot, or an increase in[conversion rates](https://www.cmoalliance.com/user-intent-the-true-secret-to-amazing-conversion-rates/). These are all things that make a big difference in maintaining enthusiasm throughout the implementation process." Internal communication about AI progress should be as deliberate as external communication about any other strategic initiative. ## What full transformation actually looks like A case with [Dice.com](http://dice.com/) provides the clearest benchmark for what high-velocity AI transformation produces when the organizational conditions are right. Liza Adams worked with the team for over 6 months to build a 45-member organization of 25 humans and 20 AI teammates, growing to 63 AI teammates by April and closing in on 100 by summer. The results were measurable: 75% faster content creation, 98% lead qualification accuracy, 35% improved campaign performance. But Liza is clear about where the actual work was: "The transformation was less about AI. The team spent more time on change management than on GPT configuration." One-on-ones to understand individual fears. Dedicated experimentation spaces. A deliberate decision to reprioritize workloads rather than stack AI learning on top of existing demands. The marketing team eventually became the internal template for other departments. They started training sales teams, then customer success, then other functions across the organization. The capability they built, knowing how to design, train, and manage AI teammates, became institutional knowledge that competitors couldn't easily access by purchasing the same tools. That's the output of getting the human transformation right. The efficiency gains were real and significant. The competitive advantage came from the organizational capability itself. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## The CMO's actual job in this transformation **Katherine Lehman, Founder and CMO**, describes what's changed at the structural level: > "AI has fundamentally changed the speed-to-execution equation. What used to take weeks now takes days. The real shift is not just efficiency gains, it is the collapse of the traditional marketing org chart. Companies no longer need a content writer, a data analyst, and a reporting specialist as three separate hires. One smart marketer with the right AI stack can do what a team of five did two years ago." This situation represents both a massive opportunity and a significant disruption. Effective CMOs recognize that success relies as much on thoughtful organizational design as it does on choosing the right technology. By initiating honest discussions about how roles are evolving, leaders cultivate a culture where experimentation is safe and productive. They further strengthen this by empowering internal champions, treating human transformation as their primary focus, and [positioning](https://www.cmoalliance.com/product-positioning-template-framework/) technology as the essential foundation that supports those efforts. Ultimately, the organization’s ability to harness these tools effectively becomes its true competitive advantage. ### Customer marketing's credibility problem (and how to fix it) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketings-credibility-problem/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T14:59:58.000Z I came into [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) from sales. That background changed how I think about the function, and probably explains why I get frustrated when people describe it as "the team that writes [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-how-to-connect-customers-using-voice/)." **Customer marketing has a credibility problem** inside most companies. It sits under marketing alongside corporate, brand, PR and analyst relations, and it's usually the newest of the bunch. People assume the job is to chase logos for the website, collect a few quotes, and produce the occasional case study. So that's what they ask for. And when that's all you produce, that's all you get measured on. People don’t realize customer marketing helps bridge the gap between what we say our platform can do and what customers are achieving with it. I've spent the last five years [building the customer marketing function](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) at Gigamon from scratch. Before that, I led customer marketing programs at McAfee and Intel. The pattern is the same everywhere: you have to [earn your seat at the table](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-get-customer-marketing-a-seat-at-the-leadership-table-video/) by [proving the work moves revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/roi-customer-advocacy/), not by producing more content. Here's how I've done it. ## Start with the business outcome The fastest way to lose credibility is to brief in a case study, ship it, count it, and call that a win. When I plan any program, the first question is, without fail, "What is your company is trying to achieve in the next quarter or year?" The second is whether customer marketing can move that number. If we're trying to accelerate deals in flight, that's a [reference program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them-3/) problem. If we're trying to expand inside the install base, that's a [lifecycle problem](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lifecycle-driven-advocacy-template-framework/). If a product manager is trying to validate a roadmap bet, that's an advisory board problem. The asset is the output. The business outcome is the reason for the work. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Run customer marketing across three pillars A lot of teams limit themselves to advocacy and stop there. I run the function across three connected areas, each of which touches revenue in a different way. ### Customer advocacy Testimonials, [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boosting-value-from-case-studies-a-cybersecurity-view/), reference programs. The traditional core of the work. This pillar supports active deals, so the metric is influenced pipeline and reference-to-close conversion. ### Community engagement Executive briefings, [customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/), customer-to-customer connections, social. This pillar builds the loyalty that shows up later as [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) and second-order references. The customers do a lot of the heavy lifting themselves; my job is to give them the platforms. ### Customer lifecycle management This is the area most customer marketing teams don't touch, because [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) usually owns it. I partner with CS on it anyway. [Onboarding](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-onboarding/), renewal, and expansion are all moments where the right message at the right time makes a measurable difference. If marketing only shows up before the sale and disappears after, you're leaving the longest part of the customer relationship on the table. When the function runs across all three, the conversation inside the business changes. You stop being asked for assets and start being asked to help solve revenue problems. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## Get the voice of the customer right Authenticity gets talked about constantly, especially now that [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-workflows-for-the-overwhelmed-marketer/) can produce a polished case study in 30 seconds. In cybersecurity, the most important part is protecting your customer data; there’s no way you can drop a customer's use case into an LLM. Our job is to keep their [data safe](https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/ai-data-security); hence, we need to say no to AI. The story has to be real and protect the brand. The hardest part of this is internal. [Brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) and corporate marketing will sometimes ask me to get a customer to say a specific line. I won't do it. The moment you script the customer, you lose the only thing that makes the story worth reading. My interview questions are open-ended on purpose: I ask: - What made them consider us in the first place - What nearly killed the deal - What advice they'd give someone in their role six months ago - About their personal goals - What's worrying them at work right now One of my recent favorite questions is: describe Gigamon in one sentence to a friend. We cover the products and the [business outcomes ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-workiva-scales-customer-advocacy-to-drive-business-outcomes/)too, because that's the job. But the human layer underneath is what makes the story stick. People will read a story about a person. They won't read a generic case study. [![ Plan, launch and run a high-impact customer advisory board with Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) ## Use the voice of the customer to influence the business When I joined Gigamon, the company wanted public cloud case studies. That was the messaging direction, and the brief came down accordingly. The customers weren't buying public cloud. They were buying a mix of private and hybrid. I didn't have the case studies to support the original brief, because the deals didn't exist. I partnered with product management, ran the research properly, and the company shifted its messaging from public cloud to hybrid cloud on the back of what the customers were actually doing. That's customer marketing influencing positioning, not producing collateral. The same loop runs through our [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/). We bring product leadership into the room with the customers and ask concrete prioritization questions, including which features they'd pay for if they were holding the budget. I write up an executive summary after every CAB and follow up on the asks. One of the features the board voted up two years ago became a shipped product. When customers see their feedback turn into product decisions, they trust the channel. When product leadership sees that the input is structured and actionable, they trust the function. Both sides get stronger. ## Champion the work internally Customer marketing has to do for itself what it does for customers. If the work is invisible inside the company, the credibility problem never goes away. I publish an executive dashboard. It shows what the team shipped, the business impact, and how that ladders to the company's goals. Writing the dashboard felt uncomfortable at first, because customer marketing instinct is to put the customer in the spotlight. I've learned to do both. We talk about champion customers; we should be willing to champion the function too. The dashboard is how budget conversations get easier, how headcount cases get made, and how the rest of the leadership team starts treating customer marketing as a growth function instead of a service desk. [Stop chasing the perfect case study – build a portfolio insteadStop chasing the perfect case study. Learn how to build a diverse customer story portfolio that drives real commercial impact.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-9efebacc-2f7c-456a-b1af-4f42c95347ad.png)Customer Marketing AllianceSarah Reynolds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Stop-chasing-the-perfect-case-study-----build-a-portfolio-instead-8535f530-5947-4779-89b6-b6a084cc1478.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/stop-chasing-perfect-case-study-build-a-portfolio/) ## Where to start If you're standing up customer marketing or trying to expand the remit of an existing team, two pieces of advice. First, tie everything to the company's business goals before you ship anything. Find out what the priorities are for the next two quarters and work backward from there. Without that, you'll get pulled into a thousand small requests and produce a thousand small assets that don't add up to anything. Second, get the foundation in place in the first 30 days. A [case study library](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/stop-chasing-perfect-case-study-build-a-portfolio/), a reference program, and a tool to track activity. From there, layer in win-loss research and an advisory board. Each new program builds on the credibility of the last one. Share the wins along the way. The small ones and the big ones. Visibility is what turns a one-person function into a team the business actually invests in. I'm an advocate for customer marketing as a discipline. The fastest way to grow it is to prove what it can do. ### Stop chasing the perfect case study – build a portfolio instead URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/stop-chasing-perfect-case-study-build-a-portfolio/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T13:45:10.000Z Every customer marketer knows this moment. You've done everything right. You interviewed the customer, validated the narrative, and wrote what genuinely feels like the best case study your company has ever produced. You hit publish. You send it around internally… and then someone from customer success (CS) points out you missed the bigger picture. Sales chimes in to say the story doesn't match what they actually sold. An executive wants to know why it's all so vague. And product announces a new direction that makes the whole thing feel out of date before it's even had a chance to breathe. Sound familiar? Here's the frustrating part: none of those people are wrong. CS sees a different dimension of the [customer relationship](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-re-engagement-strategies/). Sales knows what motivated the buyer. The executive wants clearer proof of value. Product is always moving forward. And you, stuck in the middle, are trying to build a story that satisfies all of them at once. There's no such thing as “one perfect customer story,” and the sooner you let go of that idea, the better your [storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-putting-customers-at-the-heart-of-your-story-changes-everything/) becomes. ## The portfolio mindset What you're really building is a **portfolio of customer narratives**, one that mirrors your market rather than tries to summarize it in a single piece. That's true whether you sit in product marketing or CS too – but as a customer marketer, you've got more reason than most to get this right. That means covering different: - Roles - Company profiles - Challenges - Outcomes Think of it as a collection rather than a single masterpiece. One story might focus tightly on a specific use case. Another might paint a broader picture of transformation across an entire organization. A third might trace how a customer started with a basic implementation and grew into something more sophisticated over time. Each one serves a purpose. Each one speaks to someone different. Together, they do something a single story never can. ## The “SING” framework: A practical way to build your portfolio To make this actionable, use the **SING** framework. Individual voices in a choir combine to create something richer than any one of them could alone. Good customer storytelling works the same way. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Personal brand framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personal-brand-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T14:04:04.000Z ## What is a personal brand framework? A personal brand framework is a step-by-step framework for customer marketers to define their personal brand and build a plan to influence the stakeholders who control the decisions they care about. Because customer marketing rarely owns the roadmap or the budget, getting a decision moved takes real influence, which most marketers were never taught how to build. This worksheet helps you draft a personal brand statement in your own words, then map exactly who you need to influence, what matters to them, and how to build a case they'll say yes to. ## What's inside the template? This worksheet includes two connected exercises for building your personal brand and putting it to work: 1. Identify what you do best 2. Define how your best friend and favorite boss would describe you 3. Clarify what you want to be known for 4. Draft your personal brand statement 5. Name the decision you need to influence 6. Map every stakeholder with a say 7. Profile each stakeholder's pain points, decision style, and trusted voices 8. Work through a pre-pitch checklist before you make your case ## How to use the template Start by working through the personal brand questions on your own. Be honest about what you're best at and how the people who know you well would describe you. Next, pull those answers into one brand statement and pick a real decision you need to influence. List every stakeholder involved, even the indirect ones, and profile each one on how they're measured, their biggest pain point, and who they trust. Finally, work through the checklist to make sure you're bringing the right proof points, tied to their priorities rather than yours, before you make your case. ## Download your personal brand and influence worksheet ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/Personal-brand-framework.png) [Personal brand framework Personal brand framework .docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/07/Personal-brand-framework-.docx "Download") [Personal brand framework Personal brand framework .pdf113 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/07/Personal-brand-framework-.pdf "Download") [Personal brand frameworkPersonal brand framework A step-by-step exercise to define your personal brand statement and build a plan to influence a specific decision Customer marketers sit at the center of the organization but rarely own the roadmap, P&L, or a seat automatically at the table. That means influence has to b…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-060bbaea-f525-4d4f-8a4b-c8e6d1475b7c.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyL9MemPuHYyU5P5Xd8ndNYE0GE7NxMM0Eh-5VyE2B0u1D1Zi-OAGs58hFfJ2yxt2r0cZvnhRYkH3IClXFQBf3QBbUeYlF1LbNsh2o2BJXTLZ2s6kNWb-w1200-h630-p-96de2d1f-7e68-4203-908a-de2a9c53c8c4)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pbi48nxEHlpsCIqcVXdxA3jJBHl28jjnOzFHL-rpkoo/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to build a referral program that actually brings in leads URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/how-to-build-a-referral-program-kirsty-sharman/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T17:25:17.000Z _No content available._ ### What Referral Factory has learned about customer advocacy software URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T15:06:19.000Z [Customer advocacy ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/)software helps businesses turn happy customers into active advocates. Advocacy can take many forms, from reviews and testimonials to communities and customer referrals. At [Referral Factory](https://referral-factory.com/), we focus on one of the most measurable forms of customer advocacy: referrals. After helping hundreds of businesses build and manage on-brand [customer advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-maturity-model-template-framework/), we have learned that the challenge is not always getting customers to advocate. Many customers are already willing to [recommend brands](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) they trust. The harder part is turning that advocacy into a structured program that customers understand, teams can manage, and the business can measure. That is where [customer advocacy software](https://referral-factory.com/customer-advocacy-software) becomes important. For medium to large businesses, it should do more than create a referral link. It should help teams track the full [referral journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-template-framework/), automate rewards, connect referral data to existing systems, meet security requirements, and include advanced analytics and reporting to understand what is working. In this article, we’ll cover: - [What customer advocacy software is](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/#what-is-customer-advocacy-software?) - [The different types of customer advocacy software](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/#types-of-customer-advocacy-software) - [What referral-led customer advocacy means](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/#types-of-customer-advocacy-software) - [When customer advocacy software works best](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/#customer-advocacy-software-works-best-when-there-is-already-customer-trust-to-activate) - [6 lessons Referral Factory has learned about customer advocacy software](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/#6-lessons-about-customer-advocacy-software) - [How to choose customer advocacy software for a medium-to-large business](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-software-lessons/#how-to-choose-the-best-customer-advocacy-software-for-a-medium-to-large-business) ## What is customer advocacy software? Customer advocacy software helps businesses identify [happy customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-ways-saas-companies-can-leverage-their-happy-customers/), invite them to take advocacy actions, track those actions, reward customers when the right outcome happens, and measure the impact. The right customer advocacy software depends on the type of advocacy a business wants to scale. If a company wants to [build a community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/), it may need community advocacy software. If it wants more reviews, it may need review management software. If it wants to turn happy customers into a measurable source of new customers and revenue, it needs referral-led software. ## Types of customer advocacy software Not all customer advocacy software solves the same problem. The right platform depends on the advocacy action a business wants to scale. | Type of customer advocacy software | Best for | What it helps teams do | | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Referral-led advocacy software | Turning happy customers into your best sales channel | Track referrals, qualify leads, manage rewards, and measure referral growth | | Review and testimonial software | Building social proof | Collect and manage customer reviews, ratings, and testimonials | | Community advocacy software | Building engagement | Create customer forums, groups, discussions, and education spaces | | Ambassador software | Managing selected promoters | Coordinate structured advocacy from selected customers, creators, or brand champions | For businesses that want customer advocacy to drive measurable acquisition, referrals are one of the clearest advocacy motions to track. ## What is referral-led customer advocacy? Referral-led [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/) is when a business turns happy customers into advocates by giving them a structured way to refer friends, colleagues, peers, or other potential customers. A referral-led advocacy journey usually looks like this: 1. A happy customer is invited to refer. 2. The customer gets a referral link, code, QR code, or branded referral page. 3. The customer shares it with someone they know. 4. The referred person becomes a paying customer. 5. The business tracks who referred whom. 6. The referral is qualified based on the business’s rules. 7. The advocate receives a reward or recognition. 8. The business reports on the campaign and improves it over time. This is where [customer advocacy becomes measurable](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-working-these-metrics-will-tell/). A customer saying positive things about your brand is valuable. A customer introducing a new paying customer is easier to track, reward, and directly drives revenue. [Is your advocacy program working? These metrics will tell youLearn how to measure customer advocacy impact with metrics that align to revenue, retention, and strategic business goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-af231d80-3659-4158-b249-018cb9cd457a.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKevin Lau![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Is-your-advocacy-program-working---These-metrics-will-tell-you-9186b732-b892-4361-93d4-f870b642c2cb.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-working-these-metrics-will-tell/) ## Customer advocacy software works best when there is already customer trust to activate One important lesson is that customer advocacy software doesn’t create customers from nothing. Software can make a referral-led customer advocacy program easier to build, manage, track, reward, and scale. But it works best when a business already has a customer base that trusts the brand enough to recommend it. In other words, it helps activate existing customer trust. It doesn't replace the work of building that trust in the first place. As a rough rule of thumb, Referral Factory has seen that brands tend to have a stronger starting point when they have around 1,000+ customers or advocates to activate. If around 10% participate, that could create roughly 100 referral opportunities. The exact number will vary by industry, offer, customer relationship, and how well the program is promoted. But the principle stays the same: the more happy customers a business can activate, the more potential its customer advocacy program has. ## 6 lessons about customer advocacy software Customer advocacy software works best when it supports both sides of the referral journey: the customer experience and the business process behind it. Customers need a simple, trustworthy way to refer. Businesses need a reliable way to track referrals, qualify outcomes, issue rewards, connect data to existing systems, and report on performance. These are the six lessons we see most often when medium to large businesses build referral-led customer advocacy programs. ### Lesson 1: Manual referral tracking can damage customer trust Running a referral-led customer advocacy program without end-to-end tracking is risky. Manual tracking might seem manageable at first. A customer emails an account manager. A referred lead mentions a name on a form. A sales rep adds a note in the CRM. A spreadsheet tracks who should receive a reward. But for medium to large businesses, this quickly becomes a ticking time bomb. Referrals get missed. Leads are not attributed correctly. Rewards are delayed. Teams disagree on whether a referral qualified. Customers have to chase the business to find out what happened. That is not just an operational problem. It is a trust problem. When a customer refers someone to your business, they are putting their own reputation behind that recommendation. If you promise a reward and then fail to deliver because you cannot track the referral properly, you risk damaging the relationship. Instead of turning a happy customer into an advocate, you may turn a happy customer into an unhappy one. Customer advocacy software should protect that trust by giving customers a clear way to refer and giving the business a reliable way to track, qualify, and reward referrals fairly. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ### Lesson 2: A referral-led customer advocacy program needs active promotion Another common mistake is building a referral-led customer advocacy program and then expecting customers to find it on their own. That rarely works. A campaign is not successful just because it exists. Customers need to see it, understand it, and be reminded about it at the right moments. One thing we have learned from successful Referral Factory customers is that referral programs perform better when they are promoted in at least three places. For example: - A one-click pop-up that lets advocates get their referral link quickly - A branded referral portal where customers can access their link and check referral or reward status - CRM-connected workflows that make referral invitations part of existing marketing, sales, or customer success touchpoints The lesson is simple: customer advocacy needs activation. If customers do not know the program exists, they will not use it. If they only hear about it once, many will forget. Software should offer brands as many ways to promote their campaigns by helping businesses invite the right customers, at the right time, through the channels and systems they already use. ### Lesson 3: The best campaigns are the simplest ones Customer advocacy programs work best when the ask is clear. Customers should understand what they need to do, who they should refer, what the referred person needs to do, when the referral qualifies, what reward they will receive, and how they can check what happened. This is where many brands go wrong. They get carried away with complicated gamification, unclear reward tiers, or too many conditions. While gamification can work in some contexts, referral-led customer advocacy usually needs clarity more than complexity. If customers have to work too hard to understand the offer, fewer people will refer. Your team may also spend more time answering questions, checking referral status, and fixing confusion. Over time, that reduces both customer goodwill and the return on the campaign. The best customer advocacy software should make the customer-facing experience simple, while giving the business advanced controls behind the scenes. Customers should see a clear offer and an easy way to share. The business should get tracking, qualification rules, reward logic, fraud controls, reporting, and integrations. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ### Lesson 4: Rewards work best when they are valuable and tied to real outcomes One mistake we see often is businesses launching a referral-led customer advocacy program without a meaningful reward or offer. A [reward is not just an incentive](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/). It is also a thank you. So, when you ask customers to refer your business, you are asking them to put their own reputation behind your brand and, in many cases, help create pipeline or revenue. Recognizing that effort is part of building strong customer advocacy. That reward does not always need to be cash. It could be a gift card, account credit, discount, exclusive perk, or another incentive that makes sense for your customers and your brand. What matters is that the reward feels valuable, is easy to understand, and is simple to redeem. The referred person also needs a clear reason to take action. That is why rewarding both sides, or giving the referred person an offer, can make the program stronger. The advocate feels appreciated, and the referred person gets a reason to become a customer. We have seen that referral-led advocacy campaigns tend to perform better when the reward is **valuable, simple to understand, easy to redeem**, and clearly **tied to a specific referral outcome**. For medium-to-large businesses, reward management also needs control. Teams need to know when a reward should be issued, whether the referral qualified, whether approval is needed, and how rewards will be delivered at scale. For example, Referral Factory supports over 200 reward options, including gift cards, cash payouts, coupons, discounts, account credits, PayPal payouts, Stripe credits, swag, and custom rewards. But the bigger lesson is that rewards need to be clear, desirable, and connected to the right business outcome. The strongest[ referral-led customer advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) usually reward customers based on a valuable outcome. In many cases, that means rewarding the advocate when the referred person becomes a paying customer. This helps protect the business, improve referral quality, and make the program more commercially valuable. ### Lesson 5: Customer advocacy software should fit the workflows the business already uses Referral-led customer advocacy should never sit in a silo. In most businesses, referral data matters to multiple teams. [Marketing, sales, customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/), finance, and leadership all need different levels of visibility into referral activity, reward status, and performance. If all of that data sits in a spreadsheet or disconnected tool, the campaign becomes difficult to manage. That is why integrations are so important. The software should be able to connect to the systems the business already uses, such as: - CRM platforms - Payment systems - Customer success workflows - Marketing automation tools - Customer communication platforms - Reporting systems - Internal operations workflows When referral data flows into the CRM, sales teams can follow up with referred leads more effectively. [Marketing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/challenges-of-leading-marketing-teams/) can invite the right customers to refer. Customer success teams can identify active advocates. Finance teams can manage rewards with more confidence. The goal is not to create another standalone campaign. The goal is to make customer advocacy part of the way the business already works. Customer advocacy software should also help businesses create an experience that [feels fully on-brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-focused-brand/). When a customer refers someone, the experience reflects on both the customer and the business. If the referral page looks generic, confusing, or disconnected from the brand, it can reduce trust. That’s why the referral portal, landing pages, emails, forms, links, and reward experience should feel like a natural extension of the company. [![Craft narratives that actually move your customers with Storytelling Certified: Masters program](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_--3-.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) ### Lesson 6: Security, compliance, and support matter A referral-led customer advocacy program often involves [customer data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/voice-of-customer-content-strategy/), referral data, reward data, CRM data, and payment data. That means the platform may need to go through internal review from legal, compliance, IT, security, procurement, or finance before it can be approved. This is especially true for businesses in industries like finance, insurance, banking, healthcare, education, and other sectors where customer trust and data protection are critical. Customer advocacy software should give larger businesses confidence that customer data is handled securely. It should support [enterprise-level](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-your-marketing-for-smbs-and-enterprises/) security requirements, including standards such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001\. For some businesses, the ability to host their own customer data can also be an important requirement. [Support](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-executive-support-to-launch-customer-advocacy-programs/) matters too. Customer advocacy programs often touch more teams than expected, from marketing and sales to customer success, finance, legal, and compliance. Having onboarding and support can help those teams align faster, answer internal questions, and launch the program properly. For larger businesses, the right platform is not just the tool with the right features. It is the platform that can help the business launch securely, confidently, and with the right internal support. [Winning executive support to launch customer advocacy programsSuccessful customer advocacy starts with strong internal alignment. Years of leading programs at BMC, Genesys, and Oracle has taught me the importance of listening first, building with intention, and connecting advocacy efforts to what matters most to the business. If you’re building a new team or evolving an existing![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-9e06cd82-8887-4507-9c55-a67b49112113.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLeslie Paterson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Winning-executive-support-to-launch-customer-advocacy-programs-35a5e838-ff30-430c-a5ff-aca8c1e3a876.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-executive-support-to-launch-customer-advocacy-programs/) ## How to choose the best customer advocacy software for a medium-to-large business It’s not just about finding a tool that can create a referral link. The right platform needs to support the full customer advocacy journey: inviting customers to refer, giving them a simple way to share, tracking referrals, qualifying outcomes, issuing rewards, connecting data to existing systems, and reporting on performance. It also needs to fit the way the business already works. | Question to ask | Why it matters | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Can customers refer in a way that feels simple and on-brand? | Customers are more likely to advocate when the experience feels easy, trustworthy, and clearly connected to your brand. | | Can the software track the full referral journey? | Medium to large businesses need to know who referred whom, what happened next, and when a referral has qualified. | | Does the software offer multiple ways to promote the program? | A referral program only works if customers see it at the right moments. Look for software that helps teams promote advocacy across the customer journey, not just through a single launch email. | | Can you offer a meaningful reward or incentive to both sides? | Advocates need to feel recognized, and referred customers need a clear reason to take action. The strongest programs make the value exchange easy to understand. | | Can rewards be managed based on qualification rules? | Larger businesses need control over when rewards are issued, especially when rewards depend on a referred person becoming a paying customer. | | Can referral data connect to your CRM, payment system, or existing workflows? | Referral data should not live in a silo. It needs to be useful to marketing, sales, customer success, finance, and leadership. | | Does the platform provide reporting and analytics? | Teams need to understand which advocates, channels, and campaigns are driving referrals so they can improve the program over time. | | Does the platform meet your security and compliance requirements? | Customer advocacy programs often involve customer, referral, reward, CRM, and payment data, so security should be part of the buying decision from the start. | | Does the provider offer onboarding and support? | Larger businesses often need help aligning teams, setting rules, answering internal questions, and launching the program properly. | The right software should reduce friction on both sides of the program. Customers should know exactly how to refer, what happens next, and when they will be rewarded. Internal teams should be able to see where referrals came from, whether they qualified, which rewards are due, and how the program is performing. [Register for a free trial](https://app.referral-factory.com/register) to learn more about how Referral Factory can help you build an on-brand customer referral program with built-in tracking, automated rewards, integrations, enterprise-level security, onboarding, and support. ### 5 affordable ways to build long-term customer loyalty URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-long-term-customer-loyalty/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T14:00:41.000Z [Finding new clients](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-acquisition-all-you-need-to-know-2/) is an important skill for businesses to master. Not only does it help the organization add new revenue sources, but it can also be a vital part of building a solid reputation in the industry and successfully expanding into new markets. However, simply chasing after new business isn’t necessarily a great strategy when trying to build stable sources of income. At some point, the well runs dry, and you need to rely on the customer base you’ve already established to keep the momentum going for your business. This requires a dedicated focus on [building long-term relationships with customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-advocacy-and-lifelong-customer-relationships/) instead of getting excited about the first couple of transactions and moving on to the next. But how do you achieve this goal without breaking the bank? Below, we’ll cover five strategies you can use to start building long-term customer loyalty affordably. ## 1\. Tailoring marketing messages If you’re noticing that your marketing messages aren’t [providing the ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) you had hoped for, it doesn’t necessarily mean it's a wasted effort. Often, it’s simply the delivery of those messages that needs to be tweaked, not the content itself. Think about it – what are your customers looking for when they hand over their email address or subscribe to a social media feed? In most cases, they feel like the brand delivers enough value to follow and hear from. At the same time, though, they’re trusting that the company isn’t going to just spam them with generic marketing materials that aren’t helpful to them. Regularly sending out mass-market messages designed to appeal to a wider audience can fall flat for individuals who have very specific needs and interests. These messages clog up inboxes and are rarely opened because they’re not [personalized](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) enough for your customers. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) Making your communications feel more personal doesn’t even have to require a lot of extra planning or administration. A good starting point is to simply address recipients by name and use their transactional history to automatically identify which marketing messages are likely to gain interest before sending them. When you use your customer’s purchasing history with the company to recommend specific products or services that align with their actual needs, your marketing messages evolve from a simple notification to an actual helpful resource customers can use and reference. ## 2\. Maintaining consistent service standards No business is perfect. Over time, shipments might be delayed, customer support might take longer than it should, or applications and services might experience unexpected downtime. The good news is that most customers don’t expect your business to be perfect. However, they expect the company to learn from its [mistakes](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/common-mistakes-that-alienate-customers/) and continue to offer them the best it can. Companies should view less-than-adequate customer experiences as an opportunity to really stand out from other organizations. Focusing on the solution instead of the problem itself is important, but this doesn’t mean you should revisit the problem to see how it can be fixed moving forward. One way to ensure this remains the case is to empower employees to make quicker decisions for customers. This avoids a customer having to hear “let me check with my manager” too often and instead gets an answer to their issues faster. Speed, [empathy](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-power-of-empathetic-leadership-of-a-brand/), and ownership are all currencies here. When a business owns a mistake without making excuses, it humanizes the brand and builds goodwill with customers over the long term. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## 3\. Establishing a dedicated user community When you’re trying to establish your brand, it’s important to remember that your customers are often looking for more than someone to source products and services from. Many times, people gravitate towards groups or organizations that share their own values and interests. As a business, you have an opportunity to address this need by [creating a user community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) where your customers can share their thoughts and ideas on topics relevant to your industry while also being connected directly with your brand. There are many ways to do this, such as setting up groups on social media or creating your own branded forum. Another way to create an engaging community is to regularly contribute to the comment sections of your product or service listings. Respond to any questions or concerns that are raised and regularly look for ways you can connect to your customers. ## 4\. Developing long-term incentive plans [Creating customer incentive programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/) is a great way to start building more loyalty from customers from your very first interactions. The key to these initiatives, however, is simplicity and attainability. While some businesses choose to create highly detailed or complex incentive programs with various stipulations or blackout dates, these can become a source of confusion for customers and actually lead to less engagement than hoped for. Instead, implementing a more approachable incentive plan for customers is often the best course to take. For example, if a customer knows that spending $100 gets them $10 back, that’s easy math and quickly expresses the value they’re gaining. You could also build your incentive plans on the ability to accumulate points. These points could then be exchanged for [gift cards or other financial rewards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/) that actually matter to the customer. [![Craft narratives that actually move your customers with Storytelling Certified: Masters program](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_--3-.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) ## 5\. Sourcing actionable customer data A crucial component in [creating more loyalty with your customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) is to consistently ensure that your business isn’t just “meeting” customer needs, but anticipating and exceeding them. But simply trying to guess what your customers want is not the way forward. Asking customers directly and listening to their feedback is a much safer strategy. Input from your customers can be invaluable. Distributing a brief feedback questionnaire following a transaction or a project wrap-up, and even by providing some form of incentive for completing a survey, can help you gather useful intelligence. But here lies the trap – many companies [collect data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-data-growth-stage-customer-journey/), but few actually act on it. There’s nothing more frustrating for a customer than filling out a survey about a recurring issue, only to see that issue persist six months later. Compiling survey results is only one part of the puzzle. You also want to make sure you’re analyzing all the data it contains and approaching this analysis with a receptive mindset. It isn’t always easy to read critical feedback, but that friction is where growth happens. The business should be prepared to implement necessary adjustments based on the recommendations received. If a business changes a policy, updates a feature, or adjusts its service hours based on customer feedback, they should make sure they mention the reasoning behind it. Sending an email that says, "You asked for this, so we did it," is a powerful message for both current and potential customers. It signals that the business genuinely values their viewpoints and is prepared to adapt. It also validates the time the customer spent giving the feedback in the first place. ## Start strengthening your customer relationships While acquiring new customers is always an important goal to have as a business, it’s equally important to have effective strategies in place for [strengthening the relationships you’ve already established](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lifecycle-marketing-the-secret-to-building-lifetime-brand-loyalists-video/). By implementing the strategies outlined, you’ll be able to establish a much more dedicated brand community while helping to achieve natural growth for your business over time. ### Define it or be defined: How to make customer marketing stick URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-customer-marketing-stick/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T13:00:25.000Z How well is customer marketing [defined and valued](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/crack-the-executive-code-7-steps-to-a-cmo-approved-charter/) in your organization? Or has it slowly become whatever everyone else needed it to be? As leaders, we're told we don't always get more resources, but there's one resource we severely underuse, and that's our focus. The real problem isn't that we lose it. It's that we give it away. And when we do, someone else spends it for us, and we end up inheriting work we never signed up for. This article is a mindset reset, not a new checklist. Drawing on my experience repositioning a [customer marketing team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/) at EVbox, I'll walk through how to design for the work you actually want to own, not the work that drifted your way. ## The glue that stretches until it doesn't [Customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-dna-of-a-customer-marketer/) often feels like being there to smooth over the cracks, to maintain the illusion of a seamless customer journey even when the organisation behind it is anything but. We act as the glue. And glue stretches beautifully, until it doesn't. By the time you notice it's not stretching anymore, it's usually too late. Your focus is scattered, and you're not entirely sure how you got there. ### Why it happens to the most capable people Here's the thing: this doesn't happen because we're inefficient or bad at prioritizing. It's actually the opposite. It happens because we care. Because we're competent. And that competence becomes a trap. The more capable you are, the more ambiguity flows towards you. The more gaps you can fill, the more you're expected to fill them. It's noble, but it's also self-sabotage, because the cost isn't just that you get busy…it's that you get invisible. Scale-ups and enterprises are designed to create chaos and ambiguity. That's not going to change. Priorities shift, strategies pivot, and team structures don't always keep up. If you don't define your focus, someone else will allocate it for you. ## From channel marketing to customer marketing: The EVbox story When I joined EVbox, I led product marketing and inherited a team that was called channel marketing. Historically, they'd owned channel partner enablement – [onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-high-impact-onboarding-program/) new resellers and distributors, co-marketing efforts, supporting the partner ecosystem. Then the company strategy changed. We stopped recruiting new channel partners. And suddenly, the function this team had been built for no longer fit where the company was going. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Where AI belongs in marketing (and where it doesn't) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-ai-belongs-and-where-it-doesnt/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T13:49:05.000Z There’s a version of this article I could have written six months ago. It would have sounded more certain, more polished, and probably more useful in all the wrong ways. A neat framework, a few tool recommendations, and a closing line about [embracing the future](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-customer-marketing-is-here/). The kind of piece that makes it sound as if the strategy was obvious from the start. It wasn't. What I've learned since is more useful than a framework: the real question is not [how to use more AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ethical-ai-in-customer-marketing/), but where it actually belongs, where it [adds value](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/), and where it starts to weaken the very work marketing is supposed to do. That distinction matters more than most people will admit. And in the markets we operate in, it matters more than most. ## It started with a gap, not a strategy Before I get into what changed this year, one thing needs to be said: AI is not new for us. We started using it as soon as it became accessible. [ChatGPT](https://www.cmoalliance.com/chatgpt-killer-content-or-content-killer/), the early tools, the first wave of integrations. We were in it from the beginning. The question was never whether to use AI. It was always how, and where, and **at what cost** to the work. That framing matters, because what I'm describing here is not a team discovering AI. It is a team that has been living with it long enough to know where it helps and where it doesn't. Earlier this year, someone on my team left. The work they were responsible for didn’t leave with them. [Campaigns](https://www.cmoalliance.com/6-steps-for-powerful-demand-generation/) still had to run, reporting still had to move, and the operational coverage that keeps a marketing function functioning could not simply wait for the hiring process to be complete. At that point, AI wasn’t a strategic choice. It was a practical one. That constraint forced a more honest conversation than any strategy session would have. When you stop asking "[how do we adopt AI?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-adoption-paradox/)" and start asking "what actually needs to get done, and what's the best way there right now?", you make better decisions. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/funding-meta.jpg) AI is scaffolding, not the building. It can help you move faster, structure the work, and reduce friction, but it cannot create the thing itself. Some work immediately benefited. First drafts, research synthesis, content adaptation across markets, reporting summaries, repetitive analysis. A campaign brief that would have taken an hour to structure could be shaped in minutes. A performance report that used to require manual extraction could be condensed into a cleaner first pass. That is useful. But usefulness is not the same as leadership. Other work did not belong anywhere near AI. Positioning. [Messaging](https://www.cmoalliance.com/product-messaging-framework-template/). Prioritization. Trade-offs between brand and performance. The judgment calls about what one market needs versus another. The decisions that depend on context, trust, and experience. That distinction became the basis for how we started rebuilding. ## What the noise actually costs What surprised me most was not the technology. It was the amount of attention it consumes. Not long ago, I received a cold [outreach](https://www.cmoalliance.com/linkedin-outreach-strategies/) email from a vendor. The subject line told me that the future of my job was being discussed in a room I wasn't in. The message made clear that if I wasn't using AI more aggressively, I was at risk of being left behind. Possibly losing my job. I found it extraordinary. Not because the pressure isn't real, but because that kind of fear-based selling tells you something important about the current moment. The noise isn't just loud. It is designed to be destabilizing. And it works, even on people who should know better – including me. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/funding-meta--2-.jpg) The AI landscape for marketers is relentless. Every week, there’s a new platform, a new integration, a new promise that this one will transform everything. Because marketing teams are expected to be early adopters, there’s pressure to test, compare, and have an opinion on all of it. That pressure comes from vendors, from leadership, from peers on LinkedIn, and honestly, from inside your own head. I’d be lying if I said I’d never felt it. The field moves fast enough that the anxiety is legitimate. I’ve sat in many meetings wondering whether I was behind, whether there was a tool someone else was using that was quietly making my approach obsolete. But I’ve also watched that anxiety, unmanaged, do real damage. Not to me personally. To the team. Every new tool comes with a learning curve. Every workflow change creates friction before it creates efficiency. Every "quick test" adds another layer of distraction to a team that already has a full operating rhythm to protect. And everyone has an opinion. Leadership asks why we aren't using a particular platform. A colleague forwards an article about something that transformed their pipeline. A vendor gets through on a call and plants a seed of doubt. Over time, the effect isn’t innovation; it’s noise. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/funding-meta--3-.jpg) Most conversations about AI focus on productivity. Very few focus on attention. Attention is a scarce resource in a marketing team. If people are constantly interrupted by new tools, new claims, and new requests to evaluate the next thing, they’re not being enabled. They are being fragmented. I've become much more intentional about filtering on behalf of the team, and about being willing to push back, including on senior stakeholders, and say: I know what we are doing, and I know why we are not doing that. Even when I'm not entirely sure I'm right. We tested a prospecting content assistant that promised highly personalized outreach across verticals and markets. In practice, it produced output that was fast but generic, and required so much manual correction that it added more work than it removed. We didn't roll it out. That decision protected the team's time, but it also protected quality. In short, not every useful-sounding tool is actually useful. ## Fixed and flex The most useful model I've found is borrowed from how I think about brand voice across markets. Some things stay fixed. Some things flex. For AI adoption, I apply the same logic. **Fixed** is the work that depends on judgment, accountability, and context. Campaign strategy. Positioning. Messaging in regulated markets. The framing of a product launch. And at least fifty percent of marketing leadership is stakeholder management. Aligning product, sales, legal, and the market itself is deeply human work. AI can help you prepare for those conversations, but it can’t have them. It can’t read the room in a tense meeting. It can’t sense that a sales leader is worried about pipeline risk but isn't saying it directly. **Flex** is where AI removes friction without removing value. Drafting support. Data summarization. Reporting automation. Localization assistance. Reformatting content for different channels. Pulling together campaign data so the team can focus on interpretation instead of assembly. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/funding-meta--4-.jpg) The challenge is that pressure always moves in one direction: toward faster output, more scale, more AI. Leadership is knowing where that instinct helps and where it starts to erode the work. ## What I'm not automating PriceHubble supports clients across financial and real estate markets in ten countries. Our buyers are regulated, risk-averse, and deeply attuned to credibility. They do not respond to content that feels generated. They respond to precision, evidence, and the sense that the company they are evaluating understands the specific pressures they operate under. That context shapes every AI decision we make. Earlier this year we were refining a [product narrative](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/why-your-product-needs-a-narrative/?%5F%5Fhstc=108456029.dbe98956dcdfad715338ebf769bd2402.1756482066013.1781682079679.1781713775365.31&%5F%5Fhssc=108456029.3.1781713775365&%5F%5Fhsfp=42590c010526dca2f8836a8c72304ce1) for insurers. The stakeholder landscape was complicated: compliance requirements pulling in one direction, commercial messaging pulling in another, and a relationship with a key account that had taken two years to build. No prompt was going to navigate that. The final narrative came from a series of conversations, a lot of redrafting, and someone on my team who understood the client well enough to know what they were actually worried about. AI played no part in that process, and it wasn't a gap. I don't want AI deciding how we position ourselves in a market where trust matters more than novelty. I don't want AI writing final messaging for a regulated segment where a single poorly calibrated sentence can undermine months of relationship building. I don't want AI replacing the thinking behind a product launch, a competitive response, or a market narrative. And I don't want AI becoming the default answer for an under-resourced team. When teams are stretched, the instinct is to automate everything possible. But automating the wrong things doesn't create leverage. It creates distance between the team and the quality of the work. The real job of a [marketing leader](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/blueprint-for-cross-functional-team-leadership/) is not to remove humans from the process. It’s to make sure they are spending time where they add the most value. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/funding-meta--5-.jpg) ## How I lead differently now Some of this I learned the hard way – and it was harder than I'd like to admit. Earlier this year I pushed the team to trial a new AI content workflow during a particularly busy campaign period. The timing was wrong, the tool needed more setup than we had bandwidth for, and a few weeks in, one of my team members told me it was becoming a burden rather than a solution. She was right. I’d been too focused on the potential upside to see what was actually happening around me. We paused, regrouped, and reintroduced the workflow properly once the campaign had landed. It worked much better the second time. The lesson stayed with me: enthusiasm for a tool is not a substitute for reading the room, including your own team. Since then, I've stopped talking about [AI as transformation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) and started treating it as infrastructure. It is part of the operating model, used where it improves quality, consistency, or speed. Not a separate initiative. I've also been more explicit about where we don't use it. That clarity matters more than I expected. Teams work better when they know the boundaries, not just the opportunities. People don't need endless encouragement to experiment. They need permission to use judgment. Two examples that stuck with me: - We considered [AI-generated copy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/) in a regulated market segment, but a team member flagged that the tool was flattening nuance in a way that could create compliance risk. They were right. We kept the idea generation support and removed AI from the final drafting process in that context. - Separately, a draft [localization](https://www.cmoalliance.com/can-artificial-intelligence-speak-your-customers-language/) workflow looked efficient on paper, but a market lead pointed out that it was stripping culturally relevant references in one region and over-explaining in another. The output was technically fine but strategically weak. We changed the process so AI could support adaptation, but not replace market review. [Good leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams/) now requires a different kind of confidence. Not confidence that the tool will work because it is new, but confidence to say no when it doesn't improve the work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/funding-meta--6--1.jpg) ## What I'm trying to protect The question I keep coming back to is not "how do we use more AI?" It’s "what are we trying to protect?" Protect thinking time. Protect the judgment behind the work. Protect the context that informs decisions. Protect the conversations that happen between functions before they become problems. Protect the trust that gets built when marketing is seen not just as a content engine but as a strategic partner. The sign that it’s working isn’t a metric. It’s a feeling in the room. A team that has enough space to think, that isn’t burning through its energy evaluating tools, that’s doing the work rather than managing the overhead of the work. That said, I want to be honest about the other side of this. Some tools have genuinely surprised me. Not because they promised transformation, but because they quietly disappeared into the work. The ones worth your time don't demand attention or create another layer to manage. They just make something that was slow, faster, or something that was fragmented, cleaner. When a tool does that, you notice it by its absence, not its presence. Those are the ones we keep. In finance and real estate, [trust](https://www.cmoalliance.com/how-the-financial-times-turns-trust-into-brand-resilience/) is not a soft metric. It’s the reason a procurement team shortlists you, a compliance officer approves the relationship, and a client renews. It’s built slowly and lost quickly. No AI tool accelerates that. Only people do. So no, this piece doesn't end with a framework. It doesn't end with a list of tools or a call to embrace the future. What I've learned is less tidy than that, and probably more useful: **Know what you're protecting, and don't automate it**. ### AI community advocate playbook URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-community-advocate-playbook-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:46:22.000Z ## What is an AI community advocate playbook? An AI community advocate playbook is a step-by-step framework for identifying potential brand advocates within your online community using AI. Many of your strongest advocates are already answering questions, sharing best practices, defending your brand, and helping other users, but finding them manually can be difficult and time-consuming. This playbook helps teams use AI to analyze community data, identify advocacy signals, and build a repeatable process for surfacing high-potential advocates at scale. ## What’s inside the template? This playbook includes four core stages for building an AI-powered advocate discovery process: 1. Check your foundations 2. Get your data ready 3. Define what to extract and classify 4. Define your advocacy signals 5. Build and run your prompts 6. Common pitfalls checklist 7. Output action planning 8. Recurring execution and governance plan ## How to use the template Start by connecting your community data to customer records and identifying the data sources you'll use for analysis. Next, define the fields and advocacy signals you want AI to extract, then build prompts that classify, score, and rank community members based on advocacy potential. Review the output, validate high-scoring advocates, and route opportunities to the appropriate teams for outreach, advocacy programs, or customer marketing initiatives. Finally, establish a recurring review process so new advocates can be identified as your community grows. ## Download your AI community advocate playbook ![AI community advocate playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/06/AI-community-advocate-playbook.png) [The AI community advocate playbookThe AI community advocate playbook.pdf167 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/06/The-AI-community-advocate-playbook.pdf "Download") [The AI community advocate playbookThe AI community advocate playbook.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/06/The-AI-community-advocate-playbook.docx "Download") [The AI community advocate playbookThe AI community advocate playbook A step-by-step playbook for using AI to surface brand advocates from your online community Your online community is full of potential advocates – customers who are already helping others, defending your brand, and sharing unsolicited praise. The problem is that…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-529d1f1d-2b00-4ba8-ad4b-85e35e5f6e5f.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKh7r_aWh-n02U-1lMKHIwF_3Fm0ZCmC4jWPvTwjrQ5_fYkKdLgwKDxpsXOaMYrBar8HxrD1nbyPd4aHSRnW9W2iaoiGD8NGk9FBQFGrWjopxeR3CJ7-w1200-h630-p-2452657d-5278-4876-8036-61bb37cce077)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MYfW7dpUV3xzsT7JsCvqskFT6Ngv1PPDlXBbzodLCdQ/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to retain legacy customers while attracting new ones URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/re-branding-success-stories/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T12:41:39.000Z Brands, much like living organisms, evolve over time to adapt to their surroundings, grow, and transform to meet the ever-changing needs of the marketplace. Rebranding is often an essential step for companies looking to stay relevant and maintain their position in a competitive market. This process involves more than just a change in logo or slogan; it's a strategic shift that requires careful consideration of the brand's values, audience, and aspirations. Rebranding is a delicate operation, akin to a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon, hoping to be embraced as a butterfly by its admirers. But, much like this natural process, it’s fraught with risks—how can a brand successfully attract new audiences without alienating the loyal customers who have supported the brand for years? The challenge of maintaining legacy [customer loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) while attracting new customers requires a deep understanding of what the brand stands for, its emotional connection with its audience, and the evolving trends in the market. It is a balancing act that involves acknowledging and respecting the brand's past while setting its sights on the future. Let's take a closer look at Jaguar’s rebranding strategy, which exemplifies how a brand can transform while keeping its core audience engaged, and explore some other notable rebranding efforts—both successful and unsuccessful—that highlight valuable lessons in the process. [Irrational advocacy: What are the drivers of brand loyalty?Irrational advocacy, a term that might seem contradictory, refers to the unparalleled devotion customers exhibit towards a brand, often surpassing logical reasoning.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-104929fa-f0c2-4ea6-aa00-37b9b8323dd9.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDaniel Brian Cobb![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engagement-marketing--1--2ab8f472-32cb-4a03-a72e-ec8f27859504.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) ## Jaguar’s evolution: Speed meets sophistication Few brands have embraced evolution and reinvention with as much grace and sophistication as Jaguar. With a rich history that dates back to 1922, Jaguar has long been a symbol of luxury, elegance, and British aristocracy. For decades, the brand has been associated with high-end vehicles that epitomize craftsmanship, performance, and exclusivity. However, as the automotive industry underwent a seismic shift towards electrification, [sustainability](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/grammarly-uses-lifecycle-marketing-sustainable-growth/), and cutting-edge technology, Jaguar found itself at a crossroads. The traditional luxury car market was evolving, and the brand risked being left behind if it did not adapt. The pressure to modernize and align with changing consumer values, particularly a younger, eco-conscious demographic, was undeniable. Jaguar's rebranding effort was not just about updating its image; it was about positioning itself as a forward-thinking, innovative brand that could combine its storied history with a vision of a sustainable, electrified future. The cornerstone of this transformation was Jaguar’s commitment to electrification, which was exemplified by the launch of the I-PACE, the company’s first all-electric luxury vehicle. The I-PACE retained the essential elements of the Jaguar brand—grace, power, and sophistication—while catering to an emerging market of environmentally-conscious consumers who still valued luxury and performance. One of the most notable aspects of Jaguar’s rebranding was its decision to retain the iconic leaping feline logo. While the logo was modernized with sleeker lines, the leaping jaguar remained a recognizable and consistent symbol of the brand’s heritage. This move signaled to both legacy customers and potential new buyers that Jaguar was evolving but still rooted in its core values of luxury, performance, and craftsmanship. By maintaining this visual continuity, Jaguar was able to reassure its long-standing customers that the brand’s essence remained intact, even as it embraced a new, innovative future. Furthermore, Jaguar’s marketing efforts clearly communicated the brand’s transformation. The company’s mission to become an all-electric luxury carmaker by 2025 was prominently featured in its advertisements and promotional materials. This clear and forward-thinking vision helped to galvanize new audiences while ensuring that legacy customers were kept informed and engaged throughout the rebranding process. The outcome of Jaguar’s bold rebranding strategy has been widely praised. The brand successfully merged its rich heritage with a sustainable future, attracting a new generation of luxury buyers while maintaining the loyalty of its traditional customers. Jaguar’s rebranding serves as a powerful example of how a brand can stay true to its roots while evolving to meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace. [6 tactics to amplify your brand with customer storiesTurn customer experiences into powerful stories that enhance your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-8c4fdf33-f0b1-4f0a-950d-06aa9cc5b08f.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEleanor Hecks![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--2--d4ab2718-54ee-4361-b31a-b80ba2a3e49f.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/amplify-your-brand-with-customer-stories/) ## The balancing act: Key insights from Jaguar’s rebranding ### Honor the legacy Successful rebranding is about honoring the past, not erasing it. Jaguar’s continued focus on craftsmanship, design, and high-performance vehicles reassured long-time customers that the brand’s essence was still present, even as it embraced a new identity. Rebranding should build on a brand's legacy, rather than dismissing it altogether, to ensure a smooth transition for existing customers. ### Communicate the vision One of the most important elements of any rebranding effort is the communication of a clear and compelling vision. Jaguar’s marketing emphasized its mission of becoming an all-electric luxury carmaker by 2025, effectively conveying the brand’s goals and future direction to both new and existing customers. By presenting a transparent and forward-looking vision, Jaguar was able to create excitement around its transformation while keeping its loyal customers in the loop. ### Deliver authentic change Rebranding is most successful when it is backed by tangible, real-world changes. Jaguar’s substantial investment in electric vehicle technology and sustainable practices helped solidify its commitment to its new identity. Without genuine action behind the rebranding effort, the transformation would have come across as superficial and insincere. Jaguar’s commitment to change was not just skin-deep—it was evident in its products, its strategy, and its operations. ## When rebranding misses the mark: Gap’s logo debacle While Jaguar’s rebranding has been met with positive [feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/), not all rebranding efforts have achieved the same level of success. One of the most infamous missteps in rebranding history was Gap’s ill-fated 2010 logo redesign. In an attempt to signal a fresh new direction, Gap replaced its iconic blue box logo with a more minimalist design that many felt lacked character and identity. The reaction from loyal customers was swift and overwhelmingly negative. The new logo felt disconnected from the brand’s heritage, and customers felt that it disregarded the emotional attachment they had to the original design. The backlash was immediate, with customers taking to social media to voice their disapproval. Within a matter of days, Gap reversed its decision and returned to the original logo—a costly and embarrassing lesson in the importance of understanding and respecting customer sentiment. The Gap logo debacle highlights the dangers of rebranding without first considering the emotional bonds customers have with a brand's visual identity. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Other rebranding successes and lessons ### Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts) In 2018, Dunkin’ dropped “Donuts” from its name, signaling a shift toward a broader menu that included more beverage options and healthier choices. This move was successful because it resonated with younger, health-conscious consumers while maintaining the brand's iconic imagery and colors. Dunkin' retained its core audience of coffee lovers while appealing to a new generation of consumers. ### Tropicana’s packaging redesign failure In 2009, Tropicana redesigned its packaging, opting for a minimalist design that eliminated its iconic "orange with a straw" imagery. The new design confused customers, leading to a 20% drop in sales within two months. This incident underscores the importance of maintaining recognizable brand elements when undergoing a rebranding process to avoid confusion and customer alienation. ### The dual challenge: Winning new hearts while keeping old ones Rebranding is not just a cosmetic update; it is a strategic effort to evolve with the times while remaining true to a brand’s essence. A successful rebrand requires finding the right balance between [innovation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/innovate-your-marketing-operating-model/) and tradition—offering something fresh and exciting to new customers without alienating the loyal customers who helped build the brand in the first place. Brands that navigate this delicate balancing act with care can transform themselves into modern, forward-thinking entities while retaining the trust and loyalty of their long-standing customer base. Jaguar’s successful rebranding demonstrates that it is possible to honor the past, communicate a compelling vision for the future, and make tangible changes that resonate with both legacy and new customers. As we’ve seen with Jaguar, Dunkin’, and others, a well-executed rebranding strategy can rejuvenate a brand’s image, broaden its appeal, and secure its position in the market for years to come. However, as the failures of Gap and Tropicana illustrate, rebranding is a high-stakes endeavor that must be handled with care, empathy, and a deep understanding of the brand’s audience. In conclusion, rebranding, when done correctly, is not an end but a new beginning – a way to refresh and rejuvenate a brand while maintaining the [emotional connection](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) that customers have built with it over time. By respecting the past, embracing the future, and communicating the changes clearly, brands can successfully navigate the challenges of rebranding and emerge stronger than ever before. ### Stepping out of your customer marketing comfort zone URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-bold-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T21:49:49.000Z If there's one thing I've learned over my unconventional career journey, it's that going bold means never going back. There’s no such thing as backward - there is only *now* and *what's next*. While facing uncertainty like that might make some people want to cling to the familiar and comfortable, I got excited by the possibility of change. That excitement, to boldly embrace the unknown, is really about exercising your creativity. And we all have [creativity](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-building-a-creative-culture-as-a-cmo/) within us, even if you don't think of yourself as an "artsy" type. Creativity is how we navigate all parts of our lives and work. It's how you take a detailed report and summarize it for leadership in a compelling, insightful way. It's how you design [innovative campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/innovate-your-marketing-operating-model/) to energize customers and inspire advocacy. It's how you turn a roadblock into an opportunity. One of my favorite examples of channeling creativity is the old metaphor of grabbing the brass ring on a vintage carousel. When was the last time you really thought about what it takes to reach out and snag that elusive ring? You have to fully commit, standing in the stirrups of a galloping horse, letting go of the reins just long enough to extend your arm at the perfect split-second. *Sounds ridiculous, right?* But think about it - how often do you let go of what's comfortable and think about your [customer marketing strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) in a totally new, bold way? [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Bringing life and work together This idea of boldly embracing creativity comes from an artist's perspective, but it applies to absolutely every part of our lives and work. There's a brilliant book called *Art & Fear* that drives this point home. It says: > *"When we decide that we need certainty in our lives, we are not likely to risk creating something new. We have to be open and free to move as things change. And the vision is always greater than our current reality."* Don't those ideas speak loudly to our world of customer marketing and [advocacy?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-advocacy-beats-retention-as-a-growth-engine/) We are always working towards a bold new vision, constantly pushing to take [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) and advocacy to new heights. As soon as we achieve one innovation, we move the goalpost further to bust through the next boundary. That's the heart of "going bold" in this game - if we're looking backward, we're **stagnant**. We all profoundly experienced this universal truth during the 2020 lockdowns. Remember how much we longed to "go back to the way things were" before COVID? To revive all our in-person [customer events](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/), meetups, and [conferences](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/events/)? But of course, there was no going back. This should serve as a powerful shared reminder that there are turning points when we must boldly shift our customer strategies and tactics, ready or not. At those moments, the choice is binary - either cling to the cozy status quo out of comfort or courageously embrace change with an adventurous, creative mindset. My mantras: "****Never be afraid to suck**" and "****Go where the yeses are**" Two simple mantras have helped me navigate many such turning points with that adventurous spirit. The first is "never be afraid to suck at something new." You have to try bold new customer campaigns without judging yourself. Experimentation and failures are inevitable when you're charting a creative new course. The second is "go where the yeses are." You'll often face many "no's" and rejections at first. So you have to boldly keep exploring in the direction of where customers, partners, executives - anyone, really - is saying "yes" to your vision. These mantras remind me to approach our work with humility, curiosity, and grit. To not get derailed by setbacks and "failures," because those will always be part of the journey when you're blazing bold new trails. What matters is using those missteps as fuel to iterate and advance forward with persistence. [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## Navigating our customer success transition This mindset was put to the ultimate test when my team had to navigate a major shift in how we empower and advocate for customers. For years, our typical process was to work hand-in-hand with the [customer success managers](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) (CSMs) who have direct relationships with our customers. We'd have the CSMs invite their customers to our advocacy programs, identify ideal advocates, share [feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) and insights, and more. Then the company I was working at started rolling out a new digital customer success model that uses [automated engagement tools](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) to provide scalable, personalized experiences with way less human touch from the CSMs. When we first heard about this change, my team went through something like the five stages of grief. First came sheer shock, quickly followed by denial that we could keep partnering with CSMs like we always had. Then we tried bargaining, which inevitably spiraled into frustration and sadness at being shut out from those established relationships. But after some time, we reached acceptance. We realized this "roadblock" was the wide-open door we'd been looking for all along! [Why partnering with customer success creates magicThe common ground between customer success and customer marketing is pretty vast. Both organizations are hyper-focused on existing customers and everything that working with them entails.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-b12ecf79-abb8-4615-b424-ab9d2da1dc07.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTaylor Page![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/edson-junior-YlgnX_ISPLo-unsplash--1--a38dd2b7-6e7e-4eaa-ae0d-20f0e6732bd2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) One of the big reasons we advocated for implementing an advocate engagement platform was to help us scale our manual processes for identifying and connecting with customer advocates. Suddenly, *not* having to go through the CSM layer became our opportunity to truly put that streamlined scale into practice through digital strategies. That's when I reminded everyone of those guiding mantras - Instead of fighting the changes, we made the bold commitment to move forward, testing innovative digital advocacy tactics through this new model. I'll be fully transparent - our first new outreach approach straight-up failed. But you know what? That's perfectly okay! Failures are inevitable when you're boldly pioneering a new path. We learned a ton from that test and used the insights to iterate a better approach. The most innovative companies understand that "failing" is an expected part of trailblazing - what matters is having the courage to keep experimenting to keep advancing. ## Final thoughts For all of us in c[ustomer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/), advocacy, and sales enablement roles, "empowering customers" is at the heart of our mission. But true empowerment doesn't come from stubbornly clinging to familiar processes. It requires the boldness to recognize when you must transform, even if that first attempt at change is a miss. My career journey has been anything but linear or conventional. Yet every strange twist and turn has shaped my philosophies for consistent creative growth. So I encourage all of you to internalize these mindsets around going bold in your own unique way. They will empower you to embrace changes with confidence, humility, and resilience. So be bold in relentlessly advancing your vision for customer marketing and advocacy. Let go of what's comfortable! ### Building a modern Customer Marketing function: Team structure, skills, and scalable processes | Customer Marketing Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/building-a-modern-customer-marketing-function-team-structure-skills-and-scalable-processes-customer-marketing-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T10:47:12.000Z _No content available._ ### From customer feedback to boardroom influence: The strategic VoC playbook | Customer Marketing Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/from-customer-feedback-to-boardroom-influence-the-strategic-voc-playbook-customer-marketing-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T10:46:43.000Z _No content available._ ### Customer advocacy in the age of skepticism: How to earn and activate trust | Customer Marketing Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/customer-advocacy-in-the-age-of-skepticism-how-to-earn-and-activate-trust-customer-marketing-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T10:45:58.000Z _No content available._ ### AI for Customer Marketing: Hype, risk and real-world impact | Customer Marketing Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/ai-for-customer-marketing-hype-risk-and-real-world-impact-customer-marketing-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T10:44:55.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro Membership, Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Customer Marketing Lab Workshops URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T10:33:23.000Z _No content available._ ### November | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/november-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:27:15.000Z _No content available._ ### October | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/october-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:27:10.000Z _No content available._ ### December | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/december-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:27:05.000Z _No content available._ ### How I proved the ROI of customer advocacy and got a seat at the revenue table URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/roi-customer-advocacy/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T14:00:30.000Z I was at a HubSpot INBOUND happy hour last year when a sales rep stopped me to say he'd loved PandaDoc at his last company and was already pushing to get his new one to buy it. Before I knew it, he'd pulled over their Director of Sales and the three of us were talking shop. A few weeks later, a call was locked in with our sales team. As PandaDoc's Senior Customer Marketing Manager, I couldn't have scripted a better [outcome](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-workiva-scales-customer-advocacy-to-drive-business-outcomes/). A genuinely organic prospect, and I was right there to attribute it to [advocate influence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-advocacy-beats-retention-as-a-growth-engine/). You'd best believe I took notes. But if that same conversation had happened at an event I wasn't at, or in a private text or Slack thread, it would have been a black hole. No record, no attribution, no proof. We know [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) is happening whether we're tracking it or not. That's what makes it hard to show impact. And when you can't show impact, you end up stuck in reactive mode: fielding testimonial requests, producing case studies, without anyone really understanding what it all adds up to. When I joined PandaDoc back in early 2024, customer advocacy was seen as a [social proof generator](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/dark-social-tracking/). But with this way of thinking, the output is reactive, and the reporting becomes a list of things you produced. Of course, if that’s why you got hired, you have to give leadership what they want; I decided to adopt an MVP mindset: get [customer stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/inside-microsofts-marketing-engine/) in the door, get reviews coming in consistently. But my bigger mission was to start to prove what my programs are worth. There are two things I had to do to evolve the thinking here: - The first is building the reporting infrastructure to tell a story with your data. - The second is evangelizing that story so the right people see the vision. [![ Plan, launch and run a high-impact customer advisory board with Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) ## Step 1: Track what you can and tell a story with it Customer marketing can easily be seen as a support and enablement function. Case studies produced, reviews collected, advocates signed up. All of that is important, but without the “why” behind it, nobody really cares. I was talking to another customer marketer recently who mentioned their leadership wouldn't approve [budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/) for reference management software. I asked them a few questions about their average deal size and how many reference calls they **carry out monthly**. When you [calculate ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) this way, it becomes a pretty straightforward ask. If you're running 15 [reference calls](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them-3/) a month, your average deal size is $35K, and reference-supported deals close even 15% more often, you can put a real number on what the software is worth and what business outcomes it generates. This is the mental model I'd encourage anyone in [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) to apply across the board. Not just with [reference calls](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/), with everything possible. Here’s how I did this at PandaDoc: ### The influence of G2 reviews G2 reviews are an underrated touchpoint that affects how [fast deals close](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-deliver-customer-references-to-close-deals-faster/) and how large they come in. We had an account this quarter that started as an $820 ARR deal. Before signing a renewal, the customer recorded multiple sessions on G2 on our comparison pages against a competitor. They used that [independent social proof](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) to justify expanding and the deal closed at $8,937 – a **1000% increase in account value**. When we started treating G2 as a [buyer touchpoint](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-ways-to-remove-touchpoint-friction-in-customer-advocacy/) across the board, the numbers shifted fast. We were able to see that our review expansion initiatives, taking us from 375 reviews in 2024 to 992 in 2025, correlated with **a 513% increase in influenced pipeline ($5.6M to $34.4M)**. That’s worth the effort and cost we were putting into generating reviews on this channel. Prospects who'd engaged with us on G2 were closing in 114 days on average vs. 176 for those who hadn't, and coming in 35% larger. Across 2025, we tied $8.66M in closed/won to deals that had a G2 touchpoint. #### Using AI with G2 And then there's the AI angle that’s become a hot topic for everyone. LLMs look to third-party websites like G2 to understand market sentiment, which means review volume, recency, and the specific language your customers use impact whether AI recommends you or your competitor. In Q1 2026, PandaDoc had 105K+ citations across AI models, up 72% quarter over quarter. Every review we generated fed that. So now, we can tell the story of what it actually means when we get more customers talking about you publicly and the teams who prioritize third-party authority are already ahead. [Why advocacy beats retention as a growth engine for 2026Stop counting churn and start building an army of advocates. Discover how to turn users into your loudest marketers and make growth unstoppable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-81fed524ed558c988e12032597baeb75d3951103539aaac91a7202652f875e98.png)Customer Marketing AllianceStephen Akadiri![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Why-advocacy-beats-retention-as-a-growth-engine-for-2026-bbcd81f3060d9ee3f6fedf426b168e71db61867297fa76c0e3c6ca1d70551967.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-advocacy-beats-retention-as-a-growth-engine/) ### Advocacy program Our [advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-maturity-model-template-framework/) has its own numbers, too. In Q1, our advocates fuelled $330K in reference pipeline, with $319K of that closed. We can confidently say that out of the prospects who took a reference call with a happy customer, 96% of those converted. We're also in the process of building out an advocate database in HubSpot, which aims to track how advocate engagement correlates with higher adoption, brand sentiment and customer lifetime value. #### Tracking the untrackable There are versions of the INBOUND conversation happening all the time that I'll never know about. The plug that happens at a happy hour or the recommendation dropped into a Slack thread. And while that may seem like a bummer, you can still invest in the conditions that make it more likely to happen. Instead of shying away from the things that you can’t track, start creating moments where customers feel genuinely supported or get something valuable from the product. You can invest in this deliberately and watch the rest unfold from there. On our end, we’ve started logging gifting activity in Salesforce as a signal we want to understand over time. Do customers who've had those surprise and delight moments show up differently in health scores, renewal rates and advocacy activity down the line? Maybe they don't. But it’s still worth testing! So track what you can, but don't get so fixated on it that you miss how well moments land when you just put them in front of your customers. We sent a customer a gift basket and they took to LinkedIn unprompted and talked about what it meant to them. No pipeline number attached, and everyone immediately got it. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Step 2: Evangelise it across the organization Having the [data story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/) is only half the job. If you’re not putting in the work to make it visible across the organization, it doesn’t matter how good your numbers are. People come to me for different things - some for help with a reference call, others who need a specific testimonial, but often it’s hard for them to understand the big picture unless you take the time to share it with them. This is the part most customer marketers underinvest in, and trust me when I say I’ve been there! We launched an advocacy platform with genuine momentum. We saw a 50% signup rate from invited customers, onboarded 110 customer advocates and enough reference capacity for over 500(!!) calls a quarter. On paper, this looked like an incredible start, but in reality, our sales adoption was low. Too much still sat on my plate with manually matching references, keeping profiles updated and chasing account managers to remember the tool existed*. I* was the bottleneck and eventually we made the call to shut it down and rebuild with the actual users baked into the design from the start. But the lesson wasn't about the platform. It was that I'd been spending all my time on what the program looked like externally and not nearly enough on how internal teams would actually engage with it, and both are make-or-break for your goals. Your stakeholders aren't just helpful to have on your side – they matter most to the work you’re doing. Getting their buy-in requires the exact same approach you'd use with a customer: show the vision, give them proof points and make it easy to get involved. ### Build a model people can understand The thing that moved the needle internally more than anything else was painting a clear picture of how it all connected. I built out what we now call the Advocacy Flywheel, showing the three pillars that reinforce each other rather than operating in isolation. ![The advocacy flywheel: 1) Market presence: High rankings and LLM citations attract prospects. It’s our external validation that gets us the shortlist during the research phase. 2) Community: Nurture and engage with customers. A healthy customer community increases product stickiness and surfaces our next generation of power users. 3) Advocacy program: We identify the stars in our community and turn their success into G2 reviews, case studies, references and more.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/05/The-advocacy-flywheel.jpg) - **Market presence:** High rankings get you onto shortlists and appearing in LLM citations. In Q1 2026 we had 105K+ citations across models like [ChatGPT](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/) and Gemini, up 72% quarter-over-quarter. When a buyer asks an AI tool to recommend a document platform, our review volume and keyword density influence whether PandaDoc shows up. - **Community:** A healthy community surfaces your next generation of power users and allows us to involve customers in what they care most about. - **Advocacy:** How we take customers who are raising their hand and sharing praises about us and give back to them. It’s about finding the stars and turning their success into reviews, [product feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/user-feedback-tracker-for-ai-content-template-framework/), and thought leadership opportunities that support their growth. Once the team could see that loop and how each piece fed the next, I started getting Slack messages and calls put on my calendar for all sorts of ways to collaborate. ### Use social proof on your own stakeholders We all know how powerful social proof is as part of the buying cycle, so it only makes sense that you'd use the same toolkit for your internal stakeholders. I rolled out an advocacy QBR deck that I shared with teams across PandaDoc, focusing on what each department cares about most. I showed them the LinkedIn post from the customer who received the gift basket. I highlighted the renewal story where a customer went from $820 to nearly $9K because they spent an afternoon on our G2 page. These are the kinds of stories that make the value of what I’m doing obvious. [Dark social: Tracking and leveraging private sharingDark social is all about the content that can’t be tracked by analytics tools since it’s shared in private spaces, from SMS to messaging apps.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Customer Marketing AllianceTeresa Garanhel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--10--c315f82023ea3b0abf90239937e385ab4d11cf3e72690b955229da4188895fa3.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/dark-social-tracking/) Sure, I had to spend a bunch of time putting this together and presenting it to different teams, but the result is that people understand the value advocacy programs bring and they want to lean in. Once that’s established, the revenue conversation gets a lot easier, and you stop spinning your wheels on things that don’t move the needle because you (and your stakeholders) have seen what works. The QBR really helped me gain the momentum I needed across teams. I stopped treating it as an update and reframed it as a story about how advocacy influences revenue. [User feedback tracker for AI contentA specialized tool designed to help teams systematically collect, manage, and analyze user feedback related to AI-generated content.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/User-feedback-tracker-for-AI-content-meta-35816ebe7f5bea7327cd23d10559d0408c44be2dbfd5387e0953fa35c09e26b1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/user-feedback-tracker-for-ai-content-template-framework/) ## Where we're headed Attribution in customer marketing is still genuinely hard, and it’s all still work in progress for us. We're heading into Q2 focused on centralising advocacy data in HubSpot so it lives where the revenue team already works + building attribution dashboards that can show how case study consumption influences pipeline. It’s a work in progress, and you don’t have to have it all nailed down to start sharing your successes. The story was already there before we decided to start tracking it. Your customers are out there talking to your prospects right now, whether you've operationalised it or not. If you're early in this - start with one metric that leadership already tracks and trace your work back to it. The seat at the table isn't given to you. But once you show up with the right numbers and the right stories, the rest will follow suit. ### The future of brand storytelling: Passive screens to active worlds URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-brand-storytelling/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T11:21:32.000Z For decades, [brand storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-master-guide-to-brand-storytelling/) followed a predictable script: a brand stood on a metaphorical stage, megaphone in hand, and broadcast a polished narrative to a seated audience. Whether it was a 30-second Super Bowl spot or a carefully curated Instagram grid, the flow of information was linear. And the audience’s role was simple: watch, listen, and (hopefully) buy. But the megaphone is failing. In an era of infinite content, “[storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/)” is no longer enough to pierce the digital noise. We are entering the age of story-living — a paradigm shift where brands stop telling stories and start building interactive ecosystems that audiences can inhabit. Here's how emerging technologies and shifting cultural values are rewriting the brand narrative for the next decade. ## 1\. Narratives in 3D: The rise of spatial storytelling The most significant technological shift is the move from 2D screens to 3D space. With the advancement of Spatial Computing (AR/VR/MR), the “world is your canvas.” Imagine walking down a city street while wearing AR glasses. Instead of a flat billboard for a clothing brand, you see a digital “ghost” of the designer standing on the sidewalk, explaining the recycled materials used in their latest collection. As you walk, the history of the brand’s craftsmanship is painted onto the architecture around you. This isn’t just an ad. It’s an immersive lore. Brands will move away from “interruption marketing” and toward “contextual enrichment,” where the story is triggered by your physical environment, making the brand a part of your reality rather than a distraction from it. [![Craft narratives that actually move your customers with Storytelling Certified: Masters program](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_--3-.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) ## 2\. Generative AI as a co-writer If spatial computing provides the stage, [Generative AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/) provides the script. But unlike the scripts of old, these will be dynamic. In the near future, brand narratives will be hyper-personalized. Two people could watch the same “[commercial](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/)” and see two different endings, hear different music, or interact with different brand avatars based on their specific values or past interactions. AI-driven “agentic branding” will also emerge. Brands will deploy sophisticated [AI agents](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-gpt-agents-may-finally-close-the-customer-journey/) that don’t just answer FAQs, but act as persistent characters in your life-concierges that learn your personal story and suggest how the brand can best support your unique “hero’s journey.” ## 3\. The death of the monologue: From audience to co-author The “ivory tower” of brand management is collapsing. Today’s customers don’t want to be told what a brand is. They want to help define it. ### Community-led lore The most [successful brands](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-a-successful-brand-ambassador-program/) will be those that provide “creative kits” to their fans. Think of it like a franchise: the brand provides the setting and the rules, but the fans write the fan-fiction that becomes official canon. ### Radical transparency The “back office” is the new front stage. People no longer trust the high-production gloss of a corporate video. They want to see the messy middle-the interns, the supply chain, and the failures. Authenticity is no longer a marketing tactic. It’s the only currency that still holds value. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## 4\. Speculative trends: What to watch - **Trend**: Sensory branding - **The concept**: Using haptics and spatial audio - **The "why":** To create “physical” memories of digital interactions. --- - **Trend:** Strategic fiction - **The concept:** Making stories harder to find or unlock (digital scavenger hunts) - **The "why"**: To combat digital fatigue and reward deep engagement. --- - **Trend:** Sustainability as plot - **The concept:** Moving from “greenwashing” to making ecological restoration the central hero’s journey. - **The "why":** To align with the existential priorities of the next generation. ## 5\. Ethical storytelling and the "off switch” As stories become more immersive and addictive, the next frontier of brand loyalty will be digital wellness. The brands that win will be those that know when to stop talking. The future “hero brand” uses its narrative to encourage users to log off, go outside, and engage with the physical world. By designing for the “off-switch,” brands prove they care more about the human being than the data point. This builds a level of trust that no 3D-rendered avatar can ever match. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Start building the room The future of brand storytelling isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about building the most welcoming room. To prepare for this shift, brands must move away from “production value” and toward “interaction value.” Stop asking, “How do we make this look better?” and start asking, “How do we let our customers into this story?” The megaphone is dying. Long live the brand ecosystem. ### Assistant vs. Delegate: How autonomous agents and AI loops are changing Product Marketing | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/assistant-vs-delegate-how-autonomous-agents-and-ai-loops-are-changing-product-marketing-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T07:24:11.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Taking GTM metrics beyond the dashboard | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/taking-gtm-metrics-beyond-the-dashboard-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T09:51:38.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Lifecycle metrics that drive retention & advocacy | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/lifecycle-metrics-that-drive-retention-advocacy-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T07:46:21.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Avoid vanity metrics: evaluating true GTM impact | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/avoid-vanity-metrics-evaluating-true-gtm-impact-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T08:08:49.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### GTM on a budget: do more with less | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/gtm-on-a-budget-do-more-with-less-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:28:03.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Lead with impact: conversations that shape GTM success | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/lead-with-impact-conversations-that-shape-gtm-success-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:27:33.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Winning the narrative when markets move fast | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/winning-the-narrative-when-markets-move-fast-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:27:58.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Turning launches into repeatable revenue moments | GTM Labs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/turning-launches-into-repeatable-revenue-moments-gtm-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:27:45.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the Pro+ membership and Pro+ membership upgrade tiers only._ ### Go-to-Market Labs Workshops URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/go-to-market-labs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:11:16.000Z _No content available._ ### Irrational advocacy: What are the drivers of brand loyalty? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T15:07:50.000Z [Consumer behavior](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-consumer-choice-and-cloud-hyperscalers-have-changed-the-way-telus-brings-b2b-products-to-market/) has become increasingly unpredictable. As a result, the concept of "irrational advocacy" can be essential to solidify a brand's market position. **Irrational advocacy**, a term that might seem contradictory, refers to the unparalleled devotion customers exhibit towards a brand, often surpassing logical reasoning. This phenomenon isn't just the satisfaction derived from a product or service. It's the deep emotional connection and sense of identity consumers find in a brand. ## Understanding consumer emotion and decision-making ### The emotional consumer Consumers rarely make decisions on a purely rational basis. Many irrational things, like emotions, can significantly influence purchasing decisions. Humans are [emotional beings](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) who often rationalize their choices after the fact. Recognizing this can transform how brands approach marketing and [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/). For instance, the decision to queue overnight for a new iPhone release, despite owning a perfectly functional previous model. This is driven more by the emotional excitement and belonging to the Apple community than by product features alone. ### Brands as emotional catalysts Successful brands like Apple have mastered the art of becoming more than just providers of goods or services. They serve as catalysts for emotional experiences and identity formation. This connection goes beyond the tangible benefits of the product. They work hard to access deeper human needs for belonging, identity, and purpose. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Strategies for encouraging irrational advocacy ### Aligning with consumer values Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) looking to cultivate irrational advocacy must start by aligning their [brand's mission and values](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-values-in-your-product-led-growth-business/) with those of their target audience. This alignment is not about pandering or superficial branding exercises but about genuine engagement with the issues and values that matter to consumers. For example, brands that have taken clear stances on social issues, even at the risk of polarizing their audience, often find a passionate base of supporters who identify strongly with the brand's values. ### Leveraging cause-related marketing A powerful strategy for building emotional connections is through cause-related marketing. This approach involves partnering with or supporting causes that resonate with the brand's audience, thereby demonstrating the brand's commitment to more than just profit. An illustrative example is the campaign by Hungry Howie's Pizza, which changed its boxes to pink and donated a portion of every sale to breast cancer awareness. This campaign not only boosted sales but also significantly enhanced customer engagement, proving that consumers are eager to support brands that contribute positively to society. ### Fostering community and rituals Creating a sense of community around a brand can also foster irrational advocacy. Brands that succeed in this area often develop rituals or events that allow consumers to actively participate in the brand's culture. Chick-fil-A's "Daddy-Daughter Date Night" is a prime example, creating a unique experience that goes beyond the product to celebrate family connections, thereby deepening emotional ties to the brand. [20 Years of Date Nights With DadGeorgia Family Enjoys Chick-fil-A Daddy-Daughter Date Nights![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1.png)Chick-fil-A![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/79-Hero_01_D-1.jpg)](https://www.chick-fil-a.com/stories/family-celebrates-20-years-of-daddy-daughter-nights-at-chick-fil-a) ## Navigating the pitfalls ### Authenticity and trust The quest for irrational advocacy is not without its challenges. [Authenticity and trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/support-your-advocacy-strategy-by-using-authentic-brand-storytelling/) are paramount; consumers can easily detect insincerity, which can backfire and damage the brand's reputation. Thus, marketers must ensure that their brand's actions and messaging genuinely reflect their stated values and mission. ### The risks of polarization Moreover, while taking a stand on social issues can engender deep loyalty, it can also lead to polarization. Brands must carefully consider the implications of aligning with potentially divisive causes, weighing the benefits of passionate advocacy against the risk of alienating other segments of their audience. ## The future of brand loyalty Looking forward, irrational advocacy is poised to play an increasingly pivotal role in shaping brand loyalty. In a world where consumers are bombarded with choices and information, those brands that can forge emotional connections and offer a sense of purpose and community will stand out. For customer marketers, the challenge lies in navigating the complex landscape of consumer emotions, aligning brand values with those of their customers, and engaging in authentic, value-driven marketing. By doing so, brands can transform their customers into not just consumers but passionate advocates and champions of their brand's mission. ### Is brand loyalty irrational? Brand loyalty may seem irrational at first glance, but understanding the emotional factors that drive consumer behavior reveals there is a deeper logic at play. The traditional view of consumers as purely rational decision-makers has given way to insights that emotions significantly influence purchasing decisions. Irrational advocacy refers to the unparalleled devotion customers exhibit towards a brand, often surpassing logical reasoning. This is not about mere satisfaction from a product but the deep emotional connection and sense of identity consumers find in a brand. Successful brands like Apple have mastered becoming more than just providers of goods - they serve as catalysts for emotional experiences and identity formation that tap into human needs for belonging, identity, and purpose. While it may look irrational to queue overnight for a new iPhone when one's current model works perfectly fine, the underlying emotional excitement and feeling of belonging to the Apple community provide the true motivation. Brand loyalty driven by these powerful emotional factors is not irrational when you understand the psychology behind it. [Appreciating your audience: Why understanding consumer psychology is importantConsumer psychology is understanding why we buy and consume. This includes choices we make, how we make them, what influences us, whether we purchase something or not, how social dynamics play a role, and much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-4.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAlex Chahin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/milad-fakurian-58Z17lnVS4U-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/appreciating-your-audience-why-understanding-consumer-psychology-is-important/) The key for brands is aligning their mission and values authentically with those of their target consumers. This genuine engagement, coupled with strategies like cause-related marketing and fostering communities with brand rituals, allows brands to forge profound emotional connections. These connections transform customers into passionate advocates who identify with the brand's purpose beyond just the product itself. So in summary, what may seem like irrational loyalty on the surface emerges from brands skillfully appealing to and aligning with the core emotional needs of their customers. It's not irrational from the consumer's perspective but rather reflects a deeper psychological logic that savvy brands can harness to build powerful advocacy. ### What is brand advocacy? Brand advocacy refers to the unparalleled [devotion and loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/navigating-the-post-sale-landscape-key-strategies-for-customer-loyalty/) exhibited by customers towards a brand, often transcending logical reasoning. It is rooted in the deep emotional connection and sense of identity that consumers forge with a brand - going far beyond mere satisfaction with a product or service. [Customer satisfaction isn’t customer loyalty. Why the difference matters.As long as your customers are happy it doesn’t matter whether you use the term customer satisfaction or customer loyalty to explain how they feel about your company, right? Not necessarily. These terms are often used interchangeably and they really shouldn’t be. Here’s why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-5.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLisa Masiello![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/bruce-mars-AndE50aaHn4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/) In essence, brand advocates are passionate supporters who strongly identify with a brand's mission, values, and purpose. They do not view the brand solely as a provider of goods but as a catalyst for emotional experiences that tap into core human needs for belonging, identity, and meaning. Brand advocacy manifests in behaviors like customers queuing overnight for a new product launch, actively participating in brand communities and rituals, and evangelizing the brand to friends and family. The impetus is not just the functional benefits but the excitement, sense of community, and alignment of personal values with the brand. For example, Apple has cultivated legions of ardent brand advocates who identify deeply with the brand's spirit of innovation, design, and counterculture ethos. Their loyalty stems as much from the emotional resonance as the quality of Apple's products themselves. This phenomenon of irrational advocacy is driven by brands that genuinely connect with the core values, passions, and identity needs of their target consumers. Through strategies like authentic brand purpose alignment, cause marketing, and fostering brand communities, companies can transform customers into impassioned champions of their mission who transcend the role of mere consumers. So in summary, brand advocacy is the powerful devotion and zeal customers feel towards a brand when it becomes an emblem of their identity, values, and aspirations - resulting in fierce loyalty that may appear irrational on the surface but emerges from a brand's ability to forge profound emotional connections. ### Why is advocacy important for brands? In today's crowded marketplace where consumers are inundated with choices, brand advocacy has become critical for solidifying a brand's market position and driving sustainable loyalty. Irrational advocacy - the deep emotional devotion customers feel towards a brand that transcends logical reasoning - is a powerful force that successful companies can leverage. The importance lies in advocacy's ability to forge profound, lasting connections with customers that go far beyond satisfaction with the product or service alone. Brand advocates don't just use and appreciate a brand, they strongly identify with its values, purpose, and the emotional experiences it catalyzes. This sense of shared identity breeds fierce loyalty and advocacy that money can't buy through traditional marketing tactics. Brand advocates serve as passionate evangelists, amplifying the brand's message and bringing in new customers through authentic word-of-mouth based on their own zeal. The unpaid endorsement from trusted voices carries immense influence in today's landscape of eroded trust in advertising. Moreover, devoted brand advocates exhibit remarkable behaviors like lining up for product launches or actively participating in brand communities and rituals - solidifying their identity as part of the brand tribe. Looking forward, brands that can cultivate this level of advocacy by genuinely connecting with the emotional needs and values of their target consumers will gain a formidable competitive edge. [5 types of consumers to market forWhen it comes to marketing, businesses often target different types of consumers based on their behaviors, preferences, and characteristics. It’s essential to conduct thorough market research to identify the various types of customers that are relevant to your business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-6.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/spencer-davis-vJsj-hgOEG0-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-types-of-consumers-to-market-for/) In an age where humans crave belonging and meaning, the companies that deliver on those deeper needs through authentic brand purpose and community will be rewarded with customers transformed into impassioned champions of their mission. For customer marketers, the importance of brand advocacy lies in its unique capacity to engender resilient, long-term loyalty that creates marketing multiplicative effects. By focusing on fostering profound emotional connections, brands can elevate customers from transactional consumers to vested partners invested in the brand's success on a personal level. This is the foundation of future-proofing a devoted customer base that will serve as an invaluable asset. --- **What does irrational advocacy mean for you industry? And are you taking steps to cultivate and harness it?** **Let us know, join the conversation with marketing leaders around the world on the** [**Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/?%5Fgl=1%2A1je6n8w%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTM5MDY1NTgwNy4xNzI3MjE4NDAy%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNzIxODQwMS4xLjAuMTcyNzIxODQwMS4wLjAuMA..) **channel.** ### Customer marketing KPI redesign template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-kpi-redesign-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T15:38:10.000Z ## What is a customer marketing KPI redesign template? A customer marketing KPI redesign template is a strategic framework designed to help customer marketing and advocacy teams replace vanity metrics with more meaningful, business-aligned measurements. This template helps teams audit their existing KPIs, identify unhealthy incentives, and redesign measurement around customer value, strategic contribution, and long-term business impact. ## What’s inside the template? This template includes 11 practical sections designed to help teams evaluate, redesign, and operationalize better customer marketing KPIs: 1. Current KPI audit 2. Diagnose KPI misalignment 3. Vanity metric warning signs 4. Root cause analysis 5. KPI redesign table 6. Strategic KPI planning worksheet 7. Point A to Point B alignment exercise 8. Executive narrative builder 9. KPI governance rules 10. 90-day KPI transition plan 11. Final reflection prompts ## How to use the template Start by auditing your current KPIs and identifying which metrics create reactive or low-value behavior. Use the redesign framework to replace vanity metrics with business-aligned KPIs tied to customer impact, strategic contribution, and measurable outcomes. Then align stakeholders, define reporting ownership and cadence, and use the 90-day transition plan to roll out and refine the new framework over time. ## Download your customer marketing KPI redesign template ![Customer marketing KPI redesign template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/05/Customer-marketing-KPI-redesign-template.png) [Customer marketing KPI redesign templateCustomer marketing KPI redesign template.pdf165 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/05/Customer-marketing-KPI-redesign-template.pdf "Download") [Customer marketing KPI redesign templateCustomer marketing KPI redesign template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/05/Customer-marketing-KPI-redesign-template.docx "Download") [Customer marketing KPI redesign templateCustomer marketing KPI redesign template A practical framework for replacing vanity metrics with strategic, business-aligned measurement. Customer marketing teams are often measured using metrics that reward speed, volume, and responsiveness – even when those metrics create unhealthy behaviors,…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-3d45292eef3c671fcafb8ce679c08fcced09a3835e46f9ed51c7fa9af2e0e11f.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIC2ImXF5Gh91D1jPjZpq7L6wVkrmkEEQML1z_TeJuVmQJXLWhlChUe7tK0a75-S1s88CuHYrHPvHYFmRjwdRDs0BCe0PHBeNUH8JdjS-9ubGWeUjrE-w1200-h630-p-a8b265d99da074e1e3ca888b5ed9eb94f6f4bb110930317c9618122c966707d2)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MfXOeHte-Vs5r-SN55UFxv-smFQ47uMHDq-aiAxcES0/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How AI collapsed the customer journey URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-ai-collapsed-the-customer-journey/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T12:50:42.000Z Six months. That's how long I lived with a broken refrigerator shelf because every search I ran returned overpriced results or expensive overseas shipping. Then I took two photos, dropped them into Perplexity, and had the exact part number, an upgraded replacement model, and two retailers – accurately – in under a minute. I bought it for $50\. My original searches had shown me $80-100. That one interaction covered[ awareness, evaluation, purchase decision, and a loyalty judgment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) about the retailer, all at once, all on my phone, in about five minutes. What surprised me the most was that the funnel was totally obliterated – not just compressed or a little reduced. It totally disappeared. . This article covers why that [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-gpt-agents-may-finally-close-the-customer-journey/) shift is structural, what's driving it, and what it means for how CX and product teams need to work across the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-template-framework/). ## Why the classic funnel no longer describes what customers actually do The awareness-consideration-purchase-loyalty model assumes customers move through stages over time. They don't anymore, at least not in sequence. Research from Bain & Company shows [68% of AI-assisted research](https://www.bain.com/insights/goodbye-clicks-hello-ai-zero-click-search-redefines-marketing/) is about summarising, with users following up via chat rather than clicking through to external sites. And 6% of searches now result in zero clicks, meaning the journey ends before it ever reaches a brand's owned properties. ### This follows a pattern we've seen before The behaviour change didn't start with [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ethical-ai-in-customer-marketing/). In the late 1990s, people moved from browsing directories to using Google. Then they stopped searching five pages deep and trusted page one. Then they narrowed attention to whatever was above the fold. Each step involved handing more decision-making authority to an intermediary. AI agents are the next step, not a rupture. Sure, the scale is different, but the pattern hasn’t changed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### AI workflows for the overwhelmed marketer URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-workflows-for-the-overwhelmed-marketer/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T10:38:05.000Z Everyone’s talking about AI in marketing. Fewer teams are actually capitalizing on it in ways that save time and drive better campaigns. Join us for a practical, operator-led session as experts from Customer.io break down how real teams are using AI to cut busywork, move faster, and personalize at scale. This is a hands-on look at the workflows marketers are already running today, the ones that actually ship campaigns faster, reduce repetitive work, and make personalization feel manageable instead of overwhelming. --- ## What you’ll learn In this session, we’ll cover: - What 500+ marketers are actually doing with AI right now and what’s working - How to move from one-off AI experiments to repeatable, integrated workflows - How to build end-to-end personalisation into your campaigns Leave with: - Four practical workflows you can implement immediately - Prompts and templates you can use today, with real ROI benchmarks - Clear, actionable ways to start using AI in your campaigns without adding more to your plate. ### How doing my own customer research changed everything URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/doing-my-own-customer-research/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T10:40:12.000Z Every marketer is told the same thing: “You need to know your customer.” It’s the foundation of everything we do: building [ICP profiles](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-your-ideal-customer-profile/), shaping [personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-persona-first-problem/), crafting [positioning](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-positioning/), and writing [messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/) fundamentals. But despite having all the right tools – dashboards, Gong calls, CRM reports, surveys, interviews – I realized something uncomfortable last year: I still didn’t really know the best-fit customer for the products I was owning. Sure, I could find the basics of who was adopting a new product after launch: total number of customers, company size, maybe the top industries, if I was lucky. But deeper insights, real characteristics, motivations, and buying triggers were much harder to come by. And the more data I collected, the less clarity I had. I wasn’t lacking information; in fact, I was drowning in it. I'm sharing this story because I know I wasn't alone, and many marketers might still feel this way. This is a story about how I went from being a passive data consumer to a source of truth for our [go-to-market](https://www.gotomarketalliance.com/the-go-to-market-hub/) teams. It's not a perfect blueprint, nothing fancy. Just a simple, structured approach that helped me focus and create better marketing fundamentals. Hopefully, it will spark some ideas for you, too. ## Stuck in analysis paralysis I realized last year: there are two types of marketers. Some (like me, for a while) sit in analysis paralysis, afraid someone will ask the simple question: “So... who’s our best-fit customer?” And when they do get asked, their answers are often basic, based on dashboards they don't fully understand, filled with biased answers or old information, which leaves them questioning their own response. Others figure it out for themselves. They talk to customers, get the kind of insights that don’t show up in a dashboard, and suddenly they’re the ones [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams/) wants in the big meetings. I knew which side I wanted to be on. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Here’s what flipped the switch for me The transition from being stuck to taking action wasn't a sudden burst of confidence; it was a slow, uncomfortable crawl that came to a head in a single, high-stakes meeting. I was there with the leadership team and all the heads of our go-to-market teams. We were talking about the traction my product launch had, and how we could give it even more attention the next quarter by running an upsell campaign on lookalike customers. You can probably guess what happened next. They turned to me and asked: “So, who exactly is our best-fit customer, and why are they buying?” Despite all my prep, looking at every single dashboard and report I could find before the meeting, my answers were still shallow and full of bias. Ouch. I realized the data I had wasn’t good enough. To truly add value in these meetings, I had to [talk to customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/win-loss-interview-questions-template-framework/) myself and find the answers firsthand. ## A simple, structured approach that helped me focus I stopped waiting for someone else’s research and started doing my own. Nothing fancy. No 50-slide research plan. Just a simple, structured approach that helped me focus. I started seeing myself as a [customer researcher](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-research/). This mindset shift let me finally start asking the right questions. Instead of just consuming data, I began to ask myself: "What data do I actually need? Who should I be talking to? Why am I doing this, and what do I hope to find?" It was a journey of discovery, not an overnight solution. But by embracing the role of a customer researcher, I knew exactly what to focus on and could begin the process of uncovering the "why" behind the data. Here's the simple, five-step process that became my turning point: ### Step 1: Start with a research plan Start by creating **a simple, one-page research plan**. This isn't a huge research project proposal; it's a concise document to align your work with business objectives and your goals. I found that getting buy-in from my manager was way easier when I showed them this clear, one-page plan. Including: - **Business objective:** What broader company goal is this *lightweight* research supporting? Example: Increase company growth in ARR to 20% p.a. - **Marketing objective:** What marketing (or other team) goal is this research supporting? - **Research objective:** What is the research aiming to achieve? Example: Identifying \[company name\] Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). - **Research question:** What specific question are you trying to answer through this research? Example: Who are your best-fit customers and why, based on quantitative data analysis and SPICED (Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, and Decision). - **Desired outcome:** What decision, strategy, or action should the research enable? Example: A well-documented and actionable ICP that provides clarity and focus for go-to-market strategies based on quantitative and qualitative insights. - **Customer segment:** Who is the research focused on? [![Stop guessing what customers want. Start running research that proves it with Customer Research Masters: Certified](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_--4-.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-research-certified-masters-cma) ### Step 2: Review your existing data with your objective in hand With your objective in hand, review your existing [quantitative and qualitative data](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/qualitative-vs-quantitative-research/) with a fresh set of eyes. Instead of just looking at the numbers, look at the quality of the data itself. Does it match the [customer segment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) you're researching? Can you correctly bucket the data? Remember the "garbage in, garbage out" principle. If your data is poorly structured or missing key details (like an incomplete company size or an unassigned industry), it can lead you to the wrong conclusions. This step is about identifying what you have, what's missing, and what needs to be fixed before you move on. ### Step 3: Go get the missing data yourself Now that you know what's missing, it's time to get it. I briefed the data team with my research objective, asking them to pull a list of customers based on specific criteria. This sounds easy, but data teams are busy getting requests from every team. If you can't get the data, don't give up! Yes, it’s a lot of work, but just try to do it manually for this one research objective. If [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/c-suite-elevating-customer-marketings-voice-in-leadership/) sees the results you get, I guarantee you'll get the resources you need for your next project. I also did quite a lot of manual work to add the details I needed. But once I had my list, I was able to schedule and interview 11 personas to uncover the “why” behind the numbers. It’s scary at first, and a skill you have to learn, but slowly, you'll get great insights that will make you feel confident interviewing anyone. ### Step 4: Add qualitative insights from your go-to-market teams Don’t be afraid to get creative. If you're lucky, you can filter and analyze recorded sales and customer success calls for specific [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) using [AI tools](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/). This adds another layer of qualitative insight without needing new interviews immediately. Just be sure you're analyzing the right group and not mixing different customer buckets. Also, be incredibly mindful of what you prompt AI solutions with. Especially if you're going to use this data to inform [C-level](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) decisions, you need to build in checks and be able to actually trust the output. Otherwise, you'll end up in the same spot you were before, not truly knowing if you can trust the insights you uncovered. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ### Step 5: Share your findings The final step is to synthesize your insights into a clear, compelling narrative. My report wasn't a long-winded document; it was a concise summary of my findings (after a lot of back-and-forth about the right structure). I felt confident presenting to execs because my insights were grounded in data, backed by real customer voices (tip: you can use tools like Fathom to record your meetings and literally use customer voice notes in your report), and directly aligned with our business strategy. **Note:** This is just the start. The best marketers build a continuous research cadence. By regularly updating your information, testing your findings, and iterating, you'll be unstoppable. ## Confidence booster Doing my own customer research didn’t just change my work; it changed how I saw myself as a marketer. Not as someone drowning in dashboards, but as someone with insights that mattered. I felt confident presenting to execs. Confident shaping strategy. Confident that I wasn’t just digging my way through biased opinions anymore. I had the answers. ## So what kept me stuck for so long? Looking back, it’s pretty clear: - Data and tool overload; none of it designed for marketing; - Secondhand insights; full of other people’s biases; AND… - My brilliant idea of a massive research project that, shocker, nobody approved The result was classic analysis paralysis. But that doesn't have to be the case for you. ## Start small. Be scrappy. You don’t need permission or a PhD in research methods. Talk to customers yourself. Because in the end, the real superpower of a marketer is knowing your customer better than anyone else in the company. Maybe even better than they know themselves. Want the practical cheat sheet? Or see how I leverage AI to analyze transcripts from my interviews? (spoiler: it’s not just copy-paste into ChatGPT). [Make sure we’re connected on ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-van-der-kammen/)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-van-der-kammen/) and send me a DM. ### Customer re-engagement strategy template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-re-engagement-strategy-template/ Last updated: 2026-04-22T08:27:03.000Z ## What is a customer re-engagement strategy template? A [customer re-engagement strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-re-engagement-strategies/) template is a structured planning framework that helps [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/), and revenue leaders design and execute a repeatable approach to winning back – or retaining – customers who have disengaged, [churned](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/churn-rate-prediction-template-framework/), or are at risk of leaving. Rather than reacting to churn as it happens, this template helps you build a proactive, multidimensional strategy: one that maps the root causes of disengagement, defines the right touchpoints for different buyer personas, and creates a deliberate [offboarding experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-offboarding-template-framework/) so that even churned customers remain future opportunities. With B2B SaaS win rates for new business sitting somewhere between 20 and 30%, and upsell rates closer to 80%, the business case for focusing on your existing and former customer base has never been stronger. --- ## What's inside the template? This template gives you a complete system for diagnosing disengagement, planning [re-engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-essential-tips-for-demonstrating-respect-and-driving-engagement/) plays, and executing across the full customer lifecycle. - Disengagement diagnosis table - Buyer and advocate persona mapper - Reengagement touchpoint planner - [Community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) and events play framework - Churn offboarding by scenario - AI and personalization toolkit - Strategy summary and business case builder - 90-day action plan --- ## How to use the template Start by diagnosing the root cause of disengagement for your key accounts – different causes require different plays. From there, [map your buyer personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/), design your touchpoints, and build out your community and events strategy as a retention lever. The template then guides you through how to handle churn gracefully, how to use [AI to scale personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/), and how to build the business case your stakeholders need to see. It closes with a 90-day action plan to move from strategy to execution. --- ## Download your customer re-engagement strategy template ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-20-at-14.04.55.png) [Customer re-engagement strategy planner templateCustomer re-engagement strategy planner template.pdf193 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/04/Customer-re-engagement-strategy-planner-template.pdf "Download") [Customer reengagement strategy planner templateCustomer reengagement strategy planner A structured planning worksheet for customer marketing leaders Use this planner to build a multidimensional reengagement strategy for customers who have disengaged, churned, or are at risk of leaving. Work through each section in order — from diagnosing the…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJXx6OyCbLIrkp8oAOlJw62n9hjxElZhhkrBfPtZmLgQ8p9eK6z8PBngPp0MZNx-Fc8URV82EYHICKN6xeQ92njT02-qfJ_bg5eAce40IhZhQlx-sSZ-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJ0vj7dUbhz9TAk1MSugojNE5hG5-Ph%5FGdkEaN5cyzg/edit?usp=sharing) [Customer re-engagement strategy planner templateCustomer re-engagement strategy planner template.docx629 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/04/Customer-re-engagement-strategy-planner-template.docx "Download") _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why advocacy beats retention as a growth engine for 2026 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-advocacy-beats-retention-as-a-growth-engine/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T15:00:24.000Z You’ve probably spent the last year staring at your [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-four-best-practices-for-driving-customer-retention/) dashboards, obsessing over how to stop users from leaving. But what if I told you that keeping people on your platform isn't enough anymore? Given every brand is fighting for a second of attention, simply "not leaving" is a low bar. The real question is whether your users are talking about you when you're not in the room, not whether they’re sticking around. In this article, you’ll discover why [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-from-marketing-to-customer-success/) is the engine of modern growth and how to shift your strategy from defensive retention to offensive evangelism. We’ll look at a real-world case study of a digital bank that scaled to 60 million users by prioritizing experience over ads, and I'll break down the specific loops you can build to turn quiet users into your loudest marketers. ## The shift from retention to advocacy As we look toward the [future of customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-customer-marketing-is-here/), the old playbooks are failing. Traditional marketing thinks keeping users happy is the end goal. Modern customer marketing realizes that happiness is just the baseline, the real goal is activation. Retention is basically a defensive tactic. It’s a way of saying, "Please don't leave me." It’s a plea for stability. [Advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-workiva-scales-customer-advocacy-to-drive-business-outcomes/), on the other hand, showcases momentum. It’s your users telling the world why they love you. While retention measures satisfaction, advocacy measures storytelling. If you want to thrive beyond the current wave of competition, you’ve got to stop looking at users as retention stats and start seeing them as potential evangelists. ### Why the numbers favor the advocates If you're wondering why you should shift your focus, just look at the data. People trust people far more than they trust brands. We all read reviews before we buy anything, right? We trust word-of-mouth over a flashy digital ad every single time. - A [**12% increase in advocacy**](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291576592%5FAdvocacy%5Fdrives%5Fgrowth) can double revenue growth. - Advocacy marketing boosts overall marketing [effectiveness by **54%**](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312279099%5FSocial%5FAmplification%5FA%5FMechanism%5Fin%5Fthe%5FSpread%5Fof%5FBrand%5FUsage). - [**92% of people**](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages-2/) trust word-of-mouth recommendations over traditional advertisements. - User-generated content (UGC) leads to a [**29% higher conversion rate**](https://www.nosto.com/blog/stackla-survey-reveals-disconnect-between-the-content-consumers-want-what-marketers-deliver/) than standard brand assets. Every tweet, review, and testimonial is essentially an unpaid ad with real influence. When your customers don't just buy but actually "preach the gospel" of your product, your marketing effectiveness skyrockets. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 6 tactics to amplify your brand with customer stories URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/amplify-your-brand-with-customer-stories/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T08:13:49.000Z Every brand tells a [story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) – whether intentionally or not. The question is: what story are your customers hearing, and how does it shape their perception? If you’re unsure, or if your messaging feels inconsistent across channels, you’re in good company. Popular marketing wisdom says that people don't buy a product but a story. It makes sense because the companies [connecting on a personal level](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) find success, even in crowded spaces. However, it can be hard to know how to take user experiences and turn them into stories that resonate. [Storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/) at scale requires ensuring you distribute your story consistently across touchpoints. The narrative must be consistent while showcasing your company values and mission. Done well, the strategy drives an emotional connection with your audience. If you’re wondering how to get started, never fear! You’re in the right place. This article reveals how to take [customer moments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/) from the real world and turn them into snippets that build your brand. You'll learn to tell a captivating story and blend customer experiences with rich narratives. Let’s dive in. ## Customer experience is your greatest asset Your customers are already telling stories about your brand – stories that shape how others see you. Tapping into these narratives lets you align your brand voice with the way people actually experience your products and services. Consider this: [Nielsen's latest Trust in Advertising study](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2021/beyond-martech-building-trust-with-consumers-and-engaging-where-sentiment-is-high/) of consumers in North America and Europe found that **88%** of people trust the recommendations of those they know more than any other form of advertising. We live in a hyperconnected world where personal opinions outweigh a polished sales pitch. When happy customers share their experiences, they provide both insight and emotion – two things that make your brand feel more relatable. The challenge is moving from a single customer comment to a story that represents your brand. The good news? You can do it by applying the six tactics outlined below. 👇 ## 1\. Audit your story touchpoints Before you can scale your storytelling with customer experiences, you need a clear view of where your [brand persona](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/an-introduction-to-personas/) already shows up. Start by reviewing your website and digital assets. If you have physical locations, take stock of your signage, in-store interactions, and printed materials like flyers or postcards. These touchpoints all contribute to the story you’re telling: - Blog content - Website news page and “about” information - Customer service scripts - Social media posts - Employee onboarding materials - Email newsletters - Press packets Audit every aspect of your work and marketing materials to see where you already consistently use storytelling. Once you have an idea of where you share your tale, you can improve it by weaving in a narrative directly from consumers. ![Two customer testimonial cards. Left: OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap says Slack is central to collaboration. Right: Spotify director Stephen Satzberg calls Slack the productivity platform for ad sales.](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeyd_MmR0ymf79bUHy2AIW7_oxtmMsl0GxlIGMAEpfHJoPv85jrcutHGEUd9hLcZY9FGRXBmqQiuNMGWUPg0VWU-DtX2uRZBi7kPFZpetB91BWdhGxKwcxZkodDL5Kc6iSAWpDL?key=A7CF1MQs9OSn51jW-Neg4Q) **Source:* [**Slack*](https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/demo) Slack offers a great example. On its demo page, it highlights testimonials from leaders at companies like OpenAI and Spotify. These quotes bring the brand promise to life – showing how Slack fuels collaboration and drives results. Instead of telling people why the platform matters, Slack lets its customers do the talking. ## 2\. Look for new spaces to show who you are Once you’ve identified where your brand already features customer voices, look for new ways to highlight them with greater consistency. Think creatively about where testimonials can add value. For instance, [research shows](https://greatnorthernpackaging.com/2023/07/21/5-signs-its-time-to-upgrade-your-packaging/) that **72%** of consumers say package design influences their purchase decision. A simple customer quote on packaging or shipping materials can catch attention at the exact moment someone is deciding whether to buy. The same idea applies to advertising. Instead of relying only on polished campaigns, let your customers speak for you. Food brand Tovala has done this well by featuring both celebrities and everyday users in its ads. Across each message, the story is consistent: the smart air fryer saves time, makes healthy eating easier, and simplifies mealtime. ## 3\. Create a system to collect stories Your customers may sing your praises on social media, but if you aren't paying attention, you could miss it. If they set their privacy to friends only, you may also not have access to the details. It's crucial you have a way to gather their stories so you can share and retell them to gain the most impact possible in your marketing efforts: - Send short surveys after a purchase, asking a single question, such as "Did our product make your life better in some way?" - Encourage them to use hashtags so you can easily find [user-generated content](https://www.cmoalliance.com/engagement-to-revenue-how-ugc-boosts-roi/). - Grab reviews from your Facebook page and use them for snippets in your storytelling efforts. - Interview repeat customers to create case studies and video stories. Offer them a chance to test new or improved products for honest feedback. - Run a story contest and reward customers for sharing the best one. The key to collecting testimonials and stories is to ensure the user is authentic. If you pay people to say your brand is great, it will show. Consumers are discerning, and they can spot a fake. ![Customer review text next to arms of varying skin tones showing Glossier Stretch Concealer shades. Review highlights coverage without looking cakey.](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdF4VhmYkLlV4FaBAsoidG_JdFKCaUXv5PwiJq2huP_7vw5afZTgfu9GPGyi_A0rtX11RK9XyTKLYsfzQkiipPgYrtLOllTOzMqnyUBkHMn34PfB50LLAmTZDq3msFpvfvnpYweHg?key=A7CF1MQs9OSn51jW-Neg4Q) **Source:* [**Glossier*](https://uk.glossier.com/products/stretch-balm-concealer) Beauty brand Glossier’s website is a masterclass in this tactic. Glossier listens carefully to its community, picking up on the things customers are sharing on Instagram and in forums. By reposting those snippets on product pages, the brand amplifies real voices while staying true to its audience. ## 4\. Translate details into stories Once you’ve gathered the information from your customers, you need to know how to structure it into engaging content that interests your audience. Keep these things in mind: - Who are you talking to? Who will they relate to out of your customer base? - What is the problem? What did the customer whose story you're sharing face? - How did your product solve the pain point? - What changes happened because the customer used your product? Neuroscientists say storytelling is powerful because it [triggers the trust hormone oxytocin](https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/storytelling-key-to-success-in-the-disruption-era/) and the feel-good hormone dopamine. So, wherever possible, connect to the emotional impact for your customer. [Five tips to write a killer case studyFor the entirety of my career, I’ve told stories. Personal profiles, crime reports, pop culture features, obituaries and case studies are some of the formats I used to paint pictures with words. And over the years, I learned valuable lessons.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Customer Marketing AllianceJeni Asaba![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/nick-fewings-IkjROahgUoo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-tips-to-write-a-killer-case-study/) For example, Airbnb talks about customer transformation. It might share a story about a family reconnecting, a travel writer connecting with the local community, or even people fleeing disaster and rebuilding their lives. They use a clear storyline of who the customer is, what issue they faced, and how Airbnb helped solve their problem. Similarly, HubSpot is known for using storytelling in its [customer success stories](https://www.hubspot.com/startups/customers?%5F%5Fhstc=108456029.dbe98956dcdfad715338ebf769bd2402.1756482066013.1773994959466.1776371220802.23&%5F%5Fhssc=108456029.6.1776371220802&%5F%5Fhsfp=42590c010526dca2f8836a8c72304ce1). Each one has a narrative arc that introduces the user and their business, explains what challenges they faced, and shows how HubSpot's customer relationship management software solved the problem. The stories are backed by hard facts – like increasing qualified leads by a percentage – and are shared on social media and blog posts, and in other resources like webinars. ## 5\. Make storytelling part of your company culture Teach all your team members to look for storytelling opportunities. Sales, marketing, customer service, and the cleaning crew should all contribute if they hear of a way the product improved someone's life or situation. During weekly meetings, encourage employees to share something they learned about the product or how it helped a customer. Allow employees to share their experiences with the product and why they love it. While a staff post about how great the product is might not carry as much weight with a stranger, each of your workers has family and friends who might be potential customers. Look at your storytelling branding efforts as something that builds and scales as you grow. Zappos is known for going above and beyond for customers. It weaves the practice of storytelling into its culture, encouraging all employees to share exceptional customer moments in meetings and via internal communications. ## 6\. Use technology to scale your stories As your customer base grows, keeping up with online comments may feel impossible. Luckily, you can take the stories and data you have, plug them into artificial intelligence (AI), and have it scale to work on multiple platforms. With AI, you can: - Send personalized emails that feature relatable customer stories. - Run retargeting ads showcasing people who solved the same challenge your lead is facing. - Trigger follow-ups that include authentic testimonials. It’s important to remember that AI doesn’t replace authentic storytelling – it amplifies it. You still need to craft narratives that resonate, while AI helps you extend their reach without a massive time investment. Sephora demonstrates this well through its *Beauty Insider* program, which gathers customer photos and videos. AI then matches that content with shopper profiles – factoring in buying behavior and skin type – so customers see stories that feel directly relevant to them. ## Amplify the story your customers are already telling Unless you’re at a brand-new startup, your brand story is already out there. The power lies in capturing your product's emotional impact and how it transforms lives. Once you start looking, you’ll see opportunities to add customer input everywhere, from product packaging to social media to testimonial pages. This is what will make your message feel personal and consistent – and set the tone for how customers perceive you. ### How to make community fun again, prove ROI... and quietly win at SEO URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/prove-roi-and-win-at-seo-with-community/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T15:32:53.000Z I’ve been going to a lot of [community events](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) lately, and I keep hearing the same thing from champions, almost word for word: “It’s hard to have fun anymore.” The moderation queue never ends. Leadership wants [ROI numbers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) yesterday. The same questions pile up day after day. You even start fearing for your job. And the creative, human side of community work (the part that got most of us into this role) keeps getting squeezed out by spreadsheets and support tickets. But while you’re buried in all that, [your community is quietly doing something incredibly valuable](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) that most teams don’t even realize. It’s building an organic search engine, saving your company real money, and creating a dataset that AI tools like Claude can turn into a genuine competitive advantage. And in 2026, all three of those things matter more than ever. ## Your community is an SEO machine (and you probably don’t know it) Every time a member asks a question, shares a workaround, or posts a product tip, they’re creating content that search engines love. As someone in [growth marketing](https://www.salesforce.com/ap/resources/articles/intro-to-growth-marketing/) myself, this type of content is a gold mine. Not the polished, keyword-stuffed blog post kind. The real kind, written in the exact language your customers actually use. That matters because [95% of all search queries are long-tail keywords](https://ahrefs.com/blog/long-tail-keywords/) with 10 or fewer monthly searches, according to Ahrefs. Your marketing team can’t write blog posts for all of them. But your community members already are, naturally, just by having conversations. And long-tail queries tend to convert at significantly higher rates than broad terms because the intent is so specific. Someone searching “how to set up SSO with Salesforce in my community platform” is a lot closer to buying than someone searching “community software.” Take Reddit as a proof point. After [Google signed a $60 million annual deal with Reddit](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-reddit-ai-training-data-deal/) for AI training data in 2024, Reddit’s organic search visibility [increased over 400%](https://newsdashboard.com/en/tracking-reddits-dramatic-rise-in-google-visibility/). Reddit ranks fairly high for queries like “best tire brands” and “what game should I play.” But the different LLM providers are switching gears to look at other sources, so think of this as your opportunity to shine. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) Authentic community discussions signal real-world experience, which is exactly what [Google’s E-E-A-T framework](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content) rewards. If you’re not really SEO-savvy, you’re probably thinking what the… is [E-E-A-T](https://moz.com/learn/seo/google-eat). Well, here are the components to break it down. - **Experience:** Does the content creator have first-hand, real-life experience with the subject? (e.g., product reviews, travelogues). - **Expertise:** Does the creator have the necessary knowledge, skill, or credentials?. - **Authoritativeness**: Is the site or author a recognized, go-to source in their industry?. - **Trustworthiness** (Most important): Is the page accurate, safe, and honest? Doesn’t our branded community hit all those criteria? Bingo! Except the traffic goes to your domain, not Reddit’s. That’s a crucial difference. When your customers ask questions in your community instead of on Reddit, the SEO value compounds on your site, not someone else’s. Every discussion thread builds topical authority. Every Q&A post creates internal linking opportunities. [HubSpot’s research on content clusters](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/topic-clusters-seo) found that websites using cluster strategies (which community discussions naturally create) generate three and a half times more backlinks and see organic traffic increase by 55% over 12 months. [Building a successful online community](https://bettermode.com/blog/grow-successful-online-community#how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-successful-community) takes intention, but the SEO payoff alone makes the investment worth it. If you’re a healthy online business, organic inbound can account for over 50% of revenue, think about your community impact with newfound focus. ## Now add AI search to the picture The search landscape has shifted in a big way. [Google AI Overviews now appear in roughly half of all Google searches](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/study-google-ai-overviews-appear-in-47-of-search-results/535096/). ChatGPT processes [over 2.5 billion prompts daily](https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/21/chatgpt-users-send-2-5-billion-prompts-a-day/). And according to Similarweb, [nearly 60% of Google searches now end without a click](https://searchengineland.com/google-search-zero-click-study-2024-443869), meaning users get their answer without ever visiting a website. This is the rise of AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization. It’s not just about ranking on page one anymore. It’s about getting your content cited inside AI-generated answers. And community content is exactly what AI models keep pulling from. [Reddit represents 21% of all AI Overview citations](https://thedigitalbloom.com/learn/google-ai-overviews-top-cited-domains-2025/), making it the top user-generated content source. Community platforms and forums punch well above their weight because AI models prefer authentic user experiences and real troubleshooting advice over polished marketing copy. This isn’t theoretical. [Jillian Bejtlich](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianbejtlich/), who runs the community at Calendly, has seen it play out in real time. Search “scheduling events three months into the future on Calendly” on Google, and the AI Overview pulls its answer directly from Calendly’s community posts. Not from a help doc. Not from a blog. From real community members asking and answering each other’s questions. That’s Calendly’s owned community showing up as the trusted source in AI-generated results, driving users back to their platform instead of a third-party forum. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/data-src-image-3f659e44-dbf2-4157-9541-a13e0cbed545.png) According to [Acquia’s survey of 500+ marketing professionals](https://www.acquia.com/blog/why-answer-engine-optimization-aeo-next-big-thing-digital-strategy-and-why-most-brands-arent), only 20% of organizations have started implementing AEO strategies. That’s a wide-open lane for community teams who are paying attention. ## The ROI story goes way beyond search SEO and AEO visibility are great, but they’re not the only numbers you can put in front of leadership. Community generates ROI in ways that are surprisingly easy to measure once you know where to look. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/data-src-image-1da4f106-5bf8-4611-bd3c-6778486ab905.png) **Bettermode.com Analytics* ### Support ticket deflection This is the most immediate and easiest to quantify. When community members answer each other’s questions, those are tickets your support team didn’t have to touch. [HDI’s industry research](https://www.thinkhdi.com/library/supportworld/2022/metric-of-month-cost-per-ticket) puts the average cost per support ticket between $15-37 depending on complexity and channel, and B2B SaaS companies typically land in the $20-30 range. If your community deflects even 200 tickets a month, that’s $4,000-6,000 in monthly savings. Run that math against your ticket volume and the number gets leadership’s attention fast. Looking to make the data real? If you use a platform like [Bettermode](http://bettermode.com), you can connect to Salesforce or HubSpot and create real-time dashboards showing dollar figures, where your executive team lives. ### Customer retention Customers who participate in community tend to stick around longer, and the data backs it up. [CMX’s 2024 Community Industry Report](https://www.cmxhub.com/community-industry-report) found that 86% of companies with community programs saw measurable improvement in customer retention and lifetime value. People who’ve built relationships, found answers, and invested time in your ecosystem don’t leave easily. That makes switching harder and renewing easier. If your average contract value is $20K and community participation meaningfully lifts your retention rate, the revenue impact dwarfs the cost of running the program. From personal experience, I’m a big promoter of Clay & HubSpot; if it weren’t for their communities, I’m not so sure I would have stuck around as long as I have! [![The Customer & Commnity Engagement Playbook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/The-Customer---Community-Engagement-Playbook--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ### Product feedback loop Your community is a live focus group running 24/7\. Feature requests, bug reports, use case stories, and competitive comparisons show up organically. Product teams that tap into this data ship better products and prioritize more accurately. How? Let an AI tool like Claude or ChatGPT analyze feedback in the community, and compare it to close lost reasons in your CRM. The output? Real money lost, and your own priority roadmap for your team. This is the kind of strategic value that gets the community a seat at the table. ### Content and growth engine for customer marketers This one’s underappreciated. Every community discussion, Q&A thread, and member how-to guide is content your marketing team didn’t have to create. But it goes further than cost savings. [Nielsen research](https://www.eneon.group/the-impact-of-ugcs-user-generated-content-on-consumer-trust/) found that 92% of consumers trust user-generated content more than any other form of advertising. Your community is producing the most trusted type of content at scale, for free. Repurpose the best threads into blog posts, case studies, social proof, or knowledge base articles. Turn customer success stories from your community into advocate marketing material. Use community Q&A as the basis for webinar topics or email campaigns. Some community teams produce more indexable, trustworthy content in a month than their content marketing team does in a quarter. For customer marketers specifically, community is a growth channel hiding in plain sight. [Why content is key to building a successful communityWe spoke to Bryony Pearce, Chief Marketing Officer at The Alliance, about how her role helps to support community-led growth in the organization, and how engaged communities can impact traditional marketing strategies.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Customer Marketing AllianceJade Warne![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/jorien-loman-nAZUJFrDlaY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) ## AI tools are the multiplier (and they’re easier to use than you think) So your community is generating SEO value, deflecting tickets, improving retention, and fueling your content engine. But you’re still stuck in the moderation queue and manually pulling reports. This is where AI tools like Claude come in, and not in the vague “AI will change everything” way. In the practical, “this saves me three hours on Tuesday” way. If your community platform has an API (most modern ones do), you can connect it to Claude and automate a surprising amount of the repetitive work that’s eating your day. And if your platform doesn’t have an API, you’re not out of luck. Claude’s Cowork mode can browse and read web pages directly, so you can set up scheduled tasks that visit your community dashboard, pull what it sees, and generate summaries or reports on a recurring basis. No API required. Here’s what that looks like in practice: ### Scheduled community digests Set up a recurring task that pulls your community’s top posts, unanswered questions, and trending topics into a weekly summary. With an API, Claude pulls the data directly. Without one, Claude Cowork can visit your community pages on a schedule, read the content, and compile a digest for you. Either way, you get a summary dropped into your inbox or Slack instead of scrolling through every thread yourself. ### Automated sentiment and escalation flagging Feed your community posts through Claude and have it flag threads that are trending negative, contain churn signals, or need a staff response. You stop playing whack-a-mole and start intervening where it actually matters. ### ROI report generation Pull your community metrics (post volume, resolution rates, active members, top contributors) and hand them to Claude. You get a formatted monthly report with context and trends. The report that used to take you half a day now takes five minutes and a prompt. Set it as a scheduled task and it shows up in your inbox on the first of every month, ready to forward to leadership. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ### Content repurposing at scale Take your best-performing community threads and have Claude turn them into draft blog posts, knowledge base articles, social content, or advocate marketing material. The raw material already exists in your community. AI just packages it faster than any human can. ### Member onboarding sequences Use data on new member activity to trigger personalized welcome messages, suggest relevant threads, or nudge inactive new members. You’re not writing individual messages. You’re setting up a system that runs itself. The point isn’t to automate the community into something sterile. The point is to automate the parts that are sterile already (moderation queues, report formatting, repetitive triage) so you can spend your energy on the parts that are actually human. Creative campaigns. Member relationships. Events people look forward to. The fun. ## Stop surviving. Start having fun again. Community work should be energizing. If it’s not, you’re probably spending too much time on the wrong things. Let AI handle the grind. Let your members build your SEO moat. Let the data tell the ROI story. And spend your energy on the part of community that actually moves the needle: connecting real people and building something they want to come back to. *That’s* the conversation I want to have. If you feel the same way, my colleague, Jacob Harris, Director of Customer Success at Bettermode, is hosting a live session on exactly this on May 7, 2026: **How Community Can Be Fun & Show ROI**. Jacob will walk through these AI tactics live, share real examples from community teams who’ve figured this out, and get into the specifics of API + Claude workflows you can steal. Attend live and you could win a free year of Claude to put these ideas to work in your own community. Because community should be the best part of your job. Let’s make it that way again. [ Reserve your spot ](https://watch.getcontrast.io/register/bettermode-how-community-can-be-fun-show-roi) ### Why putting customers at the heart of your story changes everything URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-putting-customers-at-the-heart-of-your-story-changes-everything/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T16:06:18.000Z This morning, I walked into a Starbucks nearby. I ordered a coffee, and the barista asked for my name, and a few minutes later, my cup arrived with my name scrawled in black marker, followed by: *“Have a nice day :)”* It’s a small thing. I know they probably write that on hundreds of cups every day. But here’s the funny part, it still made me smile. Why? Because it felt personal. It felt like, in that tiny moment, I wasn’t just another customer in a long queue. I was *me*, seen, acknowledged, and valued. That little smile wasn’t just about coffee. It was about connection. ## The big marketing lesson Starbucks understands something that many brands forget: When you put the customer at the center of the story, you create more than a transaction, you create a *relationship*. And this truth is what made Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign one of the most brilliant marketing moves of the last decade. ## The “Share a Coke” story In the early 2010s, Coca-Cola was feeling the impact of a major lifestyle shift. People were becoming more health-conscious, reading labels, and rethinking their daily habits. Sugary sodas — once a cultural staple at parties, picnics, and movie nights — were slowly losing their place on the table. Many were switching to bottled water, fresh juices, or low-calorie drinks. Most brands in this position would have reacted by tweaking the recipe, launching a “healthier” variant, or cutting prices to stay competitive. Coca-Cola didn’t do any of that. Instead, they took a bolder path. They kept the product exactly the same — but radically changed how people experienced it. They **removed their world-famous logo** from the bottle and replaced it with… *your name*. It began in Australia with 250 of the most popular first names. Then they expanded — adding nicknames, song lyrics, inside jokes, and even kiosks where you could print any name you wanted. ## How it works: Turning product into personal connection This move did something magical. It transformed Coke from a commodity into a keepsake. You didn’t just buy one for yourself — you bought one for your sister, your boyfriend, your best friend. And when you found their name, you felt a little spark: *this one’s for them*. That’s where the value came from: - **Emotional value:** It made people feel special and seen. - **Social value:** It gave people something worth sharing — in person and online. - **Cultural value:** It turned Coke into part of everyday celebrations and connections. And because it was the early days of Instagram, every Coke bottle with a name became *content*. A product that once competed on price and taste was now competing on meaning. ## Why it mattered Both Starbucks and Coca-Cola understood this: **people don’t remember what you sold them — they remember how you made them feel**. By making customers the *heroes* of the story, they shifted the relationship from *brand vs. customer* to *brand + customer*. That’s not just good marketing — that’s how loyalty is built. ## The takeaway for any brand If you’re building something today, ask yourself: - Are you selling a product? - Or are you creating a moment that matters? Because in a world overflowing with choices, people don’t just buy *things*. They buy stories. They buy meaning. They buy the feeling of, *this was made for me*. Put your customers at the center of your story, and they’ll put your brand at the center of theirs. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ### The loyalty loop gets a co-pilot: How GPT agents may finally close the customer journey URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-gpt-agents-may-finally-close-the-customer-journey/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T16:07:06.000Z For the last decade, marketers have been chasing something of a holy grail: how to truly measure, influence, and complete the customer journey. We’ve all nodded politely at slides with “Edelman’s Loyalty Loop” — the idea that customers don’t march obediently down a funnel but instead circle in a loop of awareness, consideration, purchase, experience, and (if you’re lucky) loyalty. It’s neat, it’s tidy, and in practice, it has been almost impossible to measure in real time. Until now. Because lurking in the wings is an unlikely hero: the GPT-powered shopping assistant. And with Google, Shopify, and OpenAI all releasing payment flows and product placements inside chat, the thing that once felt like science fiction is now inching toward your checkout basket. ## The loop ![The loop](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/04/1_-UMx2ktqAKZJFao-t5xJ9w.webp) ### Awareness: The shelf talks back In the old world, awareness meant billboards, shelf placement, maybe a Super Bowl ad if you were feeling particularly flush. In the new world, it might start with something as small as a prompt: *“What running shoes are best for high arches?”* That single query replaces the billboard, the shelf, and the search result. Awareness is no longer a one-to-many broadcast but a one-to-one conversation. Control the conversation, and you own awareness. Miss it, and you’re invisible. ### Consideration: The collapse of research In Edelman’s loop, consumers bounce across reviews, friends, and YouTube demos. It’s messy and unpredictable. GPT agents collapse that mess. They can pull in reviews, weigh sustainability scores, and summarize it in seconds: *“You said comfort mattered more than price. These three fit the bill. Want to see alternatives?”* Consideration becomes less scavenger hunt, more curated dialogue — like having a data scientist and personal shopper tucked into a chat window. ### Acquisition: One click becomes no click For years, ecommerce worshipped the one-click checkout. With agent-enabled payments, “click” may vanish entirely. If awareness, research, and recommendation all happen inside the chat, purchase does too. *“Would you like me to order those now? Same size, delivery Tuesday.”* Conversion no longer lives on a page. It lives in dialogue. ### Experience: The follow-up that actually happens Here’s where things get fun. In Edelman’s loop, the post-purchase experience has always been a black box. Maybe you’d get a survey. More often, silence. Agents don’t do silence. They follow up: *“How did the shoes fit? Should I queue up a half-size larger?”* Suddenly, experience isn’t a lagging indicator — it’s a live conversation. For CMOs, this turns scattered reviews into structured signals. And structured signals, finally, are measurable. ### Loyalty: Skipping the line The whole point of Edelman’s loop is that loyalty shortcuts the process. If the experience delights, the customer doesn’t restart at awareness. They just buy again. With agents, that shortcut is engineered. *“Should I reorder your favorite coffee blend?”* *“Want to see what Ralph Lauren dropped this season, since you bought their jacket last fall? You do need some lighter weight trousers to go with that jacket.”* Loyalty is no longer an aspiration. It’s a behavioral loop — remembered, nudged, and reinforced by the agent itself. And if you really nail it, loyalty doesn’t just loop — it advocates. Agents can make posting reviews or sharing recommendations effortless, turning the loop into a flywheel. ## The coming commercial disruption Every neat new consumer model leaves a trail of broken business models. For two decades, **ad tech, social platforms, and retail media** thrived on intercepting customers in the messy middle: search results, paid listings, influencers, targeted ads. That friction was gold. But if GPT agents collapse awareness, consideration, and purchase into one thread, the gold starts to dry up. Why pay for impressions if the agent never shows them? Why fight for shelf placement if the shelf is now a chat window? And what about content itself? Most of the internet isn’t made out of pure altruism — unlike this article (you’re welcome), it’s produced to monetize: ads, subscriptions, calls to action. Blog posts, reviews, recipes, tutorials all survive because someone can make money from the clicks. But if agents summarize that content and answer directly, without passing users through, the incentive to create dries up. Fewer incentives mean less content. And less content doesn’t just starve the web — it starves the very **foundation models** that trained on it. Which raises the next question: ### What will the models learn from? If the open web shrinks, models will need new fuel. That fuel may be **transactional data, agent-to-agent dialogues, and post-purchase interactions.** Instead of learning from how people write, they’ll learn from how people buy and what they tell us about the experience. But who decides how that learning works? Do agents learn just for me, as a personal AI? Do they pool data in the aggregate? Or do they attempt something in-between, anonymizing but still pattern-rich? Each choice carries privacy implications. Learn too personally, and it feels like surveillance. Learn only anonymously, and nuance is lost. Consumers will likely demand more transparency into *what their agent knows, and for whom.* ### Who now owns the loyalty loop? This may be the most strategic question of all: will brands run their own agents, or will loops all sit under the big platforms? Picture three futures: 1. **Brand-owned loops** Brands like Ralph Lauren license GPT tech to power their own branded agents, tuned to their voice, products, and experience. Customers trust “Ralph’s agent” as much as the brand itself. 2. **Platform-owned loops** Loops collapse into centralized super-agents from Google, OpenAI, or Amazon. Brands rent space inside them, like tenants in a digital mall. 3. **Personal agent mediation** A consumer’s own agent negotiates with brand agents. My personal AI knows my quirks and constraints; Ralph’s agent knows inventory and promotions. They interact, filter, and negotiate before presenting me with choices. This third path reshuffles the economics. Consumers gain control, brands gain direct dialogue, and platforms fade into infrastructure. Privacy also looks different: instead of raw transactions feeding platforms, much of the learning could happen in encrypted **agent-to-agent exchanges**. That balance may prove more sustainable than either total centralization or total fragmentation. ## The CMO’s new instrument panel For CMOs, this is the moment you’ve secretly been waiting for. For the first time, you could see — and influence — the entire loyalty loop in one connected flow assuming the commercials make sense for everyone. No more pretending awareness can’t be measured. No more shrugging at the black hole of post-purchase. No more praying loyalty shows up on an NPS chart. With GPT agents, the whole journey becomes instrumented. Of course, you’ll also need to relearn how to play the game. It’s not about pixels, it’s about prompts. Not about shelf space, but agent trust. Not about buying eyeballs, but being the answer when the consumer asks. ## Closing thoughts Edelman’s loop was always a neat diagram on a PowerPoint slide. Useful, but frustratingly intangible. I’ve been a believer in engaging with customers to better understand why they do what they do as posted below, which is a summary of a piece I wrote in August 2023. [](https://medium.com/@john%5Fdubois/zero-party-data-when-customers-hand-you-the-cheat-sheet-and-dare-you-not-to-blow-it-2c1cdd8ace39?source=post%5Fpage-----ded62b60415a---------------------------------------)With agentic AI, we may have more natural way to engage with consumers and the loop might finally come alive. *If you have made it this far, drop a comment if you are interested in hearing my ramblings more on this topic.* The question isn’t whether consumers will adopt it — they already are, and the big platforms are racing to make sure of it. The question is: when the loop closes, will your brand be inside it… or out in the cold? [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ### How to build a high-impact onboarding program from scratch URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-high-impact-onboarding-program/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T14:27:56.000Z Have you ever had a customer sign up for your product, receive the initial welcome gift, and then... do absolutely nothing? It’s a common frustration in the B2B world. We spend so much energy getting them to the point of purchase, only to watch them fall into a post-purchase pit of despair where doubt and overwhelm take over. In fact, change is hard even when it’s good, and without a clear path, your customers might just decide that doing nothing is easier than figuring out your software. In this article, you'll discover how to build an [onboarding program](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-onboarding-framework/) that wins both hearts and minds. We’ll cover how to set measurable goals tied to customer value, how to segment your audience without losing your mind, and the best channels to guide users toward their first "aha!" moment. ## Defining onboarding beyond the checklist [Onboarding](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/10-best-practices-to-nail-for-seamless-customer-onboarding/) isn't just a technical to-do list; it's the process of leading customers on the path to value and bringing them into your community. When we talk about onboarding, we're really trying to accomplish two distinct things: 1. **Product adoption:** These are the nuts and bolts. The user needs to log in, click the right buttons, and set up the features required for basic functionality. 2. **Winning hearts and minds:** We need to make the customer feel great about their decision. They’ve made a big commitment, and we need to validate that they haven't made an expensive mistake. It’s important to remember that you aren't talking to a logo or a company. You're talking to a person (or a small group of people). The more you recognize that you’re a person talking to another person – not a corporate entity – the more your messaging will resonate. ### The Tuckman model and the pit of despair In business school, we often learn the Tuckman model (forming, storming, norming, and performing) regarding team growth. It applies perfectly to onboarding too. Right after purchase, customers are excited. But then they hit the "storming" phase: *What if this doesn't work? What if I look bad in front of my boss?* Onboarding acts as the bridge over this pit. While we might not stop them from feeling a little nervous, we can grab them as fast as possible and move them toward confidence. ## Building a foundation with goals and alignment You can't build a successful program if you don't know what you're aiming for. When picking your onboarding goals, follow two rules: it must be tied to [customer value](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-value-realization-if-you-build-it-they-will-come/), and it must be measurable. A goal shouldn't just be something that's "good for the company." For example, when I was at Fivetran, we found that when a customer connected three data sources, they suddenly saw the power of the tool. It was a *moment* for them. Because we could count it, it became a perfect metric to align the whole organization around. ### Start small with segmentation It's tempting to create 250 different [segments](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/a-guide-to-customer-segmentation-strategies-and-examples/) for every possible use case, but unless you have a massive team, you won't be able to manage that. Start with the big differences. At WordPress VIP, we start with two main groups: - **Technical users:** They care about architecture, security, and the nuts and bolts. - **Content creators:** They don't care how the site works; they just want to publish faster. By starting with just these two, we can speak their specific language without getting overwhelmed by operational complexity. ## Choosing the right channels for your message Every program is different, but you’ll likely use a mix of digital and personal channels. It’s not about using every tool available; it’s about using the right tool for the specific task. ## Email and in-app Email is still the workhorse of customer marketing because it’s the only way to get a specific message to a specific person at a specific time. In-app messaging, on the other hand, is great for quick hits, like signing up for office hours or checking out a new feature. Just don't use in-app messages for deep conceptual learning, and don't distract them from the task they actually logged in to do. ### Person-to-person and scaled channels Don't forget your account teams. They’re a channel too. We’ve had success creating launch kits for CSMs to give to customer champions. This way, the excitement comes from an internal leader rather than a vendor they don't know yet. If you're dealing with smaller accounts (tech-touch), you can scale the personal feel through webinars, office hours, or digital communities. Retargeting ads are also a surprisingly cost-effective way to stay top-of-mind for customers who haven't logged in for a while. ## Operationalizing and measuring success When it comes to the technical side, don't wait for a perfect data setup. If you ask your dev team for every single data point, they’ll tell you they can get to it in four years. Pick the two or three milestones that actually indicate a customer is getting value and focus on those. ### Tracking the right metrics We often dismiss [engagement metrics](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-metrics/) (like email opens) as vanity metrics, but they're useful for understanding which channels your customers actually prefer. However, you eventually need to move toward deep actions. - **Binary milestones:** Did they finish setup? Yes or no? - **Healthy habits:** Are they using the tool in a repeatable pattern? - **Retention and expansion:** While these are the ultimate goals, they can take a long time to show up in the data (especially in multi-year enterprise contracts). In the meantime, just ask: *Can the customer articulate the value they’re getting?* If they can’t, you’ve still got work to do. ### Coordinating with other teams If you have instructional designers or support teams, you can’t have two different processes. You have to agree on the goal and the order of operations. Marketing can handle the scaled work – like getting people to take a course – so that the customer success team can focus on the interpersonal relationships that a computer can't build. Onboarding isn't magic, but when you build a clear, guided path, it certainly feels like it for your customers. Instead of sending a welcome package and hoping for the best, show them exactly how to win. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Lauren at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, Boston 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-boston-2024/?wchannelid=xmqgjffch9&wmediaid=d8hrf6axc4)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*.* ### Why most customer research fails to change strategy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-most-customer-research-fails-to-change-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T18:10:13.000Z Most companies today invest in [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/), and not on a small scale. According to [ESOMAR](https://esomar.org/publications/report-1), the global insights and market research industry now exceeds $140 billion in annual revenue, with tens of billions spent each year specifically on market and consumer research. Studying customers has become a mainstream, well-funded practice rather than a niche capability. I’ve worked across very different organisational contexts: early-stage startups, scaling companies, and large corporations. Unsurprisingly, the way research is done varies widely. In some teams, it’s handled by a single generalist. In others, companies rely on external agencies or build dedicated in-house research units. The approach usually reflects [budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-budget-and-where-its-being-spent/), maturity, and internal structure. On the surface, everything looks right. And yet, this is where a quiet contradiction begins to emerge. Despite significant investments in understanding customers, many strategic initiatives never make it very far. Strategy changes are often filtered out early. Sometimes there isn’t enough evidence to defend them convincingly. Sometimes the timing feels wrong. And often, managers are simply reluctant to take on the risk of changing direction – even when the data points in that direction. What makes this particularly challenging is that the breakdown rarely happens at the execution stage. It happens much earlier, before a strategic shift is ever fully committed to. When I talk about strategic decisions, I don’t mean incremental optimisations or campaign-level tweaks. I’m referring to choices that fundamentally shape how a company shows up in the market: redefining the [ideal customer profile](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ideal-customer-profile-template-framework/), changing the primary [go-to-market](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-go-to-market-strategies/) motion, rethinking the core value narrative, or deciding which growth levers the business will deliberately stop prioritising. These are exactly the decisions teams hope customer research will support. In practice, however, research more often informs activity than direction. It produces knowledge, context, and validation, but not commitment. From the outside, it appears that research is happening and strategy is being discussed. From the inside, the link between the two is fragile and often breaks long before any meaningful change reaches the market. ## Where research breaks in real teams When customer research fails to influence strategy, it rarely breaks in one dramatic moment. More often, it erodes quietly across a few predictable fault lines – ones I’ve seen repeat themselves across companies of very different sizes and levels of [maturity](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-pmm-maturity-blueprint-frameworks-for-building-teams-that-drive-business-impact-copy/). None of these reasons is surprising. Most PMMs will recognise them immediately, and we’ve all seen these dynamics play out, often more than once. ### 1\. Teams measure what’s easy, not what’s decision-relevant Most research systems are built around methods that are familiar, defensible, and easy to operationalise: [surveys](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/claim-your-free-event-ticket-survey/), [interviews](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/win-loss-interview-questions-template-framework/), usability tests, [A/B experiments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-b-testing-your-ticket-to-defining-high-intent-customers-for-funnel-acceleration/). These approaches are valuable, but they tend to privilege what customers can articulate over what actually drives decisions. As a result, teams become very good at explaining attitudes and preferences – and far less confident when it comes to predicting behaviour under real-world conditions, where risk, [emotion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/), and trade-offs matter. Over time, this creates a subtle [bias](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/economic-uncertainty-and-getting-customer-marketing-to-thrive-an-anti-fragile-approach-video/): insights feel informative, but not strong enough to justify strategic change. ### 2\. No one truly owns synthesis In many organisations, research exists, but synthesis doesn’t. Findings live in decks, documents, and dashboards, often owned by different functions. Product, marketing, and research teams each interpret insights through their own lenses, but no one is explicitly responsible for translating them into strategic implications. In one of my previous roles, multiple high-quality studies pointed to the same underlying customer tension. Product teams saw it. Marketing saw it. Research documented it thoroughly. What was missing wasn’t evidence – it was ownership. No one felt responsible for turning that shared understanding into a clear strategic recommendation. The insight stayed visible, but inactive. ### 3\. Speed outpaces research cycles Another common friction point is timing. [Product launches](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/product-launch-checklist-framework/), [competitive pressure](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-competitive-strategy-for-each-stage-in-the-business-lifecycle/), and [revenue targets](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/) rarely wait for research to reach perfect clarity. When decisions need to be made quickly, research often arrives either too late or too fragmented to be persuasive. I’ve seen teams acknowledge that an insight was “probably right”, while still moving forward without it, simply because the moment to act had already passed. The issue wasn’t disbelief. It was a [misalignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-solution-to-sales-and-marketing-misalignment/) between research cadence and decision timelines. This doesn’t mean speed kills research. It means slow, sequential research models struggle to survive in fast-moving environments – especially when insights are not framed in a way that supports timely decisions. ### 4\. Strategic risk feels higher than evidence Finally, even when insights are strong, changing strategy feels risky. Shifting an ICP, altering a go-to-market motion, or reframing the core [narrative](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/) carries visible consequences. Without a clear way to connect research findings to these high-stakes choices, managers tend to default to caution. In another case I worked on, the data clearly suggested that the current target segment was no longer the strongest growth opportunity. The insight was acknowledged and then quietly set aside. The perceived risk of changing direction outweighed the confidence teams had in defending the recommendation. This is rarely about intent. More often, it’s about how the system is set up. And it’s why simply “doing more research” rarely fixes the problem. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Why more research doesn’t fix the problem When we look at the challenge from a distance, it’s easy to land on what feels like the natural solution: *just do more research*. If customer research doesn’t move strategy, then the instinct is to ask for more interviews, longer surveys, bigger samples, more tools, bigger budgets, or a dedicated team. I’ve heard that sentence in boardrooms and brainstorms alike. And yet, almost paradoxically, this rarely solves the real problem. It’s not that more research is a bad thing. It’s that without a clear mechanism for turning research into *direction*, all those additional studies just produce more insights that never quite change what a team actually does. I’ve been in situations where expanding the research function felt like progress: we had more data, more reports, and even more visibility on [customer behaviour](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-influences-customer-behavior/). But when it came time to make strategic decisions – should we pivot our positioning? Shift our core segment? Change our go-to-market motion? The conversation rarely gravitated toward the research findings. Instead, it skidded into debates about risk appetite, timing, or [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/c-suite-elevating-customer-marketings-voice-in-leadership/) preference. What’s missing isn’t the quantity of insight. What’s missing is the orientation of the process. Most research systems are simply optimised to answer: what happened? or why might this be happening? And these are valuable questions. But strategy demands a different kind of input: what should we actually change because of this? And are we confident enough in that insight to put a strategic bet on it? When that distinction isn’t clear, research becomes upstream noise rather than a strategic lever. You can generate more and more insights and still end up with the same strategic inertia because none of them were framed in a way that helps a leader say yes instead of let’s wait and see. So the real barrier isn’t a lack of ideas. It’s a lack of structure around how insights are translated into choices. And that distinction between interesting versus decision-relevant insights is where the next shift must happen. ## What changes when PMMs approach research differently At first glance, it might seem that the answer to research not impacting strategy is simply “do better research.” But if that were true, we would see almost every company that invests in studies making clearer strategic decisions. And we don’t. Most customer research doesn’t fail because it is inaccurate. It fails because it is not decision-ready. It tells us what happened, sometimes even why people *say* they behave a certain way, but it rarely tells us what should change because of it. In strategic literature, there has long been a distinction between: - Descriptive insight - Decision-support insight And most customer research still lives firmly in the first category. Descriptive insight helps us understand what users notice, what they complain about, or what they prefer. It helps explain attitudes and perceptions. But it does not automatically answer the harder and riskier question: “Should we adjust our strategy because of this?” Put simply, research often produces accurate findings. What it rarely produces is decision clarity. This gap exists not because research methods are inherently flawed, but because many research systems are optimised for explainability – producing clean, internally coherent stories – rather than for predictive validity: the ability to reliably forecast what customers will actually do next. It is tempting to assume that more advanced approaches, such as neuromarketing or consumer neuroscience, will solve this problem. These methods aim to capture subconscious and emotional responses that traditional surveys and interviews often miss, and in many cases, they do offer a deeper view into pre-conscious drivers of behaviour. A [2024 study](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11042-024-19742-3) published by Springer showed that EEG-based neuromarketing data, when combined with machine-learning models, could effectively predict unconscious buying behaviour, outperforming some traditional approaches in identifying preference patterns. Likewise, [an overview](https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/marketing/neuromarketing-predicting-consumer-behavior-to-drive-purchasing-decisions/) from Harvard Professional Education describes neuromarketing as a discipline designed to forecast consumer decisions by analysing physiological and cognitive responses, not just stated opinions. [A recent review](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroergonomics/articles/10.3389/fnrgo.2025.1542847/full) in Frontiers in Neuroergonomics also documents the growing use of neuroscience techniques across the [consumer decision journey](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-template-framework/), linking emotional and cognitive signals to stages of choice. These findings are important, but they don’t change the core challenge. Even the most sophisticated behavioural methods won’t move the strategy on their own. They can surface signals that were previously invisible, but unless those signals are explicitly tied to real business choices. Who to target, how to position, and where to invest remain interesting descriptions rather than strategic guidance. What truly changes when PMMs approach research differently is not the volume of insight, but the discipline applied to synthesis and framing. This shift requires PMMs to operate less as *insight curators* and more as *decision architects*. It also requires acknowledging a difficult truth: not every validated insight deserves to shape strategy. These aren’t theoretical questions; they usually come up when teams are already under pressure to decide. - Does this insight reduce uncertainty around a high-stakes decision? - Does it predict behaviour that materially affects the business? - If we act on it, what becomes harder to reverse? This move, from curiosity to consequence, is subtle but critical. It marks the difference between research that lives in decks and research that genuinely reshapes direction. Behavioral and decision science helps here not because it replaces traditional research, but because it forces a higher bar. It pushes teams to look beyond explanation and toward prediction, beyond narratives that sound right, and toward signals that reliably forecast real decisions. When research is framed this way, it becomes more than information. It becomes a strategic signal: one that leaders can weigh, challenge, and ultimately act on with confidence. [![ Plan, launch and run a high-impact customer advisory board with Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) ## When research exists, but the strategy doesn’t move ### Scenario 1: Research happens. Strategy stays the same. This is the most common, and often the most frustrating, scenario. The company invests in customer research. Interviews are conducted. Surveys are launched. Usability tests and experiments are run. In some cases, a researcher is hired, or an external agency is brought in. On paper, the organisation is “doing research right.” And yet, when strategic conversations happen about [positioning](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/diversity-and-the-customer-marketing-position/), go-to-market motion, or which [segment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) to prioritise, research rarely plays a decisive role. **What this looks like in practice:** - Insights arrive fragmented, often tied to specific initiatives or teams - Findings describe attitudes, preferences, and reactions - Different studies point in slightly different directions - No clear ranking exists between “interesting” and “strategically consequential” insights PMMs are left synthesising slides rather than shaping decisions. Research becomes something to reference rather than something to act on. Why doesn’t it move? - Insights explain what customers say or feel - They are not tested for their ability to predict real behaviour - They are not explicitly connected to irreversible choices As a result, research feels informative but non-binding. It supports execution [messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-thatll-improve-your-messaging/) tweaks, [UX](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/ux-and-marketing-an-edtech-power-couple/) adjustments, campaign ideas but stops short of influencing strategy. ### Scenario 2: Research becomes a strategic input In the second scenario, the amount of research conducted may be similar but the role it plays is fundamentally different. Here, PMMs take ownership not just of insight delivery, but of synthesis and decision framing. Instead of treating all validated findings as equal, PMMs introduce discipline: - Insights are ranked, not just summarized - Each insight is evaluated against its strategic consequences - Research outputs are framed around decisions the business must make The key shift is simple but powerful: research is no longer presented as “what we learned,” but as “what this allows us to decide with more confidence.” ### Scenario comparison ![Dimension Scenario 1: Research without synthesis Scenario 2: Research with decision framing Role of PMM Insight curator Decision architect Insight ranking None Based on decision relevance Validation focus Descriptive Predictive & strategic Strategy linkage Implicit Explicit Metrics emphasized "Traffic, trials, MQLs" "GTM strategy, retention, sales confidence" Outcome Insights presented Strategy adjusted Scenario comparison](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/funding-meta--1-.jpg) ## From insight accumulation to decision lenses Once the contrast between these two scenarios becomes visible, the next question is inevitable: how do senior PMMs consistently tell the difference? In practice, this is where many teams get stuck. They sense that some insights feel more “strategic” than others, but lack a shared way to articulate why. As a result, decisions default to intuition, hierarchy, or timing rather than disciplined synthesis. What changes in teams where research does influence strategy is not a new method of data collection, but the introduction of decision-oriented lenses – explicit criteria that insights must pass before they are allowed to inform high-stakes choices. ### Insight validation framework for PMMs ![Decision lens Key question What marketers look for Predictability of behavior Does this insight reflect a stable behavioral pattern or a situational reaction? "Consistency across contexts; behavioral or neuro signals that correlate with real actions" Impact on irreversible choices "If we act on this insight, what becomes hard to reverse?" "Changes to ICP, core narrative, GTM motion, or roadmap priorities" Business impact horizon Where would impact realistically show up? "Strategic (GTM strategy, sales confidence, retention) vs. Tactical (win rate, SQLs) vs. Surface-level (traffic, trials)" Product lifecycle relevance At which stage is this insight valid? "Early PMF, scale, expansion, or maturity and whether it generalizes beyond the current phase" Insight validation framework for marketers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/funding-meta.jpg) What they provide is something far more valuable: discipline. They make synthesis explicit rather than implicit. They replace intuition with shared language. And they allow PMMs to move from presenting findings to framing choices: from explaining customers to helping the business commit. This is the moment where customer research stops being a collection of observations and becomes a strategic input. Not because it is exhaustive, but because it is selective. ## Conclusion Across companies of all sizes, the same pattern repeats: research generates understanding, but decisions still default to caution, precedent, or timing. The gap isn’t in data quality; it’s in how insights are translated into choices the business is willing to commit to. This is where the role of the PMM becomes decisive. Not as someone who produces or presents insights, but as someone who takes responsibility for synthesis, prioritisation, and framing. Someone who is willing to say: this matters strategically, and this doesn’t, at least not now. Not every validated insight deserves to shape strategy. But the ones that do require clarity, courage, and structure to be acted on. And that shift is less about better research and more about better ownership. For an industry that invests billions in understanding customers, the real challenge is no longer learning more but deciding what to do with what we already know. ### Lifecycle-driven advocacy template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lifecycle-driven-advocacy-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:14:45.000Z ## What is a lifecycle-driven advocacy template? A lifecycle-driven advocacy template is a strategic framework that helps you generate customer advocacy – such as reviews, referrals, case studies, and references – by aligning your asks with the right moments in the customer journey. Instead of requesting advocacy randomly, this approach ensures you engage customers when they’ve already experienced value and are most likely to say yes. ## What’s inside the template? This template provides a complete system for building and scaling lifecycle-driven advocacy programs. - Advocacy give-get model - Lifecycle mapping framework - Advocacy readiness triggers - Value moment design - Advocacy activation flows - Effort-based advocacy model - Advocate pipeline tracker - Advocacy reuse strategy - Quick wins and long-term roadmap - Metrics and reporting framework - 30–60–90 day action plan ## How to use the template Start by defining your value exchange so advocacy feels mutually beneficial. Next, map your customer lifecycle stages and identify where advocacy naturally fits, then layer in signals that indicate readiness. Build simple activation flows for one advocacy motion (e.g. reviews) using clear triggers, channels, and timing. Keep the first version focused before expanding. Track potential advocates in a pipeline, follow up consistently, and reuse advocacy content across your lifecycle campaigns. Finally, measure performance using a small set of key metrics and refine your approach over time as you scale the program. ## Download your lifecycle-driven advocacy template ![Lifecycle-driven advocacy template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/Lifecycle-driven-advocacy-template.png) [Lifecycle-driven advocacy templateLifecycle-driven advocacy template.pdf186 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/03/Lifecycle-driven-advocacy-template.pdf "Download") [Lifecycle-driven advocacy templateLifecycle-driven advocacy template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/03/Lifecycle-driven-advocacy-template.docx "Download") [Lifecycle-driven advocacy templateLifecycle-driven advocacy template Turn customer value moments into predictable advocacy outcomes. This template helps customer marketing, lifecycle, customer success, and advocacy teams build a repeatable system for generating reviews, referrals, case studies, references, and speaking opportuni…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-9.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJDjPXnO17zLsm0z260feFb5SmR1u45OLeRs2K6aP3SC9VR36X15PLSc4hP2VcBu4ah0SD5engLIAx2_xQw0uDRLFVl-nVs9ab8SNDbVGvh-vop1Tiu-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bmHNe8ziiamaokw9ZXE3JdEIZFcNT6FfaSxPsSKNTE/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer Marketing Summit New York 2026 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2026/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T01:32:09.000Z Catch up on all of the sessions from Customer Marketing Summit New York 2026, including sessions from Cisco, Workday, OpenText and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Grammarly uses lifecycle marketing to fuel sustainable growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/grammarly-uses-lifecycle-marketing-sustainable-growth/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T13:16:21.000Z Do you ever feel like you're constantly begging your customers for a "favor" – a review, a referral, or a case study – without feeling like you’ve earned it? It’s a common struggle in the advocacy world where budgets are tight and the "asks" feel heavy. But what if your marketing engine did the heavy lifting for you? In this article, I'm going to show you how [lifecycle marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-incorporate-memory-into-your-customer-lifecycle/) isn't just about sending emails; it's about increasing the perceived value of your product so advocacy becomes a natural byproduct of the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/). We’ll dive into the "give-get" equation, explore how a company like Grammarly structures its massive lifecycle motion, and look at how you can automate "advocacy loops" that drive growth at scale. ## Balancing the give-get equation At its simplest level, business is a basic exchange: customers pay us money, and we give them a product or service. Deal done, right? Not exactly. As marketers and advocacy professionals, we’re asking for a lot more than just that initial check. We want sales references, referrals, G2 reviews, and polished case studies. To get those high-value "gets," we have to be willing to "give." Often, we turn to external incentives like product freebies, cash rewards, or the classic $25 Amazon gift card. These work, but they're expensive and labor-intensive. The real secret is increasing the **perceived value** of your product through lifecycle marketing. When your product feels more valuable because of how you communicate with the user, those advocacy milestones start to happen more naturally and at a much lower cost to you. ## What lifecycle marketing actually looks like You’ll probably hear five different definitions of lifecycle marketing depending on who you ask. At its core, it’s the function responsible for nurturing and guiding customers through every single stage of their journey. We do this by delivering the right messages at the right time to drive growth and retention at scale. ### More than just an inbox While email is a massive channel, a true lifecycle motion uses every tool in the shed: - **In-product marketing:** Reaching users while they're actually using the tool (we use a tool called Iterable). - **Paid retargeting:** Partnering with growth teams to stay top-of-mind across the web. - **Engaging content:** Using videos and case studies to push users toward the "next best action." [How lifecycle marketing transformed customer engagement and advocacy at IvantiIn this article, I’ll walk you through how adopting a lifecycle marketing model at Ivanti has transformed our approach to customer advocacy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-428.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLouise Wadsworth![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/How-lifecycle-marketing-transformed-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-at-Ivanti-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-lifecycle-marketing-transformed-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-at-ivanti/) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer Marketing Certified: Core URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-marketing-certified-core/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:34:12.000Z _No content available._ ### Customer Referrals Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-referrals-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:33:06.000Z _No content available._ ### Customer Research Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-research-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:30:36.000Z _No content available._ ### Storytelling Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/storytelling-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:29:00.000Z _No content available._ ### Customer Advocacy Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-advocacy-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:26:50.000Z _No content available._ ### Strategic Narrative Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/strategic-narrative-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:16:58.000Z _No content available._ ### Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:15:10.000Z _No content available._ ### Persona Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/persona-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:13:37.000Z _No content available._ ### Consumer Psychology Certified: Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/consumer-psychology-certified-masters/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:06:54.000Z _No content available._ ### Customer Advocacy Strategic Frameworks: Micro course URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning/on-demand/customer-advocacy-strategic-frameworks-micro-course/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T14:59:08.000Z _No content available._ ### TV commercials with 10/10 brand storytelling URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T12:54:34.000Z [Brand storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons). For [customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), brand storytelling is how you turn existing customers (or users) into emotionally connected advocates who stay longer, engage more deeply, and spend more over time. When campaigns are memorable for the right reasons, they reinforce your brand values and strengthen loyalty with both existing and potential customers. None of this driving one-off engagement malarkey. It’s important these storytelling advertisements are relatable and elicit an [emotional reaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) from the audience. They should also ensure that they accurately reflect your [brand values](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-master-guide-to-brand-storytelling/). You'll be right on track to connect with the right audience and inspire brand loyalty with your existing and potential customers. In this article, we break down five iconic commercials and extract practical storytelling plays customer marketers can apply to advocacy, lifecycle campaigns, and customer storytelling programs. We picked campaigns that had a narrative, memorable sets, characters, or slogans. We also chose campaigns that made a mark on the history of that brand. In no particular order, here are our top five picks for memorable brand storytelling in marketing – and the lessons behind them. ## 1\. John Lewis' Christmas commercials John Lewis, a UK department store for home goods and clothing, has made its name on the small screen with its infamous Christmas commercials. These commercials are most well-known for their distinctive style of storytelling. With little-to-no dialogue, each ad follows a simple but effective formula: a heartwarming story built around a central Christmas theme. Every year, John Lewis drums up widespread anticipation for their upcoming Christmas commercial – a feat largely due to their signature use of reimagined song covers, where well-known tracks are stripped back and reinterpreted to underscore the emotion of each narrative. Their 2013 commercial, “The Bear and the Hare,”features a fully animated 2D-style video reminiscent of the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s. It featured the story of a bear who always misses decorating the Christmas tree because it’s hibernating. This year, its friend, the hare, buys an alarm clock so the bear can wake up in time and see the decorated Christmas tree for the first time. With Lily Allen’s cover of the song “Somewhere Only We Know” playing in the background, this ad is designed to get you invested in the characters and have an emotional reaction to the story being told. It ends with the slogan “Give someone a Christmas they’ll never forget”. Another great example is their 2018 commercial, *“The Boy and the Piano,”* which begins with Elton John with his back to the camera, playing the piano. The video follows the life of Elton John backwards, through his famous concerts and looks. Elton John gets younger and younger, ending with him as a little boy coming down the stairs on Christmas to find his mother has gifted him a piano. The video ends with the young Elton John playing two notes of a chord, then finished by the older Elton John. The slogan for this ad is “Some gifts are more than just a gift.” These ads are created for the sole purpose of pulling on viewers' heartstrings using exclusively visual storytelling with no dialogue. This means that viewers are engaged in figuring out the story and following its threads to see the final outcome. John Lewis has built up a following around these ads and, in turn, around their brand. Storytelling advertising creates an emotional connection with the brand. ### Why it works - The ads lean heavily into emotional, visual storytelling rather than product features, making them memorable. - They create annual anticipation, turning the campaign into an event audiences look forward to. - The consistent style and music choices create a recognizable storytelling identity for the brand. ### Storytelling principle Emotional resonance through simple visual narratives. When audiences become invested in a story, they begin to associate those emotions with the brand itself. ### Steal this for customer marketing - Create an **annual customer story moment** (e.g., a yearly customer awards campaign or flagship video story tied to your biggest industry event). - Experiment with **minimal product messaging** in your most emotional stories – let the customer narrative carry the message. - Reuse **recurring storytelling elements** (music, visuals, themes) across customer campaigns to build brand recognition. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Insider-5.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## 2\. Old Spice: Terry Crews and Isaiah Mustafa Old Spice is a company with a very strong run of campaigns that are fast paced and often rely on absurdist humor. This first began with the 2010 ad featuring Isaiah Mustafa. The aim of this campaign was to appeal to a younger audience and shake off the ‘grandpa’ reputation. Isaiah starts by saying: “Hello, ladies. Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back to your man. Now back at me. Sadly, he isn’t me.” This is a humorous opening that quickly achieved meme status and is still quoted often. The main drive for the ad was to motivate women to buy Old Spice for the men in their life to make them appear more like the man in the video. The ad ends with the line: “Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady.” What’s important to note is that this ad was first released on the internet, where its target audience was most likely to find it. This shift helped develop a distinct brand personality that matched the humor and absurdity popular in internet culture. Later ads featuring Terry Crews amplified this approach. Unlike Mustafa’s suave delivery, Crews’ character was loud and boisterous. With quick cuts, continuous shouting, and random events happening out of nowhere, the ads mirrored the chaotic humor of internet videos. Eventually, the brand created a narrative where Mustafa and Crews competed against each other, representing different scents. ### Why it works - The campaign uses distinctive humor and tone to make the ads immediately recognizable. - It was platform-native, leaning into the style of content popular on the internet. - Recurring characters created a narrative universe audiences could follow. ### Storytelling principle Tone as differentiation was the main winner here. Old Spice didn’t just change its messaging – its entire personality was given a re-fresh. ### Steal this for your customer marketing strategy - Encourage advocates to create content in formats native to their preferred platforms (LinkedIn posts, TikTok videos, podcasts). - Use humor and personality in customer stories to stand out from traditional case studies. - Build recurring narratives around recognizable customers or advocates who appear across multiple campaigns. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## ## 3\. M&M’s: The Red and Yellow M&M’s M&M’s brand storytelling uses memorable characters to create a multitude of advertisements. Many commercials feature these characters in everyday situations such as office meetings, boardrooms, or awkward social moments. Unlike the previous examples, this storytelling style doesn’t focus on serious themes. Instead, it portrays the brand as casual, fun, and quirky. The characters are distinct in color and personality, and each represents a different flavor of M&M’s. Since their introduction, the roster of characters has grown and allowed the brand to create countless new scenarios and stories. ### Why it works - Characters create a consistent visual link to the brand. - Each mascot has a distinct personality, allowing for endless storytelling scenarios. - The brand builds a recognizable storytelling world. ### Storytelling principle M&Ms commercials are all about character-driven brand storytelling. Their recurring characters make a brand easier to remember and easier to build stories around. ### Steal this for customer marketing - Define three or four customer archetypes (e.g., the innovator, the efficiency-seeker, the power user). - Revisit these archetypes across case studies, webinars, and events. - Let customers recognize themselves in these “characters,” making your storytelling more relatable. ## 4\. Nike's “Find your Greatness” Nike is a familiar name in the sportswear industry and their slogan goes hand in hand with their logo as immediately familiar and identifiable. The slogan “Just do it” was created in 1989 by Wieden and Kennedy to accompany Nike’s first major television campaign. Nike later expanded on this idea with the “Find Your Greatness” campaign. The ad opens quietly with only the sound of cicadas. You see a rural landscape with a purple and pink sunrise. From the horizon, an overweight runner is seen jogging slowly toward the camera. Then the voiceover begins: > “Greatness is just something we made up… greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We’re all capable of it.” The ad presents an everyday runner instead of a professional athlete, shifting the definition of greatness. ### Why it works - It reframes the hero from elite athletes to everyday people. - The slow, uninterrupted storytelling creates authenticity and emotional impact. - It aligns perfectly with Nike’s core value of personal achievement. ### Storytelling principle Make the customer the hero. By highlighting ordinary athletes, Nike made greatness feel accessible to everyone. ### Steal this for customer marketing - Feature everyday customers, not just power users or big-name brands. - Focus your storytelling on personal transformation and progress, not just results. - Let the product play the supporting role, while the customer remains the hero. ****Side note:** Looking for ways to improve your storytelling skills in customer marketing? This eBook focuses on ****six** areas that’ll help you and your team tell more compelling stories that’ll resonate with your audience: Download the playbook ## 5\. Always' “Like a Girl” Always is a company that produces period products alongside other hygiene products for women. Their slogan reads: “We Care About All Women and Girls: We're on a mission to unleash girls' & women's confidence.” Their 2014 campaign ran with the slogan **“Like a Girl.”** The ad shows young adults acting out instructions like “run like a girl” or “fight like a girl,” exaggerating weak or clumsy movements. The same instructions are then given to young girls, who perform them normally and confidently. The commercial asks the question: > “When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become an insult?” The campaign sparked widespread discussion online and won an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial. Always also launched the #LikeAGirl hashtag, encouraging women to share their experiences. ### Why it works - It addresses a real cultural issue, making the campaign feel meaningful. - It aligns closely with the brand’s core mission of empowering girls. - It encourages community participation through social media. ### Steal this for customer marketing - Identify a limiting belief or misconception your customers face. - Design a campaign that reframes that belief through customer stories. - Invite customers to share their experiences through community storytelling or social campaigns. ## Storytelling patterns across the campaigns | Brand / campaign | Storytelling move | Core value expressed | How a customer marketer can apply it | | John Lewis Christmas ads | Emotional, visual storytelling tied to a seasonal moment | Thoughtful gifting and meaningful connections | Create an annual customer storytelling campaign tied to a key moment like a conference, awards program, or renewal season | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Old Spice (Mustafa & Crews) | Absurd humor and distinctive personality with recurring characters | Confidence, youthfulness, and bold brand voice | Encourage advocates to create personality-driven content in formats native to their preferred channels | | | | | | | M&M’s mascots | Character-driven storytelling universe | Fun, playfulness, and entertainment | Define a few customer archetypes and revisit them across case studies, webinars, and campaigns | | | | | | | Nike “Find Your Greatness” | Everyday hero narrative highlighting ordinary athletes | Greatness is accessible to everyone | Spotlight realistic customer journeys and transformation stories rather than only ideal success cases | | | | | | | Always “Like a Girl” | Purpose-driven campaign reframing a negative phrase | Empowerment and confidence for girls and women | Build campaigns that challenge a misconception your customers face and let them share their stories | | | | | | ## Conclusion These campaigns show that memorable brand storytelling doesn’t follow a single formula. Instead, the most effective stories tend to share a few common principles: - Emotional resonance - The customer as the hero - Alignment with brand values - Distinctive storytelling styles For customer marketers, the goal isn’t just to promote products, but to create stories that customers want to participate in, share, and remember. ### Quick storytelling checklist for customer marketers Try this simple audit for your next campaign: - Does the **customer play the hero**, or does the product? - Is the story **emotionally engaging**, not just informative? - Does the story reinforce **your brand’s core values**? - Could the story become a **repeatable campaign or narrative theme**? If the answer to most of these questions is yes, you’re likely on the right track to creating storytelling that resonates long after the campaign ends. [![Craft narratives that actually move your customers with Storytelling Certified: Masters program](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_--3-.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) *Want to put this into practice?* [*Get certified in strategic storytelling*](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) *and walk away with frameworks you can use straight away.* [ Enroll today ](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/storytelling-certified-masters-3) ### How to get stakeholder buy-in for your customer advisory board URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/guarantee-stakeholder-buy-in-for-your-customer-advisory-board-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T11:42:58.000Z [Customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) (CABs) sit at the intersection of [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) and [product marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/) – and done well, they're one of the most powerful tools you have. They give your customers a genuine [seat at the table](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-get-customer-marketing-a-seat-at-the-leadership-table-video/), and in return, you get the kind of honest, unfiltered [feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) that no survey can replicate. But getting your organization to invest in a CAB is a different challenge altogether. Many companies still default to prioritizing new customer acquisition over deepening relationships with the ones they already have. So before you can build a great CAB, you often need to build the case for one. Here's a practical guide – drawn from our [Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) – on how to secure stakeholder buy-in and set your CAB program up for success from day one. ## It starts with the "why" Before you approach a single stakeholder, get clear on your own motivations. Why do you want to create a CAB in the first place? The answer will shape everything that follows – your stakeholders, your strategy, and your success metrics. Ask yourself: - Are you repositioning your product or company strategy and need customer validation before making that leap? - Are you doubling down on [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) and want to build a stronger network of [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-strategy-template-framework/)? - Have previous product launches missed the mark, and do you need a better feedback loop between customers and your team? There's no wrong answer, but there is a wrong approach, and that's skipping this step. Your WHY becomes your north star when decisions get hard and competing opinions threaten to pull the program in different directions. [![ Plan, launch and run a high-impact customer advisory board with Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/CMA_Education_In-Article_Banner_.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) ## Define your key stakeholders Once you're clear on your purpose, the next step is identifying who needs to be in the room. Your stakeholders should map directly to your **WHY**. Repositioning your [product strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-dexterity-tools-for-success-in-single-product-vs-multi-product-environments/)? You'll want your most senior product and product marketing leaders involved. Focused on improving retention? Look to senior leaders in customer experience, customer success, and customer marketing. Regardless of your focus area, we recommend using **the DACI model** to assign clear roles and responsibilities. It sounds simple, but it's the difference between a program that moves fast and one that stalls. ### The DACI model In case you didn't know, the DACI stands for: - **D - Driver:** The person managing the project day-to-day and keeping it on track - **A - Approver:** One senior, influential decision-maker who can give final sign-off without needing to escalate - **C - Contributors:** A small group providing content, customer relationships, speakers, or subject matter expertise - **I - Informed:** A broader group who are kept in the loop but not involved in decisions The most important rule? Keep your "Approver" to one person (too many cooks, and all that). ### A quick story on why this matters I learned this the hard way. I was the "Driver" on a CAB project a few years back, and as we approached the final month before our event, we made the mistake of assigning two senior leaders as co-Approvers. What followed was a pretty excruciating cycle: we'd present our strategy to one leader, incorporate their feedback, then share it with the second, only to find they had *completely* opposite views. (Talk about a nightmare situation.) We kept seesawing between their competing opinions, diluting the program a little more with each pass. Both leaders ended up frustrated, feeling unheard despite the constant revisions. Our [Chief Customer Officer](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/chief-customer-officer/) (CCO) stepped in and made the call: one Approver, immediately. It changed everything. Decisions got made, momentum returned, and we stopped second-guessing ourselves at every turn. If other senior leaders want to be involved, that's great, but your Approver's job is to keep everyone in their lane. In our experience, the Approver role has been held by COOs, CCOs, Heads of Product, and Heads of Product Marketing, depending on the organization and the CAB's objectives. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Bring stakeholders in early (and keep them there) ### When to involve stakeholders Don't wait until you have a polished proposal to share. On the one hand, that could take much longer than you'd like; on the other, it's antithetical to the collaborative spirit you should be cultivating. Instead, bring key stakeholders into the strategy-building phase from the very beginning. I've found that people support what they help create, so if they see a finished plan with no fingerprints on it, you're kind of starting an uphill battle before you've even begun. ### How to keep them engaged Once you've kicked off, you need a [communications](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) and cadence plan that keeps every DACI member appropriately informed without overwhelming them. Think carefully about each channel and its purpose: Slack or team chat: Best for urgent, time-sensitive updates only. If everything is urgent, nothing is. - **Weekly email digest:** Keep this at the right altitude for your audience — leadership doesn't need every detail, but they do need to know where things stand. - **Monthly executive check-ins:** Define the agenda in advance. What decisions do you need from them? What's blocking progress? Get on their calendars early and set expectations with their EA. - **Central team workspace (e.g., Dropbox or Notion):** Create clear folder structures so there's always a single source of truth for content and collaboration. One final thing that's easy to overlook: map out your core team's PTO and holiday schedule at the start of the project. Single points of failure are real, especially in smaller organizations. Encourage every DACI member to have a backup, and schedule key approval milestones well before anyone goes offline. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Build your CAB strategy and business case With your stakeholders aligned, you're ready to put the strategy on paper. A strong CAB strategy has four building blocks: ### Step 1: Your vision What do you want to achieve? What should customers feel when they walk away from a CAB experience? What's in it for them, not just for you? A compelling vision is customer-first. If it reads like an internal business objective, rewrite it. ### Step 2: Your mission Get specific about the experience you want CAB members to have, and the actions you want them to take – both during the program and after. Your mission bridges the gap between aspirational vision and day-to-day execution. ### Step 3: Your values Which values will guide your decisions when things get difficult? Empathy? Transparency? Courage to share hard truths? Anchoring your CAB to a defined set of values keeps the program honest – plus it gives you something to come back to when competing priorities create noise. Win-win, right? ### Step 4: Success criteria Define what success looks like before you start, not after. Be specific: - What outcomes matter most to your customers? - What does success look like for your business? - How will you measure it, and who owns that measurement? If you can't answer these questions clearly at the outset, you'll struggle to demonstrate value later, which makes it harder to sustain stakeholder support over time. ## Putting it all together Getting stakeholder buy-in isn't a one-time event; rather, it's an ongoing practice. The programs that succeed are the ones where the right people are involved early, roles are clear, communication is consistent, and success is defined before anyone books a venue. Start with your WHY. Build your DACI. Bring people along the journey. And ground everything in a strategy that puts your customers at the center. Do that, and the buy-in tends to take care of itself. --- *Want to go deeper? Explore our Customer Advisory Board Certification to learn more from practitioners who've built CAB programs from the ground up.* [ Enroll today ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters) ### How to incorporate memory into your customer lifecycle URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-incorporate-memory-into-your-customer-lifecycle/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T14:49:55.000Z Your [segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) are clean, your copy is thoughtful, and all of your campaigns go out on time. By most measures, your [lifecycle program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-scalable-customer-retention-lifecycle-programs/) is running well. And yet your [engagement data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) tells a more complicated story. [Re-engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-re-engagement-strategies/) sends that used to convert have gone quiet. A cohort of high-value customers has stopped clicking. Open rates look fine, but the downstream numbers aren't moving the way they should. The temptation is to look at the copy, or the timing, or the channel mix. And sometimes those are the answers. But more often, **the issue is structural.** The messages are technically correct but experientially thin, and not because of what they say, **but because of what they can't remember**. ## Why strong lifecycle programs can still feel transactional Most [marketing infrastructure](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/) was designed for campaigns: discrete, time-bound efforts built to move people from one state to another. That architecture handles volume well. Continuity, not so much. So every [message a customer receives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) tends to start from zero. The welcome series doesn't know that the customer already contacted [support](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-support-manager/). The re-engagement email doesn't know they just logged back in. The product announcement treats someone who's been with you for three years exactly the same as someone who signed up last week. (Your two-year anniversary email genuinely doesn't know there's been a two-year anniversary.) This isn't a strategy failure. It's what happens when systems are built to broadcast rather than [build relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-authentic-relationships-in-a-changing-marketing-landscape/). ![ Campaign model: Segment, send, measure, close.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/32-2.jpg) **Campaigns have beginnings and ends;** **relationships don't.** And when customers interact with a [lifecycle program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) that lacks continuity, they feel it even if they can't name it. They open less, click less, and start treating your messages the way most people treat catalogs addressed to "current resident." ![Relationship model: 1. Segment in action 2. Message adapts 3. Context retained 4. Relationship deepens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/30-1.jpg) ## What memory actually looks like in practice In [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), memory means your messaging responds to what a customer has actually done, not just what segment they fall into. For example, a memory-informed message knows a particular customer contacted support two weeks ago, that their last session was unusually short, and that they've historically responded better to a direct product prompt than a nurture sequence. It responds to that context, not a category. The signals that make this possible are usually already sitting in your data: recency and frequency of product use, channel engagement history, how a customer has responded to past campaigns, support interactions, and purchase or expansion behavior. Most lifecycle programs capture this somewhere. The gap is whether that data is actually shaping what gets sent, to whom, and when. When teams build triggered campaigns around specific customer intent signals, rather than calendar-based or broadly segmented sends, the results tend to be meaningfully different. [Nordnet](https://customer.io/learn/case-studies/nordnet), for example, saw open rates above 70% and click-through rates between 10-20% on triggered campaigns built around customer behavior. Better timing, not better copy, made the difference. ## Building memory into your customer marketing A practical place to start: [audit your lifecycle program](https://customer.io/learn/personalization/personal-connection-audit) for memory gaps. Go through your active campaigns and ask what each message actually knows about the customer receiving it. If the answer is mostly "their segment and their email address," you have room to work. ### A few questions worth sitting with as you go through this: Does your [re-engagement sequence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-essential-tips-for-demonstrating-respect-and-driving-engagement/) account for *why* someone went quiet? Can it tell the difference between a customer who disengaged after a frustrating support experience and one who just got busy? Those are different conversations. Does your post-purchase or onboarding flow respond differently to a long-tenured customer trying a new product versus a brand-new one? The things worth saying to each of them are not the same. Do your [expansion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/) or [upsell messages](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) account for a customer's actual product usage history, or do they go out on a fixed schedule regardless of behavior? Building memory into your programs rarely means rebuilding everything. It usually starts with identifying two or three moments in your existing journeys where behavioral context would change what you'd say, and then confirming the data needed to inform that context is actually connected to your message logic. That might mean pulling a customer's [last support ticket](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-support-tickets/) date into a journey filter, or using product usage events to gate an upsell message. From there, you need journey-based tooling that lets you branch on real-time behavior, trigger on events, and build flows that adapt rather than just execute. ## Where AI fits in Memory at scale is, practically speaking, an AI problem. A skilled marketer can track context for a handful of customers. For thousands, let alone tens of thousands, you need a system that handles the operational complexity for you. AI makes it possible to surface the signals that matter, find patterns in customer behavior that wouldn't be visible in aggregate data, and trigger the right response at the right moment without requiring a human to write a rule for every possible scenario. In practice, that might look like identifying which customers are likely to churn before they've gone fully quiet, so your re-engagement sequence fires while there's still something to save. It doesn't replace your judgment about what a relationship should feel like. Instead, it handles the logistics of making that judgment apply at scale, across every customer, all the time. If you're working through how AI fits into your team's day-to-day, [this guide to AI-powered lifecycle marketing](https://customer.io/learn/lifecycle-marketing/ai-companion-guide/) covers the practical side – less about the technology in the abstract, more about how to use it to do what you're already trying to do, better and at a greater scale. [![The savvy marketer’s AI companion guide](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/03/The-savvy-marketer---s-AI-companion-guide--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-savvy-marketers-ai-companion-guide/) ## Relationships compound when marketing remembers The goal of lifecycle marketing has always been relationships that deepen over time. Memory is what makes that possible in practice. Relationships shouldn’t reset every time you hit send. When every message reflects some genuine awareness of where a customer has been with you, the relationship has continuity. The [metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) that follow are the ones further downstream: [customers who expand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/), who refer, who stay long past the point where they might have quietly moved on. A customer who feels like your marketing actually knows them is more likely to respond, more likely to stick around, and more likely to evangelize. ### Advocacy in action: The blueprint for reference program success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-in-action-the-blueprint-for-reference-program-success/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T09:24:58.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** February 26 **Time:** 5:00pm BST **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/virtual-customer-marketing-summit-october-2025-ondemand/?wchannelid=stbhvfzjjt&wmediaid=0xyniduble) How do you build a reference program that doesn’t just support sales—but transforms it? Join Kara Manfredi and Simon Le Fevre, award-winning leaders behind one of the industry’s most influential reference programs, for a dynamic conversation on what it takes to architect a reference program that scales, engages, and delivers measurable impact. Learn how to move from reactive fulfillment to predictive enablement and apply systems thinking to align cross-functional teams, data workflows, and customer journeys. This session will share real-world wins, pitfalls to avoid, and the strategic levers that elevate reference programs from operational support to revenue-driving engines. --- ### Key takeaways: - **Shift from reactive to predictive enablement**: Learn how to design a reference program that anticipates sales needs, aligns with pipeline stages, and proactively delivers the right customer proof at the right moment. - **Build scalable, cross-functional systems**: Discover how systems thinking, data workflows, and strong collaboration across Sales, CS, and Marketing create a reference engine that grows with the business. - **Turn customer advocacy into measurable revenue impact**: Explore proven strategies, real-world lessons, and common pitfalls to avoid when elevating reference programs from operational support to a strategic, revenue-driving function. --- ### Meet the speakers: [Kara Manfredi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karamanfredi/), Senior Reference Manager and [Simon Le-Fevre](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-le-fevre-614a2515/), Senior Program Execution Lead at Sage ### How to thrive as a solo customer marketer URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-thrive-as-a-solo-customer-marketer-in-a-scaling-company/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T21:37:11.000Z Being a [solo customer marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/solo-customer-marketing-how-to-scale-impact-with-limited-resources/) in a high-growth company can feel a bit like a fairly relentless rollercoaster. One minute you're celebrating a successful initiative, the next you're drowning in a ton of new requests and shifting priorities. It may have taken a while to strike the right balance, but the journey was worth it as I developed an obsession along the way - [the power of customer stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/) to engage audiences in a way that products and corporate messaging simply can't. Getting to hear people's stories and share those authentic voices is quite literally a privilege that I love being a part of every single day. But outside of passion, what ultimately allowed me to thrive and create an impact as a solo marketer was honing one vital skill - **operationalizing**. The ability to take that high-level strategic view and distill it into clear, executable initiatives is absolutely critical when you're a team of one. ## Align your efforts to company objectives The single most impactful mindset shift of my career was consciously aligning everything I do to the company's top-level objectives and goals - not just the marketing team's targets, but the fundamental metrics and mission that the entire organization rallies around each year. *Why is this so powerful?* By speaking that [shared language of the executives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-over-executives-with-customer-marketing-metrics/) and leadership team who set the company's strategic direction, I instantly raise the relevance of my work in their eyes. When I position my activities as directly supporting those company-wide priorities, it's easier for them to recognize the value and importance of customer marketing. For example, rather than just saying "I manage the process for creating customer case studies," I reframe it as "I lead our efforts to capture compelling voice of the customer stories that build our brand reputation and market position." Instead of "running the [customer reference program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/)," I describe how I'm "accelerating sales cycles and driving revenue through the strategic use of customer evidence." To operationalize this, I created a simple "money slide" that outlines how my planned activities for the year map to each of our key corporate objectives. I then have a crisp 90-second elevator pitch explaining it, allowing me to quickly communicate the rationale whether I'm presenting or just being asked about it. [How to prioritize and allocate resources for scalable customer marketingIt’s easy for customer marketing to get overlooked in favor of acquisition – but retention and engagement are where the real financial impact happens. So, let’s make customer marketing indispensable. To do this, we need to strategically prioritize, scale, and allocate resources.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-425.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLisa Pratt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--16--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-prioritize-and-allocate-resources-for-scalable-customer-marketing/) ## The art of prioritizing Despite increased buy-in and mindshare from using the strategic alignment approach, the reality is that I'm still just one person having to prioritize like crazy. I've had to be brutally disciplined in saying "no" to things, no matter how amazing or impactful they may seem in isolation. My criteria for evaluating what to prioritize is based on two factors: 1. **How directly will this project or initiative impact our key company metrics and goals that I've aligned to?** The bigger the impact, the higher priority it gets. 2. **Do I have the operational resources and capabilities set up to execute this effectively as a solo marketer?** Things like having the necessary data sources, cross-functional stakeholder buy-in, and streamlined processes in place. That said, I'm always balancing multiple workstreams and new opportunities inevitably arise that are too compelling to ignore. For example, earlier this year our social media function moved under my purview. I now own both the creation of powerful voice of customer stories and a vital channel to amplify and extend their reach. Having that integrated view into content production and performance has created a feedback loop, improving everything from content ideation to promotional strategies. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Scaling through strategic partnerships One of the best ways I've been able to take on ambitious new projects despite my limited resources is through leveraging agency partnerships in a very strategic, focused way. When that opportunity arises to take on a major new initiative, bringing in an agency can be a game-changer for testing new waters without overextending myself. I'll share two examples of amazing agency collaborations that helped scale my capabilities as a solo marketer: ### Example 1: Emerald Awards refresh with The Studio Impossible Our annual Emerald Awards program, celebrating customer excellence, was in need of a fresh, modern creative approach aligned to our updated corporate branding. I needed: - **A new visual identity** and marketing materials to promote the awards - **Compelling voice of customer content** spotlighting the winners' stories - **An elevated, memorable experience** for our customers receiving the awards I brought in The Studio Impossible because of their innovative, multidisciplinary abilities. They took the time to understand our goals, suggesting a tier of options which allowed us to find the perfect balance of impact and investment. The result was an outstanding, cohesive campaign that checked every box: ✅ A vibrant new Emerald Awards logo and creative design system ✅ Powerful winner video testimonials we can use across channels ✅ Beautiful, high-end trophies accompanied by a delightful unboxing experience [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ### Example 2: Voice of Customer video shoot with Bionic Giant With an upcoming major [customer event](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/), I had a prime opportunity to capture video stories from our top advocates. I wanted to create professional, versatile video assets while also delivering an amazing experience for our customers being featured. I turned to Bionic Giant based on previous collaborations where they excelled at those first-class video production experiences. From developing an engaging creative concept to handling all the details of setup, filming, and hospitality, they helped me capitalize on this window of opportunity. This meant I walked away with a suite of ultra-engaging, authentic [customer videos](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-the-power-of-customer-videos/) to use in countless ways while strengthening relationships with those vital advocates. Additionally, I was able to focus on being present with our customers rather than sweating the production details. For any agency collaboration, my top suggestions are: - Be explicit about your objectives, vision, budget, and timeline upfront - Define key success metrics for them and for the longevity of the program - Allow room for their innovative ideas and creative expertise - Prioritize agencies that make your customer experience a top priority [The power of customer events in building brand loyaltyOne of the most impactful things I’ve learned is the immense value of connecting customers directly with product teams. By facilitating this connection through engaging customer events, we gain invaluable insights, forge stronger relationships, and fuel customer-led growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-426.png)Customer Marketing AllianceRobert Maddox![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--24-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/) ## Conclusion While going solo as a customer marketer is undoubtedly challenging, it's also exhilarating and rewarding when you nail the execution. So keep rallying around those company-wide objectives as your north star. Never lose sight of the immense power your role has to influence revenue, brand reputation, customer relationships and more by giving an authentic voice to your happiest customers. Most of all, take pride in the fact that as a solo marketer, you're forced to be strategic, focused and incredibly resourceful every single day. Those muscles will make you an indispensable force, both in meeting your company's most crucial goals and in your future career. --- *This article has been adapted from Stephanie Mills’ insightful talk at our* [*Customer Marketing Summit London 2023*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2023-2/?wchannelid=ui6yf6c9kf&wmediaid=1qxcjt4j3v)*.* ### The main barriers to creating effective content URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-main-barriers-to-creating-effective-content/ Last updated: 2026-02-19T18:59:22.000Z As expectations of marketing continue to rise, content is now asked to do it all: drive demand, support sales, build brand trust, educate buyers, and deliver measurable ROI. Against that backdrop, understanding what *actually* holds teams back is critical for marketing leaders looking to scale impact, not just output. The barriers highlighted in the [**Future of Marketing 2025 report**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/future-of-marketing-2025-report/) don’t point to a lack of ambition or belief in content. Instead, they reflect the realities of modern marketing organizations: stretched teams, growing scrutiny around performance, competing priorities, and increasing internal complexity. For [CMOs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-building-a-creative-culture-as-a-cmo/) and senior leaders, these challenges are signals of where structure, alignment, and leadership focus can make the biggest difference. The following analysis explores each barrier through a [leadership lens](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/), unpacking why it matters at an organizational level and what practical steps marketing leaders can take to overcome it. ![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2026/01/Main-barriers-to-creating-effective-content.png) Source: [CMO Alliance](https://www.cmoalliance.com/) ## Lack of time – 54.7% It’s telling that *lack of time* sits at the very top of the list. For marketing leaders, this usually isn’t about poor time management but a signal of **structural overload**. Content has expanded far beyond blog posts into a constant demand for campaigns, [social](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-resurrect-your-case-study-content-using-social-media/), enablement, [thought leadership](https://www.cmoalliance.com/10-steps-to-implement-your-very-own-thought-leadership-strategy/), video, and internal comms. Yet teams, processes, and expectations haven’t always evolved at the same pace. From a leadership perspective, this matters because time pressure is often the **silent killer of quality and strategy**. When teams are stretched thin, content becomes reactive rather than intentional. The risk is burnout and producing a high volume of content that fails to differentiate, convert, or reinforce the brand. So, what can you do to try tackle this? ### Audit where time is actually going Many [content teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) aren’t short on effort – they’re short on efficiency. Leaders often underestimate how much time is lost to handoffs, unclear briefs, multiple rounds of approval, and last-minute changes. A simple audit of how content moves from idea to publish can quickly surface bottlenecks that have nothing to do with creativity and everything to do with process. ### Ruthlessly prioritize impact over output When everything is a priority, teams default to volume. As a leader, you play a critical role in resetting expectations: fewer assets that clearly support core objectives will outperform a constant stream of disconnected content. This requires saying no – or at least *not now* – to lower-impact requests, even when they come from other senior stakeholders. ### Build content reuse into the strategy Time pressure often comes from treating every asset as a one-off. Here, you can encourage a “pillar-first” mindset, where major ideas are deliberately designed to be repurposed across channels, formats, and teams. This saves time but also reinforces consistent [messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/) in the market. ### Protect focus time Constant interruptions, urgent requests, and shifting priorities fragment teams’ ability to think strategically. You must set the tone here. When focus time is protected – and reactive work is truly the exception – teams produce stronger, more intentional content that requires fewer revisions downstream. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Difficulty in measuring success/ROI of content – 50.1% Nearly half of respondents struggling with [measurement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-customer-advocacy-program/) highlights a long-standing tension: content is expected to drive growth, but often lacks **clear accountability frameworks**. For CMOs, this is particularly significant because content is increasingly scrutinized as budgets tighten and boards demand proof of impact. The real challenge here isn’t data availability – it’s [**attribution**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-5-core-attributes-of-a-killer-customer-marketing-strategy/)**,** [**alignment**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/)**, and expectation-setting**. Content rarely works in isolation, yet it’s often evaluated as if it should deliver immediate, direct revenue outcomes. This disconnect can undermine confidence in content programs and make it harder to defend long-term investment. Here are some things you can do to improve this: ### Define success before creation begins Measurement issues often start with unclear expectations. You can improve outcomes by ensuring every major content initiative has a defined role – whether that’s driving [awareness](https://www.cmoalliance.com/how-to-make-the-case-for-brand-awareness/), supporting sales, nurturing demand, or improving [conversion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/converting-freemium-users-to-paid-users-template-framework/). When success is agreed upon up front, measurement becomes far less contentious. ### Align metrics to buying stages Not all content should be judged by the same yardstick. Early-stage thought leadership, for example, is unlikely to generate immediate pipeline – but it may influence consideration and [trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/). If you align metrics to the buyer journey, it’ll help your team focus on the right signals, rather than chasing metrics that don’t reflect the content’s purpose. ### Focus on directional impact, not perfection Attribution in [content marketing](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content-marketing-for-different-stages-of-the-buyers-journey/) will never be perfect, and waiting for flawless measurement often stalls progress. You can encourage your team to focus on trends, correlations, and comparative performance over time. Directionally useful insights are often enough to guide smarter decisions and justify investment. ### Educate stakeholders on how content works Measurement challenges are frequently stakeholder challenges in disguise. When you proactively explain how content contributes across the funnel – and why some benefits compound over time – you reduce pressure for unrealistic ROI expectations and build trust in the program. [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-423.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1--4.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) ## Achieving stakeholder buy-in on the value of content – 30.1% Stakeholder buy-in remains a meaningful barrier, particularly in organizations where content is seen as “nice to have” rather than a growth lever. For marketing leaders, this often reflects **misaligned expectations across leadership, sales, and other functions** – not a lack of content performance. This is significant because without buy-in, content initiatives tend to be underfunded, overly constrained, or constantly reprioritized. Teams spend more time justifying their work than improving it. Over time, this erodes momentum and confidence. Again, there are things you can do to get this stakeholder buy-in. ### Speak the language of the business Content discussions can lose credibility when framed around formats, channels, or creative preferences. When you tie content directly to revenue growth, sales efficiency, [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), or brand differentiation, it makes it far easier for stakeholders to understand its value. ### Use internal proof points Stakeholder buy-in strengthens when content is linked to real outcomes: sales teams using assets in deals, prospects referencing thought leadership, or customers engaging with educational content. You can elevate these stories internally to make content’s impact tangible, not abstract. ### Bring stakeholders into the process early Resistance often comes from feeling excluded. Inviting sales, product, or leadership into content planning – even at a high level – creates shared ownership. When stakeholders see their priorities reflected, buy-in becomes [collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) rather than persuasion. ### Be consistent Trust in content isn’t built through one presentation or quarterly update. If you consistently communicate progress, insights, and learnings, it helps content earn its place as a long-term strategic investment rather than a recurring justification exercise. ## Lack of budget – 26.7% While budget constraints are real, it’s notable that this barrier ranks below time and measurement. That suggests many leaders see budget as **a constraint to manage**, not the root cause of ineffective content. Still, budget limitations matter because content often competes with performance channels that promise faster, clearer returns. When budgets tighten, content can be first on the chopping block – even though it underpins long-term brand and demand. [Where are marketing budgets being spent?Discover where marketing budgets are being spent in 2025, how CMOs are adapting to economic pressures, and tips for increasing ROI.![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--334.png)CMO AllianceCharley Gale![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/thumbnail/CMO_Website_Article_Images_Stock--1--1.png)](https://www.cmoalliance.com/where-are-marketing-budgets-being-spent/) What does tackling the lack of budget look like in practice? ### Maximize existing investment before asking for more Budget constraints often expose inefficiencies rather than absolute shortages. Focus on improving prioritization, reuse, and clarity of purpose. This can often unlock significantly better performance without increasing spend, strengthening the case for future investment. ### Shift from production-heavy to insight-led content High-impact content doesn’t always require high production value. You can encourage your team to invest more time in insight, narrative, and relevance – areas that often outperform expensive execution when budgets are tight. ### Tie content funding to business priorities Content is harder to cut when it’s clearly linked to strategic initiatives such as market expansion, [product launches](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fintech-customer-advocacy-program/), or pipeline growth. If you align content budgets to these priorities, you position content as essential infrastructure, not discretionary spend. ### Frame content as an efficiency driver Content can reduce costs elsewhere – by enabling sales, shortening buying cycles, improving onboarding, or reducing reliance on paid channels. When you frame content in these terms, it shifts budget conversations from cost to value. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Limited audience insights – 24% A quarter of leaders citing limited audience insights points to a deeper issue: content can’t be effective if it’s built on assumptions rather than understanding. For CMOs, this is critical – audience relevance is the difference between content that resonates and content that’s ignored. Often, insights exist but are **fragmented across teams, tools, and data sources**. Without a unified view of the customer, content risks becoming internally focused rather than [customer-led](https://www.cmoalliance.com/making-your-customers-your-growth-priority/). There are a few practical steps you can take. ### Leverage existing data better Many organizations already have valuable audience insight – it’s just scattered. You can encourage stronger collaboration between marketing, sales, customer success, and support to surface recurring questions, objections, and pain points that should directly inform content. ### Invest in qualitative insight, not just analytics Dashboards show what’s happening, but conversations reveal why. If you prioritize interviews, [win/loss insights](https://www.cmoalliance.com/win-loss-interview-questions-template-framework/), and direct [customer feedback](https://www.cmoalliance.com/customer-feedback-questions-framework/), it gives content teams a much richer foundation for relevance and resonance. ### Align teams around shared personas and narratives Inconsistent audience understanding leads to fragmented messaging. You can drive alignment by ensuring all teams – not just marketing – are working from the same core customer narratives, challenges, and goals. ### Make insight gathering an ongoing habit Markets evolve quickly. Treating audience insight as a living input rather than a one-off project ensures content stays relevant as customer needs, expectations, and buying behavior change. [Vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teamsDiscover the leadership skills and team structures that turn customer marketing into a strategic growth driver in B2B SaaS.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-420.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKatie Meeker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Vital-leadership-skills-you-need--when-structuring-your-marketing-teams.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams/) ## Lack of skills – 16% While this ranks lowest, it’s still meaningful. [Skills gaps](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-skills-that-matter-and-factors-to-consider-when-applying-for-marketing-roles/) often emerge as content becomes more sophisticated – from [storytelling](https://www.cmoalliance.com/story-masters-2-the-structure-of-great-brand-stories/) and distribution to analytics and AI-assisted workflows. For leaders, this isn’t just about hiring talent; it’s about **future-proofing the team**. The lower percentage may also suggest that teams feel capable but under-supported – lacking time, clarity, or tools rather than raw ability. This brings us to possible responses to addressing this barrier. ### Identify skill gaps that actually limit impact Not every missing skill is worth addressing. You, as a leader, add value by identifying which gaps genuinely block performance – whether that’s storytelling, analytics, distribution, or [AI adoption](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-adoption-paradox/) – and focusing investment there. ### Upskill before you hire Targeted training can often deliver faster and more cost-effective results than expanding headcount. You should invest in upskilling signal confidence in your team while building capability that compounds over time. ### Encourage experimentation Skills develop fastest in environments where teams are trusted to test new approaches. When you create space for experimentation – without punishing failure – you accelerate learning and adaptability. ### Balance specialists and generalists A mix of deep expertise and flexible skill sets helps teams respond to changing content demands. Build this balance to create resilience, not dependency, within your content function. [The AI adoption paradox in marketing89% of marketers use AI regularly, but organizational integration lags. Data chaos, short-term priorities, and legacy systems are holding teams back. James Shaw, Head of Content at The Alliance unpacks why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-419.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJames Shaw![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--28--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-adoption-paradox/) ## Final thoughts Taken together, these barriers paint a clear picture: the biggest challenges in content creation aren’t creative – they’re operational, strategic, and organizational. Time constraints, measurement challenges, and stakeholder alignment all stem from how content is positioned, supported, and integrated within the business. For marketing leaders, the opportunity lies in shifting the conversation. Content doesn’t need more activity; it needs clearer priorities, stronger alignment with business goals, and the right conditions to succeed. Addressing these barriers focuses on designing systems that allow content to be effective, sustainable, and credible at scale. Ultimately, the organizations that win with content will be those where leaders treat it not as a tactical output, but as a strategic capability – one that’s measured thoughtfully, resourced intentionally, and aligned to the outcomes that matter most to the business. ### “The CMA community has helped me build confidence” URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cma-has-helped-me-build-confidence-in-the-programs-ive-built-hannah-mckeens-community-and-ambassador-experience/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T13:53:15.000Z [Hannah McKeen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-mckeen-452753112/) has now built two customer marketing programs from the ground up, both at Jellyfish and CloudHealth by VMware. Hannah is currently the Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Fireblocks. ## Why did you choose to join the Customer Marketing Alliance community? To network with other customer marketing professionals and bounce ideas off one another. As a customer marketing team of one, it's so important for me to make connections with other people in my industry and learn from them. ## Which aspects of the community did you find the most valuable? I loved chatting with other folks about community spaces as I built out Jellyfish’s own last year. I was new to the community game and I learned so many helpful tips and tricks that helped drive our current community implementation strategy. Being an ambassador has been very rewarding. I love building special connections with the other ambassadors and learning about how they’ve built their programs. I loved hosting a Slack AMA (Ask me Anything) on the topic of community last year, I felt like I was really having an impact on other customer marketers. ## Have you gained any insights or knowledge from the community? If so, how have you transferred these insights into your day-to-day practice? I’ve gained many insights from the community that have translated into my programs at Jellyfish. Specifically, I’ve loved learning about how other folks prove customer marketing ROI and communicate that to their leadership teams. It has helped me tremendously in how I think about my metrics strategy. ## Has the community helped to enhance your customer marketing credentials? The ambassador program has connected me with quite a few folks who I wouldn’t have met with otherwise. That opportunity to build my credibility as a customer marketer has been great. ## Has this experience helped you to network? If so, how, and have you built any new connections? I have definitely built new connections. My goal for this year is to dedicate more time to attending [CMA events](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) so I can build those connections even further. ## How has this experience impacted your professional growth as a customer marketer? CMA has helped me build confidence in the programs I’ve built and incorporate new ideas into my day-to-day workflows. I feel so inspired when I connect with other customer marketers and look forward to continuing to do so! ## What would you say to fellow customer marketing professionals considering joining CMA’s community? I believe we should always be learning from others and CMA creates a safe space to do so. ## Are you ready to join Hannah and become a member of the Customer Marketing Alliance community? Here at CMA, there’s always something going on in our Slack channel, and no matter your level of experience, all are welcome. Our community has a variety of channels to take advantage of, as well as a few perks: 💌 Weekly newsletter 🌏 Connect with peers from all over the world 🤝 Exclusive AMAs with key figures in the group 🔖 Topic-specific channels covering advocacy, engagement, and more 📚 Slack-specific launches for all reports, playbooks, and resources 💸 Exclusive jobs channel And more! If you’re interested in becoming a part of the community – take a look and get started [here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/). Don’t be shy, get involved and build your customer marketing to new, greater heights! [Get involved](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Advocacy program maturity model URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-maturity-model-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:15:17.000Z ## What is an advocacy program maturity model? An advocacy program maturity model is a structured assessment framework that helps you evaluate how developed and effective your customer advocacy program truly is. Rather than relying on gut feel, this model enables customer marketing, CX, and support leaders to objectively assess current capabilities, create a shared language with leadership, and build a focused 12-month improvement plan ## What’s inside the template? The template includes: - The advocacy maturity matrix - Scorecard - Scoring guidance - 12-month planning prompts - 30–60–90 day plan ## How to use the template 1. **Assess each dimension honestly** For every row, select the stage (1–4) that reflects your current operating reality. 2. **Calculate your total score** Add your scores across all seven dimensions to determine your overall maturity level. 3. **Set a 12-month target** Choose realistic but ambitious improvements and document 2–3 concrete actions per dimension. 4. **Use the scoring guidance to prioritize** Focus first on foundational gaps if you’re ad-hoc or defined; shift to optimization and personalization if you’re managed or embedded. 5. **Translate into action** Complete the 30–60–90 day action plan to turn assessment into measurable progress. By working through this model, you move from scattered advocacy requests to a structured, scalable, and measurable advocacy engine that drives real business impact. ## Download your advocacy program maturity model ![Advocacy program maturity model](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/02/Advocacy-program-maturity-model.png) [Advocacy program maturity modelAdvocacy program maturity model.pdf139 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/02/Advocacy-program-maturity-model.pdf "Download") [Advocacy program maturity modelAdvocacy program maturity model.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/02/Advocacy-program-maturity-model.docx "Download") [Advocacy program maturity modelAdvocacy program maturity model Assess where your customer advocacy program stands today and prioritize the investments required to reach the next level. This maturity model helps customer marketing, CX, and support leaders objectively assess current capabilities, create a shared language with l…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-8.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLVf02vB29LYpk1o9HyY0sd1BMpBkp7CcYzDYVbIRIsfn9S38Xf42WRXKQ1d7_2rdniBvUvpqp__HxKB7fI7NeFmqb_4I9d5yTQNUBU1yKb_5-lNu4n-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yf71sJGn1cahQ3%5FTqBvG2M3QAR0wJUMI1Nkj2PhZiWg/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Top tactics for cross-selling in customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T16:14:10.000Z ## How to master cross-selling in customer marketing Let me share something that's been on my mind lately. We talk a lot about retention and expansion in [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), but when it comes to actually executing [cross-selling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/) and [upselling strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/), many customer marketing teams still struggle to find their footing. The reality is that these tactics require more than just good intentions – they need a systematic approach grounded in deep customer understanding. In this article, I want to walk you through the strategies that actually work when you're trying to increase revenue from your existing customer base. These aren't theoretical concepts pulled from business school textbooks. They're practical approaches that customer marketing teams are using right now to drive meaningful expansion. ## Understanding the foundation of successful cross-selling Before we dive into specific tactics, let's get clear on what makes cross-selling work in the first place. At its core, successful cross-selling comes down to three fundamental elements: understanding customer needs, leveraging data analytics effectively, and building relationships that create trust. These are the bedrock of any expansion strategy that actually delivers results. The challenge is that every company and situation brings its own unique context. What works brilliantly for one organization might fall flat for another. That's why instead of giving you a rigid playbook, I'm going to share the general strategies that you can adapt to your specific circumstances. ### Start with customer purchase history and behavior patterns The most successful cross-selling efforts begin with a thorough analysis of what your customers have already bought and how they're using your products. This isn't about making assumptions or relying on gut feelings. It's about diving deep into the data to identify which complementary products or services will genuinely resonate with each customer segment. Think about it this way: you're looking for patterns that reveal unmet needs or natural progressions in how customers use your solutions. When you understand these patterns, you can tailor offers that feel relevant rather than pushy. Let me paint you a picture with a B2B example. Imagine a software company that specializes in business analytics tools. They dig into their customer usage data and notice something interesting – clients who use their analytics for sales data frequently need CRM solutions as well. Armed with this insight, the company starts recommending its CRM product during sales discussions with clients who purchase the analytics suite. They highlight the seamless integration between the tools and the added value of using both together. There’s nothing random about this. In fact, it’s trategic expansion based on actual customer behavior. [Secure cross-sell upsell strategies without ruining customer experienceOn the same day, you can have higher-ups wanting you to focus on growing sales figures and customers complaining about “too much sales talk”. So how does one balance these two needs? This is where consumer psychology comes in.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-415.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--8---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/) ### Master the art of timing and context Here's where many customer marketing teams miss the mark. Even the best cross-sell opportunity will fail if you present it at the wrong time. For maximum effectiveness, you need to identify and leverage moments in the customer journey when people are most receptive to additional offerings. These moments often occur during the checkout process or immediately after a purchase, when customers are already in a buying mindset. But timing goes beyond just the transactional moments. It's about understanding the seasonal patterns, usage milestones, and business cycles that create natural opportunities for expansion. Consider a skincare company that analyzes its customers' purchasing behavior. They notice many customers repurchase certain products seasonally – buying different items as the weather changes. So they introduce timed promotions via email, suggesting sun protection products as summer approaches and moisturizing creams when the temperature drops. This strategy ensures product recommendations feel timely and relevant, addressing seasonal skincare needs that customers actually have. The likelihood of cross-sales increases dramatically because the timing aligns with genuine customer needs. ### Invest in comprehensive training and support This might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how often it's overlooked. Everyone who interacts with customers – whether that's you, your team, or other departments you collaborate with – needs to understand the details and benefits of additional products inside and out. Without this knowledge, even the best-intentioned cross-selling efforts will fall flat. Proper training goes beyond just product features. It's about understanding how different solutions work together, what problems they solve, and how to communicate value in a way that resonates with customers. When your team can confidently and effectively articulate these benefits, interactions become more personalized and informed. The result? Better customer experiences and higher cross-sell success rates. Let's say your company is introducing a new suite of cloud-based analytics tools. As a customer marketer, you'd develop comprehensive training modules that cover not just the features but the integration capabilities of these tools. This enables sales representatives to confidently explain how these tools dovetail with existing systems that clients might already use. They can enhance the overall sales narrative and enable more effective cross-selling of additional modules or services. When these conversations happen, they're knowledgeable and tailored to address specific client needs, which drives home the value proposition and fosters stronger relationships. [Best practices for cross-selling and upsellingYou’re at the checkout process on a website, a message comes into view ‘have you forgotten this?’ or ‘customers also purchased x y or z’. This is a tried and tested cross-selling strategy - it encourages customers to buy additional, or ‘’add-on’ purchases.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-416.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--14-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) ### Create compelling incentives and bundled offers Sometimes, customers need a little extra motivation to expand their relationship with you. That's where incentives and bundled offers come into play. By creating attractive packages or offering discounts for multiple purchases, you can entice customers to buy more while perceiving greater value in their transactions. This approach works particularly well in B2B contexts where decision-makers are always looking for ways to maximize their budget impact. A cloud services provider might offer a bundle that includes data storage, security services, and enterprise-level email management at a discounted rate when purchased together. This doesn't just offer better value for money – it encourages businesses to centralize their IT needs with one provider, simplifying their infrastructure and deepening the B2B relationship. The key is ensuring these bundles actually make sense for the customer. Random groupings of products won't cut it. The most effective bundles solve related problems or address complementary needs in a way that creates genuine value beyond just the price discount. ## Transitioning to upselling While cross-selling and upselling both aim to increase revenue from existing customers, the strategies you employ for each are distinctly different. Cross-selling is about breadth – adding new products to solve additional problems. Upselling is about depth – enhancing the solution they already have to deliver even more value. ### Deep dive into customer needs and usage patterns The foundation of effective upselling lies in truly understanding how customers use your current solutions and where they might benefit from enhanced capabilities. This isn't guesswork; rather, it requires robust data analytics combined with active solicitation of customer feedback. You're looking for signals that indicate a customer has outgrown their current solution or could achieve better results with enhanced features. Maybe they're consistently hitting usage limits, requesting features available in higher tiers, or their business has evolved in ways that warrant more sophisticated tools. These insights allow you to align upsell opportunities with actual business challenges or personal preferences, ensuring new offerings provide tangible enhancements over current solutions. ### Develop clear and compelling communication strategies Once you've identified upsell opportunities, the next challenge is communicating them effectively. This involves crafting messages that highlight the benefits and added value of the upgrade, tailored to meet specific customer needs and articulated in language that resonates with them. The best upsell communications don't feel like sales pitches. They feel like helpful suggestions from a trusted advisor who understands the customer's business and wants to help them succeed. This requires a deep understanding of not just what you're selling, but why it matters to this specific customer at this specific time. [How to communicate value to your customers: Key strategies and tacticsWe hate to break it to you but customers don’t care what your product does. Instead, they’re more concerned about what they can achieve with it. Customers are driven by solutions that elevate their performance and simplify their challenges. You need to show them value.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-417.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/communicating-value-to-customers-6.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/) ### Enable your team to recognize and seize upselling moments Training customer-facing staff to recognize upselling opportunities is crucial, but it goes beyond just teaching them about product features. These team members need the skills to discuss upsell options in a manner that feels natural and beneficial, enhancing the customer's perception of value rather than coming across as pushy or sales-focused. This means teaching them to listen for cues in customer conversations, understand the business implications of different solutions, and present upgrades as logical next steps in the customer's journey rather than arbitrary sales targets. When done well, customers actually appreciate these conversations because they help them achieve their goals more effectively. ### Leverage strategic incentives to drive action Just as with cross-selling, incorporating incentives can significantly increase the appeal of upsell proposals. Limited-time offers, exclusive access to new features, or attractive bundled packages create urgency and make the decision easier for customers who might otherwise postpone upgrading. The key is balancing the incentive with the inherent value of the upgrade. If customers only upgrade because of a discount, you might face challenges when it's time to renew at full price. But when incentives complement genuine value – giving customers an extra reason to do something they already see as beneficial – they become powerful tools for driving expansion. ## Implementation strategies that work Successfully implementing cross-selling and upselling strategies requires more than understanding individual tactics. You need a cohesive approach that aligns with your overall customer marketing strategy and company goals. Start by establishing clear processes for identifying expansion opportunities. This might involve regular account reviews, automated alerts based on usage patterns, or systematic analysis of customer health scores. Whatever approach you choose, consistency is key. Sporadic efforts rarely yield sustainable results. Next, ensure alignment across teams. Cross-selling and upselling touch multiple departments – from customer marketing and sales to customer success. Everyone needs to understand the strategy, their role in executing it, and how success will be measured. This alignment prevents conflicting messages and ensures customers receive a coherent experience regardless of who they interact with. Don't forget about measurement and optimization. Track not just the revenue impact of your efforts, but also their effect on customer satisfaction, retention, and overall account health. Sometimes aggressive expansion tactics can damage relationships, so it's crucial to monitor the full picture and adjust your approach based on what the data tells you. Finally, remember that the best expansion strategies feel natural to customers. They should perceive cross-sells and upsells as logical extensions of the value you're already providing, not as opportunistic money grabs. When you get this balance right, expansion becomes a win-win – customers achieve better outcomes while your company grows revenue from its existing base. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## The path forward Mastering cross-selling and upselling in customer marketing isn't about following a rigid playbook or implementing every tactic you read about. It's about understanding your customers deeply, aligning expansion opportunities with their genuine needs, and executing with empathy and strategic thinking. The strategies I've shared in this article – from leveraging purchase history and perfecting your timing to investing in training and creating compelling offers – provide a framework you can adapt to your unique situation. But remember, the most important element is maintaining focus on customer value. As you implement these strategies, stay flexible and responsive to what you learn. What works for one customer segment might not work for another. What drives expansion today might become table stakes tomorrow. The key is building a culture of continuous learning and improvement, always keeping the customer's success at the center of your efforts. By thoughtfully implementing these approaches, you'll not only drive higher revenue but simultaneously improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. And in the world of customer marketing, that's the ultimate win-win scenario we're all striving to achieve. ### How Workiva scales customer advocacy to drive business outcomes URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-workiva-scales-customer-advocacy-to-drive-business-outcomes/ Last updated: 2026-02-13T13:00:33.000Z How do you prove that a customer "thank you" is actually worth a million dollars? At Workiva, we’ve spent the last decade figuring out how to turn warm feelings into hard revenue data. As we march toward the billion-dollar mark, we’ve realized that while startup tactics work in emerging markets, a mature organization needs a programmatic, data-driven approach to advocacy. In this article, discover how we’ve scaled our core programs – references, advisory boards, and customer stories – to influence over 30% of our revenue growth year-over-year. You'll learn: - How to fix a "broken" reference process before buying expensive tech. - The power of "many-to-one" group reference calls for global scaling. - Strategies for building high-impact Customer Advisory Boards (CABs). - Why we abandoned PDFs for Q&A-style customer stories and video testimonials. ## The shift to revenue-driven advocacy For a long time, leadership didn't quite "get" advocacy because we weren't speaking their language. That changed when we started tying our efforts to a dollar amount. We’re currently tracking a 30% year-over-year increase in advocacy-influenced revenue. We measure this primarily through influenced Sales-and-Success (SNS) metrics. If a deal closes after a reference call or a customer story engagement, it’s tracked. It’s a journey, though – it took us at least a year just to unpack what was wrong with our data. We’d look at line items and realize they didn't match reality. You’ve got to fix the data problems first before you can get [accurate measurements](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) that leadership actually trusts. ## Turning reference chaos into a revenue engine When we first looked at our [reference process](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/), it was complete chaos. We were managing everything out of an inbox. It was ad-hoc, high-touch, and incredibly inefficient. We identified three major challenges: 1. Limited visibility, which led to overusing the same five "star" customers 2. A lack of granular use-case data. 3. A process that required 15 to 20 emails just to fulfill a single request. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why your customer referral program is failing (and how to fix it) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-referral-program-challenges-and-fixes/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T09:32:12.000Z You've done everything right. Set clear goals. Designed attractive incentives. Built a solid program structure. Launched with fanfare. Promoted it internally and externally. So… why can you hear crickets? Where are all the referrals? Surely they should be flooding in about now. Here's the tricky (and rather testing) thing about [customer referral programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-a-program-that-your-customers-actually-use/): even when you follow all the best practices, success isn't guaranteed. I've seen plenty of well-intentioned programs fall flat, and it's rarely because of just one factor. Usually, it's a combination of issues that slowly erode your program's momentum until it grinds to a halt. Before we dive into what goes wrong, here's a pro tip****: ask a handful of your most** [****trusted customers**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) **to review your program before launch.** Get their honest feedback on whether it's clear and easy to engage with. But even that won't catch everything. So, let's talk about the most common problems you'll likely face throughout your program's lifecycle. ## Poor communication kills programs before they start Your customers can't engage with what they don't understand. It is just that simple; there’s no other way to break it down further. But it beggars belief that ambiguous messaging remains one of the biggest program killers I see. Think about it from your customer's perspective. They're busy, with a million and a half things competing for their attention, pulling them in different directions. If they can't immediately grasp how your [referral program works](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/), what the requirements are, or what they'll get out of it, they'll simply move on. You don’t have the luxury of hoping your messaging will “eventually” land: confusion breeds inaction. But it goes beyond just explaining the mechanics. You also need to make sure people actually know your program exists. I've lost count of how many times I've heard CS leaders unconfidently ask, "We have a referral program?" when I ask about their company's efforts. If your own team doesn't know about it, then how can you expect customers to? With that in mind, your [customer communication](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/14-ideas-to-improve-your-customer-communications/) needs to hit three marks: concise, clear, and complete. Don't leave room for doubt or hesitation – not even an inch! Spell out exactly what your customers need to do, what they'll receive, and *when* they'll receive it. Your job as a customer marketer is to remove the guesswork entirely. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Irrelevant or complicated incentives create friction A free coffee might work for some B2C brands, but for more complex products geared towards an enterprise B2B audience, you might need a much bigger hook. The incentive question often trips up [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) and [customer marketing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-customer-marketing-success-insights-from-industry-leaders-on-structuring-your-team-for-maximum-impact/) because we tend to think about what *we'd* want rather than what our customers actually value. If your customers see the [rewards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/) as insufficient or not valuable enough, they won't lift a finger. I mean, ask yourself: Would you go through the hassle of referring someone for a mere 5% discount on your next purchase? Probably not. But here's where it gets tricky: you can also go too far in the other direction. Overly complicated reward structures, convoluted terms and conditions, or incentives that take forever to redeem will kill participation just as quickly as weak rewards. The sweet spot? Attractive enough to spur action, straightforward enough to understand immediately. If you're unsure which incentives will resonate, don't guess. Create a poll and ask your [Customer Advisory Board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) (CAB) or a segment of engaged customers. They'll tell you what moves the needle for them. ## A friction-filled user experience stops referrals cold Let’s pause for a moment and imagine a customer just had an [amazing experience with your product](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/). They're feeling great about your company and thinking about a colleague who could benefit. This is *your* moment. But then they have to hunt for your referral form. Click through three different pages. Fill out 12 fields. Create a separate account. Upload documents. By step four, that warm feeling has cooled, and they've moved on to their next task. If your referral process feels cumbersome or difficult, customers will abandon their attempts, or worse, they'll decide not to start at all. Don't make them work for the privilege of sending you new business. Surface your referral opportunities at the right moments. Just closed a successful support ticket? Ask for a referral. Customer just hit a major milestone with your product? Perfect time to ask who else might benefit. Make it contextual, make it easy, make it immediate. And please, stress-test your process before launch. Actually, go through each step yourself. Click every button. Fill out every form. Is your software intuitive? Can you find answers to common questions easily? If you're frustrated during testing, imagine how your customers will feel. [6 ways to remove touchpoint friction in customer advocacyThe key to scaling customer advocacy and creating experiences that last longer than eight seconds (spoiler: goldfish attention spans are fake news) starts with reducing internal friction.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-413.png)Customer Marketing AllianceSarah Wylie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--10---1--17.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-ways-to-remove-touchpoint-friction-in-customer-advocacy/) ## Targeting the wrong audience wastes everyone's time Not all customers make good referrers. This might be the hardest lesson for CS teams to learn because we want to believe every customer could be an advocate. But chasing referrals from [unengaged](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-universal-tips-for-any-business/) or dissatisfied customers will tank your participation rates faster than anything else. Going after quantity over quality is equally dangerous. Sure, you might get more referrals initially, but if they're [low-quality leads that never convert](https://www.marketing-engineers.co.uk/insights/the-real-cost-of-poor-lead-quality), you're just creating busy work for your sales team and damaging trust with the customers who referred them. You need to analyze customer behavior, preferences, and feedback to identify your most likely referrers. Look for patterns. Who are your power users? Your repeat buyers? The ones who consistently give high NPS scores or leave glowing reviews? Start there. Focus your energy on the customers who already love you. Use your CRM filters or product usage metrics to spot these segments. They're your goldmine, so treat them accordingly. ## Inadequate internal support undermines external efforts Your employees play a crucial role in making your referral program successful. If they don't understand it or care about it, why should your customers? I've seen programs fail because different teams gave conflicting information. The CSM says one thing about rewards, customer marketing emails say another, and the customer gets confused and frustrated. Mixed messages from your organization destroy credibility fast. Sales, CSMs, support, product, marketing – *everyone* needs to be aligned. Everyone. And I don't just mean "vaguely aware" of the program, but genuinely invested in its success. This requires more than a quick email announcement. You need proper training, especially for customer-facing teams, so they can communicate the program's value effectively and consistently. When your team believes in the program and understands how to talk about it, that enthusiasm becomes contagious. Customers pick up on it. They're more likely to participate when they see your whole organization is behind it. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Failure to follow up kills momentum Referrers want to know their efforts matter. When customers take the time to refer others but hear nothing back – no acknowledgment, no update, no reward – their enthusiasm evaporates. And once you lose their trust, good luck getting it back. You need to keep referrers informed every step of the way. Thank them immediately when they submit a referral. Update them on the referral's progress. Let them know when they've earned a reward and how to claim it. You want to make them feel like the VIPs they are. But let’s not kid ourselves, the work is only half done at this point. Following up goes beyond individual transactions. You also need to act on the feedback you receive about the program itself. What are participants telling you? What's working? What's frustrating them? [Analyze this feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) regularly and adjust accordingly. Your referral program should evolve based on what you learn from the people actually using it. Static programs stagnate; dynamic programs thrive. ## Changes in customer perception affect willingness to refer Brand perception can make or break your referral program overnight. If something damages your reputation – product quality issues, service problems, a PR crisis – customers will hesitate to put their own reputation on the line by referring others. Think about it: when you refer someone, you're essentially vouching for that company. You're claiming, *"I trust this brand enough to recommend it to you."* If that trust erodes, the referrals dry up. Saturation presents a different but equally challenging problem. If customers feel bombarded by referral requests or see the program promoted everywhere they turn, they might tune out entirely. You want your program to feel special, not desperate. It’s clear that balance is key: stay visible without being obnoxious. I’d also suggest [monitoring your brand sentiment closely](https://dynam.co.uk/blog/from-negative-to-positive-how-sentiment-tracking-can-transform-your-business), so if you start to notice negative shifts, address the underlying issues before pushing for more referrals. Asking dissatisfied customers to refer others is like trying to fill a bucket with holes in it. ## Limited visibility and accessibility create unnecessary barriers One of the biggest referral killers I’ve seen over the years is when customers actually don’t even know the referral program exists. If information about your program is buried in more than three clicks on your website, you've already lost. If it's not integrated into your product experience or customer journey, you're missing prime opportunities. If it's not mobile-friendly when most of your customers access your product on their phones, you're creating unnecessary friction. Your referral program should be discoverable at natural points throughout the customer experience. Just achieved success with your product? *There's* your program. Looking at their account dashboard? Include a referral widget. Reading your newsletter? Mention the program. Make it impossible to miss, but do it thoughtfully. Integration should feel natural, not forced. The goal is to be present when customers are most likely to think of others who could benefit from your solution. [10 examples of great referral programs to inspire youWe live in a hyper-consumer-driven world where companies bombard us with endless ads and promotional content. Referral programs encourage customers to refer friends, family or colleagues often offering rewards like discounts or credits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-414.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--6-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/) ## So… what now? Understanding why referral programs fail is just the first step. The real work comes in building one that lasts. Every program faces challenges. The successful ones are those that anticipate these issues, build in safeguards, and remain flexible enough to adapt when things don't go as planned. Your customers want to help you grow, of course; they just need you to make it easy, worthwhile, and clear. Take an honest look at your current program (or your plans for one). Which of these failure points are you most vulnerable to? Where can you strengthen your approach? What needs to change to turn your referral program from a nice-to-have into a reliable growth engine? Remember, even the best referral programs need constant attention and refinement. Stay close to your customers, listen to their feedback, and keep iterating. The programs that succeed are the ones that evolve with their users' needs and expectations. Your customers are your best growth channel. Make sure your referral program is worthy of their advocacy. --- *This article is based on a module of the* [*Customer Referrals Certified: Masters*](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-referrals-certified-masters-cma) *program that Matt co-created with us.* --- ## Get referrals certified Referrals aren’t magic. They’re a measurable, repeatable part of a modern go-to-market strategy – if you build them that way. That’s what the **Customer Referrals Certified: Masters** is all about. In this certification, I guide you step by step through designing, launching, optimizing, and scaling a referral program that actually delivers results. Across six comprehensive modules, we dig into the full lifecycle of a referral strategy – from foundational principles to real-world implementation. Whether you’re building a program from scratch or looking to level up an underperforming one, this course has it all: - Learn from real companies that actually made it work - Get hands-on practice so you can use this stuff right away - Create a framework that gets your goals, metrics, and incentives working together - Use our tested playbooks to set up programs for B2B and B2C - Help your sales and CS teams succeed with what they need - Handle legal and compliance without the headaches - Track what's working, build your community, and grow without breaking things So, if you’re ready to stop treating referrals like a side project – and start turning them into a strategic growth engine – I’d love to work with you. [ Enroll today ](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-referrals-certified-masters-cma) ### The savvy marketer’s AI companion guide URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-savvy-marketers-ai-companion-guide/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T09:10:29.000Z Most marketers know AI *could* help, but they’re unsure where AI genuinely helps and where it simply adds noise. This guide was created to navigate that tension. Built on current research, real-world use cases and proven frameworks, “**The savvy marketer’s AI companion guide”** explores how marketing teams are actually using AI across the customer lifecycle, and how they’re doing it without overwhelming their systems or sacrificing what makes their brand distinctive. ## Why this guide exists As teams are getting stuck into 2026, lifecycle marketing is carrying more responsibility (and more strain) than ever before: - Acquisition and retention are competing for attention - Onboarding is too generic - Reporting is slow, manual, and fragmented - AI adoption often feels either rushed or risky This guide doesn’t assume AI is a silver bullet. That thinking will get you no where. Instead, it focuses on **applied AI,** using it as a co-pilot to reduce friction, surface insight and support better decisions across the lifecycle --- ## What you’ll take away This guide is built to be practical, not theoretical. Inside, you’ll find tools, examples, and frameworks you can apply immediately, without overhauling your stack or strategy. **1\. Stage-by-stage AI playbooks** Ready-to-use templates for acquisition, onboarding, engagement, retention, and expansion, showing how AI can personalize journeys, surface friction early, and automate repetitive work without turning experiences into black boxes. **2\. A clear view of AI maturity** A breakdown of the six stages of AI adoption to help you pinpoint where your team is today, and identify the next step that will create the most impact right now. **3\. A 90-day implementation roadmap** A simple, month-by-month plan for building AI momentum: start with one workflow, layer in intelligence, then optimize and establish lightweight governance. **4\. Real results from real teams** Learn how Notion achieved 6–7% conversion lifts and 49–51% open rates, and how Monarch Money reduced trial cancellations by 3.36% and drove a 200% increase in referrals using behavior-driven journeys. Download the free guide --- ## Why marketers are turning to this guide - **Concerned AI will dilute your brand voice?** The guide outlines clear governance frameworks and human oversight checkpoints that keep AI on-brand while amplifying your team’s creativity. - **Struggling with generic onboarding and early churn?** See how behavior-triggered journeys and predictive scoring help deliver the right message at the right moment. - **Frustrated by slow, fragmented reporting?** Learn how AI-powered dashboards reconcile data, clarify attribution, and reveal exactly where customers drop off. - **Caught between acquisition and retention demands?** Discover how AI helps teams spot lifecycle gaps, automate repetitive work, and personalize at scale, all without burning out. --- ## This guide is designed for: - Lifecycle, growth, and CRM marketers planning for 2026 - Teams who’re feeling pressure to operationalize AI, without breaking what already works - Marketers navigating fragmented stacks, messy handoffs, and unclear attribution - Leaders who want practical direction, not another think piece If you’re responsible for improving the customer journey – and you’re unsure how AI should fit into that picture – this guide is built for you. ### Download your copy Get a practical companion you can return to as AI continues to reshape marketing work in 2026. ### Customer journey template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:48:48.000Z ## What is a customer journey template? A customer journey template is a structured planning tool that helps you map how a customer moves through each stage of their relationship with your business — from first discovering your brand to becoming a loyal advocate. This template follows a **consumer-focused marketing model**, designed to illustrate the theoretical journey toward purchase and the post-purchase relationship that follows. It helps you plan your customer touchpoints more intentionally, so every interaction aligns with customer needs at that specific stage ## What’s inside the template? This template is laid out as a clear table that guides you through each stage of the buyer’s journey. For every stage, you’ll capture: - **Your customer’s mindset and behavior** (what they’re doing and why) - **Touchpoints** (where they interact with your brand) - **Considerations & pain points** (what might block progress or create frustration) - **What you will do to improve the experience** (the actions you’ll take to remove friction and increase satisfaction)Customer journey template ## How to use the template 1. **Start with one customer segment** Choose a specific persona or audience group and map their journey first (this template works best alongside buyer personas). 2. **Work through each stage of the journey** Complete the table stage-by-stage: Awareness → Interest → Consideration → Purchase → Retention → Advocacy. 3. **List your real customer touchpoints** Add the channels and moments that currently exist (website, email, calls, onboarding support, training, etc.). 4. **Capture friction and pain points** Identify where customers get stuck, lose confidence, or experience delays—these become your improvement priorities. 5. **Define specific improvements** For each stage, document what you will change or introduce to improve the experience (e.g., better onboarding support, stronger content, clearer pricing info). 6. **Use the output as a shared roadmap** Share the completed journey map across teams to align priorities, reduce gaps, and deliver a more consistent end-to-end customer experience. ## Download your customer journey template ![Customer journey template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/01/Customer-journey-template.png) [Customer journey templateCustomer journey template.pdf105 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/01/Customer-journey-template.pdf "Download") [Customer journey templateCustomer journey template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/01/Customer-journey-template.docx "Download") [Customer journey templateCustomer journey template This template follows a consumer-focused marketing model that illustrates the theoretical customer journey toward the purchase of a good or service, as well as post-purchase relationship management. Use it along with your buyer personas to plan how your touchpoints with…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-7.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyK5NGvaS0lce12rVdQJW_W3-hjBm-RsM9lQMz4twCKGuxh06nbTORkrd0bI3eVUii76H-vj3Ya-OrNOlA5BTPCQTA6tBztdg1lFLQtVpl2NF-rUSD_9-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eyOgTK54DQfYOXL9qes7%5F3Yn18xoysBYI4uIfQaVyJE/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The right way to implement customer listening via customer advisory boards URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-listening-via-customer-advisory-boards/ Last updated: 2026-01-26T15:04:03.000Z Before we start diving into the topic of **customer listening**, I have a few questions for you to think about. Have you talked to your customers before? Have you ever gone out and visited them? How confident do you feel that you know your customers and their day-to-day jobs? In my previous role at Dropbox, we went through a lot of these questions in our early days, and what we realized was that we didn't feel confident about any of the answers. ## What is customer listening? Customer listening is a strategic approach used by businesses to understand and analyze the feedback and sentiments of their customers. It involves actively seeking, capturing, and [analyzing customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) from various sources like social media, customer reviews, customer support interactions, surveys, and more. The insights gained from this process can then be used to improve products, services, marketing strategies, and overall customer experience. From the perspective of marketers, customer listening is vital for several reasons. Firstly, it provides marketers with in-depth knowledge about customer needs, wants, expectations, and pain points. This enables them to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns. Secondly, it helps identify trends and patterns in customer behavior, which can be used for [market segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) and [personalized marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/). And lastly, customer listening can also help identify potential issues or areas of dissatisfaction, allowing businesses to proactively address them and improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. ## How we implement customer listening at Dropbox Customer listening took a lot of different forms at my previous company, Dropbox. Starting online, we had our social channels, chats and conversations, as well as in-product [feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) and discovery. We also had a program called "Real-World Wednesdays," in which once a week, we bring in customers from different segments, cohorts, and verticals. It was almost like speed dating; we got to do one-to-ones with customers from different products and say, “Here's a prototype we're thinking about,” and “How do we actually fix that?” It's a great way of getting quick feedback. We also had customer visits; we went out into the field to see customers in their natural environment. This often took many forms across different companies. For example, for Audible research, Amazon went out and followed people on subways to watch how they listened to podcasts and audiobooks. What I'm going focus on in this article is community building and connection through [customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards/) (CABs). ## How to identify an audience Before you start a customer advisory board, there are a lot of things you need to think about. Firstly, how do you create an audience of the kinds of people who you want to provide feedback to your company? There are a lot of ways you can cut it. You can look at super users, the people who are most engaged with your product. They could be monthly or weekly active users. You can also segment by top brands. If you have some big-name customers, you have an opportunity to start nurturing them through a [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) and hopefully turn them into advocates for your company. You might want to look at the highest revenue-generating customers. These are the people giving the most money to your organization, so you want to cater to them and make sure that the product is heading in the same direction as their organizations. It can also be educators and teachers. For example, at Canva, they have a program to educate their product evangelists to go out and teach their tools externally. Last but not least, Facebook recently launched merits and badges for company pages, so if you're commenting as a fan or engaging with a page quite frequently, you get a merit badge, like a digital trophy of sorts. That badge signifies the company’s gratitude to that person for being an advocate, and there may be some special privileges awarded for advocating for the brand. ## What does a customer advisory board do? So what does a customer advisory board do? It's very simple. It provides feedback on our company and our product. In Dropbox’s case, as I mentioned earlier, we were out to solve the problem of cluttered tools and content in teams. So we launched a product called the Smart Workspace, which integrates all your different workflows in a single location. It was a complete transformation for Dropbox, which started off as a file sync and share company, so we needed [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/). Our customer advisory board allowed us to bring our customers and advocates on the journey as we transitioned to this new product suite in this new category. The second major functions of a customer advisory board are best practice sharing and community building. A lot of these people are on the board to network with peers, and they want to learn from what other people are doing. Maybe someone’s five years down the line in their journey with your product, and someone else is just starting out. The person just starting out might want to know how others got their organizations on board with the tool or product and how to get them engaged over time. The customer advisory board is a great place to find that out. ***Pssst!** Bree is an instructor for our [****Customer Advisory Board Certified: Masters**](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) course. Enroll today and gain knowledge on the core principles of a successful CAB. ## Why is our CAB run by product marketing? So why does the customer advisory board sit in product marketing, you may ask. Well, there are four reasons why I feel we’re best placed to take ownership of it. 1. We're the glue that joins product, engineering, comms, sales, channel, you name it. 2. We partner with product to build out marketing requirements documents. This is where once we’ve assessed the market and the competitive landscape, we look at what we can build that’s unique and differentiated and solves our customers’ challenges. 3. We’re the ones that amplify our advocates’ and champions’ voices by building use cases and stories and sharing them externally to get more people using our product. 4. We're building [narrative](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/) and [positioning](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-positioning/) docs, and even coming up with pricing and packaging skews to make sure that there's a place where this new product will sit. ## Post-12 months of customer advisory boards We expanded our CAB strategy to have them in San Francisco, New York, London, Tokyo, and Sydney – all of our key regions. When it started out, we would get together once a year and pick our top 20 customers. However, we soon found that that’s too big an audience, so we scaled it down to a group of 10 to 12, which seems to be the sweet spot. After doing all these customer advisory boards across so many areas around the world, you're probably wondering what we do with all the insights. There was so much feedback coming through, so where do you go next? I had that same question after a year of doing it, which was why we started leveraging frameworks like design thinking to turn insight into action. ## What is design thinking? Design thinking is a framework to understand the user. It involves taking time to empathize with the customer and understand their challenges and unique pain points – I'll take you through how we did that in a minute. Design thinking is also about challenging current assumptions. Maybe your product team is saying, “The customers definitely feel this way about this issue,” but in actuality, they feel totally different. The last part is redefining the problem. Maybe you're going off to solve a specific challenge, but there's actually something deeper rooted that you haven't thought of yet. Design thinking is a framework where you can cut through the clutter and get to that clarity. ## How can design thinking be applied? To broaden it out, design thinking can also be applied in so many different areas. Perhaps you're doing a [social campaign](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-resurrect-your-case-study-content-using-social-media/) and you want to make sure it's customer-backed. It can also help you if you have a new client on board and you're designing a space with their values in mind. Design thinking is ultimately all about proving a new way of working. When I joined Dropbox, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and full of fresh ideas, I kept coming up against people who'd been at the company for a while. They were like, “Yeah, we've done that before,” or “Good idea, but we've already solved that in a different way.” Eventually, I realized that I needed data to prove that my idea was going to work. This is where **design thinking** came in. It's a great way to get a lot of data points and customer input, and the customer is never wrong. When you have enough statistically significant data on the customer, you become the expert on that customer, and it’s really hard to argue with that. ### The design thinking framework The design thinking framework incorporates five steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. I'm going to take you through these steps one at a time, but first, I think it's important to ground you in the challenges we were facing at Dropbox before we implemented this framework. First and foremost, our product teams were keeping the roadmap very close to the chest. They didn’t feel comfortable sharing their roadmap, so we had to get them to a point where they’d realize that it's okay to share a scrappy prototype with customers and get them engaged early on to fill that feedback loop. Secondly, we weren't building advocates. We were doing a lot of taking and not much giving, to be honest. We’d ask customers for feedback and then go off and use it, but we weren’t paying much attention to what they wanted out of the interaction. What was their experience? Why were they investing their time? We didn’t know their “why.” Last but not least, we weren't listening. Let me tell you a funny story. At our first customer advisory board in New York, about 80% of our programming was us talking; only 20% of it was about our customers sharing. We started the day like “We're here to listen,” and then did all the talking. What made it even worse is that our then-product leader spoke an hour over his talk track, so it got to a point where that 20% of customer sharing time became only 5%. It was pretty poor form, and we knew we could do better. Customers were, understandably, not engaged with the conventional ways that we were trying to listen to them, so we had to start asking ourselves some questions. - How do we build a program that both matters to our customers and serves our company's needs? - How do we create a best-in-class experience, where we're able to listen to our top customers and ensure that the funnel goes in the direction of our strategy and our product? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/01/Bree-Bunzel-Customer-Marketing-Lead-at-OpenAI-How-might-we-create-a-best-in-class-human-centered-experience-for-listening-to-our-top-customers.--1-.jpg) It was time to deploy design thinking. ### Step 1: Empathize The first step of design thinking focuses on getting to know your customers in full detail. In the case of the customer advisory board, I wanted to go after two specific cohorts. The first group of people I interviewed was those who had attended customer advisory boards at other organizations similar to Dropbox. You'd be surprised how easy they were to find. I’d stalk people on LinkedIn and say, “Do you have 30 minutes of your time?” and almost everyone responded, “Yes, I'd love to help you out.” You don't have to compensate them; people are really happy to be heard. This was also a great way to start to understand why people attend these different advisory boards. The other thing to note is that if you talk to one person who's on a customer advisory board, chances are they know 10 other people on customer advisory boards – you only need to find a few people to then have that word of mouth spread. The second group I wanted to speak to was customer advisory board organizers. Again, I went on LinkedIn and looked up the roles of customer advisory board leaders and what specifically they were doing in their organizations. I wanted to find out what the challenges were and what the best in class looked like so I could get a good grounding of what we needed to do. From all these interviews, I had pages and pages of insights, and I put each insight on a Post-it Note, which sounds tedious at first, but bear with me. There's this thing in design thinking called affinity mapping, where you take all the different insights, consolidate them into specific themes that arise, and start identifying patterns. ### What do customer advisory board members want? We found a few things. Firstly, the customer’s “why” is not us. We’d been sitting there thinking that our customer advisory board members would be super excited to hear about Dropbox and our product roadmap and all these cool things. No. They're there to network and learn from each other. They also want to be alongside people in similar roles. If they’re at a senior level, it doesn’t really make sense for them to be on an advisory board with people who are just starting out in their careers. Another thing we found is that it’s important for our customers that our feature roadmap aligns with their organization’s roadmap. Last but not least, don't underestimate people’s love of group bonding activities. I had a few executives say, “Oh, it's really fluffy to do bonding activities. We don’t want people sitting around the table and having a kumbaya.” But what I realized is the highest energy point for most people's days on a customer advisory board is the networking drinks or going off and doing something cool like go-karting. That was what bonded people the most. Finally, from our perspective, we realized that we want to use our advisory boards to build advocates and nurture champions. When customers are done giving feedback, they're gonna go back to their organizations and say, “Do you want to use this tool or not?” If we equip them well enough and make them feel part of the journey, they're more likely to be our advocates. ### Step 2: Define The next step is defining the problem. In our case at Dropbox, we used something called "energy mapping." Anytime we interviewed a customer, we created an energy map, which showed all the points where they were most excited and engaged. We looked for the moments they'd raised their voice, contributed a lot of good ideas, and where their eyes were wide open. We looked at the other side of the coin too: those moments where they were really disappointed, where they said, “It’s super frustrating when I have to deal with this.” Doing an energy map is a really helpful way to quickly get to the things that we need to focus on around high-energy and low-energy experiences. To give you an example, one of the guys we worked with, Fei, said he loved having access to leadership, feeling like he was part of the solution, and also feeling very special. Some of the low points were that he’d been going to customer advisory boards for 11 years, and I still felt like only 20% of the content was relevant. And it started bringing up questions like why is he still doing this if it's not all relevant? ![Journey Map: Fei Goh - "I was an early asopter of B2B product and was asked the join the CAB" to "Loved direct access to prduct leadership, I felt I was part of the solution", to "80% of the product everyone uses, only 20% are unique use cases." to "Customers sharing use cases was pertinent to a group of super users." to "Sales driven conversation didn't help, felt forced." to "Most memorable part was the team knew every member and always make you feel special." ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oK0fHlY-MJIZM1TUadeHVI5QkrFLerSwkNYInXi7ib0PlWI3-Z3AFR6QFatQwSqSVEaaFkXhQRnoaGtEuDuQfPxi70kwcflN4lsyqNDK4ymH8r24R27az_-_6Iq87CzlFO4xbVpA05xjoKNayA) From there, we built out a point of view framework showing what we could infer from what Fei told us, which is that customer advisory boards weren’t creating meaningful value for attendees. Then, we came up with a potentially game-changing solution to this problem: what if we flipped the entire format on its head and have customers dictate the entire format of a CAB? It could be completely led by them and not selfishly led by what Dropbox wants. ![Point of view framework. We met (person you were inspired by) Fei Goh. We were surprised to notice (tension, contradiction or surprise) that Fei found only 20% of the CAB experience relevant and unique. We wonder if this means (what did you infer) CABs aren't creating meaningful value to the customers attending. It would be game changing to (frame up an inspired challenge for yourself, don't dictate the solution) transform CAB program to be majority content dictated by the customer. ](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VjAr5nn_IoAPF1YMf9MK7mYUlzjqpI4mEKPn6ckiho6lpFu8irj8oQQHl6amGgfWvpppqiA-8aSOSGT9bJ4pDaJaoix7HZ_EACN2zccUVYdyRvZ568RbLZyOMPMxQp_GD22WoHZhse4ELIKAlg) ### Step 3: Ideation Then we moved into the ideation phase. I think this is one of the program's most energizing and exciting phases. Basically, you get a bunch of people in a room for what we call radical collaboration. The more differing viewpoints and personality types in a room, the better ideas you create because you're solving for all different use cases. We ask the question, “If you had all the money in the world, how would you solve the challenges that we’re facing today?” It turns into this Post-it Note frenzy. We actually enlisted the entire Dropbox Sydney team to be a part of this. Back then, we had about 50 people in our Sydney office, and we brainstormed in the hallway. Every time anyone walked by, we asked them how they’d solve this guy's problem. Interestingly, the people who had no context on what the customer advisory board came up with some of the coolest ideas. ![A group of people brainstorming with the "Yes, And!" improv game. ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0XyIoMJjsuCthsKngUJhBZcCbWSFOjyv_birgPA6Vx7YPpRKTgT3jyXwU0L5UySj2MecstVrytHD0ocZF7CuwaTPc4icl_T1GuMm4JkjqeyhN7pLpo-OmkNCXgYTBkvqHEYW0fHYI-1hc9tLkg) In design thinking as well as improv, you might have heard of something called “Yes, *and*…” Whatever idea someone comes up with, you add on to it and say “Yes, *and*…” I know that sounds challenging; you might have no idea where to even build off an idea, but I promise it works. Let me give you an example. Our line was that no idea was a bad idea, and I'm sure you're like, “I've heard a ton of bad ideas in my career,” but again, bear with me. One of the first post-it notes in this brainstorming session said, “Let's rent out a mansion, and just bring a bunch of customers in to hang out with us all day,” and I'm like, “Oh, boy. Here we go...” This had already gone off the rails in my mind, but we said “Yes, *and.*..” and kept building off this idea. Then it evolved into, “What if we did a beach off-site where we get customers engaged and get to know them more as people?” It evolved more until it became “Why don't we just make them feel like Dropboxers?” We were so excited about what we did every day. So, the question was: "How do we make them feel like extensions of our brand so that they become champions in their own organizations?: ![No bad idea is a bad idea - "Mansion for customer listening!" "Beach offsite - get to know them as people." "Make them feel like Dropboxers to become advocates."](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PEPPM6IYBC5yK2KDUVnhcoZkQmHwRpq9x6kpn6pqAk6_Nwea5F81FK42hK8rrqh9-7dx9YfJUlj6d7tqgMWBJKgn6FY_RlIYephvtG9xV2c0hGRU0SPSCTYUenqihuYI6EqVmvicx562mDek4w) ### Step 4: Prototype The next stage is prototyping. Once you think you have a final idea of what you want to create, which in our case was customer advisory board 2.0, you build a prototype. From all the insights we’d gathered, some key themes came out: we want customers talking way more of the time, we want the audience clearly defined, we wanted to make work human, to feel like extensions of Dropbox, to feel open to sharing their future challenges and strategies, and we want to be vulnerable enough to share our roadmap, even if it's not fully baked. ![Customer listening 2.0 - customers talk over 65% of the time, audience role is clearly defined, make work human, make customers feel like Dropboxers, and focus on future roadmap vs pitching. ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EJl-2yiMX4s6iWm-R-eQSbhGMcaW54iNa2Rd71jea5-VVYAJeLTKMYsSRKts1v-TR4B44q545TH9WN-cSFgo_JgdKxoi0t6CbWuHJ0wUuQpDfVXDgtNlYShyv6TMPYiFOWGyQ0ryOZCNtcfY-A) Now, our MVP prototype was scrappy in the most literal sense of the word. I took scraps of paper and put together a diagram showing the sessions that a customer would most and least want to engage in. Then, I created a bunch of scraps showing all of last year's customer advisory board sessions and all this year’s potential sessions. ![Low fidelity prototype - roadmap > sales pitch, peer sharing > us sharing, dropbox culture experiences favored. ](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/a5rQysM1BjnrRepjr6T3UMWsOaXglkRSlbsR_1lwHH8g-NWU1dqGBCShvgHLClvdoiBBFuGmq7vJ_TmB6K6BoANyUgIdmAc8U9w7f8eXkhdhFJfg5l8OfUUp6chjyZShZOVfGyuuRo_dM0weZg) I took this to our [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) team, because they own the relationships with these customers and talk to them day in and day out, and asked them to rank what matters most to our users. So I had all these people around my desk, shuffling these pieces of paper. This quick early test showed that the new sessions we had designed were what these customers would get the most value out of, and the sessions we had last year would give the least value. That was a great validation point. What I love about an MVP is that you're not spending thousands of dollars to make a mistake. You can do it pretty quickly and get a good sense of the direction you should be going in. ### Step 5: Test The final stage is testing, actually going to market. We had a chance to test the customer advisory board 2.0 in New York to get a sense of how it’d perform. ![Early results - 100% felt heard, connected to peers and would participate again. 80% satisfaction in our roadmap progress, more feedback to get us there. ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dsvcT2RdzMSbTI7JnDPDiiw9gdoqLYimS94ExT2U8O5jVwOp9NRaOMZKyY9-Yx0UA23HSOQo7x2vcBJiwjlgwVXO--YPQdg93NzhS62gSzaUdzhGN_5WmkLtPbZec4pp6Nj7hjlRDjqr_KDJqg) I'm proud to say it was a great success. 100% of attendees felt heard, felt connected to peers, and felt like they’d participate again. People also felt very satisfied with the direction of the roadmap and were excited that we shared future plans and made them part of the journey. Here's some more of the feedback we received: ![Customer feel special "Reall well orchestrated event. Finally seeing some things that I've been asking for, for years." IT leader from Take-Two. Customers built a peer community - "It was a pleasure hear from product owners and other companies." - IT Leader from Dow Jones. Customers shaped our product roadmap - "It was great to meet all of the executives and I really felt like we were contributing to the future direction of Dropbox." - IT leader from Nat Geo. "It's all about tangible feedback loops." IT leader from Meredith. ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7xWGXAOohSRvGr0TyX2C-of5rMudC2q_Qv5_v7l4oSvUH6HfmD38TuYxnDNRRl2kirw4LxJ4Z4GqGo_WtrwJTNFjTfYhb3suovcecFSF4O0SV7R-rlcRn1HYs2fYM5ZTsfDzJgXegn-61nPJSg) ## Closing the feedback loop There was one final step on our journey, which was building out a feedback loop. Getting all these insights from customer advisory boards is only the first part of the swing; finishing the swing meant applying these insights to the roadmap. One of the best practices we brought in was having someone very senior, the Head of Product, as the sponsor for this project. He was responsible for rallying his entire engineering organization to start using these insights to build future products and shape the direction of the company. Building in these feedback loops was an ongoing journey during my time at Dropbox. You may think after seeing those results that there's nothing left to do and Dropbox will keep on operating in that vein, but you always have to be ready to respond to changes in the landscape. We also had other [segments](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/squeeze-your-segmentation-strategy/) we wanted to go after as part of our new customer advisory boards. It's an iterative process, but it's a great way to continue reinventing yourself and the way that you show up for your customers. ### How to measure what really matters in customer marketing (going beyond the dashboards) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/measure-what-matters-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-01-16T13:00:01.000Z Do you currently set your own KPIs? Or do you feel some of your KPIs exist simply because your leadership says they do? Finally, do you think the way we currently do KPIs is a whole bunch of hogwash? If you answered yes to those questions, you aren't alone. We’re going to dissect the underlying causes of our behavior as customer marketers – specifically, the misaligned KPIs that lock us into a vicious cycle of saying "yes" to everything and doing "more, more, more" without understanding why. In this article, we’ll explore why traditional metrics like volume of case studies and revenue influence are often setting you up to fail. You’ll discover how to replace them with strategic indicators like net dollar retention (NDR) and total advocate market – metrics that actually prove your value to the C-suite. ## The problem with proving value at all costs Two years ago, I gave a talk about the strategic use of the word "no." It was anchored on a feeling we have all felt: the need to prove value at all costs. Who doesn’t like feeling wanted and appreciated? That dopamine hit is super reinforcing, especially if you’re constantly trying to earn the trust of leaders who don’t quite understand what customer marketing is. Consequently, "yes" becomes the coin of our realm. If you see a request, you respond to it. You break your back, your promises, and your sleep habits just to be the first one to respond with that perfect reference. But by doing this, you’re reinforcing the bad behavior of the people asking for unreasonable things, like a reference call request at 11:00 PM on a Friday. Worse, you’re reinforcing your own bad behavior. This behavior is driven by misaligned KPIs. Let’s look at the metrics that should go the way of the dodo. ## The KPIs that need to retire We need to stop measuring things just because they are easy or because sales asked for them. Here are the top offenders that belong in the hall of shame. ### 1\. Volume of stories produced The logic here seems simple: More is good; less is bad. The more you produce, the more you’re in front of stakeholders showing value. Salespeople constantly say, "We need more stories." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to build a scalable customer champion program 7 lessons learned URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-champion-program/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T17:03:46.000Z If you’ve ever needed a customer quote, case study, or reference fast, you know the feeling: Slack/Teams pings flying in from every direction, sales clambering, marketing are muddled, and you’re trying not to burn out the same two "go-to" customers yet again. And if that wasn’t enough to give you a mild eye twitch, there’s also no single place to track who’s actually willing to help, what they’re open to, or when they were last asked. That’s exactly the problem we were trying to solve when I helped build a customer champion program at my previous company, LaunchDarkly. What follows are the lessons we learned – what worked, what didn’t, and what it really took to scale customer advocacy without turning it into chaos. ## The problem we were trying to solve At the time, our marketing team didn’t really have a lever to pull or a centralized place to archive and [manage customer relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/). Yes, we could go to our customer success team, but we also had [product marketing managers](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-product-manager-and-a-product-marketing-manager/) (PMMs) and many other teams creating content and making asks. There was no single source of truth – no central "rotary" we could use to leverage those relationships effectively. Another [major challenge](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/challenges-of-leading-marketing-teams/) was how reactive everything had become. We were putting a lot of fatigue not only on our customers, but also on our internal teams. Sales teams would scramble if we suddenly needed a case study in a given quarter, or if we had to get a customer involved in an award or press opportunity. That kind of scramble isn’t ideal. Sales teams are focused on [closing deals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-deliver-customer-references-to-close-deals-faster/). The last thing they want is a last-minute request to track down a customer favor. We also didn’t have a real way to exchange value when we had an "ask." We often knew a customer would love to speak at something like **AWS’ re:Invent conference**, but there wasn’t a clear answer to the question every customer is really asking: *What’s in it for me?* Sometimes it felt like the answer was a gift basket or gift cards at the end, rather than upfront value. On top of that, we needed more proof points across more channels. We were expanding into new markets and use cases and wanted to tell stories that reflected different buyer personas. Capturing and organizing all of that across so many teams just wasn’t scalable. [Advocacy strategy templateA structured planning tool designed to help businesses turn satisfied customers into passionate brand advocates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-410.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Advocacy-strategy-template-meta.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-strategy-template-framework/) ### Why we landed on a champion program As we explored solutions, we kept coming back to the same question: CAB vs. community vs. champion program. We looked at [Slack communities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), portals, [customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) – *all of it.* What we realized was that a champion program felt like the right middle ground. [Communities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/you-built-a-community-now-what/), can be incredibly valuable, but they’re often large and require significant bandwidth to manage well. CABs, on the other hand, are usually smaller and more formal, and at the time we weren’t quite ready for that level of structure. The champion program sat right in between. It allowed us to focus on enterprise customers and power users – the people most likely to advocate, speak, and partner with us – without the overhead of running a massive community or a formal CAB. ## What we created: Our “Stars” program The result was the LaunchDarkly Stars program – an opt-in customer champion program. The program lived behind a URL you couldn’t easily find by browsing the website. Customers were invited directly by account teams, which helped keep the program curated and intentional. Behind the scenes, the program relied on several platforms and integrations that we stitched together with the help of an incredible marketing ops team. Staying closely aligned with marketing ops was critical from day one. From a customer perspective, the experience was simple. The landing page included a clear "Become a Star" call to action. From there, customers filled out a form where they could indicate what they were interested in: - Speaking opportunities - Case studies - Networking with peers They could also categorize their role and use case – platform engineer, developer, product manager, and more. That information was then mapped to different solutions and programs across the organization, especially for PMMs. [Is your advocacy program working? These metrics will tell youLearn how to measure customer advocacy impact with metrics that align to revenue, retention, and strategic business goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-411.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKevin Lau![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Is-your-advocacy-program-working---These-metrics-will-tell-you.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-working-these-metrics-will-tell/) ## How the champion program worked Here’s how the program worked in practice. ### Account teams drove nominations The foundation of the program was strong alignment with account teams. We worked closely with [customer success managers](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) (CSMs) and account executives to nominate customers based on clear criteria. These teams were enabled and trained on what made a good fit. Not every customer was right for the program, and that was intentional. We looked for customers who were happy, healthy, willing to advocate, and already engaged. We also paid attention to how they preferred to communicate – Slack, email, or otherwise. Account teams owned nominations and were also accountable for bringing new members into the program on a quarterly basis. ### Sign-up, Salesforce hygiene and onboarding The sign-up process itself was straightforward. It was powered by Marketo and flowed directly into Salesforce, matching each submission to the correct customer account. That alone improved Salesforce hygiene significantly. When someone joined, I’d receive a Slack notification letting me know who had signed up and from which company. From there, we segmented customers. If someone was enterprise or strategic, we scheduled a focused onboarding call – usually 15 to 30 minutes. During that call, we talked through approvals, contract considerations (like case study clauses), and what the customer was comfortable saying publicly. All of that information was stored in custom Salesforce fields and ultimately piped into Looker, giving other teams visibility into the program. ### Self-serve visibility without chaos That visibility made a huge difference. For example, if the analyst relations team needed someone for a reference call, they could quickly see who was open to participating, what tools they used, what their use case was, and what type of company they represented. This reduced Slack noise and prevented constant one-off requests. ### Automating the SMB flow Not every customer received the same level of hands-on onboarding. For SMB customers, the process was automated end-to-end. They still joined the program, but without live onboarding calls. This allowed the team to focus more time and energy on enterprise customers, where deeper relationships and higher-impact advocacy mattered most. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Requests, guardrails and reporting We’d all experienced the "We need a customer" Slack message. To fix that, we introduced guardrails. We set clear SLAs around customer requests so teams knew what to expect and how long it would take. Requests were routed through a simple Asana form, which helped us prioritize and determine whether a new customer was truly needed or if existing content could be repurposed. Reporting was another critical component. A Looker dashboard gave stakeholders a shared view of the program – who the champions were, how they were being referenced, and even technical details like architecture. For a developer-focused audience, those details mattered. ### A Looker dashboard for transparency Reporting is another big piece. We powered a Looker dashboard so everyone has a window into our champion program: who the champions are, how they’re referenced, and even what architecture they’re on. Our main buyers are developers and product managers, so those details matter. ## Lessons we learned along the way ### 1\. Partner deeply with customer success and sales leadership The program wouldn’t have worked without customer success and sales. We stayed closely aligned with sales leadership and held teams accountable for identifying and supporting champions throughout the customer journey. Champions shouldn’t appear out of nowhere. They should be included intentionally and at the right moments. ### 2\. Avoid the scramble and respect the customer Scrambling creates bad experiences – for customers and internal teams alike. Even when goals and OKRs are pressing, repeatedly asking customers on short notice doesn’t build trust. Planning ahead and repurposing content when possible made a meaningful difference. ### 3\. Focus on enterprise and automate the rest SMB customers had great stories, and automation helped us capture them at scale. But enterprise customers required more care and [relationship-building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-authentic-relationships-in-a-changing-marketing-landscape/). The champion program became the primary channel for that work. ### 4\. Benefits come first Customers need to see value before the ask. We started small with benefits and grew them over time, gaining stakeholder buy-in gradually. As a small team, that approach helped us stay sustainable. ### 5\. Marketing ops is your best friend [Marketing ops](https://www.cmoalliance.com/marketing-ops-the-key-to-sales-and-marketing-success/) (MarOps) enabled nearly everything that made the program work. They built all these different integrations, making it super easy in my day-to-day. They created guardrails – from not having the URL posted on the main website (so random leads don’t go through), to Slack notifications that make it easy for me and my team to see who’s in the program. ### 6\. Don’t forget the welcome flow And automation extended to onboarding, too. When we accepted a customer into our program through Salesforce – just by flipping a field – they received an email to join the program. It’s a "ta-da, welcome" email, and they can click a link (a "magic link" in Postal). They receive their welcome kit, their swag kit, and a letter signed by our CEO. It’s another example of automation that goes a long way. ### 7\. Hold off on opening the floodgates Another big one I learned from somebody I met through the community: hold off on opening the floodgates. They told me it’s okay to not open the floodgates. For us, we wanted to take it very slow. We wanted to make sure sales understood who they’re inviting, one by one. Because if you open the floodgates, the next thing you know, you have a champion program with 200 people. They need to stay active and engaged, and you need to keep building value back for them. That can be tough for a mighty team of two. [How to run a successful customer advisory board (CAB) eventHave you ever rushed to pull together a customer event, only to have it flop? Been there, done that! Here’re my top tips for planning, executing, and following up on CABs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-412.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCrystal Anderson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--3--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) ## The results of our champion program Right away, we saw an increase in how many reference requests we could take. Before the champion program – and before we started setting up guardrails – we could only really take about 15 customer reference requests per quarter. That includes case studies, quotes, “Can you get this customer to show up at AWS re:Invent,” or some other conference. Now we’re able to double that. We take 30 to 35 customer reference requests every quarter, and during peak time we’ll do 40 to 50. ### Stronger enterprise participation We also increased the number of enterprise customers willing to partner. We noticed a gap in some of our metrics. We were mainly working with SMB-type customers, but we wanted to work with enterprise brands and logos. We really wanted to leverage them in case studies and materials, and we saw a difference in the number of enterprise customers we were working with. We also saw an increase in sales [reference calls](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/). We’re able to support sales better because we have more insight into our champions and can match them better when we get a request. ### Future goals Some future goals include tying [customer success metrics](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-metrics/) to the champion program and the Looker dashboard. We’ll have a Slack community, and we’ll also do things like private channels for VIP members only. ## Champion program FAQs #### How do you motivate sales and account teams to participate? One thing that was really successful to avoid anyone thinking it was taking extra work, was that we took it slow and started with certain account executives (AEs) who were proactive and always helped us out. You know the [AEs and CSMs ](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-the-difference-between-customer-success-managers-and-account-managers/)who are always looking out for you. We worked with them first and did a kind of beta with sales reference calls. We captured those success stories. Then, when we enabled teams on what the program is and why it’s important, the "why" was clear: we were able to help close deals. We worked with top-performing reps, and that helped other reps get more competitive and want to partner more with us. We also put on roadshows with sales leaders. We told them about the program, then we told them again, and then we told them again. And we held them accountable for an actual number: how many nominations they can give us in a given quarter. #### What perks do you offer champions? The biggest thing is that anytime a customer works with us and we want to say thank you, we still use Postal and magic links, but on a one-off basis. We have a collection of gifts we can send quickly – gift cards, or whatever they’re interested in, especially if I really know them. Other benefits include networking with peers. We do a semiannual product roadmap session. Champions love to speak with product. They always want to hang out with product and other champions. As a member, they get intimate virtual roadmap sessions every six months. That seems to be the biggest thing for our champions. The gifts are great too, but they love the roadmap sessions. It’s guaranteed, and it’s only them and other VIP members. We might have Zoom calls with about 20 to 25 people, plus breakout rooms so they can talk with others in the program. #### In a reference self-serve model, how do you avoid advocate burnout? In a reference self-serve model, how do we manage SLAs and avoid advocate burnout? It’s hard. We don’t always want to keep asking the same customers over and over again. Lately, it’s been about knowing who can do what and strategically asking – getting them ready ahead of time. We look at how they’ve been referenced last. That information is archived in Salesforce and Looker, and we try to avoid asking them again. We monitor it. If we really have to ask a customer again, we try to avoid it, but it depends on the request. It’s case by case. Someone also asked if there’s a certain timeframe where we’d put a customer “on ice.” We really don’t have a strict rule, but we probably want to work with a customer every six months, maybe. It depends on the customer and what we asked them to do. If it was something big – like filming a testimonial – maybe not so much. If it was speaking at an event where we’re flying them out and doing all that, then we’ll leave them alone for a good couple of quarters. --- *This article is based on Vernon’s talk at Customer Marketing Summit New York 2022.* ### The challenges of leading marketing teams in 2026 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/challenges-of-leading-marketing-teams/ Last updated: 2025-12-30T17:47:34.000Z Ask any marketing leader what’s keeping them up at night in 2025, and the answer isn’t just budgets or performance targets. It’s people. Not just hiring them, but **sustaining, aligning, and keeping them from burning out** in an industry that has never demanded more. The [*Future of Marketing Report 2025*](https://www.cmoalliance.com/future-of-marketing-2025-report/) makes it clear: the human side of marketing is now the hardest part of the job. While technology, AI, and analytics dominate conversations, it’s the quieter internal struggles – misalignment, overwork, and coordination across teams – that ultimately decide whether results are achieved or lost. ## Burnout Among respondents who manage teams, [burnout](https://www.cmoalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/) and overwork were the top concerns, cited by **25.9%** of leaders. While misalignment and lack of [cross-department collaboration](https://www.cmoalliance.com/using-ai-to-foster-collaboration-with-julia-goebel-cmo-at-komodo-health/) were also notable challenges, burnout stands apart because it is both a symptom and a signal. It reflects teams stretched beyond capacity to deliver more campaigns, more content, across more channels, all while under constant pressure to justify ROI. **Katherine Lehman, Fractional CMO at ReturnBear & Founder at KT Creativity,** puts it succinctly: > “Most marketing teams are stuck between proving ROI yesterday and building a long-term brand tomorrow. The real challenge? Leading both without burning out.” This dual-speed expectation (delivering immediate performance while nurturing a long-term brand) is driving exhaustion. Burnout is a personal issue that also has organizational consequences: - [Creativity](https://www.cmoalliance.com/balancing-ai-and-human-creativity-in-modern-marketing/) narrows, - [Experimentation](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-60-million-tweak-creating-a-successful-culture-of-experimentation/) slows, and - [Messaging](https://www.cmoalliance.com/product-messaging-framework-template/) becomes predictable. Teams get tired, and the brand itself starts to lose energy and personality. The report also reveals that this is a global phenomenon: there were no significant differences between U.S. and international respondents. The burnout problem transcends geography, signaling a systemic challenge in modern marketing leadership. ## Misalignment Nearly **20%** of leaders cited [misalignment](https://www.cmoalliance.com/sales-and-marketing-alignment-boosts-revenue-generation/) within teams and a lack of collaboration with other departments as major challenges. Alignment is an emotional and strategic necessity. It provides team members with clarity about why their work matters and confidence about how it contributes to broader goals. **Jessica Ruffin, Director of Product Marketing**, emphasizes this: > “The biggest challenge isn't tools, it’s alignment. Building real collaboration across product, marketing, and sales takes time, but it’s where the most meaningful impact happens.” Without alignment, marketers spend energy constantly recalibrating, re-explaining, and defending their priorities. The resulting friction slows delivery and contributes directly to burnout. When priorities are unclear, teams lose belief, and creative output becomes transactional rather than inspired. ## ROI pressure Staffing limitations and difficulty measuring [ROI](https://www.cmoalliance.com/balancing-short-term-gains-and-long-term-brand-building-in-b2b-marketing/) emerged as the leading barriers to achieving marketing goals, cited by **41.5%** and **40.2%** of respondents, respectively. **Petr Hlousek, CMO at ALVAO**, describes the underlying issue: > “The biggest challenge? No strategy. When I join a company – whether it’s a 3-year-old startup or a 20-year-old firm – I often find the same thing: random tactics, no clear plan, and sometimes even the belief that ‘we don’t really need marketing.’ > “It sounds unbelievable, but it’s real. Founders focus on product and sales, and marketing gets added later… without direction. Fixing that (building a clear, focused strategy) is always step one.” In organizations where strategy is unclear, proving ROI becomes a never-ending exercise. U.S. marketers feel this even more acutely, with **41.7%** reporting ROI measurement as their top obstacle. Leaders are caught in a paradox: the more they try to prove impact, the less time they have to create it. Constant justification without clear direction erodes confidence, morale, and ultimately, the ability to innovate. ## Technology overload The report found that **40.6%** of marketers identified integration with existing systems as the biggest hurdle in [adopting new tools](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-three-marketing-tools-i-couldnt-live-without-gaston-tourn/). It’s not the cost of software, or even the need for training – it’s the cognitive and operational burden of making everything work together. So, the biggest challenge in adopting new tech isn't buying it, it's making it work. Fragmented tech stacks and siloed data force teams to spend energy on maintenance instead of creativity. **Fractional CMO, Burak Yedek,** explains the impact: > “My challenges as a fractional CMO are: Too much data, too little direction. Marketing won’t suffer from a lack of intelligence; there's[AI](https://www.cmoalliance.com/ai-in-marketing-what-to-automate-and-skills-to-preserve-video/). It will suffer from an overflow of tactics without strategy and data without direction. And, of course, the user flow of AI and AI products. > “AI will tell us what’s trending, but not why it matters. Dashboards will flood us with numbers, but not with narrative. Teams will get lost in tools, not in thought. > “Brand growth doesn’t come from chasing what’s measurable — it comes from knowing what’s meaningful.” Marketing leaders now need to approach technology as a system, not a collection of isolated platforms. Integration, clarity, and workflow design matter as much as the tools themselves. The emotional cost of constantly adapting to new platforms is a driver of stress and misalignment just as much as operational inefficiency. ## AI adoption AI adoption has accelerated content creation and analytical capability, but it has also created a new challenge: sameness. **Chetan Baregar, Senior Director of Marketing at Recykal.com**, warns: > “Audience attention is scattered. Attribution is messy. And while AI is a great tool, it didn’t magically fix everything. In fact, it created a new challenge; most content now feels the same. Unless you guide it with real intent, AI ends up repeating the same trends, the same tone, the same ideas. > “Audiences are starting to notice too, and they can tell when something’s been written by a bot. If your content feels generic or irrelevant, it doesn’t just fall flat; it sends a message that you didn’t care enough to create something meaningful for them.” AI can produce output at scale, but it can’t generate meaning without human direction. As mentioned, Burak Yedek reinforces this point when he said: > “Marketing won’t suffer from a lack of intelligence… it will suffer from an overflow of tactics without strategy and data without direction.” For leaders, the challenge is to ensure AI is used to **amplify human insight**, not replace it. Teams need space to think critically, to decide what matters, and to preserve the [narrative](https://www.cmoalliance.com/how-to-create-brand-narratives-that-resonate-with-your-audience-2/) and emotional impact of campaigns. ## Privacy With **73.4%** of marketers reporting that [data privacy regulations](https://www.cmoalliance.com/building-brand-trust-in-a-new-era-of-data-privacy/) significantly impact strategy, these changes are shaping how marketers measure performance and engage audiences. While often seen as a limitation, privacy constraints can actually force teams to focus on **meaningful engagement over passive optimization**. **Paul Gray, Partner Marketing at Webflow**, explains: > “Traditional funnel metrics don’t apply when a product researcher is an LLM or autonomous assistant. We must rethink attribution, engagement, and how we create value at every digital touchpoint.” **Charlie Grinnell, Co-CEO at RightMetric**, highlights the opportunity: > “Most teams are looking inward, not outward. The real breakthroughs live outside your own four walls.” Data privacy is a reminder that marketing thrives on human insight, not just digital traces. Leaders who embrace this can encourage teams to focus on creativity, audience empathy, and meaningful brand experiences rather than purely on measurable clicks and conversions. ## Agility [Social media trends](https://www.cmoalliance.com/maximizing-your-social-medias-effectiveness/), real-time campaigns, and evolving customer behaviors require speed. But speed alone isn’t enough. Agility depends on trust, clarity, and reduced friction. **Gaby Carmichael, Director of Marketing at MSIG USA**, explains: > “To perform on social media, you have to bite quickly - and not let trends expire.” But teams can only act decisively if they know the strategy, trust leadership, and feel psychologically safe to take smart risks. Approval bottlenecks, unclear priorities, and constant reorientation are what truly slow teams down, not the lack of speed itself. ## Leadership in 2026: Protecting meaning, not just output Across all the findings, one truth emerges: modern marketing leadership is about **human sustainability**. Burnout, alignment issues, tech fatigue, AI overload, and ROI pressure are all symptoms of a deeper challenge – ensuring that people can create, think, and lead without losing energy or purpose. Leaders have now become less focused on being the executors of strategy. They now must focus on being custodians of clarity, guardians of creative energy, and architects of emotionally sustainable work environments. **Katherine Lehman** captures the leadership opportunity: > “Sometimes hiring a fractional for outside perspective can change your whole outlook and get the gears moving again.” It’s important to create **space for thought, reflection, and alignment**, protecting the team from unnecessary friction and ensuring every action connects to a meaningful outcome. As **Burak Yedek** notes: > “Brand growth doesn’t come from chasing what’s measurable – it comes from knowing what’s meaningful.” ## Conclusion Marketing today is inundated with AI insights, dashboards, and privacy rules. The challenge lies in guiding teams through complexity without losing creativity, alignment, or purpose. CMOs must focus on: - Fewer tools, more clarity - Fewer dashboards, more narrative - Reduced approvals, more trust - Shifting from output to meaning Marketing is a human discipline. Numbers, technology, and AI can accelerate work, but they cannot replace the human judgment, intention, and care that create enduring impact. In 2026, leadership is less about managing tasks and more about **protecting the people who make strategy come alive**. When teams are cared for, aligned, and empowered, both creativity and performance flourish. When they are not, no amount of data, automation, or dashboards can save the brand. The future of marketing leadership is in **holding space for meaning, clarity, and human energy**. That is how brands grow, teams thrive, and work becomes not just output, but impact. ### Marketing calendar template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/marketing-calendar-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T09:56:11.000Z ## What is a marketing calendar template? A marketing calendar template is a structured tool that helps you map out all your marketing activities over a specific time period. Whether you’re planning [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/user-feedback-tracker-for-ai-content-template-framework/), [email campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-email-templates/), [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/dark-social-tracking/), PR, or events, this calendar gives you a bird’s-eye view of everything happening in your marketing strategy. ## How to use the template ### Step 1: Make a copy If you're using Google Sheets, go to *File* **\>** *Make a copy* to edit your own version. If you're using Excel, download the file and save it to your preferred location. ### Step 2: Customize it for your needs - Add your campaigns, content, and marketing channels - Update budget estimates vs. actual spend - Mark important holidays and key company events ### Step 3: Keep it updated Regularly update your calendar to ensure everything stays on track. Share it with your team to align efforts and improve collaboration. ## Download your marketing calendar template ![Marketing calendar template 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/2025/10/Marketing-calendar-template-2026.png) [Marketing calendar template \_ 2026Marketing calendar template \_ 2026.xlsx130 KBdownload-circle](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/10/Marketing-calendar-template-%5F-2026.xlsx "Download") [Marketing calendar template | 2026![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/spreadsheets_2023q4-21.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKkjhOLxof1taOc9hpxiGYxOeoM-MgzAMVDB754aTe2n7P1BZhHCPARtvBBWz2w5eF_wE6_VRSHljlx7SEVt_FwDoY2-lo8IWE9rdEMnktj_zMBTMI-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13IS1hLjWs9si%5FSEe6ztqvbAyBP78YFSleWie3AeO4NY/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How customer marketing and product marketing collaborate to drive long-term growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-and-product-marketing-collaborate-to-drive-growth/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T17:30:15.000Z In [product marketing](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-is-product-marketing/), discussions often revolve around positioning, enablement, go-to-market strategies, and more. However, there's less focus on how the customer relationship post-conversion can – and should – be continuously monitored to ensure your product's ongoing success. This is where the product marketing team can collaborate with its [customer marketing](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing/) team to develop initiatives that keep your product and company present throughout the entire customer journey, engaging users at various touchpoints and building meaningful relationships. Not every company has a dedicated customer marketing function, it's a discipline still in its early stages in some countries and regions (I'm Brazilian, and here, I see this area at an initial maturity level, similar to where product marketing was three or four years ago). Nevertheless, it's a discipline with significant potential and is poised for growth in the coming years. Keep an eye on it 😉. In this article, I'll explore how product marketing and customer marketing intersect, collaborate, and amplify each other's efforts to make a difference in your company! ## First things first: What is customer marketing? [Customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/?%5F%5Fhstc=178084794.d90cfd254b18816a1f86d73e37025caa.1754646633847.1765799112541.1766163253677.49&%5F%5Fhssc=178084794.3.1766163253677&%5F%5Fhsfp=2413362250) focuses on actions and initiatives directed at your existing customers. Its goal is to be present throughout your customer's journey within your product, from product education, adoption, and engagement to retention, advocacy, expansion, and referrals. The primary value generated by this area lies in delivering communications that users need, want, or enjoy, coupled with promoting relevant, intentional, and [personalized experiences](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/develop-customer-relationships-using-personalization/?%5F%5Fhstc=178084794.d90cfd254b18816a1f86d73e37025caa.1754646633847.1765799112541.1766163253677.49&%5F%5Fhssc=178084794.3.1766163253677&%5F%5Fhsfp=2413362250). This combination directly impacts strategic metrics and key business objectives such as **reducing churn and increasing retention, adoption, engagement, loyalty, and brand referrals.** In essence, the area plays a fundamental role in transforming occasional customers into recurring ones and loyal customers into brand advocates. Ultimately, this generated value translates simply into placing your customers at the center of your strategy, making them feel valued and appreciated. ## The business impact of strong customer marketing It's well-known that acquiring new customers is significantly more expensive than [retaining existing ones](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/). And I don’t need to tell you that competition is intensifying. Markets are increasingly saturated, and companies strive to stand out amidst the noise. In this context, [retaining customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactics-for-improving-customer-retention/) isn't just a ticket to growth; it's essential. If your bucket is constantly leaking, you'll never upgrade to a larger bucket because you're not retaining enough to ensure growth. In other words, if you can't retain your customers, you won't scale your customer base's growth. Furthermore, delivering an exceptional and [personalized experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/) provides a competitive advantage. A company can simultaneously retain existing customers and, ideally, attract potential ones, which is excellent news for revenue. Indicators like [reduced churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn/) and increased LTV demonstrate that working with your customer base is more cost-effective. Additionally, the return on investment (ROI) for customer marketing activities tends to be much higher than for more general and less targeted marketing efforts. Let's imagine the following scenario: *User Frank acquired your service/system today and began onboarding. He's highly engaged and enthusiastic about the new product.* *As he receives support during this introduction, being educated about the product and deriving value, he realizes that his pain points are being addressed, and the objective that led him to your solution is being met. Consequently, he decides that your product was what he needed and chooses to continue and renew your service.* *He stays and increasingly uses your solution daily. He becomes not only engaged but also loyal to your solution. His own pain points and needs evolve, transforming and giving rise to new ones. Then he decides it's time to evolve and expand/contract new solutions you offer that may be relevant in this new context of his life.* *At this point, he not only uses and greatly appreciates your solution but also recommends it to his colleagues.* A fairy tale scenario? Perhaps! 😅 But it also illustrates the significant impact that the area – along with a well-structured retention, product experience, and expansion strategy – can have on the company's key business and revenue indicators. Customer marketing impacts the business in various ways, including: 📥 **Adoption**: Helping users understand a product's value (first-time value). If [onboarding](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) is personalized, frictionless, and engaging, you're setting your customers up for success within the product. 🌀 **Renewal and retention**: Existing customers are the primary focus of a customer marketing professional – providing them with a memorable and engaging experience that genuinely enhances their lives will encourage them to return. As a result, they'll remain loyal and continue purchasing from you as their needs and desires are met. **🤑 Increasing sales (upgrade, upsell, cross-sell)**: Loyal customers are much more likely to fully engage with your business and brand, purchasing new products and services your company offers. They require less convincing to buy due to the established trust in your brand and business. **🤝 Building relationships**: Strong customer relationships help drive [loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/) and engagement. This translates into renewals, cross-sales, and upsells, leading to increased profits for your business. Relationships are also crucial for creating active brand advocates. **🗣️ Generating reviews,** [**case studies**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-how-to-connect-customers-using-voice/)**, and testimonials**: As third-party validation, these serve as social proof for your brand, products, and services. Testimonials are effective because hearing about your product's benefits from a real customer is more credible and authentic than any marketing content or advertisement you've created. **⭐ Accelerating advocacy and referrals**: With all these factors combined, your customers will promote and amplify your brand through their own voices to their audiences and peers, attracting new customers via social media and other channels. How customers and [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-identify-and-mobilize-your-brand-ambassadors/) talk about and represent your company is a differentiating factor. ## Where does product marketing fit into this equation? In the context of product marketing, there's still limited discussion about the post-conversion stage. Most discussions and content focus heavily on positioning, enablement, and go-to-market strategies. This might lead us to believe that the product marketing team's responsibilities end with the launch of features and products, with little thought given to how this team can contribute to building relationships and continuous adoption in the long term – and this is precisely where customer marketing can become an important ally. If we consider that product marketing also involves delivering clear messages, facilitating the adoption and use of features, and ensuring the product's positioning is present throughout the customer journey, then we're talking about a role that goes beyond activation and moves toward retention. The customer marketing team can be an extension of product marketing's efforts. Together, they can form a powerful duo! ## 5 key areas of collaboration between PMM and customer marketing Currently, I coordinate both product marketing and customer marketing initiatives. Within my team, I recognize five main overlapping areas that are not only interesting but necessary to strengthen our users' evolution within the product. Let’s take a look. ### 1\. Customer expertise For me, the primary intersection between product marketing and customer marketing is the user. Both focus on the user, [understanding their needs and interests](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/product-marketing-and-user-research-from-chaos-to-clarity/). After all, product marketing and customer marketing wouldn't exist without users. ### 2\. Personalization While the strategy for actions and communications falls under the customer marketing team's scope, constant and regular exchanges between these two teams allow for more tailor-made communications, considering [use cases](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-use-cases-in-product-marketing/), jobs to be done, and user needs that the PMM has already developed and integrated into the product and business. ### 3\. Onboarding and adoption PMMs play a crucial role in ensuring the [adoption](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/12-essential-product-adoption-metrics/) of the product's core features and GTM adoption metrics. The customer marketing team collaborates to support PMMs in creating communications and strategies that drive this adoption. Working together, PMMs can identify adoption pain points and raise concerns with the product team to help customers and validate positioning, messaging, and market analysis. ### 4\. Usage behavior Customer marketing is primarily responsible for mapping and understanding customer usage behavior throughout our solution. By joining forces with the [product marketing and product teams](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-dream-team-product-management-and-product-marketing/), we gain a broader view of the experience, considering different personas and use cases. We can combine communication with in-product experience to deliver value and help our users progress within the solution, identifying their next steps and introducing them to the next solution they might be interested in, thus nurturing more loyal customers. ### 5\. Customer insights Connected to the previous two points, product marketing collaborates with customer marketing to gather valuable [user insights](https://www.productledalliance.com/the-future-of-ai-and-user-insights-at-sprig-2/?%5F%5Fhstc=178084794.d90cfd254b18816a1f86d73e37025caa.1754646633847.1765799112541.1766163253677.49&%5F%5Fhssc=178084794.3.1766163253677&%5F%5Fhsfp=2413362250) about the product, both pre- and post-launch. Customers may struggle to understand a feature's benefits or how to use it correctly. This information allows PMMs to raise concerns with the product team and create assets to assist customers. This is a typical case where analyzing feedback or usage behavior can inform and refine a competitive intelligence strategy, messaging, and positioning. --- In summary, you need both product marketing and customer marketing to scale effectively. They fuel a growth engine that attracts new, qualified customers and keeps your users engaged and evolving with the product. ### Practical examples of this collaboration - **Adoption campaigns**:Utilizing feature usage data for campaigns focused on product adoption. - **Post-launch educational content**: Creating content and educational strategies for feature launches targeting the current customer base. - **Building advocacy programs**: Developing product advocate programs based on usage, NPS, and satisfaction. - **Collecting qualitative feedback**: Facilitating conversations with customers to understand perceptions and identify product improvement opportunities. **Shared metrics: Measuring joint impact** Even when collaborative work flows smoothly, it's essential to establish some guardrails and guidelines for each team. When it comes to metrics, we have some clear divisions: - Product marketing focuses more on the adoption of the product's core features, daily/monthly active users, and GTM adoption metrics. - Customer marketing concentrates on onboarding dynamics, education, and ensuring users have all the necessary information to be introduced to the product with a good experience and start using it. Additionally: - Product marketing looks at the company's revenue goals, supporting the generation of truly qualified SQLs within our ICP, as well as revenue targets for new products. - Customer marketing focuses more on monetization pillars generated by our user base, such as add-on conversions, upgrades, upsells, and cross-sells. Furthermore: - Product marketing considers conversion metrics like win rates, sales confidence, and empowering the team with new assets. - Customer marketing examines churn/retention metrics and solution referral rates. Some metrics that can help measure this collaborative work include: - Feature adoption - Engagement with post-launch campaigns - Customer retention - NPS (Net Promoter Score) - Upsell and cross-sell in existing accounts - Participation in advocacy programs ## Conclusion The customer marketing team can be a great ally to the product marketing team. When we think about the customer lifecycle and how the relationship doesn't end at the sale, we can expand the possibilities for action, positioning, and value delivery. Having both areas structured and strategically positioned within your company can be the game-changer you need to **increase customer retention, loyalty, and overall company growth.** Customer marketing is about nurturing, engaging, and strengthening relationships – transforming new customers into recurring and loyal users, and loyal customers into brand advocates. By prioritizing experience and long-term relationship building, this discipline becomes essential for sustainable growth. And the product marketing team can – and should – play an active rolein making that happen. ### How to make customer marketing a growth engine URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-customer-marketing-a-growth-engine/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T14:00:27.000Z Do you ever feel like your customer marketing team is viewed as the "party planners" of the organization? It’s a struggle that I hear constantly. Over the last six months, I reviewed applications from over a hundred people for a mentorship program I run. Through that process, I uncovered a laundry list of insightful, top-of-mind challenges that our peers face daily. The consensus is loud and clear: most customer marketers feel severely under-resourced – often a team of one trying to do the work of 10\. Worse, they are seen as purely tactical. Leadership measures them by the number of case studies produced or references completed, rather than by revenue or retention. Consequently, proving ROI to the board becomes a massive headache. If this resonates with you, you aren't alone. But there is a way to break out of this box. In this article, you’ll discover how to reframe customer marketing from a tactical support function into a strategic growth engine. We will cover how to "translate the noise" for your C-suite, the six pillars of a full-lifecycle function, and how to act as the "air traffic controller" for your customer base. ## The disconnect between customer marketing and leadership There is often a fundamental disconnect between how we see ourselves and how [leadership ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams/)understands our role. To many executives, "customer marketing" is synonymous with "[customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/)." They know you are the team securing logo rights, selecting case studies, and identifying use cases. While important, these are tactical outputs. If leadership only sees advocacy, they assume you only need a fraction of the budget. To get a seat at the table, you must understand what your leaders actually care about. Your CEO, CFO, and CMO are looking at the business through three specific lenses: 1. **Efficiency:** How are we lowering customer acquisition costs (CAC)? How are we using AI to be more efficient? 2. **Deal velocity:** How do we shorten sales cycles and increase win rates? 3. **Net Revenue Retention (NRR):** This is the big one. How do we keep the bucket from leaking? We tend to look at efficiency as busy work or activity metrics. We look at deal velocity as reactive sales reference calls. And often, we struggle to connect our work to NRR at all. The goal is to bridge this gap. You need to position customer marketing not as a function of "doing favors," but as the engine driving **customer obsession**. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### User feedback tracker for AI content URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/user-feedback-tracker-for-ai-content-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:16:02.000Z ## What is a user feedback tracker for AI content template? The user feedback tracker for AI content template is a specialized tool designed to help teams systematically collect, manage, and analyze user feedback related to AI-generated content. Whether you’re working with AI-written articles, chatbot responses, or automated visuals, this tracker helps ensure that every piece of feedback, positive or critical, gets logged, reviewed, and actioned. This template is your operational hub for improving AI content quality, monitoring trends, and making your content more accurate, ethical, and aligned with user expectations. ## What’s inside the template? This tracker is packed with fields to ensure no detail slips through the cracks. Key sections include: - Feedback entry details - User details - AI content metadata - Feedback categorization - Impact & severity - Response & resolution - Analytics & trends Basically, it gives you the “what, why, and how” of every feedback item, perfect for both human review and trend analysis over time. ## How to use the template 1. **Log all user feedback** related to AI content in real-time or batch uploads. 2. **Tag and categorize entries** by type, severity, and content aspect. 3. **Use the status and resolution fields** to track what action was taken and by whom. 4. **Analyze the tags and trends** to spot recurring issues, improvement opportunities, or emerging risks. 5. **Maintain follow-up notes** and link to documentation or screenshots for transparency. Pro tip: Integrate this tracker with your CRM or feedback platform to automate data flow and save your team from manual entry madness. ## Download your user feedback tracker for AI content template ![User feedback tracker for AI content](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/2025/06/User-feedback-tracker-for-AI-content.png) [User feedback tracker for AI content - User feedback tracker for AI contentUser feedback tracker for AI content - User feedback tracker for AI content.pdf76 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/06/User-feedback-tracker-for-AI-content---User-feedback-tracker-for-AI-content.pdf "Download") [User feedback tracker for AI contentUser feedback tracker for AI content.xlsx108 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/06/User-feedback-tracker-for-AI-content.xlsx "Download") [User feedback tracker for AI content![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/icon/spreadsheets_2023q4-16.ico)Google Docs![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLTLoQRRGBoH8jHhe0rwqftahq-8fOG9B2ikEGn8OThc7Ey-8cRplZww8XunQn2yvyMtCpMPeoP-04oloLaDVNfARfuSAkivlL93IuueOhQw-VFuplp-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-1HOw9YF-kIshgEFU5NFbH13My0kw30nMFp0eoHq%5FeM/edit?gid=658294464#gid=658294464) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer Marketing Summit London 2025 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2025-2/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T16:17:30.000Z Catch up on every session from Customer Marketing Summit London, including sessions from The Guardian, Crowdstrike, SAP and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 7 steps to a CMO-approved customer marketing charter URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/crack-the-executive-code-7-steps-to-a-cmo-approved-charter/ Last updated: 2025-12-12T15:30:21.000Z If you’ve ever tried to build a [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) charter from scratch, you know the challenge isn’t the work itself – it’s getting your executive team to believe in it. [Customer marketing is still misunderstood](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/only-3-of-customer-marketers-feel-fully-understood/) in a lot of organizations. Leaders want [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/), and [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) magic, but they’re not always sure *how* those pieces fit together or what the team behind them actually owns. A customer marketing charter is your North Star — a clear, strategic plan that outlines what your team owns, why it matters, and how your work drives business impact. That’s where most charters fall apart. They get stuck in tactics, miss the bigger picture, and fail to tell a clear story about impact. And without that story, you won’t get the buy-in, budget, or resources you need to scale. The good news? Building a charter that earns [executive approval](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-executive-support-to-launch-customer-advocacy-programs/) is 100% doable. You just need a clear path – one that connects your work to company priorities, gives [leadership confidence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/), and shows exactly how your programs will [drive revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/), retention, and customer love. That’s what this article is here to help you do. I’ll walk you through the seven steps that will help you build a charter your executives want to support – because it solves real business problems and creates measurable impact. Here are the seven steps at a glance: 1. **Start with the right questions** 2. **Do the research** 3. **Validate your findings** 4. **Focus on the big cross-functional challenges** 5. **Prioritize the big three** 6. **Create your success system** 7. **If all else fails, try it before you buy** --- ## Step 1: Ask the right questions Whenever you’re building a new program, initiative, or charter, start by asking yourself the right questions: - What problem are you actually trying to solve? - What jobs need to get done? - What does your C-suite care most about? - How can you make your line manager’s job easier? - What can you realistically launch and execute in 90 days? Don’t forget, your Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) thinks in quarters, so if you can show momentum *inside* that window, you’ll earn attention fast. ## Step 2: Do the research Okay, next on your agenda is to follow the data. This is where you become best friends with: - **Data and analytics**: For customer trends, churn insights, and product usage - **Finance**: To validate numbers, quarterly performance, and revenue mix - **SOPs and MOPs teams**: For marketing influence, pipeline, deal insights, and adoption data - **Voice of customer channels**: NPS, surveys, reviews, and more These teams help you understand what’s actually happening with your customers. Once you have the data in hand, you’re ready for step three. ## Step 3: Validate your findings Yes, data is important, but it’s only your jumping-off point. Data alone isn’t just sterile; it’s irrelevant to getting leadership buy-in. You need *real* customer conversations to bring it to life. Talk to a meaningful sample of customers – maybe 20, 30, or even 50, depending on your scope. Use a mix of one-to-one and one-to-many conversations, and don’t forget to listen to existing recordings like EBRs or survey feedback. Your goal is to uncover: - Hot buttons - Needs and wants - Desires and motivations - Pain points - What’s working and what’s not It’s also the perfect time to test early ideas: share what you’re thinking, get reactions, and see what resonates. Trust me, if there’s one thing I’ve picked up from my career, it’s that customers love being part of something early. ## Step 4: Focus on the big cross-functional challenges Alright, now it’s time to turn inward and talk to your internal stakeholders across your other marketing teams, sales, customer success and customer support. It’s vital before we progress to understand their priorities and leadership’s priorities. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is simple: listen to your executives on analyst calls and earnings calls. You’ll hear what actually matters to them. Common themes may include: - Cost savings - Efficiency - Growth - Retention When you align your charter to these priorities, your work will immediately resonate. I’ll also add that you should build a strong point of view on how your programs can solve real challenges. My suggestion is to use benchmarks, highlight gaps uncovered through customer insights, and turn those challenges into shared company-wide initiatives. I’ve found that this is the best way to build alignment and momentum. To truly bring this home, I love this quote from Nick Mehta: “Retention really is the new growth.” It’s become one of the most important metrics in SaaS, and if it’s not part of your charter, you’re missing a big opportunity. ## Step 5: Prioritize the big three At this point in your charter, you should already have insights, alignment, and a clear understanding of cross-functional challenges. Now it’s time to focus on the core pillars that will carry your entire customer marketing strategy. I call these the big three, because they’re the foundation for scale, deeper relationships, and long-term retention. The big three are: - **Community**: The heartbeat that connects, educates, and inspires customers - **Advocacy**: The fuel that amplifies customer passion and stories - **Lifecycle retention**: The engine that drives adoption, value, and expansion If your charter isn’t anchored in these three pillars, you’ll struggle to scale. These are the areas that consistently matter most to customers and executives – and they’re the clearest path to business impact. ## Step 6: Showcasing programs that put customers at the center Some of the strongest examples come from programs we launched at Marketo and other companies. These include iconic initiatives like Marketo Champions, Adobe Insiders, Adobe Heroes, and Salesforce Trailblazers. They all share one thing in common: they put the customer at the center of everything. Use programs like these to inspire your own charter. Show your leadership what’s possible and how you can drive the same kind of momentum. ### Show what great experiences look like Great customer experiences aren’t just about sending swag. It’s about creating moments customers want to talk about: - Encouraging customers to share their swag on social - Building ambassador-style experiences where customers feel proud to represent your brand - Partnering with customers to highlight their wins at user conferences and events We hosted champion bars where customers educate and evangelize best practices and created personalized moments like gifting Nikes to celebrate milestones and spark connection. These experiences gave our customers a platform to shine and create real networking opportunities. ### Creating raving fans When customers feel seen and celebrated, they become your biggest advocates. At our Summit, for example, we highlighted customers across digital signage and event experiences. Members of our Marketing Engage Champion Program proudly displayed how many times they’d earned champion status. That simple visual cue builds social proof and inspires others to join the ecosystem. And as our product lines expanded from Marketo all the way to the full Adobe Experience Cloud – we used the same playbook to build successful programs across new solutions. ## Step 7: Try it before you buy it This final step is all about piloting. Before you fully invest in a new program or initiative, test it with a controlled audience so you can validate the value, collect customer feedback, and decide whether it deserves broader investment. One of the clearest examples of this is **F5 Insiders**, which we launched in the APAC region by partnering with field marketing, sales leadership, and the product team. Our goal was simple: build an advocacy ecosystem for security operations professionals. We created a dedicated nurture, offered meaningful incentives, and highlighted the opportunities customers could unlock by getting involved. The pilot was a huge success. It became a strong indicator that this advocacy model had the potential to expand into additional territories and eventually scale globally. ### Customer-led retention workshops We launched these during the pandemic to help users adopt Marketo features more effectively – not through us, but through each other. We invited expert customers to teach practical workflows, share real examples, and break down how they were using the tools day-to-day. Between 500 and 1,000 users attended each session, and the learning felt more authentic because it came from peers who lived the same challenges. The workshops worked so well that we expanded the model to Adobe Analytics, Adobe Experience Manager, and other solutions. “Try it before you buy it” isn’t just about experimenting. It’s about showing early wins, reducing risk, and proving that an idea is worth resourcing before you take it to scale. --- And there you have it! I hope these examples and frameworks gave you the insights you need to build a customer marketing strategy that earns CMO buy-in and drives meaningful impact. ### Marketers are adopting AI. So why aren't organizations embracing it? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-adoption-paradox/ Last updated: 2025-12-05T16:57:10.000Z Earlier this year, [CMO Alliance](https://www.cmoalliance.com/) began working on a report exploring the future of marketing. There's a lot of noise on the topic – much of it conjecture – so we wanted to hear from actual marketers on what *they* think the profession will look like in 1, 5, 10 years' time. When setting out to create this report, we knew one topic would likely dominate the discussion: [artificial intelligence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-customer-marketing-is-here/) (particularly the generative variant). Now, almost a year later, we have the data on how marketers are using AI, and more importantly, how they think the technology will transform the marketing profession in the years to come. All the data is laid out in our [Future of Marketing Report](https://www.cmoalliance.com/future-of-marketing-2025-report/) (which is available for free right now), but in the meantime, we wanted to highlight a paradox, or tension, in the way AI is being adopted within the marketing space – namely, the curious gap between enthusiastic individual adoption and organizational hesitancy and inertia. [ Get your copy ](https://www.cmoalliance.com/your-future-of-marketing-report-2025/) ## The tension at the heart of AI adoption Some of the numbers on AI adoption are striking: 89% of marketers are using AI tools "regularly", and of that number, 62% report that the technology has made them "a lot more efficient". Tools like ChatGPT have become as ubiquitous as email clients, with 80% of marketers using OpenAI's chatbot as their go-to AI platform. Content that once took hours to create now takes minutes. Campaign analytics that required dedicated analysts can now be generated instantly. But that's not the whole story. Beneath this efficiency revolution lies a tension that's keeping marketing leaders awake at night. ![Will AI lead to job losses or job creation in the marketing profession?](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2025/11/ai-jobs.png) When asked about AI's impact on the job market over the next five years, marketers are almost perfectly split: 46% believe AI will create new marketing jobs, while 44% predict it will lead to job losses. That a split exists over the question of job displacement is hardly surprising. There are still many unknowns. But the reality is likely more nuanced than a binary choice. AI won't simply eliminate roles or spawn new ones wholesale. Instead, it will [broadly reshape what marketers do](https://www.cmoalliance.com/how-ai-is-reshaping-b2b-marketing-teams-and-strategy/), how teams are structured, and what skills become valuable. The marketers who thrive will be those who understand this shift and position themselves accordingly. ## Why most organizations are stuck If AI is so transformative, why aren't more organizations fully embracing it? Our data reveals a striking pattern: 3 years after the explosion of generative AI technology, 52% of organizations are still in the "testing and pilot programs" stage of AI adoption. And another 26% are in early exploration. That means over three-quarters of marketing organizations are still experimenting rather than fully integrating AI into their workflows. Only 18% have achieved full integration into their workflows. This is remarkable when we consider that 9 in 10 marketers are already using AI tools regularly, and the vast majority report significant efficiency gains. There's clearly a gap between individual adoption and organizational transformation. ![Organizational AI adoption maturity](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2025/11/ai-adoption.png) The barriers are real and tangible. When we asked marketers about their biggest challenges in adopting new technologies, 41% pointed to integration with existing systems as the top hurdle. Many marketing teams are dealing with legacy platforms, siloed data sources, and fragmented tech stacks. Adding AI without disrupting workflows or duplicating effort is genuinely difficult, especially in larger or more mature organizations. But there's a deeper issue at play, one that reveals a strategic disconnect that could prove costly. ## **The strategic blind spot: Tomorrow's priority problem** Here's where things get interesting, and frankly, concerning. When we asked marketers to identify which trend would have the most significant impact on the future of marketing, AI and machine learning dominated with 51% of responses. It wasn't even close: Personalization at scale came in a distant second at 21%. But when we asked about top priorities for the year ahead, integrating new technologies like AI and automation ranked near the bottom at just 6%. Upskilling to adapt to emerging tech fared only slightly better at 7%. ![The top priorities for marketing teams in 2026](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2025/11/priorities.png) A bias towards "business as usual" is pervasive. Marketers overwhelmingly believe AI will reshape their industry, but very few are prioritizing the work needed to prepare for it. So what's crowding out AI investment? The usual suspects: driving lead generation (32%) and increasing brand awareness (24%) dominate the priority list. These are important, revenue-linked objectives that face immediate pressure and scrutiny. But they represent short-term thinking at the expense of long-term positioning. As Petr Hloušek, CMO at ALVAO, puts it: > Many companies, not just marketing teams, are still surprisingly hesitant. They talk about data privacy, legal risks, or compliance, but often it’s just fear, lack of time, or underestimating the potential. AI isn’t going away. The real risk isn’t leaking data – it’s leaking relevance. The companies who learn to use it early (and wisely) will win. This pattern — recognizing AI's importance while failing to prioritize its integration — creates a vulnerability. Organizations are essentially sleepwalking into an AI-powered future they haven't prepared for. And while they're focused on this quarter's lead generation numbers, their more forward-thinking competitors are building the infrastructure and capabilities that will define the next era of marketing. The question isn't whether to prioritize AI integration. It's whether you can afford not to. ## Is data complexity stalling AI adoption within marketing? When we asked marketers about their biggest obstacles to adopting new technologies, integration with existing systems topped the list at 41%, significantly ahead of cost (17%), lack of training (19%), or uncertainty about ROI (19%). ![The barriers to AI adoption within marketing teams](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2025/11/new-technology.png) This isn't just about plugging in a new tool. AI requires something fundamentally different from previous marketing technologies: unified, clean, accessible data flowing across platforms. Many organizations don't have this. Instead, they have what's often described as "data chaos": customer information scattered across CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, analytics tools, and spreadsheets. Purchase history lives in one system, website behavior in another, email engagement in a third. These systems rarely talk to each other effectively, and when they do, the data is often inconsistent, incomplete, or outdated. For AI to deliver on its promise — whether that's personalization, predictive analytics, or intelligent campaign optimization — it needs to see the complete picture. Feed it fragmented data, and you get fragmented results. The old technology adage holds true: garbage in, garbage out. ### The personalization paradox The irony is particularly acute when it comes to personalization, one of AI's most compelling use cases. Our research shows that 68% of marketers believe [hyper-personalization will become the norm](https://www.cmoalliance.com/personalization-in-marketing-automation/) in the near future, and 66% are already leveraging first-party data to make it happen. But dig deeper and the challenges emerge. When asked about the biggest hurdles to implementing personalization, 72% pointed to data quality and integration, by far the most common response. Privacy and compliance came in second at 49%, followed by measuring ROI at 43%. In other words, the very thing AI needs to excel at personalization — comprehensive, unified customer data — is precisely what organizations struggle to provide. This is compounded by the regulatory environment. A striking 73% of marketers say data privacy regulations like GDPR and cookieless advertising have had a significant or very significant impact on their marketing strategy. The third-party cookie, which for years provided a shortcut to understanding customer behavior across the web, is disappearing. Tracking restrictions are tightening. Attribution is becoming more difficult, not easier. Organizations are being asked to do more with AI using less data, or at least less easily accessible data. It's no wonder that 55% predict a zero- and first-party data "takeover" in future personalization strategies. But building robust first-party data collection and unification systems is exactly the kind of complex, unglamorous infrastructure work that organizations struggle to prioritize and fund. ## What this means for AI adoption in marketing The data challenges are central to AI adoption. While individual marketers can derive value from AI tools working with whatever data they have access to, organizations trying to deploy AI at scale run into these problems immediately: - [**Personalization engines**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/personalizations-power-in-modern-advertising/) can't deliver individualized experiences when customer data is fragmented across systems - [**Predictive analytics**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-predictive-revolution-how-marketing-is-learning-to-see-around-corners/) produce unreliable predictions when trained on incomplete or inconsistent data - [**Attribution models**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/chasing-roas-marketing-attribution-pipe-dream/) can't accurately measure campaign effectiveness when touchpoints aren't connected - **Automated optimization** makes suboptimal decisions when it can't see the full customer journey - **AI-powered insights** miss critical patterns when data silos prevent comprehensive analysis This is why 52% of organizations remain in pilot mode. Pilots can work around data limitations. They operate in controlled environments with carefully curated datasets. But when you try to scale AI across the entire marketing operation, you smash directly into these foundational data problems. The organizations currently stuck aren't necessarily less ambitious or less capable than the 18% who have achieved full AI integration. They may simply have more technical debt, more complex legacy systems, or more regulatory constraints to navigate. But the clock is ticking. Every quarter spent in pilot mode is a quarter where more nimble competitors are building the data infrastructure and AI capabilities that will define the next era of marketing. The 40% struggling with integration challenges can't afford to treat data infrastructure as something to fix "eventually." It's not just plumbing. Rather, it's the foundation everything else is built on. And without it, AI adoption at the organizational level will remain perpetually aspirational rather than operational. ### Customer Marketing Awards 2025: Your winners URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-award-winners-2025/ Last updated: 2025-12-01T16:15:15.000Z Who stands at the pinnacle of customer marketing excellence? 🤔 The moment you've been waiting for has arrived. 🏆 After evaluating all the nominations in the respective categories, we’re thrilled to unveil the 2025 Customer Marketing Award Champions. Thank you to everyone who participated in these awards. Customer marketing is one of the driving forces behind ensured retention and sustainable growth, and it's high time we celebrate the remarkable individuals and teams leading the charge.🚀 ## **Customer Marketer of the Year** [**Daniel Palay**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpalay/)**, Director of Customer Advocacy at** [**Grafana Labs**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/grafana-labs/) **is Customer Marketer of the Year.** Simply running a customer advocacy program isn’t something Daniel Palay is interested in. Daniel’s fundamentally rethinking what success looks like. As Director of Customer Advocacy at Grafana Labs, he's built a team that operates without quotas yet consistently overdelivers: seven times more advocacy content, $45M+ in influenced revenue, and over 200 Gartner Peer Insights reviews this year. Bet you’re dying to know his secret, aren’t you? Okay, here it is: Daniel’s #1 focus is accelerating customer outcomes instead of chasing vanity metrics. His work has shifted industry standards, amplified customer voices on a global scale, and proven that when you empower your team to do exceptional work, the results speak for themselves. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/12/WINNER--12-.png) ## **Customer Marketing Team of the Year** [**Gigamon**](https://www.gigamon.com/) **is Customer Marketing Team of the Year.** Three people. 30,000+ community members. Four brand assets every quarter. Gigamon's Customer Marketing Team proves that the right blend of talent and collaboration beats sheer size every time. This tight-knit trio plays to each other's strengths – coordinating reference programs, running frequent customer board meetings, and turning advocacy into a cross-functional engine for growth. They've built something rare: a customer community that's not just large, but genuinely engaged. Their ability to amplify customer voices while driving measurable business impact shows what's possible when a team is aligned, supported, and laser-focused on customer-led growth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/12/WINNER--13-.png) --- ## Thank you to our nominators A heartfelt shoutout to our nominators. Your votes in this year's Customer Marketing Awards have been invaluable. Celebrating the incredible talent within our industry is vital, and we're ecstatic to spotlight the cream of the crop in Customer Marketing. Thank you for helping us illuminate their achievements! Want to stay up to date with our winners, and more? First thing’s first, be sure to connect with all our winners and shortlisted candidates on LinkedIn to congratulate them on their awesome work. And if you want to stay up-to-date on all the latest in the Customer Marketing space, network with these fantastic finalists, and meet even more of your peers, then the [Customer Marketing Alliance Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-cma-slack-community/) is for you! Join and start connecting with 10,000+ Customer Marketing pros from across the world, today! ### CMO channel strategies for 2025 (and how they will shape 2026) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmo-marketing-channel-strategies/ Last updated: 2025-11-27T15:16:46.000Z The [CMO Alliance](https://www.cmoalliance.com/) asked a very important question to its community of CMOs and marketing leaders: which channels will they prioritize in 2025? One response dominated the conversation: [**content marketing**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/). A striking **80.1%** of respondents placed it at the top of their list. This reflects a strategic commitment to building long-term brand authority through blogs, whitepapers, video, and thought leadership. Paid media followed at **57.3%**, while SEO (**51.2%**), social media (**48.8%**), and email (**43.9%**) filled out the top five. Together, these channels form the backbone of most modern marketing strategies. Meanwhile, affiliate, influencer, and experiential marketing are losing a bit of momentum, often sidelined by resource constraints, attribution challenges, or strategic misalignment. Let’s look into these stats a bit more… Pssst! Download the [****Future of Marketing 2025**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/future-of-marketing-2025-report/) report for more. ## Content marketing remains central [Content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) continues to be the foundation of marketing strategy because it drives value across almost every other channel. It fuels [SEO](https://www.cmoalliance.com/search-is-changing-google-ai-mode/) performance, provides assets for [social campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/), and keeps email nurtures alive. In 2025, brands are focusing on content that attracts attention and builds [credibility and trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) in a fragmented, AI-driven ecosystem. “We’re investing heavily in what I call[*AI-Ready SEO*](https://www.cmoalliance.com/search-is-changing-google-ai-mode/)– ensuring our brand surfaces in large language model outputs like ChatGPT and Gemini, not just Google,” says**Rossana R. Rodgers, CMO at Authena AG**. “At the same time, we’re doubling down on intent-driven content, LinkedIn leadership, and partner-driven co-marketing.” Rossana’s approach highlights a subtle shift: content now has to be discoverable beyond traditional search engines and aligned with customer intent at every touchpoint. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Paid media: measured and strategic Paid media remains a priority for more than half of marketers, despite rising costs and stricter privacy rules. Paid channels are a tactical amplifier. When paired with high-quality content, paid media drives measurable results that can scale campaigns efficiently. **Charlie Grinnell, Co-CEO at RightMetric**, cautions: > *“If you're picking channels before picking a strategy you’re doing it backwards. I see it constantly. Teams launch across five platforms because it's what everyone else is doing. But channels are just the last mile. Strategy should dictate execution, not the other way around.”* Paid media still delivers reach, but CMOs are now prioritizing campaigns that complement a broader ecosystem rather than chasing scale alone. ## SEO, social, and email are the steady workhorses SEO, social media, and email remain essential pillars. These channels allow brands to nurture organic discovery, maintain [community engagement](https://www.cmoalliance.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-your-brand-story/), and build meaningful relationships. In an era of fluctuating algorithms and increasing paid costs, owned and earned channels provide a sense of stability. **Chetan Baregar, Senior Director of Marketing at Recykal.com**, notes: > *“CACs on Meta and Google have gone through the roof, and performance is becoming harder to scale. As a result, we’ve shifted focus to owned channels like email,* [*WhatsApp*](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/how-to-manage-a-community-on-whatsapp/)*, and community building.* > > *“Right now, it’s not about* [*expansion*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/)*; it’s about efficiency. Email and data-backed segmentation, combined with consistent WhatsApp engagement, are giving us direct, measurable impact.* > > *"Priority-wise, our biggest focus is understanding our users deeply and engaging with them frequently. In the B2B landscape, staying top-of-mind is everything and if you’re out of sight, you’re out of the deal.”* This approach emphasizes efficiency over expansion. CMOs are now prioritizing channels that deliver measurable impact, reinforcing the value of nurturing existing audiences rather than chasing new ones indiscriminately. [Why content is key to building a successful communityWe spoke to Bryony Pearce, Chief Marketing Officer at The Alliance, about how her role helps to support community-led growth in the organization, and how engaged communities can impact traditional marketing strategies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-408.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJade Warne![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jorien-loman-nAZUJFrDlaY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) ## Channels losing ground Some channels are taking a back seat. [Affiliate marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-affiliate-marketing-worth-it-the-pros-and-cons-to-consider/) (**13.4%**) and [influencer marketing](https://www.cmoalliance.com/influencer-marketing-the-perfect-combination-of-brand-and-performance/) (**26.8%**) are no longer top-line priorities for many organizations. Attribution challenges, skepticism about ROI, and resource limitations make these tactics harder to justify in 2025 budgets. Offline and [experiential marketing](https://www.cmoalliance.com/how-to-build-an-experiential-marketing-strategy-examples-inside/) maintain a smaller but strategic role, particularly in B2B contexts. [Events](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/), webinars, and [field marketing](https://www.cmoalliance.com/what-is-field-marketing/) remain effective when integrated into broader content and digital strategies. ## Thinking ahead: 2026 and the ecosystem approach The biggest opportunity for CMOs isn’t choosing a channel but orchestrating how channels work together. **Alberto Gerin, CMO at Modefinance**, explains: > *“In a fragmented landscape, trust and context are king. Brands are doubling down on community-driven platforms like LinkedIn, and it's not just for reach, but for credibility and meaningful engagement.* > *“There’s a visible shift in LinkedIn conversations: from ‘channel performance’ to ‘ecosystem orchestration.’ The most effective marketing leaders are prioritizing integrated content ecosystems, where owned, earned, and paid media converge around trust,* [*thought leadership*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/11-exclusive-customer-marketing-tips-from-thought-leaders/)*, and customer-centric value.* > *“I’m particularly inspired by the wave of emphasizing* quality *over* frequency*, sharing real outcomes of content-account-based strategies, or breaking down how to map intent data to platform use. For me, in 2025 and beyond, channels will matter less than the choreography between them.”* The implication is clear: the next wave of marketing success depends on integration. Channels are no longer siloed; they form a connected ecosystem that guides the customer journey and builds brand authority simultaneously. [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-409.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1--3.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) ## Preparing for 2026 Here’s what CMOs should keep in mind as they look to next year: 1. **AI-ready SEO** will become standard. Customers increasingly search through AI tools, not just traditional engines. Optimizing content for these systems will be critical for visibility. 2. **Community engagement grows in importance.** LinkedIn and other professional communities provide credibility and trusted touchpoints. 3. **Efficiency over expansion.** Rising [customer acquisition costs](https://www.cmoalliance.com/a-beginners-guide-to-customer-acquisition/) and resource limits push marketers to maximize existing audiences through [segmentation](https://www.cmoalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/), [nurturing](https://www.cmoalliance.com/biggest-challenges-for-lead-nurturing/), and [personalization](https://www.cmoalliance.com/personalizations-power-in-modern-advertising/). 4. **Performance metrics evolve.** With reduced visibility due to privacy changes, marketers will need to balance traditional conversion data with engagement quality and brand lift. 5. **Authenticity wins.** Even with AI-powered content creation, storytelling that feels human and resonates with your audience remains the differentiator. The survey shows that channels matter, but the way they work together matters more. CMOs who think in ecosystems rather than silos will start 2026 ahead of the curve, creating strategies that are durable, measurable, and adaptable. ### 5 key customer obsession strategies URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-obsession-strategies/ Last updated: 2025-11-21T15:45:52.000Z Before exploring the strategy behind customer obsession, let's begin by looking at a handful of brands that exemplify [customer-centricity](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/). Amazon is an obvious one. Part of their mission statement is that they strive to be the world's most customer-centric organization, and the services that we know and love – like Amazon Prime’s same-day delivery – are all based on [customer insights](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/evolving-customer-marketing-strategies-insights-from-industry-experts/). Next up, we have Etsy. Do you remember in the early days of the pandemic when there weren’t enough masks and they put out a call to sellers to start making them? Within a month, there were 20,000 sellers making masks, and 12 million masks sold through Etsy. That shows an incredible understanding of the market. They understood what their customers needed and took action to make those things available. Patagonia’s another one. They just made the incredibly bold customer-insight-driven move of donating the entire company to fight climate change. And there are many other examples – Kroger, Lowe's, Rothy’s – all customer-obsessed organizations with valuable lessons to teach us. For these organizations, customer obsession is part of their DNA. The CEO or founder has made it a priority. However, that’s not necessarily the case for everybody. Many organizations may well be customer-focused, but they're not customer-obsessed. Today, we’re going to turn that around. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## What is customer obsession? I want to share a little bit about the difference between being customer-focused and customer-obsessed. We’ll see how you, in your [role as a marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-thrive-as-a-solo-customer-marketer-in-a-scaling-company/), can become more customer-obsessed and take your customer experience to the next level. Jeff Bezos is seen as the father of customer obsession. There’s a super famous quote from him: “We’re not competitor obsessed; we’re customer-obsessed” and I know it to be true – I worked at Amazon for four years. Everything the company does starts from the customer and works backward, whether that's an event they're planning, a video they're shooting, or a new product they're ideating. It's incredible, and it results in incredible experiences, services, and products. The customer isn't this ethereal anonymous being, although in large enterprises, and especially in B2B, we often fall into the trap of thinking they are. [Behind every transaction is a human being](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-human-connection-drives-exceptional-marketing-results/) with feelings and needs. They want to be excited. They want to be engaged. As Maya Angelou said, *“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”* If you take nothing else from this article, if you stop reading now, I want you to take away that you, as a marketer, have a responsibility to make your customers feel a certain way with every piece of content you create and every interaction you build. **It's how you make them feel that matters.** If you make a boring [product video](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/revolutionizing-storytelling-through-remote-video-capture/), people aren't going to remember how exciting that product really is. You have the opportunity to create a lasting feeling that people will never forget, and that'll help catapult your business and your results forward. Let's talk a little bit about how to do that. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ### Customer obsession vs customer focus: what's the difference? It all comes back to the distinction between customer obsession and customer focus. **Gibson Biddle, , former VP of Product at Netflix**, wrote a really interesting [blog post](https://gibsonbiddle.medium.com/customer-obsession-8f1689df60ad) explaining how Netflix adopted customer obsession during his time there. I think it sums up a lot of the contemporary thinking around customer obsession and customer focus. Here are the five major differences he outlines: 1. Listening to what customers say is customer focus, and that's awesome, but to be obsessed, you should be **testing, learning, and using data to drive new customer insights**. 2. [Understanding customers' needs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-a-program-that-your-customers-actually-use/) and wants is customer focus. Again, that’s awesome – everybody should do that. However, to be obsessed, you should be **innovating and delivering on unanticipated future needs**. Nobody woke up one day and said that they needed an iPhone. Nobody. This was an innovation that served an unanticipated future need. 3. Focusing on customer satisfaction is, of course, super important. But to take it to the next level, you need to aspire to **long-term customer delight**. When you consistently delight the customer, you create real impact. 4. Customer-focused companies provide better products than [the competition](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-competitive-strategy-for-each-stage-in-the-business-lifecycle/). Well, forget about the competition. How about you **pioneer new frontiers** with no competition instead? 5. Finally, customer-focused organizations balance customer satisfaction and profit margins to build their businesses. Meanwhile, customer-obsessed organizations **lead with customer delight** and higher margins follow. [Customer-centric strategies: Five lessons for successBuilding a marketing strategy without your customers in mind is like making a hamburger and not including a patty– it just doesn’t make sense. So, where to start? Here are five lessons learned and best practices from one Customer Marketer to another.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-404.png)Customer Marketing AllianceVera Barile![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/emily-bernal-Z9CyRqzEGC8-unsplash--1--4.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/) ## 5 key strategies to implement customer obsession Let's dive into each of these customer-obsessed strategies. ## Strategy 1: Learn Our first strategy is [all about data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/), and going beyond insight into customer empathy. As marketers, we know that all too often, somebody on the product management team has an inkling that becomes an idea that becomes the truth. It’s our responsibility to deep dive into the data that's available to us to check those assumptions about our customers and make sure they’re valid. You don't need a big budget to do this. You just need to define your customer [segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) and [personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-persona-first-problem/) and understand the buyer journey. Take a walk in your customer's shoes. Go on that customer journey. As you do so, you’ll realize just how much data is available to you. There are so many different stages in a customer journey, and if you've got the right telemetry, you can pull and analyze data from each one of them to understand what's happening with your customers. You also want to add some human interactions to the mix. To create empathy, you need to see what your customers are doing. What are they talking to the support team about? Listen in on those calls and find out. If your organization has [created a community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-you-need-a-crisis-plan-for-your-online-community-launch/), embed yourself in it to learn about your customers’ wants and needs. It’s also worth paying attention to third parties. Many marketers miss opportunities to gain insights through analyst reports, for example. You should be building a 360-degree approach that combines first-party data, your first-hand experiences of walking in the customer’s shoes, and [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/) then triangulates all of that to get a complete picture of your customers. Earlier in my career, I worked at Philips, and one of the brands I worked on is Sonicare. Does simply brushing my teeth every day allow me to fully understand what motivates somebody to buy a Sonicare? No. [Centralize Customer Intelligence for Product and MarketingWe all know that solid data is your best friend when it comes to sound decision-making, but did you know that only 12% of organizations base almost all of their decisions on real-time data? Nearly three-quarters lack a centralized source of data that’s available to the whole company.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-406.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJaimie Corby![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jeshoots-com-fzOITuS1DIQ-unsplash--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/centralize-customer-intelligence-for-product-and-marketing/) We went deep to understand people's at-home brushing habits. We did studies around the world to learn how people brush their teeth, how they hold their toothbrushes, and their daily routines. We combined those real-world insights with [message testing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-thatll-improve-your-messaging/), [focus groups](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/customer-needs-and-how-to-meet-them/#focus-groups), and research, but the most insightful part was understanding what people do in the home. It doesn't get more real than that. Before Philips, I worked on QuickBooks at Intuit. One of the incredible things we had there were usability labs, which we could run either on-site or off-site. Customers would come in and conduct their day-to-day accounting tasks in the software, and we’d watch them. We paid attention to how they navigated the software, their facial expressions, where their eyes were going as they looked at the page – every aspect of their experience. We gained a huge amount of insight from this. For example, we quickly realized that one of the first tasks customers want to carry out with our software is customizing invoices, and we needed to optimize that. That was just one of the easy ways we found to enable customers to get to their first moment of delight. All this came from [listening](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/), learning, using the data, and moving from insight into empathy. [The 5 customer data signals that power growth-stage marketingData is the engine of growth: personalize, segment, and scale smarter with these five insights that drive customer success and retention.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-405.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCetiera Carmona![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/The-5-customer-data-signals-that-power-growth-stage-marketing.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-data-growth-stage-customer-journey/) ### Strategy 2: Innovate The next step in building your customer obsession is taking all you’ve learned through data and empathy and using it to innovate. Let’s follow Google’s lead on this one. A quote we use all the time is, “Know the user. Know the magic. Connect the two.” That came from Google Creative Lab, and it’s the philosophy that allows us to innovate and deliver on those unanticipated needs. I'll give you a personal example. Last summer, my family and I went on a huge trip. We traveled from here in Seattle to mainland Spain, then to Ibiza. The kids went to Paris, we went to the north of England, and then we all met up again in London before we flew back to Seattle. I had no idea that Google had this magical way of extracting all of our bookings for every hotel, flight, and car hire. Without me taking any action, our full itinerary had been pulled into a new Google travel listing. I didn't have to create a spreadsheet with all of our flight details and where we were going to be on what day – it was just there, on my phone. I couldn't believe it. To me, that's knowing the user, knowing the magic, and connecting the two. Another example comes from my time working on Amazon Web Services (AWS). It's an example of not really knowing the insight, then testing, and innovating to get to a place that's very insightful and appealing. We [launched a product](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/a-visual-guide-to-product-launches/) called AWS DeepLens, which we began marketing as “the world's first deep learning-enabled developer kit.” What the heck did that mean? Lots of people were excited about it but had no idea what they could actually use it for, so we innovated. We listened to some customers and found an incredible use case that we thought would appeal to everybody in a humorous way and bring some magic. [Let me hand it over to Ben Hamm, cat lover, to tell you a bit more about it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW8b1gWMaJk). Go ahead – watch the video. I’ll wait. Ben and his murder cat, Metric, brought to life what had been a pretty bland campaign. We took something complex and made it interesting and relatable. It’s innovative product marketing at its finest. ### Strategy 3: Delight As product marketers, we can drive [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/) by delivering long-term customer delight. The first step in this process is making it **delightfully easy to get started** with a product. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent many hours and months poring over [onboarding content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/), trying to figure out how to improve the onboarding experience of your customers through tutorials, presentations, and webinars. It's our job as product marketers to support customers on those all-important first steps of their journey. The next step is making your product **delightfully easy to use**. Now, I'm sure we all wish that all of our products were delightfully easy to use all of the time, but the truth is, they're not. It's our job as custodians of the customer experience to provide the guidance needed in the documentation so that when customers hit a roadblock, they can quickly overcome it. Once you've got those foundational pieces in place, it’s time to create a **delightful customer experience**. A great way to do this is through the gamification of learning and discovery. Another way is to [build a delightful community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communities-in-high-risk-spaces/). We’ve done this through our Google Cloud Innovators Program, which adds value to the customer experience by bringing users together for a common cause and making them part of a movement. Whatever kind of business you're in, fostering a community and bringing a value-added experience will no doubt [drive retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/). According to a recent HBR article, retaining a customer is five to 25 times cheaper than [acquiring a new one](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-acquisition-all-you-need-to-know-2/). We all know how critical customer retention is, and I see that as a huge part of being customer-obsessed. [What is engagement marketing?Engagement marketing is a customer marketer’s bread and butter. When employed by a customer marketer, It’s about connecting with your customer base and creating meaningful experiences that foster brand loyalty.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-407.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engement-marketing-2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) ### Strategy four: Pioneer The fourth element of customer obsession is pioneering new frontiers. This is about not only standing out from your competitors but also competing in a space that only you can own. Let’s look at some examples. Our first example is Google Cloud’s partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), which takes cloud technology and capabilities and makes them relatable through sports. What’s more, it brings a value-add to that sport by attracting more viewers. We provide Statcast, which enables MLB to use machine learning, and our Anthos service, which brings new statistics to an old ball game. It's always been a data-driven sport, but this takes it to the next level. Similarly, AWS has a partnership with the NFL. Next-gen stats powered by AWS machine learning can make predictions on the speed of a runner and the live win probability. These are both super interesting ways of showing products and services in action through pure marketing execution. Another example of pioneering is the creation of new sports and experiences. Back in 2018, AWS started the DeepRacer League, which uses reinforcement learning to drive 1/18th scale autonomous vehicles around a track, creating a racing league that exists both online and in person. This was based on the insight that developers want to make machine learning accessible and democratize that technology. All of these pioneering ways of engaging with customers were built on insights about who they are and what they like. Developers love sports, they want new ways to learn, they want friendly competition, and they want to be the hero. Each of these moves is so insight-driven and powerful that it takes customers beyond just engaging with the company for its services and creates true fans of the brand. ### Strategy 5: Repeat The final strategy is repetition. True customer obsession is an ongoing cycle of learning, innovating, delighting, and pioneering, not a one-off set of activities. You need to make this part of your DNA and the rhythm of the business. If you can do that, you will truly up your game and take your customer obsession to the next level. I’m excited to see how you apply this customer-obsessed ethos to your product marketing. ### How Vimeo scales authentic customer stories with AI URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-vimeo-scales-authentic-customer-stories-with-ai/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:36:45.000Z Are you feeling the pressure to deliver more customer stories without any increase in your team's resources? That was the challenge I faced when I started at Vimeo. The demand for authentic customer proof is skyrocketing – from sales and marketing to executive teams – but our capacity to capture and produce these stories often lags behind. It's a fundamental problem for every customer marketer. In this article, you'll discover how I transformed our approach to customer storytelling by strategically integrating AI across the entire workflow. I'll share the specific, tactical ways I use [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) to streamline the process, uncover crucial metrics, and scale our customer stories without sacrificing the authenticity that makes them so powerful. ## Why customer stories matter more than ever At its heart, the decision to buy is about emotional connection and trust, not just features and price. As marketers, we need to understand that prospects don't want to hear from just brands – they inherently trust their peers more. Hearing directly from other customers who've been in their shoes is infinitely more powerful than any message we could craft on our own. ### The growing resource challenge The reality is that the demand for customer stories is exploding across the organization. Our CEO at Vimeo, for example, loves to start every meeting with a [customer story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-master-guide-to-brand-storytelling/). Yet, the resources we have to capture and produce these compelling narratives aren't growing at the same pace. The big takeaway for all customer marketers is this: our job is to find ways to scale customer storytelling without losing the crucial element of authenticity. When I first joined Vimeo, I immediately saw an opportunity to use AI to address this gap. While the stories we produced were visually stunning with strong narratives, they often lacked the measurable outcomes and metrics that truly bring them to life for a prospective buyer. It’s those metrics, paired with the customer's initial challenge, that show why customer stories are essential to the buyer journey. ## Integrating AI into the customer story workflow I like to think about the [customer storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-top-channels-for-customer-story-sharing-2/) workflow in three main stages, and [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ethical-ai-in-customer-marketing/) brings tremendous value to each one. The biggest benefit we’ve seen is saving significant time while simultaneously keeping quality high. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### A/B testing template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-b-testing-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:49:04.000Z ## What is an A/B testing template? An A/B testing template is a structured framework designed to help compare two or more versions of a variable (like a blog post, web page, or advertisement) against each other to determine which version performs the best. This template ensures a statistically sound process, covering everything from defining goals and generating ideas to implementing changes and crowning the winner. ## What’s inside the template? The A/B testing template includes several key sections to guide you through the continuous improvement process: - **A/B testing overview:** A definition of A/B testing (split or bucket testing)and common reasons for undertaking the process, such as starting a new webpage or looking for a radical design departure. - **Product roadmap:** A phased process that starts with market needs and business goalsand moves through deconstructing the roadmap into testable chunksand product implementation. - **A/B testing process:** Steps for continuous improvement, including defining the goal, brainstorming ideas, implementing the changes, testing until statistically significant, and crowning the new champion. - **A/B testing campaign:** A structure showing how a single objective campaignis split across multiple audiences and variations (Ad sets). - **A/B test results/analytics:** Visualizations and tables for tracking key metrics like conversion rate, uplift, confidence, and sign-ups. - **A/B test tracking:** A table used to document details like the owner, status, start/end dates, prediction, result, and next steps for individual tests. ## How to use the template - **Document project details:** Use the A/B Testing Overview to understand why you are testing, such as having a limited number of conversions or looking for a radical design departure. - **Follow the continuous process:** Define a goal (conversion), brainstorm ideas, and implement changes. - **Test and analyze:** Run the test long enough until it is statistically significantand use the Analytics to understand changes like average session length or lifetime value. - **Complete documentation tasks:** Use the Tracking table to record the prediction, result, confidence, and set the next steps for future A/B tests. - **Maintain improvement cycle:** Once a winner is crowned, integrate the learning into the product roadmap to drive further growth and conversion. ## Download your A/B testing template ![A/B testing](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/11/A-B-testing.png) [A\_B testingA\_B testing.pdf279 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/11/A%5FB-testing.pdf "Download") [A\_B testingA\_B testing.odp105 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/11/A%5FB-testing.odp "Download") [A/B testingA/B testing Name of course here![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/favicon-2023q4-2.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyICOxJ_8F83kZzm98g6sUCJ0yndTfXxulQddzP5Wmq5sEg5SGDZA9A8Ce4kWigJnlgxSY84cuLAUDJrJy30oovspqT2-0MHzy55BmKXL60r4IftDJ8-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QPqp5svHwezlhDRwykw5iZyMgcdcknTrwnYVg4manM0/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Elevating customer marketing's voice in leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/c-suite-elevating-customer-marketings-voice-in-leadership/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:39:06.000Z ## Positioning customer marketing for success Are you looking to make a bigger impact in your organization? Well, you've come to the right place. First things first, where does your customer marketing team sit within your organization? In my experience, customer marketing teams often roll up into marketing, customer success, or sales. Each has its pros and cons. At one point in my career, I actually negotiated to roll up to sales, specifically the CRO. Why? Because we needed to build credibility in an environment where sales reps were resistant to us talking to their customers. Don't be afraid to propose a change in your reporting structure. Think about what would happen if you switched from one org to another. How would you have to approach things differently? It's a good litmus test for how comfortable you are and how many stakeholders you have in your current organization. For example, after we started in sales at Genesys, we eventually moved over to marketing. Suddenly, we had this thing called a budget to work with, which we didn't have in sales. It enabled us to accelerate a lot of the things we were already trying to do in sales but just didn't have the funds for. And then, when you’ve found what works, it’s *crucial* to stick to that organizational structure. If you’re constantly shifting, and constantly reorganizing, it’s incredibly challenging to build long-term relationships with your customers and advocates. [Vital leadership skills when structuring your marketing teams | Learning with LeadershipIn our second episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Katie Meeker, Director of Customer Marketing at ICIMS, about the vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/5.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/) ## Building confidence and credibility Now, let's talk about something that's absolutely necessary in this role: Confidence. I like to say you need to pour yourself a bowl of badass in the morning, with a little poise and grace sprinkled on top to soften that badass crunch. Trust me, you'll need both! When you're presenting to executives, confidence is key, they'll see right through any hesitation. I remember one time, I was presenting to the ELT, including the CEO, and they wanted to change direction, but I knew our plan was solid. So I said, > "*No, I'm not switching. This is what we're doing. We're moving on. I'll show you the results later*." Let me tell you, I was so nervous, my hands were shaking. Thank goodness it was on Zoom so no one could see! But you've got to be able to go in with that confidence because they will react to that in a very positive way. Just remember - confidence, not cockiness. ### Knowing your stuff To build that confidence, you need to know your stuff inside and out. Always go into executive meetings armed with customer examples and proof points. I will never, ever go into an executive meeting without having customer examples, customer voice, and proof points to raise. Why? Because while they can argue with you, they can't argue with your customer! ### Crafting impactful stories I love going into executive meetings with a story. Everyone enjoys a good story, even CEOs. But make sure to keep it short and impactful. Take more words out than you think you need to. Don't let it go on for too long. Stories are great when they're with an ending that doesn't leave everyone sitting there checking their phones. Make it crystal clear how you're getting to the end of that story and when you'll get there. [Let’s hear it: Magnify your voice of the customer program“What does the ‘voice of the customer’ mean in business?” you might ask. Voice of the customer programs are methods created by companies to best understand the experience and needs of their customer base through customer feedback.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/stephen-kraakmo-uAzUg6_tMCo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/magnify-your-voice-of-the-customer-program/) ## **Overcoming challenges and leveraging support** Let's face it: this journey isn't always smooth sailing. You're going to face challenges, and that's okay. The key is how you handle them and who you turn to for support. ### Embracing setbacks Expect that you're going to fall during your run. Expect that it's probably going to hurt. Expect that you're probably going to feel like you're the only one who's fallen off that treadmill. But trust me, you're not. The best thing you can do is get back on and keep going. If you believe strongly in your ability to have a seat at the executive table, do not give up on that. Just don't. Because it's never going to come to you on a silver platter. You've got to continue to push for it. You've got to continue to champion for yourself because guess what? Nobody else is. If you don't, then you're doing yourself a disservice. ### Seeking help and coaching Don't be afraid to ask for help. Because guess what? Most people are going to want to help you. I've had C-level execs ask for help. It's okay to ask for help from anyone. Recently, when preparing to present to our new CEO, I got coaching from our CMO. Having that feedback of what he's learned and what he's observed by being a direct report to the CEO was invaluable, and I hit a home run. But that was because of that coaching and listening to someone who's done this before. ### Building a network of stakeholders Your stakeholders are your bread and butter. As you navigate different organizational structures, think about how you can broaden your network of stakeholders. These relationships will be crucial in championing your cause and getting things done. [Leslie Paterson | How To Approach Executive Conversations: Setting Up A Successful Customer Marketing Team | Customer Marketing Catch-UpIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Leslie Paterson, VP of Customer Advocacy & Engagement at BMC, talks to us about how you should approach executive conversations to set your customer marketing team up for success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/08/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--5---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/leslie-paterson-how-to-approach-executive-conversations-setting-up-a-successful-customer-marketing-team-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Conclusion ### Getting and keeping a seat at the leadership table isn't easy, but it's absolutely worth it. You have a unique and valuable perspective to bring to the leadership table. Your insights into customer needs, preferences, and feedback are crucial for driving business success. So go and make your voice heard! Remember, nobody else is going to champion for you if you don't do it yourself. So keep pushing, keep innovating, and keep demonstrating the value of customer marketing. Your seat at the table is waiting for you! --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Leslie at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, San Francisco 2023** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-sf-2023-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=malqsajf82&wmediaid=c2p4lqbf5c)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### Using AI to bridge gaps in customer marketing and sales collaboration URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-bridge-gaps-customer-marketing-sales-collaboration/ Last updated: 2025-11-12T13:46:18.000Z [Customer marketing and sales alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-solution-to-sales-and-marketing-misalignment/) has always been crucial, but in such a data-rich environment as marketing, relying on manual processes just doesn’t cut it anymore. The good news? AI can help. Across industries, customer marketers are already tapping into AI to speed up content creation, sharpen personalization, and, most importantly, strengthen their collaboration with sales. Because when these two teams are in sync, everything from pipeline growth to customer retention gets a boost. ## Collaboration is a necessity, not a strategy Strong relationships with [cross-functional partners](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/), especially sales, are the foundation of growth. **Vernon Gomes, Product Marketing Manager at Addepar,** summed it up perfectly: > *“The efficiency of communications matters, especially when so many different teams want to talk to the same customers.”* That’s the heart of it. The goal is a world where everyone – marketing, sales, [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/), product – champions customer programs as if they were their own. It’s what turns collaboration from an operational checkbox into a competitive advantage. The first step is clarity. Ask yourself: **What does success look like for each team?** When you define shared [OKRs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) and open up visibility into each other’s goals, you can spot overlap, align priorities, and avoid duplicating effort. Customer advocacy programs naturally act as “air traffic control” for communication – ensuring customers aren’t overwhelmed and that outreach always feels coordinated. But good intentions don’t guarantee smooth sailing. Collaboration can still hit some familiar bumps: - **Conflicting priorities:** Sales is chasing short-term wins; customer marketing is focused on long-term growth. - **The “backdoor reference”:** Sales reps sometimes bypass advocacy processes and reach out to their own trusted customers, leading to overused advocates and strained relationships. - **Manual processes:** Finding the right customer advocate or case study example can turn into a last-minute scramble when a deal’s on the line. These pain points create friction, slow momentum, and dilute the customer experience. And that’s exactly where AI steps in. ## How AI bridges the collaboration gap [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ethical-ai-in-customer-marketing/) connects people, data, and processes across teams so both sides can spend less time chasing updates and more time creating impact. Here’s what that looks like in practice: ### 1\. Intelligent customer insights AI can process thousands of [data points](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-data-growth-stage-customer-journey/) across CRM systems, engagement tools, and advocacy platforms to uncover insights you might never see manually. It can tell you which customers are happiest, most active, or most likely to serve as advocates – so sales and marketing always know who to approach, when, and why. Imagine giving your sales team an instant list of engaged [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) ready for reference calls, case studies, or event panels. *That’s* the power of connected intelligence. ### 2\. Smarter content delivery AI takes the guesswork out of enablement. Instead of static, one-size-fits-all content, it can automatically match the right story, testimonial, or resource to the right audience at the right time. For customer marketers, it means your best advocacy assets actually get used – not buried in a shared folder. For sales, it means they’re always armed with proof points that resonate with the customer’s priorities. That shared storytelling builds consistency across every touchpoint, ensuring the brand message stays strong no matter who’s delivering it. ### 3\. Streamlined reference management Think of AI as your new “air traffic controller.” It can automatically match customer advocates to reference opportunities based on intent data, product usage, and availability – while keeping track of who’s been contacted and when. This doesn’t just protect customers from burnout; it also gives marketers and sellers the confidence that they’re engaging the right voices at the right time. With less time spent on manual coordination, both teams can focus on higher-value work – building relationships, sharing insights, and strengthening community. ## How to get started with AI collaboration AI might feel like a big leap, but getting started doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about taking small, strategic steps that bring measurable improvements. Here’s a simple roadmap: ### 1\. Pinpoint your friction points Where do marketing and sales get stuck? Maybe it’s chasing data, finding advocates, or manually qualifying leads. Identify those bottlenecks first – they’ll guide where AI can help fastest. ### 2\. Start with the tools you already have You don’t need a new tech stack. Many CRMs, marketing platforms, and advocacy tools now include built-in AI capabilities like predictive scoring, content recommendations, or customer sentiment analysis. Explore what’s already there before buying anything new. ### 3\. Get your data house in order AI’s only as good as the data it uses. Make sure customer records are current, standardized, and shared across platforms. When sales, marketing, and success all work from the same data foundation, AI insights become far more accurate and actionable. ### 4\. Pilot one workflow at a time Don’t try to “AI everything” overnight. Start small. Maybe automate reference request matching or use AI to surface high-value advocacy stories. Track your results, learn, and scale what works. ### 5\. Bring your teams along for the ride AI adoption isn’t just a technical shift, it’s a mindset one. Host short enablement sessions to show sales and marketing how AI actually helps *them*. Emphasize that AI isn’t replacing their expertise, it’s amplifying it. It’s there to take the busywork off their plates, so they can focus on relationships and strategy. ## The human factor still matters (more than ever) AI can [automate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/revolutionizing-customer-marketing-with-ai-automation/), optimize, and personalize – but it can’t empathize. It can’t feel the nuance of a customer conversation or the pride in a shared win. That’s why the most effective teams don’t see AI as a replacement for people, they see it as a partner. As **Sheryn Anthes, Director of Customer Marketing at Vimeo**, put it: > *“AI doesn’t replace the heart of storytelling. It enhances it. It gives us the speed and scale we need without sacrificing authenticity.”* ![AI d“AI doesn’t replace the heart of storytelling. It enhances it. It gives us the speed and scale we need without sacrificing authenticity.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-b8cbaabb-73ce-4a14-807e-7866e94723bd.png) AI handles the heavy lifting: data crunching, task routing, and insight generation. Humans handle what matters most: building trust, making decisions, and understanding emotion. By automating the repetitive stuff, AI gives teams time to invest in creativity and connection. It helps them focus on strategy, storytelling, and relationship-building – the things that actually move the needle. But balance is key. You still need human oversight to interpret the data, validate predictions, and ensure messaging stays authentic. It’s your judgment that turns machine insight into meaningful action. The future belongs to teams that blend **data-driven intelligence with emotional intelligence**, using technology not just to be faster, but to be smarter and more empathetic. AI amplifies your reach. Humans give it purpose. Together, they make collaboration unstoppable. ## Final thoughts AI connects systems, surfaces insights, and reduces manual tasks, freeing up time for teams to focus on what they do best: telling powerful stories, building real relationships, and creating experiences that customers remember. It transforms collaboration from reactive to proactive, giving marketing and sales a shared rhythm and a single source of truth. When AI takes care of the “what” and “how,” people can focus on the “why.” That’s how you build stronger advocacy programs, happier customers, and a unified go-to-market engine that runs on trust, creativity, and connection. ### The art of saying “no” and reinforcing boundaries in customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-saying-no-and-reinforcing-boundaries/ Last updated: 2026-01-16T14:10:50.000Z Have you ever felt that sinking feeling of guilt or failure when you couldn’t deliver on a request, even if it was totally unreasonable? Many of us in customer-facing roles find ourselves constantly plugged in, responding to requests at all hours, driven by a fear that our value might be questioned if we dare to say no. We’ve conditioned ourselves and our colleagues into a pattern of unhealthy "yes" behavior that ultimately leads to stress and burnout. In this article, I’ll share my own journey of professional burnout, and the actionable steps I took – culminating in the strategic use of saying "no" – to redefine my value, set healthy boundaries, and finally achieve a balanced, fulfilling career. ## The endemic problem of always saying “yes” Before leading the global customer and [community marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/differences-between-customer-marketing-and-community-marketing/) team at Grafana Labs, I spent seven years at Elastic. There, I was the first customer marketer, built the team, and developed some really bad behavioral habits. Like many of you, I responded to requests after 10 p.m., accepted work commitments I didn't have time for, and felt terrible if I couldn't deliver, no matter how unreasonable the ask. We’ve all been there, and it happens because we let someone else – someone who often doesn't fully understand what we do – set our value. When the goalposts keep moving, we feel compelled to keep saying yes to constantly prove ourselves. ### The real consequences of the “yes” currency When "yes" becomes the currency of the realm, your phone, watch, and computer become constant companions. You're always plugged in, and your work life consumes your personal life. My brain was wired to believe I could (and must) deliver 100% on every ask, and fast. Take the classic example: a salesperson slides into your DMs, needing a reference from a telecommunications company in a specific city, like Tulsa, Oklahoma. Your immediate, wired response is, "Yes, of course, we do, and we have a reference." Then you scramble. You research, you confirm they're a customer, you chase the account executive and CSM, and finally, you ask the customer. This whole process can take anywhere from one week (if you’re lucky) to five weeks (if you’re unlucky), all because our brains are so wired to this high-demand, high-delivery cycle. For me, this manifested in an exhausting cycle: work never ended, so life never really began. I was never fully present outside of work, and I walked around professionally on edge, constantly wondering if I was doing enough. ### The dangerous ratio of work-life balance I even convinced myself my work-life balance was an acceptable 70/30 or 80/20 split in favor of work. While the pendulum will naturally swing over time, the problem is where we anchor ourselves. I was anchored so far on the work side that when a personal issue required me to shift to focus on that, I felt crushing guilt for leaving work. (It goes without saying that this kind of thought process shouldn’t be normalized.) The wake-up call came one Friday night at 11 p.m. I was sitting on the couch, pulled out my laptop, and started working on a request. After half an hour, I finished, closed my laptop, and I realized I was reinforcing unhealthy behaviors. ## Understanding the framework of reinforcement If you’re not au fait with the fundamental principle of behavior analysis, it looks a bit like this: Reinforcement is something that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. The simple formula is: Behavior → Consequence → Result. ![Reinforcement](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-013a854d-c950-4cdb-8112-cac00b6c0efa.png) - **Behavior:** You participate in the audience poll. - **Consequence:** You get chocolate. (A positive experience). - **Result:** You are more likely to participate again in the future. ### How we reinforce bad behavior at work The same principle was at play in my work life, but with a deeply unhealthy twist that reinforced both the requester's bad behavior *and* my own: | Perspective | Behavior | Consequence | Results | | Requester (Salesperson) | Asks for something with no regard for the time of day. | I said yes, I will do that right now. | They learned I (and my team) will *always* be available, leading to them doing it again. | | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Me (Customer marketer) | I interrupted family time and responded right away. | They said, "Thank you, you’re valuable." | I felt *good* and *happy*. I wanted that high again and continued the behavior. | | | | | | This is why we keep doing it. We become addicted to that high – that artificial feeling of value from a colleague's "thank you." But what happens when that reinforcement stops? For me, my colleagues stopped saying thank you. They had become so conditioned that they just thought, "Oh, that's Daniel's job. He’s expected to be working at 11:30 at night." That's when I realized the reinforcement was gone, and something had to change. ## Implementing small changes for a big transformation Change is not easy. I knew I had an unhealthy relationship with my job for years, yet I couldn't change. However, when 2020 hit, the separation between work life and home life dissolved completely. This forced a decision: 1. **Extreme status quo:** Work all the time, 24/7. 2. **Complete 180-degree change:** Set hard boundaries overnight. 3. **Small changes:** A step-by-step approach. I chose option three. The longer a learned behavior has been in place, the longer it takes to change. Trying to flip 180 degrees overnight almost guarantees failure, which makes you feel worse. ### Defining work-you versus home-you My first change was simple yet profound: I made a conscious effort to keep my computer at my designated desk. Before, any surface could be a workplace, meaning "Work Daniel" was plugged in everywhere. By confining work to one spot, when I stood up and walked away, I became “Home Daniel.” Home Daniel has a very different set of priorities from Work Daniel. The next time a message came through at 11 p.m., Home Daniel was the one who read it, and Home Daniel was able to prioritize family time over an after-hours request. ### Finding value beyond the screen I also started walking every day. At first, it was for exercise, but I quickly realized I felt lighter – not just physically, but from the emotional and mental baggage I was letting go of. I was able to get lost in a book or a conversation. I discovered something that was more valuable and reinforcing to me than the "always on" artificial value: better mental and physical health. - The salesperson who was happy to get a message at 11:30 p.m. was just as happy to get it at 8 a.m. the next morning. The lights at work stayed on. - The lights at home got brighter. I was present for my wife and finally completed home projects I'd put off for eight years. Finally, by being able to extract myself from the intensity, I realized the hard truth: I was burnt out. I had been revving my engine at 100% for six and a half years and couldn't see it until I stepped away. ## Taking the leap: Setting new behaviors from the start I knew the small changes wouldn't be enough. I needed to be in a situation where I could set both my own behavior and the expected behavior of my colleagues from the start. This led to my "big giant leap of faith" to join a new company, Grafana Labs, to build the customer and community marketing function from scratch. I told the leadership the thing I was most excited about was that, while I didn't know *everything* to do, I sure as hell knew what *not* to do first. I was committed to setting better behavior from day one, because the earlier you set behavior, the longer success you'll have. This commitment was manifested in three major changes. ### 1\. You must set your own value We often make a big mistake. We successfully interview, define our value, and get the job. Then, on day one, we ask our new boss, "How would you like me to bring value?" We’ve just given away the power for which we were hired. We, as customer marketers, are the ones who set our value. I break this down into three simple questions to ask myself daily: 1. Did I make an impact today? 2. Did I help make it easier for somebody to get from point A to point B faster today? 3. Am I trusted to do my job even if I'm not online all the time? An impact can be a case study or a reference, but it can also be working with the enablement team so an SDR can be onboarded faster, or simply finding the right collateral for a sales rep. By defining your value this way, you can log off by the end of the day and say, "I made an impact today." Because you've set this value with leadership from the beginning, your trust will be reinforced, and they'll continue to trust you. ### 2\. Establish clear boundaries The next change is setting those boundaries. Ask yourself: *Will responding at odd hours really make a difference?* If you've set your value as helping someone get from point A to point B faster, consider the 11 p.m. request. Do you think the salesperson is sending it to the customer then? No. Even if they did, the customer probably won't open the email until the next day, where it'll be buried. If you wake up the next morning and respond at a normal time, the salesperson gets it at a normal time, sends it at a normal time, and the customer sees it when they're thinking about work. You've now helped them get from point A to point B faster **simply by observing a healthy boundary.** Keep that balance, and find something at home that is more reinforcing than the artificial, "always grasping at straws" work value. For me, it was my mental health, my family time, and my hobbies. ### 3\. "No" is your strategic new best friend This is the final step, and it builds on everything else. Saying "no" strategically breaks down into three questions: #### **“Is this going to stop me from delivering value or making an impact on a project?”** Since you've set your own value (Change #1), if the answer to either is **yes**, then your answer is "no." But it's not "No, get the hell away from me." It’s "No, but can you help me understand how this is going to help you get from point A to point B faster?" This shifts you from being a vending machine of assets to a strategic partner and helps your internal customers think more strategically. #### **“Is what you are being asked to do unreasonable?”** Be honest with yourself about delivery time. If you always answer yes, if you're always revving at 100%, you *will* burn out, and then you're no good to anyone – at work or at home. #### **“Can what you are being asked to do actually be solved by something less than 100%?”** Let's go back to the telecommunications example. We know it takes five weeks to get a reference. So why did you say yes to begin with? You should say no, but then pivot to what is most important. Is it the Tulsa, Oklahoma location, or the telecommunications industry? If you say, "We don't have Williams Telecommunications, but we have AT&T, T-Mobile, and British Telecom. Would one of those be okay for you?" Nine times out of ten, the salesperson will take it. You've freed yourself from five weeks of guilt and chasing, and you've helped them get from point A to point B faster. Crucially, you've also taught them to pre-think what's most important to them for the next request. ## Key takeaways for a healthier, happier you The core lesson is this: behavior is learned, which means bad behavior can be unlearned. If you focus on these three things, you will train your colleagues to ask better questions, which gives you more time and space to build your advocacy programs and tell more stories. You’ll show your leaders that you understand the trade-offs, and you'll start being viewed as more strategic within the business. For anyone who manages people, by working with your team to help them say no, you're showing them you care about them as humans and don't want them to burn out. Figure out what is truly important to you and prioritize behavior both at work and at home that will deliver those outcomes. My hope is that somewhere in this framework, you'll find the nugget that sets you on the way to being the happiest and healthiest version of yourself. ### The secret sauce for working with sales URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-sauce-for-working-with-sales/ Last updated: 2025-10-31T16:00:36.000Z Does your marketing team spend too much time focused on leads instead of what really matters: customers? That common marketing-sales dynamic can distract us from the core goal: helping sales close business. We need to shift the conversation from simply generating leads to actively supporting the sales process through every stage. That’s where a well-structured reference fulfillment program comes in. It’s the secret sauce that equips your sales team with the validated customer proof they need to seal the deal and turn prospects into loyal clients. In this article, I'll walk you through the six essential components for standing up a successful, high-impact reference fulfillment program. ## 1\. Start by listening: Find out what sales really needs In marketing, we're really good at coming up with ideas and then throwing them at sales, saying, "Hey, guess what we've created for you!" And sales is often like, "Wait, no one talked to us about this! We're the ones on the front lines, we have ideas too." It is absolutely critical to start with listening first. You have to understand what your sales team is actually looking for, not what you think they need. We do this in two key ways: a survey and focus groups. ### Create a short and sweet survey If you want sales to respond, you have to keep it short and sweet. Make it a simple one-pager, no more than ten questions. Having the survey come from sales [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/) down to the sales team also helps with adoption. You want to ask questions that will genuinely guide your reference program. A few we like to use: - How do you secure references today? - Where are you going when you need a reference? - How do you define a reference? Is it always a call, or is it sometimes a case study, a slide, a logo, or something for an RFP response? - At what stage in the sales cycle do you typically need a reference? That's a really important one. Always include one open-ended question at the end so they can give you any feedback they want about their experience working with marketing on references in the past. ### Conduct focus groups We take our survey responses and then conduct focus groups. We make sure we cover all geographies and all tiers of your sales organization – from strategic accounts all the way down to SMB – so that everyone feels heard. We just sit down with them and ask: - Do you trust the reference content that's coming from marketing? Why or why not? - Where are the gaps in your sales cycle now? Where are you spending time that is a waste of time for you that we could help expedite? - What would make you feel good about offering your customers up as references? That last point is key because you have to earn that trust with sales. They need to know you're going to take care of these customers and not overuse and burn them out. The fear of burning out their best accounts is what leads to "backdoor referencing," where account managers just help each other out privately without involving marketing. We need to stop that and encourage sharing for the greater good. ## 2\. Implement self-service with a reference asset library Once you've listened and know what sales needs are, one thing that's absolutely essential is setting up a reference asset library. This is an internally accessible place where everyone can go and find a number of customer-approved reference assets. Everything in this library must be pre-approved by customers for external use. ![Reference asset library](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-ed48ecb4-5603-472f-a055-e50510456352.png) ### The logo library The logo library is a crucial part of this. We keep individual logos but also create slides that group them, such as by: - **Industry:** "Here are our approved logos in the banking industry." - **Solution-based:** "Here’s everyone using our Helix solution." We also prepare slides for internal use, like quarterly earnings calls, so our board and executives can easily pull slides showing our recent customer momentum for presentations. ### The quote library For quotes, we currently use an Excel file (but hope to mature beyond that) with quotes pulled from video transcripts or customer speakers at events. We get approval to use the individual quote and then serve it up. Salespeople can use the quotes in a slide. Demand generation can use them in a campaign. [Product marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/) can put them on a landing page. The caveat is that we want to make sure the customer knows their quote is being used, so they aren't surprised to see a campaign on LinkedIn. ### Reference slides The reference slide library is the bread and butter of your reference assets. These slides are pared-down versions of case studies. Often, when a customer can’t do a public-facing case study, they can do a reference slide to be used by your sales force in presentations. The slide itself should have: - A great quote and the customer's name. - A headline that tells what the story is about. - The challenge the customer faced. - The solution set (keep this small, focused on business value). - Three metrics that drive home the point of the story. ![Headline that tells you what the story is about](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-36b702ba-4b24-4a9c-bdc2-014f2f0b4ae5.png) The most important part of this slide is not what you see on the slide; it’s in the notes section. We write an entire talk track for how a salesperson can get up in front of a room and captivate the audience with a story that the prospect can see themselves in. We partnered with our creative team to build out the template for these reference slides to match our corporate sales pitch deck. This way, our sales force can go to the reference library, pick the slide they want, and plug it seamlessly into their presentation. When organizing your library, consider different hierarchies. We organize ours by geo, industry, and product. ## 3\. Establish governance for the greater good Governance can sound like a dirty word, but all it really is is getting everyone on the same page and building trust. If you want sales to stop doing back-door references, you have to prove you can take better care of their customers than they can. ### The reference brief The first thing to set up is a reference brief. No one wants to fill out a document, but it's vital because it allows us to properly prepare the customer who will be providing the reference on what they're walking into. The requester fills out a very short document detailing: - Who is asking for the reference? - The background on why we need this call. - Who will be on the call? - Five to ten questions that are probably going to come up. This allows us to not only prepare the customer but also align the right people on our side, whether a more technical or executive-level person is needed. ### Engagement plans and advocate alignment You must establish engagement plans with your most active advocates. We honor these plans. If a customer says they are only willing to do a reference call once a quarter, they get a request once a quarter, and we do not go over that. It is also key to align deal size and brand for the best use of advocates. We had a situation at my last company where Uber was a large customer, and mid-market commercial sales with tiny deals were demanding to talk to Uber. You have to talk them off that. We have better options for them! You'll burn out those marquee customers if you don't say no. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## 4\. Utilize reference forms effectively: one-to-many Reference forms are my favorite thing to talk about because sales loves them. What are they? They are not webinars meant to drive new leads. They are only for salespeople who have customers in the latter stages of the sales cycle who need to close the deal and want to talk to one of our most popular references. We turn a one-on-one reference call into a one-to-many reference call. We use the webinar function, but we don't do a bunch of marketing around it – no heavy [branding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-branding-the-1-key-to-next-level-customer-program-adoption/), and no SDRs/BDRs sending invites to prospects. This is an invite-only event from the account rep if you're in the latter stages of a deal. We aim to hold one a month to give sales a steady drip of customers to point their prospects to. ### The ideal reference form format Through trial and error, we've figured out the ideal format: 1. **10–20 minutes:** The customer shares their experience. Sometimes it comes across as more authentic if there are no slides. 2. **10–20 minutes:** A subject matter expert from our company asks them planned questions that we know everyone will want to know. 3. **Rest of the time:** Live Q&A from the audience. If you get really bold, you can even invite analysts to the calls (with customer permission). Analysts love it; they never get that kind of raw access to customers in an environment where they can hear what the prospects are asking about. Because we record these, we keep a library of them and leverage the heck out of that content for future reference fulfillment requests: use the quotes for the library, send the recording as a response to RFPs, and so on. ## 5\. Measuring success in reference programs Measurement is absolutely critical. For our reference fulfillment program, in particular, we focus on several key areas. ### Key metrics for advocate performance - **Revenue influenced:** The overall revenue influenced by the [reference program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/). - **Individual advocate incremental revenue influenced:** We look at an individual advocate and credit them with how much incremental revenue they've driven based on the deals closed from their reference calls. This helps us understand who our most valuable advocates are. - **Lifetime spend of an advocate:** How much does a customer spend with us if they're in our advocacy program versus not? - **Response times for fulfillment:** When you work with us to get a reference, are we making that process harder or less difficult for you? ### Business impact and quality We also track a few other valuable measurements: - **Deal velocity:** Are deals with a reference input closing faster? - **Deal size:** Are we getting bigger deals when a reference is involved? - **Quality of reference calls:** We always follow up with both the salesperson ("How did it go? What did you hear?") and the customer ("What was your experience like? Was it a good match?") to make sure we're facilitating good calls and that our advocates felt prepared. We look at the growth of the reference pool and aim to incentivize behavior that we like. ## 6\. Tools in your tool belt You need a few essential tools to make your reference fulfillment program run smoothly. ### Dedicated human support First, we have a simple inbox. We want our sales team to feel like there's a human behind that, not a black box. We have a dedicated person who responds, and they know her name. This is for when they need that white-glove touch to help find a customer. We also have dedicated headcount to manage the reference asset library, which is probably where I should have started! ### CRM integration and rewards We use a tool called Influit and are integrating it into our CRM so a salesperson can go into their opportunity, say they need a reference, select from our advocates, and send a request. We control what they ask and make sure we get the necessary information, like the reference brief. Finally, we reward those customers for doing reference calls. This shouldn't be a shock, but it was a new concept when we started at BMC. It's absolutely vital. Reference calls are one of our highest point-value activities. Advocates can earn points for swag, VIP experiences, charitable donations (for our public sector and federal customers), and training and education credits. ### Managing back-door references You cannot stop back-door references completely, so we advise: give up on trying to stop it. Instead, if you hear about a back-door reference that happened, get visibility on it, and do the work – give the customer points and rewards. The message to sales is: "Help us help you to get your customer rewarded for their time." The other way to stop it is by showing them what good looks like. Highlight and reward the salespeople and [CSMs](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) who are working the way you like them to. For example, we implemented a reference star program where we give a nice spiff for those who follow the process. As they see the quality and scope of the references they get from the program, their old limited list of contacts will start to dwindle out. They'll realize they get a better, more prepared reference from us. If you have all of these components working together, you'll be giving your sales team a competitive edge that is nearly impossible for your competitors to beat. You'll be using your customers' words to literally help expedite and seal the deal. ### From hype to habit: Revolutionizing customer marketing with AI & automation URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/revolutionizing-customer-marketing-with-ai-automation/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:12:17.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** November 13 **Time:** 5:00pm BST **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-2025-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=oqj5y7t1y7&wmediaid=klfdlbtxci) AI is no longer just a buzzword - it’s a game-changer in how we engage, retain, and grow customer relationships. In this session, we’ll explore how customer marketers can operationalize AI and emerging technologies to move from experimentation to scalable, repeatable success. Learn how to automate personalization, identify high-value advocates, and make smarter decisions with data. You’ll leave with practical strategies to integrate AI into your daily workflows -turning hype into habit and future-proofing your customer marketing strategy. --- ### Key takeaways: - **Turn AI from theory to practice:** Learn actionable ways to embed AI into your customer marketing operations for measurable impact. - **Automate personalization at scale:** Discover tools and workflows that tailor customer experiences without manual effort. - **Spot and activate top advocates:** Use AI insights to identify your most influential customers and power stronger advocacy programs. - **Make smarter, data-driven decisions:** Understand how to leverage predictive analytics to guide campaigns and strategy. - **Build an AI-ready marketing culture:** Walk away with frameworks to help your team confidently adopt and scale emerging technologies. --- ### Meet the speaker: [Christa Niering](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christa-davidson-mktg/), Director of Customer Advocacy at SHI International Corp Christa Niering is a customer marketing leader driving measurable impact at SHI, a $15B woman- and minority-owned technology company. Since joining in January 2023, she has built a powerhouse customer marketing team and launched multiple high-impact programs that span the organization. These include case studies and video testimonials, a thriving customer speaker bureau averaging 19 speakers per year, and a third-party review initiative that has elevated SHI’s ratings to an impressive 4.7 across key platforms. With deep expertise in customer advocacy, branding, and strategic communications, Christa is known for her pragmatic approach to process and her ability to distill complex ideas into actionable strategies. Her work is grounded in a strong understanding of both B2B and B2C buyers, and she continues to elevate the voice of the customer through data-informed NPS programs and meaningful engagement initiatives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/1710857119048.jpeg) ### The power of customer events in building brand loyalty URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/ Last updated: 2025-10-22T14:23:00.000Z Throughout my career, I’ve worked in customer experience, engagement, and advocacy across industries – startups, political campaigns, hospitality, brick-and-mortar businesses, and enterprise software. But through it all, there’s been one constant in every role: the power of bringing people together. My focus has always been on building relationships and influencing shared outcomes between customers and internal teams. One of the most effective ways I’ve found to do that is through customer events – interactive spaces where product, support, and customers connect directly. But don't think of events purely in terms of engagement. Actually, they’re about alignment: turning feedback into collaboration, collaboration into advocacy, and advocacy into customer-led growth. ## Where the idea comes from My approach to customer events is rooted in years of organizing gatherings across very different sectors. I’ve seen what works in high-touch environments, from in-person meetups to digital communities. The foundation is always the same: start with listening – both internally and externally. Before planning any event, I sit down with internal teams to learn their goals and desired results. What do they need from customers? What outcomes matter most? Then I validate those ideas directly with customers. In my experience, customers consistently express interest in webinars and sessions led by product managers and support technicians – a space to ask questions, understand roadmaps, and learn directly from the experts. Sharing that feedback internally often helps secure buy-in from product teams, since it clearly shows demand from the people who matter most. As Ari Hoffman, Head of Enterprise Executive Engagement Programs at Lighthouse GTM, notes: > “Often the product team can feel so removed from the customer. What Rob is doing is building that bridge, so the product team understands who they’re building for.” That’s exactly the goal. These events exist to shorten the distance between the people building the product and the people using it. ## Why events matter For me, the customer experienc**e** is the primary motivation behind every event. If the experience is right, the business outcomes follow. Of course, other teams benefit too: - Product gets direct, unfiltered feedback. - Marketing gets authentic stories. - Customer Success learns where customers need more support. But the heart of it all is trust. When customers engage regularly, they naturally build rapport and confidence with the company. They buy more, refer more, and advocate more... all without being asked. As Ari put it, “You focus on the experience first, and the byproduct is the revenue that follows.” ## Planning and collaborating with product Creating alignment with product teams takes time. In one of my previous roles, I transitioned from customer success into product marketing to strengthen collaboration and access more resources. That shift helped me understand both sides – how customer-facing teams gather insight, and how product teams act on it. Today, I use that same cross-functional mindset to connect product, marketing, and customer success through events. The goal is to nurture customers until they feel confident enough to share their stories publicly. Events help create that comfort – they turn users into advocates and advocates into trusted partners. While I’m largely self-sufficient in producing events, collaboration is key. I always start by asking product teams what insights they need and how the event can help them achieve their goals. Then I position it as a light lift: they simply need to show up and share their expertise. Making it about the customer first – and showing how that benefits everyone – consistently wins buy-in. ## The impact of customer events The impact of customer events speaks for itself. In one instance, when the product and sales teams needed beta testers for a new platform, I proposed hosting a customer webinar and inviting qualified users. That session drew over 200 attendees and generated 50 beta sign-ups in a single day– far exceeding our target. Later, a quarterly product summit brought together more than 500 customers to hear roadmap updates and participate in live Q&A sessions with product leaders. Seeing customers answer each other’s questions alongside our teams was a clear sign that community and advocacy were working in tandem. These events don’t just create excitement—they surface real market insights and customer needs. They give us a live feedback loop that influences the roadmap and strengthens the customer voice across the organization. I believe the future of growth is customer-led. Companies that stay close to their customers – I mean, really close – will always build the right things faster. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## 4 key lessons learned Through years of experience producing customer events, I've learned some invaluable lessons: ### 1\. Stay nimble When launching a customer marketing or advocacy program, don’t wait for perfection. Get customers together quickly—even if it’s a small meetup or a pilot session. You can iterate later. The key is showing up and starting the conversation. #### 2\. Prioritize accessibility Make every event easy to join, easy to understand, and easy to follow up on. Internally, use all-hands or AMAs to spread awareness so more teams can participate. The smoother the experience, the more people—inside and outside the company – will rally behind it. ### 3\. Continue the conversation A single event isn’t the goal; ongoing dialogue is. Customers appreciate direct access to PMs and technicians, so I make that a consistent part of programming. Leveraging an advocacy hub or customer community helps sustain those connections year-round. Ari summed it up well: > “Don’t ever let customer feedback disappear into silence. If you don’t close the loop, people stop believing their input matters.” ### 4\. Build internal advocacy first One of the biggest insights I’ve gained is that internal advocacy fuels external advocacy. Hosting internal AMAs or team happy hours gives colleagues firsthand experience of what a meaningful connection feels like – and motivates them to replicate that for customers. ## Conclusion A good part of customer events are about showcasing products. It's a given. But what most people overlook is the opportunity to build partnerships – between customers, product teams, and every department that shapes the experience. When you bring people together to learn, collaborate, and solve problems, you create more than engagement. You create momentum: trust that scales, loyalty that compounds, and advocacy that grows naturally. I’ve seen it across every stage of my career: when you lead with the customer experience, growth follows. --- *This article is based on Robert's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-up*](https://alliance.ghost.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/) *podcast. You can listen to the full conversation with Ari Hoffman and Robert Maddox* [*here*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/robert-maddox-how-to-connect-your-customers-to-the-product-team-using-events-customer-marketing-catch-up/)*.* ### Virtual Customer Marketing Summit | October 2025 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/virtual-customer-marketing-summit-october-2025-ondemand/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:37:37.000Z Catch up on content from Customer Marketing Summit, held virtually in October 2025. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Building safe, purpose-led communities in high-risk spaces URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communities-in-high-risk-spaces/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:07:34.000Z When you're [building a community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) in high-risk spaces, where privacy, trust, and security are non-negotiable, the stakes are understandably high. How do you create a space where people feel safe to [collaborate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/curate-collaborate-cultivate-transforming-communities-through-curation/), share, and grow, without exposing them to risk? I help build and support a volunteer community where professional and non-professional researchers collaborate on real-world investigations, such as war crimes and human rights abuses. In this article, I’ll share what I’ve learned about cultivating safe, purpose-driven communities – where every decision is made with care, clarity, and protection at the core. ## Defining the community role When people ask me what I do, I often find myself pausing for a moment. It’s not an easy question to answer, especially for those unfamiliar with [online communities](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/communities-customer-success/) or the professional practices behind them. So, I use analogies to help explain – my current favorite is *gardening*. I tell people to imagine walking into a beautiful garden. What they see is the result of careful, thoughtful work: selecting the right plants, creating balance, and ensuring the environment is conducive to growth. Some plants don’t thrive next to others; some need more light or care. Behind that garden is a gardener, or an entire *team* of gardeners, doing the invisible labor to maintain it. That’s what community management feels like to me. I’m not the centerpiece; it’s not about me. It’s about nurturing the space, curating the environment, and making sure the conditions are right for members to thrive together. Just as some gardens grow wild and self-organized, some communities do, too – and that’s valid. But when you're trying to shape a particular purpose or support structure, having that behind-the-scenes gardener can make all the difference. [Tips for community marketing and customer marketing collaborationWhile customer marketing and community marketing are each rock-solid strategies in their own right, they can complement each other - like macaroni and cheese - both versatile and important in their own right, but even more brilliant together.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-401.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mario-purisic-jG1z5o7NCq4-unsplash--1--3.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) ## What makes a community successful? This is one of those questions that doesn’t have a universal answer. Success looks different for every online community, and it absolutely should. It depends on what your community is for and what your members hope to get from it. For me, success starts with clarity – knowing what your goals are, how they align with your organization’s mission, and how your community contributes to them. Without that clarity, it’s pretty difficult to measure progress or make meaningful improvements. That said, some things are universally important. A [successful community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) is one where people feel safe, welcome, and heard. It’s a space they choose to return to – a place that gives them something valuable for their time and effort. That could be learning, collaboration, support, or even just shared purpose. If people feel like the time they spend in the community matters, that’s already a sign you’re on the right path. But just as importantly, your community needs to connect back to your organizational goals. If your community is thriving in isolation but isn’t aligned with the larger direction of your organization, that can create long-term friction. Ideally, both should grow together. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Feedback is a cycle, not a checkbox [Collecting feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) isn’t just a task to tick off. It’s a cycle, one that needs to be intentional and transparent. In our community, we run biannual feedback surveys. We’ve found that anything more frequent can lead to [survey fatigue](https://blog.hubspot.com/service/survey-fatigue), and honestly, it doesn’t give us the space we need to meaningfully act on what we hear. What matters most to me is what happens after the survey. I spend time reading through the responses, identifying themes, and thinking about what’s realistic to address. Then, we take action. Maybe it’s small, like implementing a centralized events calendar so members can see everything in one place, but those little changes show members that their voices matter. Equally important is the [communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/) loop. If we can’t act on something, we say so. We explain why. And that transparency builds trust. People are far more willing to share feedback if they know it won’t disappear into a void. Beyond the surveys, I also pay close attention to informal feedback. That might come through chats, events, one-on-one conversations, or even the tone of a discussion thread. Some of the most insightful suggestions come from these everyday interactions. Not everyone fills out a survey, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have something important to share. As a community manager, staying tuned in to those moments is a key part of the work. ## Managing privacy-first communities One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is managing a community where privacy and security are paramount. At Bellingcat, our members work in sensitive investigative spaces. That means everything we do – every tool, every event, every recognition – has to be viewed through the lens of safety. We can’t do some of the things that are common in other communities. For example, we can’t ask members to share a picture of their desk or the view from their window. That might sound harmless in another context, but in ours, it could pose a serious risk. Similarly, public member spotlights or contributor showcases can’t happen in the usual way, because we don’t want to expose anyone. Instead, we’ve had to get creative: - How do you show appreciation without putting people at risk? - How do you build engagement in a space that can’t be loud or highly visible? These are questions I’m constantly working through. They’ve pushed me to rethink what meaningful recognition and participation look like. And in a way, that’s been an opportunity: to center care and protection in everything we do. ## Lessons from earlier stages Looking back, if I could do something differently professionally, it would be tying our community strategy more tightly to the organization’s broader goals from day one. In the early days of community building, especially when the profession was still emerging, many organizations jumped in without a clear strategy. There was excitement, sure, but often without clarity on how the community would fit into the bigger picture. In some ways, I think this was a widespread challenge in our field. Community work was often seen as experimental or siloed, rather than integral to organizational success. Over time, though, that’s changing. We’re having more conversations about alignment, measurement, and strategy – and I think that’s helping us close those early gaps. Now, when I approach any new initiative, I start by asking: - How does this support the mission? - How does it benefit both the members and the organization? That alignment is everything. [Five non-negotiable traits when hiring a community managerAs more and more organizations realize the power of connecting their customers to each other, communities (more specifically customer advocacy programs) are emerging within the business-to-business (B2B) space.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-403.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJeni Asaba![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/chase-clark-T69h1_YfR-w-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-non-negotiable-traits-to-find-when-hiring-a-community-manager/) ## Advice for new community professionals If you’ve just entered the world of community management, my advice is to stay open – and not just to ideas, but to job titles, too. Community work often shows up in places you might not expect. You might have “community” in your title, or you might not. You could be in events, support, advocacy, research, or even marketing, and still be doing deeply community-centric work. So don’t box yourself in. If you’re passionate about building connections, listening closely, and shaping spaces where people can thrive, your skills are valuable in many roles. Likewise, if you’re already in a community and looking to grow, know that there are paths forward even if your organization doesn’t have a huge community team. What I love most about this field is that we’re always learning. Every community is different. Every space requires its own rhythm. And that means you’re constantly evolving, which is exactly what makes the work so rewarding. ## A few fun reflections If I could invite a fictional character into our community, it would probably be Sherlock Holmes. Given the investigative nature of our work, he fits perfectly... athough I imagine he’d be a rather intense member to manage! And if we had a theme song? I once asked our members this question during a live session, and the answer that stuck with me was the Pink Panther theme. It’s got that playful mystery, the curious spirit, and a bit of cheekiness, all of which reflect who we are and how we operate. It’s a little unexpected, but that’s part of the charm. [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ### How to build a strong personal brand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-a-strong-personal-brand/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:00:09.000Z Wanting to be seen is one of our deepest human desires. We don’t just want to do good work; we want to be recognized for it. But if you’ve ever felt stuck – like you’re checking all the boxes and producing results, but still not reaching that next level – you’re likely missing the critical piece: a strong, intentional in-person personal brand. In this article, you’ll discover the three critical components of brand alignment, my powerful three C's framework for self-reflection, and concrete actions you can take to shape your reputation, gain visibility, and finally get the recognition you deserve. ## My personal realization: When hard work wasn’t enough Before diving into the framework, let me share the exact moment I realized how important an in-person brand is. At Condé Nast, we have two rounds of promotions a year. I had been on the campaign trail for six months: producing results, leading projects, and communicating my clear goal to my manager. I genuinely thought I had it in the bag. When my boss walked into that review room, she wasn't smiling. I knew immediately I hadn’t gotten it. I was so disappointed, frustrated, and angry, but mostly, I was defeated. I was doing all the right things, but I wasn’t getting to that next level. What was missing? ### The missing visibility factor After a few days of reflection, I realized I wasn’t alone. I thought about others on my team doing great work, but who also weren't getting promoted. The common thread? They weren't being seen and visible by the right people – the decision-makers, the audience who held the keys to their next [career move](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-stats-career-aspirations-and-future-development/). That was my lightbulb moment. If you want to be seen in a certain way, you have to actively shape how others see you, especially the important people. That is achieved by cultivating a strong in-person personal brand. I’m sick of hearing only about the digital personal brand! While I’m actively building one on LinkedIn, you won’t be able to show up authentically or easily online if you don’t understand and build your offline, in-person brand first. ## Understanding your in-person brand So, what exactly is an in-person brand? It’s your unique reputation. It’s what people feel when they see you, what immediately comes to mind when they think about you, and most critically, what they say about you when you’re not in the room. The truth is, everyone already has a brand, whether you like it or not. It’s up to you whether you want to shape it. This takes work and a lot of reflection, but it is incredibly meaningful. ### Introducing the three Cs framework I’m excited to share my three C's framework for building a strong, aligned, personal brand. It works by clarifying and aligning three key areas: 1. How you see yourself (**Clarity**): Your strengths, values, passions, and unique story. 2. How others see you (**Credibility**): Your reputation and visibility. 3. How you see your future (**Commitment**): Your vision, goals, and audience (the people you’re presenting yourself to). When all three of these circles are clear and aligned, you have a powerful personal brand. When they aren't, you feel stuck. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer offboarding template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-offboarding-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:22:34.000Z ## What is a customer offboarding template? A customer offboarding template is a structured framework designed to help end client relationships professionally and positively. While offboarding is often overlooked, it’s a critical process in the SaaS industry that allows you to gather feedback, refine services, and leave the door open for future engagements. This template ensures a smooth transition by covering everything from project closure and data management to billing and client appreciation. ## What’s inside the template? The customer offboarding template includes several key sections to guide you through the offboarding process: 1. **Project summary:** Fields to document the customer name, project timeline, and a brief description of the work completed. 2. **Activities checklist:** Steps for contract review, team consultations, and reviewing communication records to ensure all details are accounted for. 3. **Communication plan:** A timeline for updating customers on deliverables, sending reminders, and scheduling the final meeting to address any outstanding issues. 4. **Final handoff meeting:** An agenda for reviewing deliverables, capturing testimonials, and ensuring all project documentation is finalized. 5. **Final check (housekeeping):** Tasks to confirm access to deliverables, transfer login information, and return client files. 6. **Appreciation and follow-up:** Instructions for sending personalized thank-you notes, requesting testimonials, and highlighting opportunities for future collaboration. 7. **Billing and account settlement:** A checklist to manage unpaid invoices, process refunds or credits, and ensure final billing is settled. 8. **Internal notes for offboarding:** Tasks for updating CRM records, ensuring data compliance, and notifying relevant departments of service termination. ## How to use the template 1. **Document project details** – Use the project summary section to outline key information about the engagement. 2. **Follow the communication plan** – Keep customers informed about deliverables, meetings, and final handoffs using the provided timeline. 3. **Conduct the final meeting** – Review deliverables, capture testimonials, and complete all final project tasks during the scheduled handoff. 4. **Complete housekeeping tasks** – Confirm access to deliverables, settle billing, and update internal systems to finalize the offboarding process. 5. **Maintain positive relations** – Send thank-you notes and share opportunities for reactivating services to leave the door open for future collaboration. ## Download your customer offboarding template ![Customer offboarding template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-offboarding-template-ss.png) [Customer offboarding template (2)Customer offboarding template (2).pdf118 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/10/Customer-offboarding-template--2-.pdf "Download") [Customer offboarding template (1)Customer offboarding template (1).docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/10/Customer-offboarding-template--1-.docx "Download") [Customer offboarding templateCustomer offboarding template Customer offboarding is often overlooked, but it’s just as crucial as onboarding in the SaaS industry. Offboarding allows you to gather invaluable insights, refine products/services, reduce churn, and most importantly, leave the door open for the customer to return…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-6.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIvnZHUo9p5I304Ypc9pIZLjdAKxh7D_6hEQj-BAxVbtndG5xP14-Z9kLEnjb5Ta-REG4Gto7L2DkYX5s45qUwqVFh-C63dE8mNiPaqjUjzGuPz18z6-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iSOVEI0oUMGDz-uCX57-DhwEChulpdVLnvSNsCd7-uM/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 4 comedy secrets that'll improve your messaging URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-thatll-improve-your-messaging/ Last updated: 2025-10-08T15:11:01.000Z What do stand-up comedy and messaging have in common? More than you might think! Both are about [creating connections](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-human-connection-drives-exceptional-marketing-results/), making things memorable, and getting a reaction from your audience. While I might not be quitting my day job as a Director of Product Marketing anytime soon, I’ve spent 17 years doing improv, hitting open mics, and performing stand-up for fun. I’ve also been in a Netflix comedy special – admittedly, I was in the audience, but it still counts for something! [![Photo of large theater audience, overlaid with a thumbnail image for Mike Birbiglia's Netflix comedy special, "The Old Man & The Pool." A red arrow with the label "RIGHT THERE" points to Zack Wenthe in the audience.](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdiYKLg__8vG9LvBS9L8ottg4pjTEj1xxujThQcU2W-YOx8vwnvk-4-nZrZZhqpELjOU4JSOgdR_0fCvWpFGFS76ti5m3iF490fExknDiBku1jvgawyMuPC9ieROvCaKBK1Wo7kvg?key=O4XtN2p6rs7tc8zoopKiLg)](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-to-improve-your-messaging) In this article, I want to share four key principles from stand-up comedy that can help [elevate your messaging](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/3-techniques-to-punch-up-your-messaging/). Whether you’re pitching to your boss, crafting a campaign, or just trying to get your point across, these principles can make all the difference. Let’s dive in. ## Essential #1: Structure is critical We already know that *how* we say something matters. That’s just as true in comedy as it is in [messaging](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/human-messaging-practical-tips/). Let’s start simple. Think about a kid you know that’s around five to seven years old. It could be your daughter, your nephew, your godchild. Ever heard them tell a knock-knock joke? I’m guessing yes. Even if the joke makes no sense or the punchline falls flat, they get the *structure*. They understand there’s a setup and a payoff. That’s because we’re pattern-seeking machines. We love patterns, and that structure is the foundation of any good joke. It’s also the foundation of great messaging. Take this Mitch Hedberg joke: > “I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.” It's simple, but genius. The first line sets a premise. You, as the audience, immediately make an assumption: *“Oh, he doesn’t do drugs anymore.”* Then the punchline comes in and flips the framing – *“I still do.”* It surprises you. That’s the payoff. Now, let’s look at a longer form of the same principle. John Mulaney tells this story about his lawyer parents. Here’s the short version: > “My parents are both lawyers, they are BOTH lawyers, and sometimes they would be like lawyers with us when we were kids. I remember one time I was in bed, and my dad came in and he said, ‘Goodnight, John! Did you brush your teeth?’ and I said ‘Yes,’ but here’s the thing – I hadn’t. > “He says, ‘John is this your toothbrush?’ and I said ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘So we agree that this is your toothbrush? John, this toothbrush is bone dry. You lied to me!’ > “I did not lie. I said that I brushed my teeth; I never specified that I brushed my teeth tonight! And if the court reporter reads back my remarks, you will see that I did not perjure myself.” It’s courtroom logic as comedy – and it works because the story builds tension, has structure, and ends with a satisfying resolution. ### How to structure your messaging like a joke You apply this structure to your marketing. Here’s a line I wrote for some web copy: > *Double your campaigns, not your workload. Stop guessing which campaigns to prioritize.* That’s the setup. You’re likely already filling in the blanks. Then comes the payoff: > *Build twice the campaigns in half the time – freeing you to focus on building the personalized experiences your customers demand.* It’s not a joke, obviously, but it follows the same rhythm. Set the premise, then deliver the value. ### Hot tip: Swap “and then” for “so then” You know those people who tell stories that just ramble on forever? “I went to the airport, and then I went through security, and then I got to the gate, and then I had to pee, and then…” There’s no movement. Just a list of events. Now contrast that with “I went to the airport, and they opened my bag – *so then* I knew I was in trouble.” See the difference? “So then” moves the story forward. It creates momentum, not just a string of facts. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of *South Park*, swear by this rule. They crank out a brand-new episode in just seven days – written, animated, delivered. Every single week. It’s timely, funny, and sharp because they refuse to sit on a traditional nine-month production cycle. Why? Because by the time it’s out, it wouldn’t be relevant anymore. So, how do they structure their stories? With this golden rule: 💡 ****And... but... therefore.** Something happens – **and** something else, **but** there’s a conflict. **Therefore**, here’s the outcome. That structure gives every episode – and every message – shape and momentum. It creates tension, introduces stakes, and delivers a resolution. And that’s the key. Messaging shouldn’t try to solve everything in one paragraph. I’ve done that before – written [messaging](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-avoid-messaging-positioning-mistakes/) that tried to solve the entire world in the first line. Guess what? It sucked. Your job is to move the reader forward, one beat at a time. Once you’ve done that, *then* you’ve earned the right to say more. ## Essential #2: Kill your darlings We all have ideas, lines, or jokes that we’re attached to. It could be a line we’ve spent hours crafting or a concept we’re convinced will work. But just because we love something doesn’t mean it will land with the audience. The challenge often comes from our ego or that inner voice (or our boss’s voice) telling us to stick with it, even when we know it’s not working. The "kill your darlings" rule in writing tells us that sometimes the things we’re most attached to need to be cut. It’s not easy, but letting go of what doesn’t serve the message often results in something stronger and more impactful. In the end, it’s about putting the audience first, not holding onto ideas out of pride or attachment. ### Less is more: The art of simplifying If your messaging isn’t landing, step back and look at it. Are there words in there that don’t really add to the meaning? We all know the culprits: “revolutionary,” “game-changing,” and the like. If you scroll through LinkedIn for long enough, you’ll see them everywhere. These words clutter the message, make it harder to go from point A to point B, and diminish your credibility. Let me give you an example from the world of comedy. Jerry Seinfeld spent two years perfecting a pop-tart joke, and here’s how it started: > "It was the 1960s, and I was a little kid watching television commercials." That was the first draft. He eventually rewrote it to: > “I was seven watching TV.” By trimming the unnecessary details – like the year – Seinfeld made the joke shorter and sharper. You don’t need to know it was the 1960s to understand the context. And “I was seven” (rather than “I was a little kid”) gives you a clearer mental picture. It’s a perfect example of how cutting unnecessary words can improve your messaging. You don’t have to explain everything upfront. Sometimes, less is more. I ran into the wordiness problem with a headline I was working on. Here’s the original draft: > Transform your business objectives into high-performing segments, letting marketers focus on strategy while our agents handle the data science. That was a mouthful, right? The second draft? > Build better audiences. The second line is the real point. It’s all I need to convey upfront. The first version tries to do too much at once, while the second version gets to the heart of the message. I don’t need to explain everything right away; I just need to make them want to keep reading. ## Essential #3: Specificity is originality In comedy and messaging, specificity is key. The more specific you are, the more original your message becomes. Think about what you – as an individual or as an organization – are most qualified to speak about. The more specific you get, the more you’ll resonate with your audience. When we’re telling stories, especially in marketing, we tend to go too broad. Here’s an equation to keep in mind: 💡 ***Me > we > they.** In other words, “I” and “you” statements work better than “us” statements, and way better than broad, organizational-type “they” statements. Why? Because we’re selfish beings, and we relate better when we see ourselves in the story. Take a look at these examples: [![AI messaging examples from Databricks, NVIDIA, and Apple](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdm88FbKcKcrxRVh5YWtbU_UDEBzOtmBFWPYbX4FyB8aE9J6iarBY6t3_j0MRneiEJ7Eb1hdZslyWdsp8vQ83SRqpHxMCDYZgLLTu14dKA6V4MuQTLtXsl0DL32LWzhhBclnd_jJw?key=O4XtN2p6rs7tc8zoopKiLg)](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-to-improve-your-messaging) > "Your data, your AI, your future." – **Databricks** This is a solid start. The repetition of “your” makes it feel personal, but “your AI” still feels somewhat broad. It suggests empowerment, but doesn’t specify what action or outcome the audience can expect. It’s a good message, but it could use a bit more detail to make it feel more tangible and personal. > "Europe builds AI infrastructure with NVIDIA." – **Nvidia** Here, the message is more about the region than the individual. If I’m in Europe, I might connect with it, but I still wonder what *this* means for me. It’s a “they” statement that doesn’t immediately draw me in as an individual. > "AI for the rest of us. > "Built into your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro to help you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly." – **Apple** Apple hits the mark here. The phrase “AI for the rest of us” speaks to accessibility, and the specifics – iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro – give a clear picture of how the technology fits into the user's daily life. It’s personal, tangible, and specific, which makes it more engaging. Of these three examples, Apple stands out. By making the message feel accessible with “for the rest of us” and tying it directly to personal devices, it balances both broad appeal and specific relevance. This is the type of messaging that resonates – it’s both specific and original. ### Making it personal Now, let’s look at how this plays out in comedy. Everyone’s been to the airport and gone through security, right? That’s what we call a “relatable truth.” We’ve all been there, so when comics tell a story about it, we can see ourselves in the situation. For example, here are three different comics talking about airports: [![Airline jokes from George Carlin, Brian Regan, and John Mulaney. Carlin focuses on the absurdity of airline language: "Whole thing starts when you get to the gate… first announcement: 'We would like to begin the boarding process…' Extra word, 'process', not necessary, 'boarding' is enough... People add extra words when they want things to sound more important than they really are." Regan tells the story of lost luggage: "So the airline lost my bag, temporarily. Had to go into that baggage claim office. Boy, that must be a wonderful place to work. Every single person that comes in, you have to go, 'uh, lemme guess. You're angry?'" Mulaney makes it about his anxiety: "I get nervous on airplanes Like I’ll book a ticket on some garbage airline. You know I don’t want to name any actual airline so let's just make one up and so let's just call it Delta Airlines.](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdFQr51i7xfkCtbJzTbVL-F1tptzQouI1K4ZJo0tV9kve1c5VbL_L2MNHkX3tEUOOgoStPLj1MDpkJu05PBM8vEu8ZgLDzvs5wJp4OUnUM2mSKhn_s6Eiq-9PJaZTT7twYuM-l8?key=O4XtN2p6rs7tc8zoopKiLg)](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-to-improve-your-messaging) George Carlin focuses on the absurdity of airline language, Brian Regan talks about lost luggage, and John Mulaney touches on airline anxiety. Even though these comics are talking about a similar experience – air travel – they each give a unique perspective. The humor lands because it’s personal to them, and we can see ourselves in their stories. John Mulaney, in particular, isn't just talking about the mundane reality of flying. His joke is, at its core, about anxiety. The setting – the airport – is just the backdrop for his experience of nervousness. He frames his experience in a way that we can relate to, which is what makes it so effective. That’s the magic of humor – it makes a personal experience feel universal. ## Essential #4: Work it out Messaging doesn’t happen in a vacuum – it can’t happen in a Zoom chat, or on Slack, or in the comfort of your own office. [Messaging needs to be tested](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/pressure-testing-your-product-stories-a-7-step-framework/) in the real world, just like stand-up comedy. Let’s take a page from Mike Birbiglia’s book. He’s a brilliant storytelling comic, and his approach to comedy is something we can all learn from. He has [a podcast](https://www.podpage.com/mike-birbiglias-working-it-out/) dedicated entirely to working out comedy bits before they’re ready for the stage. His most recent special is a result of two years of writing, touring, and perfecting. After all that work, he took it to the Beacon Theater in New York for filming. That’s a serious commitment to refining your material before going public. [![Two photos on a purple background. the photo on the left shows Mike Birbiglia with two cue card behind him reading "Mike Birbiglia's" while he holds a cue card to camera that reads "Working it Out." The photo on the right shows Steve Martin and Martin Short onstage at the Comedy Cellar. ](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf6z0lhSLLZSSPOSAJlNNRy8xb2-FWRcAqee6pU5YRTJvfQwg9vRXFoUezcUY-y04BtvVXt5u1P0EBLmRR_p3zFq6RSHAN24ig8pWqs5kGNhiKdut6A5AOqZwudAIba29RDOUz9Mw?key=O4XtN2p6rs7tc8zoopKiLg)](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-to-improve-your-messaging) And take Steve Martin and Martin Short – even these comedy legends don’t rest on their laurels. I saw them testing new material at the Comedy Cellar in New York before using it for the *SNL* 50th anniversary special. It’s not uncommon for top comics to hit small venues like this to work out their bits. I even saw Trevor Noah pop in just two days after returning from a Costa Rica vacation. That’s dedication. ### Test your messaging in the real world Now, let’s apply the comic’s mindset to messaging. Messaging doesn’t get perfected in internal meetings; it’s perfected when you test it in front of an audience. That’s the only way to see if it truly resonates. Your boss may love your messaging, but unless they’re your target customer, that doesn’t matter. We might think we know our customers inside and out because we’ve been in the industry for so long, but until you test your messaging with them, you won’t know if it resonates, If we were as diligent as comics are, getting out there to test our messaging, we wouldn’t find ourselves using overused buzzwords like “game-changing.” We’d know better. (Honestly, I think the term “game-changing” is one of those words marketers cling to because we were the last ones picked in gym class – it’s our way of making up our own rules to feel better. But I digress.) The point is: test your messaging in the real world. Be willing to adjust and accept that some words or phrases just don’t land. Even if you're attached to an idea, it might not be the right fit. Don’t be afraid to cut what’s not working. ## Bonus secrets to take your messaging further We’ve covered the four essentials, but before we wrap up, I want to leave you with a few bonus secrets for crafting effective messaging. ### Tip #1: Explore a new world Stop reading your competitors’ websites. Not forever, but take a break and go find a completely different industry. Learn how they talk about their products, what matters to them. And don’t just look at something tangential to your industry. For example, if you're in martech, don’t go check out marketing automation. Instead, go learn about something completely different, like healthcare or Labubu dolls. Step outside your comfort zone. Explore new industries. It’ll broaden your perspective and ultimately strengthen your messaging. ### Tip #2: Stay curious Curiosity is key. It’s not just about writing what interests you, but also observing others – seeing how they’ve mastered something. One person who embodied this was Anthony Bourdain. If you watched him interact with people in a small sandwich shop halfway across the world, you’d see an intense curiosity. Despite being a rock star chef, he never stopped learning. He didn’t let his fame or expertise get in the way of constantly seeking new knowledge. That kind of curiosity is essential for marketers, too. Stay curious and keep notes on everything – whether it's about your own work or about something you’ve observed in others. ### Tip #3: Try these writing prompts Let me share some fun prompts to get your creative juices flowing. These will push you to think differently about your messaging and force you out of your comfort zone. [![5 writing prompts for creative messaging. Prompt 1: Have you ever noticed that when using [competitor's product/current solution], people always... Prompt 2: Choose your product's most boring feature or commonly advertised benefit. Rewrite the pitch to completely change the expectations. Prompt 3: Without [your product], you'll [absurd outcome that's emotionally true]. Prompt 4: List your product's features in groups of three, where the first two are standard features presented conventionally, and the third breaks the pattern with personality, humor, or unexpected honesty. Prompt 5: Create a memorable phrase, character, or concept and write 10 scenarios using this creation.](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf9dmiycNHMj0CNLtFrjyqNbAyEBHXhuDAGrQV_3fMr9UvFgtBnNegsnAuxiIDySpUhnEX0Au4wdT91rNIpbx8pVUZSjugpfY2pCsN7P1bvEuHxuYVAFoBqOtIeJM67cjAqekMj?key=O4XtN2p6rs7tc8zoopKiLg)](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/4-comedy-secrets-to-improve-your-messaging) I especially love Prompt 3 because it forces you to think outside the box. Take something simple, like “we keep your data secure” – it’s boring, right? Now, rewrite it into something absurd but still emotionally true. How about, "We keep your data secure so you don’t end up in a Ukrainian prison." It’s preposterous, but *memorable.* Prompt 5 is another fun one. Think about [what Geico did with their caveman campaign](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y7HDXBVbfc). The concept was simple – “so easy a caveman could do it” – but the caveman became a character, and that character was used in multiple scenarios to drive home the point. You don’t have to make your character a literal caveman, but the principle still stands. Think about how you can create a phrase, character, or concept for your company that’s fun, memorable, and can be used in different ways across your messaging. ### Tip #4: Get personal with your messaging Now, let's take it up a notch – we need to get **super** personal. The best messaging comes from those personal moments. During a talk I gave at the Product Marketing Summit in Chicago, I mentioned being an introvert and how, though I love being on stage, after it’s over, I’m going to my hotel room, scrolling through TikTok, and eating some chocolate. I have ADHD, and it’s my way of resetting my serotonin and dopamine levels. It was a throwaway comment, but guess what happened? Everybody who connected with me on LinkedIn mentioned it. The next time I met the people who’d been at that talk, they all said something like, “Hope you brought your chocolate!” That little personal touch was what stuck with people the most. Now, as an organization, it’s harder to be *that* personal, but you can still find ways to get a bit personal. For example, maybe you’re having a one-on-one conversation with a client – he’s how you can add a personal touch while still tying it to your messaging: “My company does this. We help you do this. I’ve been in that boat myself. Let me tell you a story about that…” When you do this, your messaging stops being *just* about what you want to say. It becomes about what your customers need to hear. And that’s where the magic happens. ### Tip #5: Messaging is about what your audience needs to hear That brings us nicely to my fifth bonus tip. If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this: Messaging is not about what you need to say. It’s about what your audience wants to hear. It’s like a comedian in a dingy club. They’re not up there talking about what’s important to them for their benefit. They’re up there to entertain the audience. Take Nikki Glaser, a comic whose partner is a TV producer. He was once asked about her making fun of him on stage, and he said something that stuck with me: as long as the joke is funny, anything in their life is fair game. However, if she were up there using the audience as a sounding board for her frustrations, that would be crossing the line. What he’s really saying is that as long as the comedy connects with the audience, it’s fair. If it’s just self-indulgent or for her own benefit, it’s not. This is a perfect way to look at your messaging. If what you’re saying connects with your audience, that’s what matters. That’s what makes it work. But if you’re just ranting, if you’re putting something out there just because your sales team thinks it’s the next big thing, like, “We’re AI-powered!” Maybe not. Be sure your messaging actually serves your audience. ### Tip #6: Cut through the fluff with Drunk Claude Speaking of AI and cutting through the fluff, here’s my favorite [AI prompt](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-prompt-engineering-hands-on-ai-skills-for-pmms/) to get straight to the truth. I call it *Drunk Claude*. It’s a fun way to use AI to get brutally honest feedback on your messaging. 🍸 I want you to act like a brutally honest friend who’s had a few drinks – loose, unfiltered, emotionally raw, and completely done with politeness. You’re at a bar with me, and I’m asking you for advice. No sugarcoating, no diplomacy, just gut-level truth. You can swear, rant, or get passionate, but keep your grammar intact. Be sharp and direct, and funny if it fits. Don’t hold back your real opinion. I want the version of you that only shows up after two whiskeys and no filter. Ready? Here’s what I need your honest take on… I use this for copywriting, idea generation, and just general brainstorming. It’s amazing because one of two things will happen: 1. You’ll have a good laugh. 2. You’ll see where your messaging needs some work before you take it back to your team. It’s an easy way to cut through the fluff and get real, raw feedback. I recommend using Claude for this – it’s the best at this kind of unfiltered honesty. ChatGPT 4.5 does a pretty good job, too. If you’re using ChatGPT o3, just know that it might freak out at the “drunk” part. ## Key takeaways I hope you’ve had as much fun as I did exploring how stand-up comedy can shape your messaging. Here’s a quick recap of the essentials to keep in mind: - **Structure is key**: Your message needs a clear beginning, middle, and end to keep it impactful. - **Cut the fluff**: If it doesn’t serve your point, let it go. Less is often more. - **Get specific**: Speak directly to your audience with clear, relatable examples. - **Test your messaging**: See how your audience reacts before settling on your final version. - **Be personal**: Authenticity comes through when you share your own stories and experiences. - **Stay creative**: Keep using prompts and testing new ideas to find fresh ways to communicate. --- *This article is based on* [*Zack Wenthe*](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackwenthe/)*’s brilliant talk at the Seattle Product Marketing Summit.* --- ## You’ve nailed the art of connecting with your audience. ### Now it’s time to master the science behind it. [**Customer Marketing Certified: Core**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) helps you go beyond clever copy and witty messaging to build strategies that drive loyalty, advocacy, and growth. Learn from customer marketing pros at brands like Google, Venmo, and HubSpot, and turn your creative instincts into repeatable success. Get certified and take center stage in your company’s customer story. [ Enroll today ](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### The DNA of a customer marketing manager URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-dna-of-a-customer-marketer/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:12:53.000Z ## What does a customer marketer do? [Customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) can be a tough role to define. It looks a little different at every company, and depending on [where it sits in the org chart](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/), priorities can vary wildly. It can sometimes be tricky to pin down their "typical" [day-to-day activities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-in-2024-responsibilities-and-metrics/). But one thing’s for sure: customer marketers bring serious [strategic value](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/prove-your-value-making-the-case-for-customer-marketing/). They're the [glue between teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/), the [voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/) (VoC) inside the business, and the driving force behind [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/), and [expansion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/). So, what makes a customer marketer tick? Let’s break it down. ## What makes a customer marketer? Customer marketers wear a lot of hats, but the best ones share a few key traits. - **Big-picture thinkers:** They don’t just deliver campaigns – they tie everything back to company goals, keeping a close eye on ROI and long-term impact. - **Natural collaborators:** Customer marketers thrive on teamwork. They connect success, sales, product, and marketing so everyone’s pulling in the same direction. - **Resourceful and flexible:** The field is always evolving, and customer marketers adapt fast. They’re creative problem-solvers who find ways forward even when resources are tight. - **Customer fanatics:** At their core, they care deeply about creating experiences people love, going above and beyond to make that happen. When we asked senior customer marketing leaders what they look for when hiring, here’s what they said: Kalyn New, VP of Product & Customer Marketing at ROLLER, had this to say: > "*I look for people who have worked in loyalty or retention before - across any industry. SaaS/subscription experience is also a plus as it means you have that focus on content and value, whether B2B or B2C. They also need to be data-driven."* [![Customer Marketing Salary Report: Download](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Customer-Marketing-Salary-Report-In-Article-Banner-Ad.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/) ## Key responsibilities of a customer marketer Customer marketing looks different everywhere, but you’ll usually find marketers in this role doing some or all of the following: - Setting the tone for [customer communications](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) and creating experiences that stand out. - Managing advocacy programs, [onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/), engagement campaigns, and customer communications. - Identifying opportunities for [cross-sells](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/), upsells, [renewals](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/a-step-by-step-guide-to-retention-renewals-and-expansion/), and referrals. - Tracking customer metrics and sharing insights with leadership. - Working closely with other teams to find advocates for testimonials, events, and case studies. Again, this is by no means exhaustive. Customer marketing activities will often overlap with [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/), sales, and [product marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-product-adoption-where-customer-marketing-fits/) teams. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Cross-functional-teams-and-goals.jpg) ## Where customer marketing fits in an org There’s a lot of debate about where customer marketing "belongs." In some companies, it sits alongside product marketing and customer success, focusing on adoption, retention, and product engagement. In others, it’s part of a broader marketing function with an emphasis on content, advocacy, and lifecycle campaigns. The truth? Customer marketing’s still defining itself as a discipline. But it’s quickly becoming a **core part of growth strategy**, not just a nice-to-have. At our [Customer Marketing Summits](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/), leaders consistently agree: customer marketing is evolving into a standalone powerhouse. It’s cross-functional by design and essential for connecting customer success with long-term revenue growth. Startups are especially leaning in early, using customer marketing to build advocacy from day one. Mature orgs are scaling it fast, as they've wised up to just how much influence it has on renewal rates, brand love, and expansion. Besides the fact that it has a place within every organization, there seems to be a lot of debate about what exactly a customer marketing function looks like. ## Team structures and roles If you’re leading customer marketing (or you’re a team of one right now), structure matters. Here’s what some common setups look like, and how they complement each other: ### Customer Advocacy Manager If you already have strong retention programs in place, adding an advocacy role can help level up your customer relationships. They typically own: - Onboarding advocates and managing reviews or references - [Customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) (CABs) - Building and maintaining advocacy and rewards programs - [Voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/) (VoC) initiatives An advocacy manager works closely with community roles to turn happy customers into vocal advocates. ### Community Manager Community managers bring people together – customers, partners, even internal stakeholders – to share, learn, and connect. They often oversee: - [Events](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/), communications, and social engagement - Community platforms and spaces - Gathering and amplifying customer feedback - Building authentic relationships between customers and your brand [Community management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/global-community-management/) is where connection meets strategy. Done right, it supports retention and advocacy at every level. ### Program Director Think of this role as the strategist. Program directors oversee the bigger picture, ensuring every campaign, touchpoint, and message contributes to the customer lifecycle. They focus on: - Identifying strengths and weaknesses in the customer journey - Segmenting audiences and tailoring experiences - Developing content and educational programs - Measuring the business impact of advocacy and engagement efforts It’s a high-level role, but a vital one for scaling customer marketing in growing organizations. These roles both span the scope of customer marketing and divide responsibilities efficiently, and are flexible enough to be modified to fit the needs of your brand. Ownership of specific tasks and processes is tricky at the best of times, and you will know best how they might align with your internal structure. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) If you’re new to customer marketing, or perhaps are building the function from scratch, it can often feel overwhelming at first. But every great program starts small. Here’s what seasoned customer marketers recommend focusing on in your first six months: 1. **Do your homework.** Learn how your internal teams work – especially customer success and sales. Understand their goals, challenges, and where customer marketing can help. 2. **Start with small wins.** Don’t aim to overhaul everything at once. Launch a small campaign, improve a single onboarding flow, or test a customer story initiative. 3. **Be visible and collaborative.** Build relationships early. When people see the impact of your work, you’ll gain buy-in fast. 4. **Learn from the community.** Join the [Customer Marketing Alliance Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) or connect on LinkedIn – the community’s full of pros sharing playbooks and lessons learned. Many customer marketers say their first big project was launching or growing a community. It’s a smart move; community naturally fuels engagement, advocacy, and retention. If you go that route, start with a clear vision: - What’s your community for? - Who’s it helping? - How will it connect back to your brand’s goals? And don’t forget to loop in your stakeholders. Sales, CS, and product often have great ideas and connections you can build on. --- ## You’ve got the mindset. Now master the method. [Customer Marketing Certified: Core](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) gives you the proven strategies, practical frameworks, and expert insights to build customer programs that inspire loyalty, drive growth, and prove ROI across your organization. Learn directly from industry pioneers at Google, HubSpot, Venmo, Gong, and more as you master the art of customer-centric marketing. Get certified, empower your teams, and become the driving force for customer success in your company. [Enroll today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### Customer Marketing awards 2026 Nominate today URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-alliance-awards-cma-nominate-today/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T13:11:47.000Z Get ready for the event of the year! As summer heats up, so does the excitement for the **Customer Marketing awards 2026**. This year marks the 6th anniversary of our prestigious celebration, recognizing the pinnacle of marketing innovation and talent. Customer Marketing Alliance is gearing up for our most spectacular ceremony yet, and we need your help to make it unforgettable. It's time to shine a spotlight on the brilliant minds shaping our industry. Who are the trailblazers, the game-changers, the visionaries that deserve recognition? We want to hear from you! ## Key dates for your diary 💌 **Submission deadline:** October 5, 2026 (midnight GMT) **🌟 Shortlists announced:** October 19, 2026 **📣 Polling round:** October 26-30, 2026 **🏆 Winners announced:** December 1, 2026 ## 2026 awards categories Let's take a look at each of the awards up for grabs... ### Customer Marketer of the Year Customer marketing is all about staying ahead of the curve, crafting stories that resonate, and driving results. No wonder we're pumped to celebrate the fresh faces injecting new life into the field. Got a newbie on your radar who's already making waves in customer marketing? Maybe they're churning out content that has clients buzzing, or their campaigns are turning heads left and right. If you know a marketing rookie who's punching way above their weight, it's time to give credit where it's due. Toss their name in the ring and let's shine a spotlight on the up-and-comers shaping the future of customer marketing! 🌟 ### Customer Marketing Team of the Year This award is all about the cream of the crop of customer marketing squads. Got a dream team in mind? Customer marketing hits the high notes when everyone's in harmony, vibing off that shared passion and team spirit. Is your crew crushing your KPIs this year? Or have you got a team that’s running like a well-oiled machine? If you're part of a customer marketing squad that's leaving the competition in the dust, it's time to grab the megaphone and let the world know! After all, if you've got it, flaunt it! 🏆 [Submit your nominations here](https://productmarketingall.typeform.com/to/f9aCW0aj) --- ## Our judging criteria Here's what we’re looking for in our winners: - Superstars who are changing the game in customer success, customer marketing, and community-led positions. - Solid bottom-line business impact that can be demonstrated - be it churn management, customers onboarded, revenue, communities grown, account expansion, or setting other teams up for success. - Anecdotal support from at least one other member of your/the nominee’s company. - Anything else you think helps you/your nominee stand out in the crowd. Happy nominating! In the meantime, check out last year's winners. ## Terms and FAQs #### What makes a strong nomination? Nominations with clear, data-driven reasoning and concrete examples are more likely to stand out. #### Does length matter? Quality matters more than word count. A concise, well-evidenced nomination is more effective than a long one. #### How are nominations judged? Our internal panel of experts carefully reviews every submission. They take a fair, balanced, and comprehensive look at all entries before deciding on a shortlist and winners. #### Can I nominate more than once? Yes! You may submit multiple nominations if you’d like to highlight different work, or encourage colleagues and peers to support your nomination. #### Who can submit a nomination? The short answer is, well - anyone! You can either self-nominate or have someone else to nominate you/your team. #### What happens after I submit? Once nominations close you’ll get a confirmation confirming we’re received your nomination. After the close date, our judging panel will review submissions, publish the shortlist, and announce the overall winners during the awards live broadcast listed above. #### Is there a deadline? Yes, ensure you are submitting your nomination between the dates listed above. Late nominations will not be considered. ### Why the first 90 days matter more than your NPS score URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/first-90-days-matter-more-than-nps/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:14:06.000Z While an NPS score offers a snapshot of customer sentiment, the actions you take in your first 90 days are what truly drive future growth and loyalty. The journey you embark on – from initial planning to program execution – is what creates a loyal customer base that will improve your [NPS](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-retain-more-customers/) over time, not the other way around. [How to set up a customer marketing team | PlaybookThis playbook contains all the pieces and parts that comprise the first 30, 60, and 90 days of setting up and launching a customer marketing function at your company.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-399.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_First_30_60_and_90_Days_Meta-2.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-customer-marketing-in-30-60-and-90-day-playbook/) ## Getting started: Your first 30 days in customer marketing So, you're tasked with building a[ customer marketing function from scratch](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/). It might sound daunting, but don't sweat it. The first 30 days are all about setting yourself up for success. You’re not launching anything huge yet; you’re just building a solid foundation. ### Find your "why" First things first, you need to understand the big picture. Why is this new team being created? Is your leadership trying to boost customer retention, increase customer lifetime value, or maybe just beat a competitor to the punch? Whatever the reason, you need to get to the core of it. For example, if the goal is to improve [onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/), you have to talk to everyone involved – sales, marketing, customer success – to understand what "successful onboarding" means to them. It's important to know that a lot of what customer marketing does has historically been handled by other teams. Your job is to step in and manage the customer relationship after the initial sale. Unlike other teams, you're not trying to sell the customer something new or just get feedback. You’re building a [long-term relationship](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-authentic-relationships-in-a-changing-marketing-landscape/). This is why building strong relationships with other teams is so crucial. By collaborating from day one, you can avoid conflicts and make sure your work helps them achieve their goals, too. Think of it as a win-win. ### Gather your resources Now, you need to figure out what you have to work with. This means looking for people and tools both inside and outside the company. - **Inside:** Chat with **HR** to see if any current employees have the skills you need. Work with your existing **marketing team** to see who can help, and talk to your **sales team** for their insights into customer behavior. You can also tap into your company's **employee skills database** to find hidden talent. Don't forget, offering **training and development** can turn an interested employee into a valuable team member. - **Outside:** If you need to hire, use **job boards** or work with a specialized recruitment agency. You can also bring in freelancers from platforms like Upwork for specific projects. External **consultants and advisors** can also be a huge help in getting your function off the ground. ### Build your business case Even if you have initial buy-in from leadership, you still have to fight for resources. The best way to do this? With data. Customer marketing is a unique blend of building personal relationships and making data-driven decisions. Data is the language of leadership. 1. **Create a dashboard:** Build a simple dashboard to show how your programs are impacting key metrics like revenue and retention. 2. **Use data to strategize:** Don't just collect data; use it to figure out how to drive more growth and engagement. 3. **Track the right metrics:** Pay attention to things like **program penetration** (how many customers are in your programs), **advocates per account**, **time to engagement**, and **retention**. By leveraging data, you can prove that customer marketing isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have for the business. ### Understand the four pillars Finally, it's time to build your strategy around the four pillars of customer marketing. - **Advocacy:** Find your biggest fans, segment them, and figure out how to get them to champion your brand. - **Customer communications and adoption:** Decide on your core message and make sure it’s reflected in all your communications. - **Expansion:** Look at past campaigns to see what worked, and talk to the sales team about what assets they prefer. - **Renewal:** Focus on customers who have churned or are at risk of churning. Use surveys to understand their pain points. By the end of your first month, you’ll have a clear plan, the right people, and a solid understanding of how to make your customer marketing function a success. ![4 pillars of customer marketing](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-1def6fdd-d473-48b2-ae02-b201c78ac548.png) ## Executing the plan: Your next 60 days With the groundwork laid, the next 60 days are all about action. It's time to take your research and planning and turn it into real-world programs and goals that will make a difference. ### Define your goals for advocates The best way to start is by talking to your customers. Set up interviews with your current advocates to build rapport and get valuable insights. A great way to streamline this is to **work with customer success to create an advocate nomination process**. This makes it easy for other teams to suggest great candidates for customer stories. When setting your goals, make sure they have these four key components: 1. **Brand awareness:** Make sure your goals align with your company's overall [brand voice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). 2. **Impact:** Every goal should be about improving an existing process. 3. **Metrics for success:** You can’t hit a target you can't see. Define exactly how you’ll measure success. 4. **Time frame for completion:** Goals need a deadline, or they just become vague tasks that never get done. You can use frameworks like **CLEAR** (Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, Refinable) or **SMART** (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) to structure your goals. Another great option is[ OKR](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) (Objectives and Key Results), which helps you set ambitious objectives and track your progress with measurable results. ### **Map out the customer journey** It's time to build a plan to communicate with customers and collect their stories. A crucial part of this is mapping out the[ customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/). As Brooke Wilson from AlphaSense explains, it's a "visual representation of all of the touchpoints, all of the actions, the emotions, the feelings customers are going through." A great customer journey map should be: - **Seamless:** It should provide a smooth experience for the customer. - **Data-driven:** All decisions should be based on data. - **Continuously improving:** It should be a living document that you update over time. - **Focused on loyalty:** It should always prioritize customer loyalty and advocacy. By mapping the journey, you'll be able to create messaging that is unique to each stage, ensuring a more personalized and effective experience for your customers. ### Plan your events and communications Now you can start planning bigger content pieces and events. Consider a "Launch & Learn" workshop for new product updates, where customers get hands-on experience and advice. Work with other teams to find "white space" in your target accounts – that is, customer goals and challenges your business can solve. You can also use marketing automation to create email sequences that collect information from customers based on their behavior. For your communication plan, use [customer segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-the-basics-the-stp-customer-segmentation-model-for-competitive-advantage/?%5Fgl=1%2A1fw0918%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANzI0MjM0NzI2LjE3NTg3MDcxODQ.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AczE3NTg3MDcxODMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTg3MDcxODMkajYwJGwwJGgw) to your advantage. For example, you can segment at-risk customers and send them targeted email campaigns to try and win them back. This is also a great time to develop a regular **survey cadence** to collect feedback from your customers at key moments. By the end of 60 days, you'll have a strategic plan, a library of customer stories, and a foundation for the programs that will define your customer marketing function. Now, get ready to launch! ## Maximizing efficiency: Your first 90 days You’ve hit the 90-day mark! This is the big moment. It’s time to deliver on your strategy, launch your programs, and start measuring their success. This is where all your hard work pays off. ### Launch your programs Now's the time to roll out specific programs for advocacy and more. - **Customer communities:** These are a fantastic starting point. Free platforms like Slack let you create a flexible space for customers to connect with each other and your brand. It's great for transparency and promotion. - **Ambassador programs:** For your biggest fans, offer an exclusive ambassador program. They'll create user-generated content for you, and in return, they get a look behind the scenes and sweet deals. - **Customer reference program:** Share your new customer reference program with the sales team. The voice of your customers is incredibly powerful, so make sure to collect and share testimonials both internally and externally. - **Customer story library:** Launch a central library for all your customer stories. This gives all your teams a bank of quotes, testimonials, and case studies to use whenever they need them. You should also launch programs focused on **expansion** and **renewal**. - **Lifecycle campaigns:** Set up trigger-based campaigns for new customers to help them learn about and adopt your product. - **Detractor programs:** Follow up on customer complaints from surveys to address their pain points and work to prevent churn. - **Targeted emails:** Send emails to inactive users to re-engage them and remind them of your brand's value. - **Customer appreciation events:** Throw a dinner or host an event to thank customers for their loyalty. ### Track your goals Now that you've done all this, the most important thing is to measure your progress. - **Advocate metrics:** Keep an eye on the number of new advocates and their retention rate. Also, track things like reference calls, reviews, and referrals. - **Qualitative progress:** Use tools like Salesforce to measure your influence on sales cycles. - **Other metrics:** Count the number of events you’ve hosted, reviews you’ve gotten, and customer stories you’ve collected. To make sure you’re tracking the right things, follow Kevin Lau's advice: - **Ask the right questions:** Figure out what you can easily measure, what will have the biggest impact, and what your leadership cares about. - **Set shared goals:** Talk to marketing, sales, and customer success to align on shared goals. - **Commit to "North Stars":** Choose a few key metrics to guide your programs, such as a **customer adoption score**, **community engagement score**, or **advocacy score**. Building a customer marketing function takes time and patience, and it's an ongoing process. But by setting clear goals, aligning with your partners, and consistently tracking your progress, you'll be well on your way to building a function that becomes a core driver of business growth. A high NPS score is a great outcome, but it’s a lagging indicator of success. The work you do in the first 90 days – building relationships, creating programs, and proving value – is what truly drives the business forward and earns that high score. ### The wrike elite 100 - Building a customer awards program that inspires, engages, and elevates URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-customer-awards-program-that-inspires-engages-and-elevates/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:14:41.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** October 7 **Time:** 4:00pm BST **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2025-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=h0yq5owbrq&wmediaid=vn63gcncdp) Discover how the Wrike Elite 100 customer awards program fosters loyalty, engagement, and advocacy by recognizing top customers. This session will cover how to create a meaningful awards program that resonates with your audience, drives customer engagement, and strengthens relationships. Learn key strategies for selecting impactful categories, ensuring long-term success, and inspiring your customers to become brand champions. --- ### Key takeaways: - **Design awards that matter** \- Learn how to choose categories and recognition criteria that truly resonate with your customer base. - **Turn recognition into advocacy** \- Discover how celebrating your top customers can deepen relationships and inspire them to champion your brand. - **Build sustainable impact** \- Gain strategies to ensure your awards program continues to drive engagement, loyalty, and long-term success. --- ### Meet the speaker: [Karilla Dyer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karilladyer/), Senior Customer Advocacy Manager, Wrike With nearly a decade of experience in B2B SaaS marketing, Karilla Dyer is a customer advocacy leader dedicated to turning customers into brand champions. At Wrike, she drives programs that showcase customer success, build community, and influence buying decisions. Leveraging her expertise in marketing and storytelling, she creates meaningful connections that enhance engagement and drive business impact. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/09/image.png) ### 4 steps to innovate your marketing operating model URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/innovate-your-marketing-operating-model/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:15:07.000Z The pressure to launch big, splashy marketing campaigns is a common one. But how many of us have seen these ambitious plans fall flat, or fail to get off the ground entirely? Much like rotting fruit, these types of campaigns can die on the vine before they’ve had the chance to succeed. And before you think, *they were bad ideas*, it’s not that at all. It’s because the foundational work of innovating the operating model hasn't been done first. As marketers, we’re hardwired to be customer-obsessed. But I believe the most impactful work isn't necessarily the sexiest; it's the tough, behind-the-scenes work that enables your team to do their best. So, let’s get started. Here are four key principles for innovating your marketing operating model and how to implement them to drive meaningful, long-term change. ## Principle 1: Efficiency before innovation As marketers, we know it's critical to drive innovation. However, the best transformations often fail because teams are not given the time and space to metabolize them. To lead a successful innovation agenda, you must first "clean out the closet." I start by meeting with frontline marketers across divisions and geographies to understand their pain points. What processes or systems are slowing them down? I take it all in, identify the common culprits, and then work to solve those problems. Time sucks often exist because they are difficult to tackle, but once you do, you'll have bought your team the oxygen they need to take on the innovative work you’re planning. ### Common culprits of inefficiency While many pain points are specific to an organization, I've found a couple that are common almost everywhere. #### Martech redundancy This is common in organizations that have grown through mergers and acquisitions. Efficiencies are often identified in back-office functions, but the "too-hard" projects – like consolidating redundant marketing technology – are left untouched. I think of this as **marketing tech debt**. It accumulates over time, creating a mess of fragmented customer data and making it difficult to share best practices. A common example is having multiple email service providers. My advice is to partner with your product and data engineering teams to consolidate your martech stack. It’s tough, but it will streamline so much of what your teams can do. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/09/Angela-s-advice.png) #### Lack of process for sharing best practices This is a major pain point in global organizations. Smart ideas can come from anywhere in your organization, but a lack of a systematic way to share them means these ideas often die. Ready for the full story? Join Customer Success Collective as a Pro member for the full article, plus on-demand summit sessions, plug-and-play templates, and practical frameworks. [Sign up today ](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/signup/) Find a way to celebrate those smart ideas across teams. Do this for both best practices and "lessons learned" – like what worked and what didn't. This will create a culture where everyone is celebrated for innovating and learning. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why executive customer engagement is the future of B2B marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/executive-customer-engagement/ Last updated: 2025-09-18T14:40:59.000Z In order to really demonstrate the worth of your product and business to your clients, you need backing from their C-suite. Without that buy-in, without a strong relationship with the leaders in your most important customer accounts, you don’t stand a chance of unlocking exponential business growth. This is a topic we’ve dedicated our careers to, and it's a field we believe is on the verge of becoming its own industry. While it can feel chaotic and overwhelming, we’re here to share a simple playbook that will make it feel straightforward and easy. In this article, we’ll present five essential keys to building a successful executive customer engagement strategy. You'll learn how to get the attention of busy C-level executives, build trust, and create a holistic program that drives a real impact on your business's bottom line. ## The business case for executive customer engagement We've been involved in [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) and [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) for a couple of decades now, Early in our careers, we realized the power of connecting with senior executives. We’ve both been in similar situations where we’ve been moved by how willing these executives were to help us grow our business. We realized that to get the world's biggest brands to publicly advocate for a company, you need to be closely connected with their senior executives. It was at that moment that we both fell in love with the entire field of executive customer engagement. These are the people who can get things done and remove any hurdles that stand in the way of advocacy. For both of us, the fastest path to "yes" is connecting with C-level people who want to share their company’s story. Our mutual love of research led us to a [recent study from BCG](https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/transformation-paradox-how-grow-when-growing-gets-tough). This research showed that companies that **don’t prioritize engaging their executives have 38% lower revenue growth over three years** compared to their peers. In contrast, those that **do invest in a great executive experience see a 190% greater growth** over the same period. These numbers underscore the critical importance of a well-executed executive customer strategy. An effective executive [customer engagement strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/) is about pulling all the disparate pieces of your existing programs into a cohesive, impactful experience. In most cases, there is no holistic strategy, and executives are left with a poor experience as different teams throughout the company contact them with separate, disjointed requests. We've seen this chaos firsthand, but with our simple playbook, you can turn a chaotic process into a powerful engine for growth. ## The five keys to success ### Key 1: Content is king Before the pandemic, it seemed enough to get a senior executive to attend an experience, like a golf outing or an exclusive dinner. But today, you have to earn their time. It’s no longer sufficient to just be yet another person inviting that executive to yet another Formula 1 race. The best way to earn their time is through valuable content. We’re not talking about yet another white paper or e-book; we're talking about content that provides actionable insights, educates them, and helps them connect with their peers. Your goal is to create "scroll-stopping" content that makes them think, “Oh my God, you’ve just blown my mind! I had no idea the industry was going in this direction.” ### Key 2: Enable influential connections If you want C-level executives in the room, you must ensure that only their peers are there. It’s that simple. Diluting the attendance with lower-level directors or VPs will dilute the value of the event. While those individuals may have decision-making power, the C-level attendees won’t feel like they're with their "people," and they won't come back. It's also crucial to bring executives from your own company who have a similar rank to match the caliber of your customers. Our experience has shown that when C-level executives are surrounded by their peers, they genuinely feel like it was a good use of their time and a worthwhile investment. ### Key 3: Be where they're going to be Many companies are trying to start their own executive communities, roundtables, and events. But what we've found works really well is to meet your customers where they already are. Look at the conferences and online forums your executives are already a part of. You can team up with these organizations to have your brand present in the conversation. This doesn’t mean you need a keynote spot; it means a C-level executive from your company is part of the conversation alongside their peers. ### Key 4: Leverage rolodexes and stalk LinkedIn Everyone has experienced the deluge of automated, impersonal emails. C-level executives are no different. To cut through the noise, you need to find a way to make a personal connection. Start by establishing a **company-wide top accounts program** that aligns with your go-to-market strategy. For example, Splunk has a top 200 list, so everyone in marketing knows *exactly* who they’re targeting. From there, you can leverage your executives' existing connections. Go to LinkedIn and other business tools to see if any of your leaders have relationships with the executives on your top accounts list. You can find connections through previous jobs, volunteer work, or schools. Then, instead of a cold outreach, your executive can make a personal introduction that starts with something like, "Remember, we worked at the same company? I'd love to introduce you to someone." This creates a much friendlier and more effective opening. These personal connections provide an intimate and deep advisor relationship from the start, and they even create a "bat phone" for when C-level executives need assistance, giving them a direct connection to your company's leadership. ### Key 5: Bring it all together This is the most essential part. Without bringing all the pieces together, you just have scattered programs. Let’s take Splunk as a case study, they have a holistic approach to this called a "Platinum Program" that integrates the executive sponsor program, executive council, executive briefing center, and a series of CXO events. The goal is to ensure Splunk’s most important customers are "the first at the buffet,” so to speak, so they’re in prime position for all the best opportunities Splunk has to offer. This includes early access to special invite-only events or new research. This approach ensures that no matter where Splunk’s customer executives are, they have a consistent and great experience. Because essentially, any platinum program like Splunk’s ties back to basic corporate and marketing priorities, ensuring that what we deliver has a real impact on the business. If you’re to try and adpopt a similar strategy, you need to know from the start that this needs to be a team effort; it takes a cross-functional team to earn the attention of these senior customer executives. The ultimate sign that you've reached the peak is when executives from your customer accounts are asking to be part of your program. They hear about the fun and value you're providing from their peers, and they want in. When they start coming to you, you know it's working. --- *This article is based on a joint session Angela and Sarah presented at the virtual Customer Marketing Summit in October 2023\. You can watch the session and others from the event with a* [*Pro+ membership plan*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-plus-membership/)*.* ### Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco 2025 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-2025-ondemand-2/ Last updated: 2025-09-16T12:22:01.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit New York. Discover best practices from experts at Dropbox, Notion, Canva, Freshworks, and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 4 ways voice of customer data drives a smarter, more strategic content strategy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/voice-of-customer-content-strategy/ Last updated: 2025-09-10T10:09:11.000Z **Most content calendars are driven by assumptions.** Marketers, we all know the drill. We chase trending SEO keywords, build around the latest sales ask, or follow gut instincts. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it doesn’t. And the cost is high: wasted content, missed engagement, and misaligned messaging. But what if your content strategy didn’t rely on assumptions at all? That’s where [**voice of the customer**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-how-to-connect-customers-using-voice/) **(VoC)** data comes in. And no, we’re not talking about one-off quotes or NPS scores, although these are helpful too. We’re talking about structured, scaled, searchable VoC as a *data set*. A data set that gives you a full, nuanced picture of what your customers care about, how they talk, and what’s standing in the way of their success. When you tap into VoC data at scale, your content becomes more focused, timely, and impactful. Here's how: ## 1\. Effective prioritization: Let data drive the roadmap One of the biggest struggles in content strategy is knowing what to work on first. Everyone has a request: sales, product, [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/). But what’s actually going to move the needle? **VoC data helps you prioritize with confidence.** By analyzing themes across all your sales and customer facing calls, support tickets, or customer interviews, you can: - Identify which pain points, objections, and questions come up most frequently - Understand where deals are getting stuck, and what content could help - See which gaps are hurting conversion or customer success This means the [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) you produce is tied to the topics that touch the *most* deals, not just the loudest voices. **Bonus:** It builds trust with sales when you show you’re solving the issues they’re hearing every day. ## 2\. Better language: Say what your customers are actually saying Even the most well-written content can fall flat if it’s not in the [customer’s voice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/). Without VoC: You launch a new product and run through your usual checklist of content (landing page, explainer, blog post, etc.), hoping it resonates. With VoC: You shape your messaging around the exact pains, phrases, and needs your customers have already expressed. When you use your customers’ language, they feel heard. And they respond. VoC helps you: - Capture customer phrasing that beats generic copy every time - Position products in a way that aligns with what people are *already* looking for - Turn transcripts and call summaries into headlines, H1s, and CTAs that connect Identifying what your customers are saying at scale makes this even more powerful. The voice of one customer describing their needs is insightful. Hearing multiple customers express their needs in the same way is game changing. Use customer’s own words to position your products and messaging. [The ultimate guide to Voice of the Customer (VoC)This is an in-depth guide on the many different areas of VoC and how it can be used to improve your business. There are many more areas to learn about and how to implement VoC in your business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-398.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/neil-godding-NMbZ7QM3XWM-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/) ## 3\. Real-time relevance: Be proactive, not reactive If your content strategy depends on waiting for feedback from sales, you’re always behind. Sound familiar? - You're chasing down a rep for a great customer success story - You're asking what objections are coming up on calls - You're trying to validate a new feature with anecdotal input **VoC data gives you this in real time.** AI-powered tools surface success stories, objections, feature requests, and questions as soon as they come up without needing a meeting, Slack message, or follow-up. That means your content and messaging doesn’t fall behind current buyer needs or behavior. It means you can bring a customer win to sales for approval versus the other way around. It means you can tackle new product questions and challenges as soon as they arise. Voice of customer data allows marketers to move fast and respond to what is happening today, not last week. ## 4\. More complete insights: Fill in the gaps other tools miss Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or CRM dashboards show you *what’s happening –* page visits, clicks, win/loss rates. But they rarely show you **why** it’s happening. **VoC fills in the blanks.** This data fills in the nuance behind objections (“Is it price, or is it value?”), details around feature requests (“is this actually a nice-to-have or a game changer?”), and the stories and sentiments that numbers alone can’t capture. When you break VoC down into structured insights (like frequency of mention, stage of funnel, content coverage) you can: - Augment data from other tools to understand the why - Spot the real friction points - Know where you’re supported by content (and where you aren’t) - Translate those insights into action, fast ## Content strategy needs better inputs Content teams aren’t short on ideas. But when they’re short on signal, it can mean ineffective content, slow execution, and poorly aligned messaging. Voice of customer data is one of the richest inputs available to a marketer. And with the right tools, this voice of customer can come to life in your content. **Listening at scale isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s a strategic imperative.** And the smartest marketers? They’re not guessing. They’re listening. ### Ideal Customer Profile template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ideal-customer-profile-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:49:26.000Z ## What is an Ideal Customer Profile template? An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) template is a strategic framework used to define the characteristics of your most valuable and best-fit customers. It helps businesses understand who benefits most from their product or service—making it easier to focus marketing and sales efforts where they’ll have the greatest impact. ## What’s inside the template? The Ideal Customer Profile template includes sections to map out both individual and company-level details. Visual diagrams on pages 2–5 show how to capture demographic, firmographic, and behavioral data in one place You’ll find editable fields for: - **Individual profile attributes** – job title, age, income, daily responsibilities, and key challenges. - **Company details** – organization size, revenue, industry, and location. - **Decision-making structure** – identify buyers, influencers, and decision-makers. - **Technology and operations** – document the tech stack, company type, and niche market focus. - **Pain points and benefits** – describe customer problems and how your product directly solves them. - **Additional insights** – capture business goals, expansion plans, or strategic priorities. The template also includes sample personas and company examples to help guide your thinking—making it easy to adapt for your specific business model. ## How to use the template 1. **Start with your existing data** – Review current customers to identify shared traits among your best performers. 2. **Complete each section** – Fill in demographics, firmographics, pain points, and benefits using real data or customer insights. 3. **Add decision-maker information** – Identify who influences purchasing decisions within target companies. 4. **Refine through feedback** – Collaborate with sales, marketing, and success teams to validate your assumptions. 5. **Apply insights** – Use your ICP to guide content creation, campaign targeting, and customer outreach strategies. When complete, your Ideal Customer Profile becomes the foundation for more focused, efficient, and effective go-to-market execution. ## Download your Ideal Customer Profile template ![Ideal Customer Profile template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Ideal-Customer-Profile-template-ss.png) [Ideal Customer Profile template (1)Ideal Customer Profile template (1).pdf237 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/10/Ideal-Customer-Profile-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Ideal Customer Profile templateIdeal Customer Profile template.pptx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/10/Ideal-Customer-Profile-template.pptx "Download") [Ideal Customer Profile templateIdeal Customer Profile Template Name of course here![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/favicon-2023q4-1.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLw259WopiGDuFsvP_YJsPx_tkEYImbFGHG3ESEbIyKWbNsnJYoq-UtsihDL3MtTyvgtldyNbLgKY6iC4n31TW39TKFQ-5EQBRAhB1qi4kjI_eFM2c-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13Ex-fmNHF15naKiGRJ3xwo-Tzmd2VoqBMIXWWnAUK9U/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 6 common mistakes that alienate customers and how to do better URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/common-mistakes-that-alienate-customers/ Last updated: 2025-08-29T12:23:50.000Z There are endless LinkedIn posts, articles, books, and videos offering advice like: - [Create value](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/) for customers. Don’t ship products or software that don’t serve their needs. - Be like Apple. Research and know your customers so that you can build what they will want and love. (Insert Steve Jobs quote here!) - Do "[design thinking](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-design-thinking-in-product-marketing/)." Empathize with users; really get to know their behaviors, tasks, and needs; and innovate the features that will delight them. - Focus on [customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/). Measure this with [NPS](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-product-marketers-can-leverage-nps-data-to-make-decisions/), and constantly improve so customers will be happier, stay longer, and tell people how great you are. - Your highest priority should be customer satisfaction, which you can achieve by frequently releasing quality products and software. - You must get [minimum viable products](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-create-a-minimal-viable-product-without-code/) (MVPs) in front of target audiences for testing so you know you’re going in the right direction. Don’t run the risk of building too much without knowing your concepts are strong, usable, accessible, and solve customers’ problems well. All this advice has one message in common: [**customer-centricity**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/). Put target audiences at the center of everything you do so you can attract and keep customers. It’s the advice we hear from many thought leaders. It’s in books about product strategy, innovation, and winning customers. Delivering value to target users is at the core of Agile and Lean principles. **But something isn’t clicking because most companies aren’t doing any of this.** So, let’s dive into the six all-too-common mistakes that alienate customers – and see how you can do better. ## Mistake #1: Relying on guesses and assumptions Many people admire Apple and *love* to quote Steve Jobs, yet they fail to emulate Apple's success strategies. Apple spends roughly 6% of its annual revenue on research and development (R&D). Meanwhile, it's not uncommon for companies to pare down their R&D departments or disband them entirely (if they even had one to begin with!), thinking they’re too slow. Rather than investing in behavioral research that gets to know target audiences, their tasks, [unmet needs](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/customer-needs-and-how-to-meet-them/), mental models, and how to solve their problems, there’s a tendency to run surveys that merely confirm companies’ pre-existing beliefs. Instead of taking the time to implement an evidence-based approach, all too many companies work from guesses and run the risk of project failures. ### How to do better [Great research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) empowers teams with evidence and accurate problem statements; these are fresh opportunities for your company to seize. While companies are often hesitant to invest in research and better [customer intelligence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/centralize-customer-intelligence-for-product-and-marketing/), just look at the long-term potential: a project might cost more and take longer than the business wants to budget, but if it can solve customers’ problems, enhance the value proposition, improve loyalty and word-of-mouth, or even disrupt the industry, it’s worth it. Investing more in a project upfront can save time and money later by reducing the need for adjustments and proactively heading off concerns rather than leaving them to be fixed later. It’s crucial to invest in research that goes beyond surveys and focus groups. Observing people is best; interviews can be great too when the right questions are asked in the right ways. Put three dedicated CX or UX researchers on a project for four or five weeks, and you’ll learn more than you can imagine. These insights and recommendations should shape business strategy, decisions, and priorities, leading to improved [product-market fit](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-product-market-fit/) and differentiation. [Centralize Customer Intelligence for Product and MarketingWe all know that solid data is your best friend when it comes to sound decision-making, but did you know that only 12% of organizations base almost all of their decisions on real-time data? Nearly three-quarters lack a centralized source of data that’s available to the whole company.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-395.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJaimie Corby![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jeshoots-com-fzOITuS1DIQ-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/centralize-customer-intelligence-for-product-and-marketing/) ## Mistake #2: Using broken processes as an excuse for poor quality Have you ever rushed a feature out, proclaiming it “good enough,” while also promising to fix it later? You’re not alone. The excuse? *That’s just the process: release something as quickly as possible*, even if you know it’s broken or customers wouldn’t give it five stars. The aim? Get something out there and pray it only needs small fixes later. If there is a better solution, shamefully, that might go undiscovered. Once the [product or feature is released](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/), the plan is just to iterate. In short, speed is prioritized over quality. The build-test-learn cycle sounds great in theory, but without learning first and creating solutions based on real evidence and knowledge, you’re not exactly setting yourself up for success. Everyone loves MVPs. The logic is that getting an unfinished product in front of a customer will show you if you’re going in the right direction. But the taste of the cheese alone doesn’t tell you if the pizza is going to be good. Despite the risk of customers being unhappy with all these low-value releases, there's this nonchalant acceptance: public failures are just part of the process. ### How to do better MVPs are not [customer-centric](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/). They put speed over quality, and rarely deliver what customers need. If your customers need a car, giving them a skateboard won’t tell you if they’ll like the car you intend to build later. Take a closer look at your ways of working. They should be efficient, prioritize quality, and need no excuses. You should play to each team member’s specialty, and give them the time and resources they need to do great work, if not their best work. Customers might not mind waiting a few more weeks for a four- or five-star product update versus a one-, two-, or three-star release – they might even thank you for it. Customers don’t care how agile or lean our teams claim to be. They just want their needs and expectations met or exceeded. To truly put the customer at the heart of everything you do, you can lean on experts who use [human-centered design](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/crush-cx-with-human-centered-design/) (HCD), a process with rigor and standards. HCD best practices are laid out in ISO 9241-210, a manual from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on the ergonomics of human-computer interaction. HCD starts with researching target audiences, using that information to create improvements or innovations, designing, testing, and iterating – all before your engineers write a single line of code. This approach allows you to get early feedback through proper usability testing of UX prototypes. You don’t have to risk wasting weeks (or longer) of your engineering team’s time – or jeopardize your customers’ trust – in the hopes that you’ll find out later whether or not you went in the right direction. [Ask the right questions: Perfect the way you collect customer feedbackThis research involves talking to customers directly, conducting surveys, putting together focus groups, and more. Each type of data collection relies on you asking the right questions to get the information you need to know.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-396.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jon-tyson-vVSleEYPSGY-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) ## Mistake #3: Ignoring customers’ feedback It's an odd paradox. Many company processes focus on shipping fast in order to gather [feedback](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-what-why-and-how-of-customer-market-feedback/), but when customers voice their concerns, suddenly, there's a myriad of excuses. > "Why bother fixing a problem when there are new features to build and release? Customers will just have to figure it out or contact support for help." Poor leaders deprioritize user problems and often find the users to be nuisances and complainers that can be ignored. They sometimes see negative customer comments and survey scores as lies and exaggerations. Such leaders disconnect themselves from the reality they don’t want to face. ### How to do better Work with researchers to tune into the [voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/) (VoC) for complaints. Verify that these are real problems, and prioritize fixing them. Create teams that fix customer experience issues and technical debt while other teams work on new features. Although your leaders might not be target customers, drop them into your ecosystem and have them perform common tasks. Their own frustration, confusion, and disappointment might elicit sympathy for struggling customers. Video clips of unhappy customers struggling with your products can also sway stakeholders and teammates. You may also want to remind leaders that automatically disbelieving any negative sentiment about your product is the complete opposite of demonstrating empathy for customers’ experiences, which is what they should all be aiming for if they want to build a truly customer-centric organization. ## Mistake #4: Passing problems down the line Another common misconception is the belief that it's okay to release subpar products because [customer support](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-support-manager) will come to the rescue. But here's the reality: the customer is first hit with the disappointment of a not-so-great product. Then, they invest their time and patience, hoping customer support will resolve an issue they never should have had in the first place. ### How to do better It's easy for a project to seem successful when customer support is a line item in someone else’s budget. But imagine if you saw the full arc of the project, including the time and cost of customer support, the wait for customer feedback, its analysis, implementing new designs and fixes, potential delays to other projects, and the release of a refined version. Suddenly, the true cost of compromising on quality becomes crystal clear. [How customer marketing supports community frameworksWith community frameworks, the relationship between you and your customer community is mutually beneficial, as these frameworks work toward your customer’s individual goals, which, in turn, gets you closer to your business goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-394.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/william-white-TZCppMjaOHU-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-supports-your-business-community-framework/) ## Mistake #5: Over-focusing on business metrics “Customer” metrics often don’t measure customers’ experiences or success in the product ecosystem. Leaders and execs may even push teams to improve metrics that work against customer needs. While customers want efficiency, leaders tell teams to make customers stay on screens longer so they engage more. “I wish my task could be interrupted by a pop-up offering me something I don’t want,” said no customer ever. You may well be tracking Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and running customer satisfaction surveys, but unless you’re putting in the work to create better products and solutions for customers, what’s the point? It’s nothing more than wishful thinking to believe that more marketing and better customer support experiences will raise customer satisfaction scores if you ignore why people need so much customer support in the first place. [Customer-centric metrics](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-customer-health-score-how-to-master-this-metric/) are a great start, but they must be paired with real investment in customer-centric research and design. And, while it is possible to manipulate customers in order to achieve business goals, this is not the path to short- or long-term customer satisfaction. ### How to do better It’s essential to find a balance between business goals and customer expectations. Businesses need to reassess their [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) and [performance metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/), ensuring they resonate with how customers define success, rather than just measuring how well they’ve manipulated customer behavior to ensure that business goals are accomplished. For example, you might aim to lower the time spent on tasks as well as the number and severity of errors. ## Mistake #6: Over-reliance on design thinking Design thinking has been heralded as a game-changer for fostering [customer-centricity](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/), promoting empathy, and driving innovation. However, at many companies, design thinking is nothing more than a buzzword followed by endless workshops and reduced focus on the most important phase of a project: deep, early research that provides evidence that will shape our solutions. Often, companies pull staff away from vital tasks to guess at solutions to ambiguous problems for customers they only vaguely understand. Or they workshop how to achieve business goals and come up with solutions that sometimes work against the target audience and their needs. The result? Frustrated customers who feel like mere pawns in a game, and ultimately complain, downgrade, or leave. The term "design" should ideally represent a process through which we understand target audiences, see the world through their eyes, catalog their problems, and then devise bespoke solutions. However, many companies make the mistake of viewing all designers – whether they’re UX designers or product designers – as order-takers whose role is to make things pretty. ### How to do better Design thinking gained popularity when [IDEO reduced and repackaged Human-Centered Design (HCD)](https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/what-is-human-centered-design?srsltid=AfmBOooAbA9Q66G9zNlSfl6ECHnvL0JAmEK8GJjlYk%5FmfuaEKauHvBmc). Companies intrigued by design thinking have now been doing it long enough to have some honest conversations about whether or not it’s working. Are you more innovative? Did you improve customer experiences? Did you attract new customers, exceed their needs, and earn their loyalty? Did you lay off skilled HCD experts (probably in your CX or UX team) because you thought everybody was a great design thinker? Did the number of gambles you took on new products and features ultimately make you less efficient? It’s not too late to turn things around. Level up into HCD, and consider opening jobs and budget for HCD specialists. ## Conclusion Your ability to attract, satisfy, and retain customers starts with your knowledge about them. What you think you know might not be accurate or current. If you value speed over quality, then you can certainly skip research and run with [assumptions](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-test-internal-assumptions/). But challenge yourself to consider the longer arcs of projects; when guesses and assumptions turn out to be wrong, how much time and budget does it take to fix the resulting problems? What new problems were created when we chose to ignore our mistakes and deprioritize fixes? Challenge yourself and your teams to prioritize quality over speed. Your customers demand five-star quality and hate settling for less. It’s time to break the cycle of mediocrity and focus on the excellent value you can create for target audiences with every product, service, and feature. ### Ethical AI in customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ethical-ai-in-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:15:30.000Z [Artificial intelligence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) (AI) is now at the heart of how businesses engage with customers. From personalization to predictive analytics, AI has the power to transform marketing strategies, driving deeper connections and delivering measurable results. But with this potential comes responsibility. Without the right guardrails, AI can compromise trust, create bias, and erode customer relationships. By embedding ethical principles into AI-driven marketing, organizations can innovate confidently while protecting customer rights, fostering loyalty, and strengthening their brand. This balance between innovation and integrity is what will define the next era of customer engagement. ## Understanding ethical AI is essential for responsible marketing [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/), at its core, refers to technologies that enable machines to mimic human intelligence. In marketing, this capability opens up opportunities to analyze vast amounts of data, automate processes, and enhance customer engagement and targeting. Common examples include [chatbots](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/), personalized product recommendations, and predictive analytics. But with these capabilities come important ethical considerations. Ethical AI requires us to evaluate the implications of these technologies on privacy, fairness, and the broader societal impacts of automated decision-making in marketing. It’s about asking not just “Can we do this?” but “*Should* we do this?” and “*How* should we do this responsibly?” Prioritizing ethical practices isn’t just the right thing to do. If you think about it, everyone’s using AI right now, but not many companies are making their ethical use of it a USP. So, in actual fact, ethics is a competitive advantage. Organizations that embed ethics into their AI strategies build stronger trust with customers and stakeholders, enhancing brand reputation. On the other hand, those that neglect this responsibility often face significant pitfalls: breaches of trust, public backlash, and long-term damage to their reputation. And let me tell you, this impact doesn’t simply fade away over time. Instead, you can begin to focus on ethical AI to avoid these risks, safeguard customer relationships, and set themselves up for sustainable success in the evolving world of customer marketing. ## Key applications of AI in customer marketing AI technologies have transformed [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/), making it possible to deliver highly tailored experiences and improve the quality of every interaction. When used thoughtfully, these tools can **deepen engagement, strengthen loyalty, and create measurable business growth**. ### 1\. Personalization One of the most powerful applications is [personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/). AI enables marketers to deliver content and recommendations based on individual customer behavior and preferences. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer acquisition template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-acquisition-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:49:32.000Z ## What is a customer acquisition template? A customer acquisition template is a strategic tool that helps businesses plan, track, and refine their efforts to attract, convert, and retain new customers. It provides a structured approach to mapping the buyer journey, understanding target audiences, and optimizing acquisition costs and conversion tactics across marketing, sales, and customer success teams. This template enables cross-functional teams to collaborate around a unified acquisition strategy, ensuring efforts are aligned from initial brand awareness to long-term customer loyalty. ## What’s inside the template? This comprehensive template is packed with actionable frameworks, dashboards, and visual models, including: - **Customer acquisition funnel & lifecycle** - **Target audience dashboard** - **Customer segmentation & regional insights** - **Acquisition tactics & channels** - **Lead scoring & conversion strategy** - **Cost calculations** ## How to use the template To get the most from this template: 1. Use the segmentation tools to clearly define behavioral, demographic, geographic, and psychographic profiles. 2. Align your internal teams using the sales funnel vs. customer lifecycle view. Identify key friction points or gaps in the process. 3. Select relevant acquisition strategies based on your goals—whether you're catching leads via paid ads or nurturing through content and CRM outreach. 4. Use the included dashboards to monitor lead sources, customer journeys, and conversion rates. Leverage the cost breakdown sheets to evaluate ROI. 5. Apply lead scoring logic and lifecycle analytics to continuously improve targeting, spend efficiency, and retention tactics. ## Download your customer acquisition template ![Customer acquisition template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/08/Customer-acquisition-template.png) [Customer acquisition templateCustomer acquisition template.pptx2 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/08/Customer-acquisition-template.pptx "Download") [Customer acquisition templateCustomer acquisition template.pdf409 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/08/Customer-acquisition-template.pdf "Download") [Customer acquisition templateCustomer acquisition template Name of course here![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/favicon-2023q4.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIElrt2K7xxYPhGvs4m5ZV5IB7b5YuXVOqQwVa5jQXMtkx4Dy6OjGI754TQYH1wVzHaBbgHG7WD23fCv4_ixl13pxeBUsKJdly2m5a3DVGjtzFQqEM-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GjCeDC13xNj2KFnhPpF4cgRfgEdurH6VouzsswSxKxU/edit?slide=id.g2ce888c75e4%5F0%5F147#slide=id.g2ce888c75e4%5F0%5F147) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Building and scaling loyal client communities URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-and-scaling-loyal-client-communities/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T15:41:55.000Z Advocacy is evolving. The way we build relationships, the expectations of our customers, and the metrics we’re held accountable to are all shifting. Over the past few years, I’ve led advocacy efforts at LRN, working closely with customer success (CS) teams to scale programs that engage customers in meaningful, measurable ways. And here’s what I’ve learned: when advocacy and customer success work in true partnership, the impact is undeniable. Let’s explore how that alignment takes shape, why it matters, and what it looks like in practice. ## Why advocacy must align with customer success As advocacy matures, we need to tie our efforts more directly to core business metrics – like pipeline and retention. [Advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/three-essential-tenets-that-instantly-improve-your-customer-advocacy-plan/) and growth aren’t just compatible; they should reinforce each other. But to make that happen, we need strong alignment with CS, rooted in trust and shared goals. One of the most common questions I hear is, “How do I get CS to care about advocacy?” The answer lies in empathy, relationship-building, and consistently showing the value we bring. ### The current state of customer marketing (and why it matters) According to the [State of Customer Marketing report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/), most of us in customer marketing report into marketing (71%) – only a small fraction sit under CS or product marketing. These reporting lines often create silos, especially as companies grow. Despite overlapping goals, only 31.5% of advocacy professionals say they work closely with CS. That’s a missed opportunity. While CS owns the client relationship, advocacy can enrich it. Long-term success depends on building many-to-many relationships that go beyond the CSM–admin dynamic to include exec sponsors, community touchpoints, and more. ### How often are we really talking to customers? Given the limited collaboration with CS, I wondered: how often are we, as advocacy pros, speaking to customers ourselves? Happily, more than half of us talk to customers several times a week. But those conversations must go beyond surface-level check-ins. I see each one as a chance to support CS by listening, gathering insights, and building trust. I approach every call with curiosity – asking what’s working, what’s not, and where clients need help. These insights don’t just inform advocacy; they strengthen CS relationships and deepen client connection. ### Why we reach out, and what it reveals We engage customers for all sorts of reasons: [referrals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/), [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/getting-the-right-case-studies-for-your-brand/), awards, events, community invites – you name it. Each touchpoint reveals where a client is in their journey and helps us gather intel to better serve them. And the impact? Advocacy programs today are seeing the biggest returns from use case development ([37.1%](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/)), followed by referrals. Cross-sell and renewal growth are gaining traction, but more slowly – understandably, since many programs are still in their early stages. The important thing to remember is that most advocacy activities feed directly into retention. That’s why a strong partnership with CS isn’t optional – it’s essential. ## Creating true alignment with customer success If we want advocacy to support retention in a real, measurable way, the relationship between advocacy and customer success has to be more than polite collaboration – it has to be symbiotic. Technically, “symbiotic” refers to a relationship between two dissimilar organisms. In our world, that’s CS and advocacy. Picture a clownfish and a sea anemone. The anemone offers the clownfish protection and shelter, while the clownfish offers nutrients and scares off predators. It’s a mutual benefit model. In biology, this type of symbiosis is called **mutualism**. That’s exactly the kind of relationship we need to build between advocacy and CS. CS is typically focused on account maintenance – things like retention and growth. Our advocacy activities, when done right, directly support both. At the same time, CS is sitting on a goldmine of insights and context – intel that fuels better content, community engagement, and the kinds of stories that drive social proof. It’s a win-win. But for CS to see the value in what we’re doing, we need to prove it – and make it easy for them to connect the dots. ### Advocacy still feels like a luxury, and that’s the problem According to the [State of Customer Marketing report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/), a combined 84% of respondents said that either “some” or “none” of their organizations really understand customer marketing. Honestly, I’m not surprised. Advocacy is still a young practice. Many organizations haven’t had these roles before – and CS teams can’t be expected to understand what they’ve never seen in action. And let’s face it, sometimes *we* don’t even fully know what we’re doing. We’re still building the plane while flying it. If you were to visualize Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for CS, advocacy would probably sit toward the top – somewhere between “nice-to-have” and “self-actualization.” For many CSMs, we might just feel like yet another voice in the mix, asking for time, clients, or attention in the middle of QBRs, training, or ticket escalations. So the big question is: how do we move from luxury to necessity? ### Prioritize, simplify, and speak their language Instead of trying to explain the whole universe, pick your North Star priorities and stay the course. For me, those three priorities are: 1. **Community** 2. **Client advisory boards (CABs)** 3. **Customer sentiment** Let me break down why these matter so much to me – and how they serve CS goals. **1\. Community** One of my core beliefs is that engagement drives all good things. When customers feel connected to your brand, engage regularly, and understand their role in the ecosystem, they’re more likely to contribute to social proof, participate in growth initiatives, and stick around longer. Community is my number-one priority because it *scales* that engagement. CSMs often manage large books of business. They don’t always have the time to give every customer the level of engagement they’d like. Community helps bridge that gap. It’s a quick win for CS because we’re helping them deepen relationships without adding to their workload. **2\. CABs** [CABs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boring-customer-advisory-boards/) are my second big priority. I could talk about them for days. The excitement a client feels when they’re invited to a CAB is real – they feel seen, valued, and connected. They build their network, they invest more in the relationship, and they often bring their enthusiasm back to the broader community. From an organizational perspective, CABs also generate insights that feed product development and strategic alignment. Our CS team can use those insights to have more relevant, future-focused conversations with their accounts. **3\. Customer sentiment** Lastly, I own customer sentiment. We run NPS quarterly, and we track CSAT alongside more transactional functions. But collecting scores isn’t enough – we need to *turn that feedback into stories*. Positive comments become wins we can highlight. Negative ones become red flags we can escalate. Either way, that intel helps CS prioritize their time and strengthen relationships. ## Five ways to build stronger advocacy/CS relationships So how do we actually put this into action? Here are five tactics that have helped me build strong, mutually beneficial relationships with CS – and a sixth bonus tip that shows the payoff. ### 1\. Get in the room Ask to join your CS team’s standing meetings. Just being there helps you understand how they think, what their priorities are, and where advocacy can fit. Over time, ask for a regular five-minute slot to share updates and requests. Keep it simple. Focus on one or two priorities and tie them back to CS goals. ### 2\. Build strategic alignment with CS leadership Set up recurring 1:1s with CS leaders. Ask them: What are your top priorities right now? Then show them how advocacy supports those. Treat these conversations like customer discovery calls – put their needs first. ### 3\. Develop personal relationships with CSMs Take the time to get to know individual CSMs. What are their pain points? Which clients are tricky? Which ones are thriving? Keep notes. Find ways to include both the happy and challenging accounts in your advocacy initiatives. For example, a few of our rockstar CSMs now include advocacy as part of their clients’ success plans. That might mean onboarding them, driving engagement, and eventually guiding them toward thought leadership opportunities. It’s a trust-building cycle – and it pays off. ### 4\. Create feedback loops This one’s big: close the loop. If CS recommends a client for a roundtable or CAB, follow up. Who participated? What did you learn? Was anything surprising? Did something come up that needs immediate attention? At LRN, my team contributes to several internal newsletters with nuggets from community discussions, roundtables, CABs, and sentiment data. These updates are about more than just reporting – *they’re about connection*. They show we’re listening and acting. ### 5\. Celebrate your CS champions Use your internal airtime to spotlight CS team members who support advocacy. Did a CSM go above and beyond to help with a community initiative? Shout them out. Recognition breeds more support – and it helps advocacy become part of the culture, not just a function. ### Bonus tip: Become the person they call Here’s how you know you’ve made it: when your CS leaders are out of office and they need someone to run a meeting, they call you. That happened to me this summer. Both of our CS VPs were out unexpectedly, and they asked me to lead the team meeting. They knew I was embedded, informed, and already had value to share. That’s what happens when you invest the time to become part of the team. ### The internal audience matters too One final reminder: *nurture your internal audience just like you nurture your external one*. Relationships take work. But there are some simple practices that go a long way. - **Always loop in CSMs** on advocacy initiatives involving their clients. Transparency builds trust. - **Make your CSMs the heroes**. Mention them by name when talking to clients. Reflect insights back. Show that CS is listening – and that advocacy is amplifying their work. - **Share feedback widely**. Insights stuck in your notebook aren’t helping anyone. Share them with CS, product, leadership – whoever can use them. Customer feedback *collection* is fine. But **customer feedback *dissemination*** is where the magic happens. That’s how advocacy drives retention – and becomes an essential part of the customer journey. ## Advocacy in action To bring all of this to life, I want to share a few specific examples of how our advocacy work at LRN has helped drive retention and growth in collaboration with our CS team. Since launching our advocacy program, we’ve seen a rise in our overall retention rate. I’ll walk you through three mini case studies – real accounts where advocacy and CS worked hand-in-hand to make a tangible difference. ### Customer A: From casual contact to million-dollar renewal Customer A is a favorite at LRN – one of those clients with deep, long-standing relationships across the company. When we launched our community in January 2022, she was one of the first people we invited. Her consistent high NPS scores made her an obvious choice. Initially, she didn’t engage much. But that changed after an in-person coffee at a regional conference with our community manager. Since then, she’s become one of our most active and visible community members. Over the past year and a half, she’s participated in a wide range of advocacy activations: - A regular attendee at our monthly community roundtables - A beta tester for our new analytics platform, providing early feedback - A guest on our *Principled* podcast – an episode that now ranks in our all-time top ten downloads From these engagements, we also surfaced several **CQLs (customer-qualified leads)** – hand-raisers from within the community that signal potential expansion opportunities. These are not fast-funnel leads. They’re slow-burning signals that become powerful talking points in QBRs. For Customer A, those signals pointed to multiple growth opportunities. The result? A **five-year renewal worth over $1 million**. Our CS team explicitly credited our advocacy team as a contributor to the win, thanking us for the insights and value we brought to the table. ### Customer B: Small engagements, big outcomes Customer B joined our community during our soft launch. Known for being tech-savvy and engaged with our product team, he was an ideal fit. But he didn’t jump into advocacy right away. This changed when his CSM, who’d heard me talk about the value of community during a team meeting, suggested he bring his best-practice questions to our CoLab. That simple recommendation was all it took to get him started. He’s not as active as Customer A – and that’s okay. He’s intentional with his time, and he’s shown up where it counts: - Participating in client roundtables - Joining our product client advisory board - Surfacing a CQL related to our new Smart Code product That interest is now included in his current renewal offer. Our CSM feels confident this renewal will close on time – with added growth – thanks in part to the signals and insights we were able to share from his advocacy participation. ### Customer C: From at-risk to advocate This last example is one of my favorites – because it didn’t start out as a success story. When I first joined LRN, I shadowed a QBR with Customer C. After the call, the CSM asked what I thought. Honestly, I figured the account was already lost. They seemed disengaged, frustrated, and unlikely to renew. But they did renew – barely. It felt like more of a hassle to switch vendors than a genuine decision to stay. That said, this client is unique: they deliver a vendor report card at every QBR. And interestingly, one section focused on value-add activities like community. That was our opening. Over the past year and a half, our team partnered with their CSM to engage their administrators and turn that sentiment around. Their lead became one of the founding members of our roundtable series (her idea, by the way). She joined our product CAB and has completed several other activations that have helped improve the relationship. Two years later, their report card is nearly all green – an “A” in their grading system. They’ve left a glowing G2 review, and they’re now delivering **CQLs** back to us. This renewal, which once felt like a long shot, is no longer considered high-risk. They’re engaged, activated, and – maybe most importantly – enjoyable to work with. We’ll see the final renewal in early 2024, but we feel confident about where this account is headed. ## The bottom line: Engagement drives everything I want to leave you with one last thought, courtesy of [Forrester](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/customer-led-growth-is-getting-more-attention-among-b2b-firms-should-you-care/): **Customer-obsessed companies grow 2.5x faster than their peers and retain 2.2x more customers annually.** Let that sink in. Our work in [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) is fundamentally about *pulling customers closer* to the brand – through engagement, trust, and consistent, meaningful interactions. Engagement drives everything. It leads to better retention, more growth, stronger relationships, and greater internal alignment. We have a direct impact on customer success and the wider organization. Now it’s up to us to claim that impact and continue showing the value we bring. --- *This article was based on Rob's session at the virtual Customer Marketing Summit in October 2023\. You can watch all the recordings of our past event talks when you become a* [*Pro CMA member*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### Emerging technologies and community building URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/emerging-technologies-and-community-building/ Last updated: 2025-08-08T08:34:31.000Z Community is changing. The tools we use, the expectations of our members, and the pace at which we adapt all continue to shift. When we think about community today, it’s not just a place or a Slack group or a Twitter feed. It’s an experience powered by tools, fueled by trust, and increasingly shaped by technology. As someone deeply embedded in digital strategy and innovation, I’ve spent the past few years working with leading brands to build scalable, impactful communities that support growth. And in that time, one thing has become very clear: the future of community is going to look different. Not because the fundamentals will disappear, but because the way we deliver them will be redefined by technology. Let’s take a look at what that future could look like and how we can start preparing now. ## Understanding where we are To get a handle on the future, I often turn to the [McKinsey Three Horizons of Growth](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/enduring-ideas-the-three-horizons-of-growth) model. Originally created to evaluate emerging technology and market opportunities, it offers a useful way to view community evolution too. - **Horizon 1** is our present. It’s where incremental change happens. Think: adding new content formats to Instagram, or tweaking your Slack onboarding workflow. - **Horizon 2** is the near future – emerging technologies starting to break into the mainstream. Think about how AI is moving from novelty to necessity. - **Horizon 3** is the long-term vision – new, experimental technologies that are just starting to gain traction. Blockchain, decentralized platforms, and custom AI agents fall into this category. Community, today, is largely operating in Horizon 1\. We’re using the same platforms, improving processes, and slowly iterating. But if we want to meet people where they’re headed – not just where they are – we have to look to Horizons 2 and 3. ### The future is community-first Back in 2011, I started working in this space. I remember looking at the Martech 5000 landscape and seeing only a few hundred tools. Today, there are over 11,000\. That explosion isn’t just about marketing – it’s a reflection of how digital touchpoints have fragmented. People are spending more time online than ever, but their attention is split across countless micro-platforms. The upside? It’s never been easier to meet people where they are. The downside? It’s never been harder to earn their attention consistently. Micro-communities are on the rise. From private Discords to niche Patreons, people are choosing depth over breadth. If you're not already researching paid micro-communities, start now. There’s almost no public data on them, but they’re growing fast – and they’re redefining what engagement looks like. ### The future is AI We’ve all seen the hype cycle around [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/). But if you strip away the noise, the signal is clear: AI isn’t going away. It’s going everywhere. Globally, governments are investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Just recently, Canada passed its largest-ever bill focused entirely on AI preparedness. The writing’s on the wall. But what does that mean for customer [community builders](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/)? It means we can stop treating AI as a novelty and start using it as a tool. And not just for content creation. AI has the potential to power moderation, automate engagement, personalize onboarding, and even enhance the emotional intelligence of our community experiences. One example I love is the rise of [custom GPTs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/). Unlike general AI models that pull from the entire internet, custom GPTs can be trained on your own materials – your onboarding docs, your community guidelines, your brand voice. Imagine a custom community assistant that can answer member questions, offer advice, and even connect people with similar interests – all within the values and context of your brand. The key? Prototype before you go live. Break your own thing before it breaks in front of your audience. Consider the cautionary tale of a car dealership in Ohio that deployed an AI chatbot without clear parameters. A user jokingly offered to buy a car for $1, and the bot accepted. In that state, it was a legally binding contract. Compare that with Expedia, which has been quietly building AI into its platform to help users plan trips based on budget and occasion. Smart, safe, and centered on real utility. ### The future is on chain Let’s talk blockchain. Yes, it’s a buzzword. Yes, it can be divisive. But beyond the headlines, there are tangible, community-first use cases that deserve your attention. Blockchain adoption is growing at a rate that, in some ways, is faster than the internet did in its early years. What’s driving this? Real utility. Let me give you a couple of examples. **Proof of participation: POAPs** Bayer ran a pilot with POAP – short for “Proof of Attendance Protocol.” Participants received a digital badge (a non-transferable NFT) that proved they attended an event or meeting. These tokens are more than digital swag – they're verifiable artifacts of engagement. Imagine using them to track event attendance, reward repeat participation, or even unlock deeper tiers of access. It’s a low-stakes, high-impact way to dip your toe into Web3. **Incentivizing loyalty with digital assets** Nike’s SWOOSH platform is another standout. They turned their brand legacy into digital assets – minting limited-edition NFTs representing key moments in Nike’s history. These weren’t just collector’s items. They became unlocks for exclusive shoes, events, and community access. This is where blockchain shines: verifiable ownership, transparent access, and scalable reward mechanisms. You can prove someone is a “real fan,” not based on what they say, but based on what they’ve done – and use that proof to reward them accordingly. ## A strategic roadmap: How to start building for the future So how do you start integrating all of this into your community strategy without overwhelming your team (or yourself)? I use a simple structure: ### 1\. Get alignment Start by forming a small task force of stakeholders across departments. Your first goal isn’t implementation – it’s exposure. Go to conferences, take courses, join forums, talk to people already experimenting with AI and blockchain. Innovation doesn’t happen in silos. You need internal champions and external inspiration. ### 2\. Prototype and test Don’t build a 12-month roadmap just yet. Start small. Build a custom GPT based on your community’s onboarding documents. Issue POAPs for your next event. Test, tweak, and evaluate. Ask questions like: - Does this add value for our members? - Does this reduce friction? - Does this scale ethically? Always get legal involved early – especially with AI and blockchain tools. And always, always test on yourself before releasing to your community. ### 3\. Celebrate early adopters Not everyone will be ready to jump into an on-chain community or engage with an AI-powered assistant. That’s okay. Focus on the ones who are. Create special spaces, rewards, or recognition for your early adopters. Use them as your beta testers and feedback loop. Their enthusiasm can become contagious – and give you the credibility you need to bring others on board. ## Collaborate to build what’s next Some of the most exciting community innovation today is coming from collaboration. A great example is the American Cancer Society, which partnered with Gitcoin to launch a blockchain-based grant program. They opened up $1 million in funding for ideas around patient support, health equity, and cancer screening. Using quadratic funding and blockchain infrastructure, they created a transparent, community-driven grant process. Members of the public could propose ideas, signal support through donations, and track where the funds went – all on chain. It’s a model that blends accountability, engagement, and impact. And it’s exactly the kind of thinking we need to bring into more community programs. ## Get curious, get building If there’s one thing I hope you take away, it’s this: the future is being built right now. Not in theory. Not in whitepapers. But in the experiments you run, the prototypes you launch, and the risks you take. - Try building a custom GPT. Start with your FAQ or onboarding guide. - Issue your first POAP. See who shows up. - Talk to your legal team about what an on-chain experience might look like for your brand. And above all, stay curious. Follow the weird corners of the internet. Go to the event nobody else at your company is attending. Read the Reddit thread. Break your own thing before someone else does. Because this digital frontier? It’s not coming. It’s already here. ### Want more referrals? Build a program that your customers actually use URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-a-program-that-your-customers-actually-use/ Last updated: 2025-08-04T15:01:47.000Z If I asked you to think of the last time you bought something because a friend recommended it, I’m willing to bet the answer would come to you immediately. Whether it was a restaurant, a pair of running shoes, or even a piece of software, that decision was probably rooted in something much deeper than flashy ads or clever copy. It was rooted in trust. That’s the essence of referrals. They cut through noise, skepticism, and indecision, and they do it because people trust people more than they trust brands. Yet despite their proven impact, most companies treat referrals like a nice-to-have instead of the strategic growth lever they really are. That’s why I created the [**Customer Referrals Masters Certification**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-referrals-certified-masters-cma): to help teams turn customer advocacy into a reliable, scalable engine for growth. I’ve spent two decades helping enterprise clients grow across industries like payments, logistics, and SaaS. What I’ve learned is this: referrals don’t just happen – they’re *built*. And if you want your referral program to work, you need to do a whole lot more than plug in some software and hope for the best. Let me walk you through what makes referrals so powerful, how to build a referral program that actually delivers and, critically, what happens after launch if you want to keep the engine running. ## Why referrals are so much more than a “nice bonus” Let’s start with the fundamentals: Referrals work because they’re built on trust. We trust our peers. We trust people with shared experiences. And when someone we know and respect recommends something, we listen. In fact, according to [Edelman’s Trust Barometer](https://www.edelman.com/research/trust-barometer-special-report-in-brands-we-trust), 84% of B2B buyers say they begin their buying journey with a referral. That’s before they visit your website. Before they see an ad. Before they hear from a rep. And it’s not just about awareness. Referral customers tend to: - Convert faster - Spend more - Stay longer - Churn less They’re more loyal because they come into the relationship with a positive association already established. They didn’t just find you – they were invited in by someone they trust. But here’s the catch: most businesses don’t have a system in place to consistently harness this power. They rely on “organic” referrals and hope their customers will share out of sheer goodwill. Hope isn’t a strategy. ## Step 1: Build a referral program with intention If you want referrals to become a meaningful part of your growth engine, you have to treat them with the same level of rigor you’d apply to sales or marketing. That starts with a plan. ### Set clear goals and metrics Before you design a single landing page or write a single line of copy, you need to define what success looks like. Ask yourself: - Are we trying to increase customer acquisition? - Do we want higher-quality leads? - Are we aiming to reduce CAC or boost retention? - Are we trying to grow in a specific segment or region? The answers to these questions will shape everything else, from your incentive structure to the tools you use to measure performance. Common metrics include: - Referral participation rate - Conversion rate of referred leads - Cost per acquisition from referrals - Customer lifetime value of referred customers - Return on investment (ROI) - Platform/channel performance (i.e., where referrals originate) Without clearly defined goals and a way to measure them, you’re flying blind. ### Know your audience and ask what motivates them Your customers aren’t all the same. What motivates a solo freelancer won’t move the needle for a Fortune 500 exec. Use NPS surveys, customer interviews, or behavioral data to understand who’s most likely to refer – and why. Ask your happiest customers what kind of incentives would genuinely excite them. You don’t have to guess. If you’re in a B2B environment, leverage regular touchpoints like QBRs or customer success check-ins. These are golden opportunities to both identify potential referrers and gather feedback on what would motivate them. In a B2C context, emails, in-app messages, or post-purchase surveys work well. Just keep it short, relevant, and conversational. ### Design the right incentives This is where a lot of referral programs fall flat. Either the rewards are too small to care about, or they’re overly transactional and fail to build any real loyalty. There are a few common models to choose from: - **One-sided:** Only the referrer gets rewarded - **Two-sided:** Both referrer and referred receive something - **Gamified:** Rewards are tiered, competitive, or progress-based You’ve got one-sided programs, which are simpler and cheaper to run. Then there are two-sided programs, which often deliver higher engagement. Gamified programs, while more complex, can drive sustained participation, especially in B2C environments. Your incentives don’t have to be cash-based. In fact, in some industries, they legally can’t be. Options include: - Discounts or account credits - Free products or upgrades - Charitable donations in the customer’s name - Early access to new features - Public recognition (think leaderboards or customer spotlights) The best programs often mix a few of these, depending on the customer segment. ## Step 2: Make the experience effortless Even if someone loves your brand, they’re unlikely to jump through hoops to refer a friend. The process has to be seamless. Here’s what matters: ### Make it easy to find and share - Add prominent, intuitive buttons in your app, dashboard, or emails - Offer pre-written messages that customers can personalize - Ensure referral links are easy to copy and share across social, email, and messaging apps Dropbox is a classic example of this done right – they added a simple “Invite friends” button with a pre-filled message. One click, and you’re done. ### Communicate clearly Customers should instantly understand: - How to refer - What’s in it for them (and their friend) - When and how rewards will be delivered Use plain language and keep instructions to three steps or fewer. Airbnb nailed this with a simple, “Invite friends → They travel → You earn credit” format. [Zendesk is another great example](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/), especially in the B2B space. Their referral page clearly outlines the program, includes FAQs, and provides everything a customer needs to feel confident referring. ### Incentivize and personalize You already know the importance of good incentives. But they need to be paired with relevance. Intercom, for example, offers bill credits for referred customers – perfect for a SaaS context. Tesla plays to its community’s love of innovation with rewards like exclusive merch or limited-time perks. Tailor the experience. Segment your customers. Offer different incentives for different tiers or user types. ## Step 3: Engage, evolve, repeat Once your program is live, the work isn’t over. This is where it begins. Referral programs are not “set it and forget it.” Without consistent attention, even the best program will fade into the background. Here’s what to do next. ### Build referral triggers into the customer journey The best time to ask for a referral? Right after a moment of value. That could be: - A successful onboarding or implementation - A glowing support experience - A contract renewal - A milestone (1-year anniversary, 100th purchase, etc.) - A positive NPS response Don’t just drop a CTA into your footer and hope for the best. Ask when the moment is right. Uber does this well, prompting users to refer after a positive ride experience. ### Empower your internal teams Sales and customer success are often your referral MVPs. They’re the ones who know your customers best, track satisfaction, and can time the ask perfectly. Train these teams to: - Identify happy, referral-ready customers - Introduce the program naturally during check-ins - Use templates and tools to simplify the ask - Track and report referrals through your CRM HubSpot’s CSM team is a great example. They introduced referral conversations into their onboarding and QBR process, resulting in a 30% increase in referral leads over a single quarter. And they did it without financial incentives for the team – just alignment, enablement, and visibility. ### Collect feedback and optimize Your referral program should evolve just like any other part of your GTM strategy. Regularly analyze: - Which channels generate the most referrals? - What incentive structures drive the best conversion rates?Are referred customers as loyal as direct-acquired ones? - Where are people dropping off in the process? Test new CTAs. A/B test referral messages. Rotate seasonal incentives. Keep the program fresh and responsive to customer behavior. ### Nurture community and advocacy At the heart of every great referral program is a strong emotional connection. **People refer when they feel seen**, valued, and part of something meaningful. That means referrals don’t live in isolation. They’re often the outcome of broader advocacy efforts, like communities, customer advisory boards, and recognition programs. Your most passionate advocates are your most powerful growth engine. Don’t just reward their referrals – celebrate their impact, invite them into product conversations, and treat them like the partners they are. ## Final thoughts: It’s not about luck, it’s about leverage Referrals aren’t magic. They’re a measurable, repeatable part of a modern go-to-market strategy – if you build them that way. That’s what the **Customer Referrals Masters Certification** is all about. In this course, I guide you step by step through designing, launching, optimizing, and scaling a referral program that actually delivers results. Across six comprehensive modules, we dig into the full lifecycle of a referral strategy – from foundational principles to real-world implementation. Whether you’re building a program from scratch or looking to level up an underperforming one, this course has it all: - Learn from real companies that actually made it work - Get hands-on practice so you can use this stuff right away - Create a framework that gets your goals, metrics, and incentives working together - Use our tested playbooks to set up programs for B2B and B2C - Help your sales and CS teams succeed with what they need - Handle legal and compliance without the headaches - Track what's working, build your community, and grow without breaking things So, if you’re ready to stop treating referrals like a side project – and start turning them into a strategic growth engine – I’d love to work with you. Join the [Customer Referrals Masters Certification](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-referrals-certified-masters-cma) and start turning trust into traction. ### Reviving relationships: Strategies for customer re-engagement URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-re-engagement-strategies/ Last updated: 2025-08-01T09:18:50.000Z Re-engaging customers can be one of the most powerful, yet overlooked, opportunities in marketing. When executed properly, re-engagement strategies can reignite customer loyalty and advocacy, and come to deeply value the impact of thoughtful, customer-first programs that bring people back into the conversation. ## What re-engagement really means When we talk about customer re-engagement, it’s easy to get lost in semantics. Is it the same as reactivation? A win-back campaign? The truth is, all of these fall under the broader umbrella of re-engagement. At their core, they share a common goal: sparking interaction from customers who have gone quiet, those who aren’t engaging at the moment you need them most. The specific terminology can vary from brand to brand, especially depending on where customers are in their [lifecycle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-lifecycle-marketing-transformed-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-at-ivanti/) or which segment they belong to. In previous roles, , the companies I’ve worked at have defined re-engagement as a strategy designed to produce renewed interaction with our customers. It’s a deliberate tactic to nudge customers toward specific goals – whether that’s platform usage, product education, or deeper adoption. ### Why re-engagement matters When [engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) drops, usage tends to follow, and that often leads to churn. But re-engagement allows us to take proactive steps to prevent that. Silent accounts are signals. If we don’t act on them, we risk more than just retention metrics – we risk the strength of the customer relationship itself. Low engagement can damage your brand reputation. Maybe the [Account Executive (AE) or the Customer Success Manager (CSM)](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-the-difference-between-customer-success-managers-and-account-managers/) isn’t the right fit. Maybe the customer’s primary point of contact has moved on. Regardless, if your brand starts to feel distant or disconnected, your customers will notice. Re-engagement programs help you course-correct, rebuild trust, and protect your brand experience. And let’s be honest, re-engaging a current customer is significantly easier (and cheaper) than acquiring a new one. That’s why this kind of program is essential to any strong retention-focused customer marketing or advocacy strategy. ### Why customers go quiet (and why it’s not personal) We’ve all been there: one day your customer is interacting regularly, and the next…radio silence. As customer marketers, we often wonder, “Did something go wrong? Are they just busy? Or… are they simply not that into us?” I’ve had those moments too. The truth is, most of the time, it’s not us. Customers are just overwhelmed. The average person sees hundreds of ads per day. On top of that, the Radicati Group reported that as far back as 2015, the average office worker was [receiving 121 emails daily](https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Email-Statistics-Report-2014-2018-Executive-Summary.pdf). That number has only gone up since. Then add in the constant stream of Slack messages, texts, social notifications, and real-world distractions. One study by Mark, Gudith, and Klocke in 2008 found that we’re interrupted [20 times per hour](https://ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdf) – and nearly half of those are self-interruptions. We check our phones, scroll social media, or wander off mentally. The reality is that everyone is drowning in noise. So as marketers, the challenge is how we hold that attention. ## The psychology of attention and how it shapes re-engagement To build effective re-engagement programs, we need to understand how attention works. There’s a key distinction between trying to pay attention and deliberately dividing it. Take driving while listening to a podcast. You’re not truly multitasking; you’re alternating your focus in small bursts, paying just enough attention to both activities. That’s selective attention. But real engagement comes from sustained attention, the kind we experience during creative flow or “deep work” sessions. When we design re-engagement strategies, we should be asking: how can we tap into this kind of sustained attention? How can we go beyond quick wins and instead create meaningful, lasting customer interaction? These are the questions that guide our thinking at SheerID as we build re-engagement programs that don’t just recapture attention, but hold it. ### How to bring re-engagement to life So how do we take all this theory and apply it in the real world? In my previous role at SheerID, we developed a high-level strategy for customer re-engagement that’s designed to be clear, actionable, and continuous. It all starts with planning. When you’re building a re-engagement program, your first step should be to clearly define your objective. Are you reminding customers of the value of your relationship? Are you trying to drive product usage or encourage event attendance? Whatever your goal, make sure the value of re-engaging is obvious to the customer. Just as importantly, every interaction needs to be actionable. That might mean including a link in an email, prompting a meeting with an AE or CSM, offering an asset download, inviting them to a webinar, or simply allowing them to update their preferences. What you don’t want to do is send a vague “Let’s reconnect” message without a clear next step. That won’t move the needle. ### Multichannel and lifecycle-first It’s critical to support your program through a multi-channel strategy that runs across the entire customer lifecycle. This can include paid social campaigns, email nurtures, in-app messaging using tools like Pendo, and virtual events. One tactic we found especially effective at SheerID was hosting unique virtual networking experiences – cooking classes, mixology workshops – led by external consultants. They create memorable moments that reconnect customers to our brand in fun, meaningful ways. We also leveraged platforms like 6sense and UserGems to refine targeting and outreach. And, of course, we align closely with our AE and CSM teams to layer in personalized calls and emails that make our outreach feel high-touch and genuinely human. ### Segment before you activate One of the biggest mistakes you can make is launching re-engagement without proper segmentation. When you’ve lost contact with a customer, you have to be especially careful and intentional about how you reconnect. That means knowing who your audience is, what qualifies them for re-engagement, and when they’re most likely to respond. You can use a variety of triggers (such as inactivity length or customer health scores) to move customers in and out of our programs dynamically. This segmentation is key to sending the right message at the right time to create real, meaningful engagement. ### Score it, measure it, improve it From the very beginning, work with your CX or CS teams to define what re-engagement success looks like. We created a “re-engagement score” that incorporates several signals: email opens, content downloads, meetings set, calls completed – anything that reflects renewed interest and interaction. By rolling these into a single percentage-based score, we can measure effectiveness and iterate as we go. Once your program is live, you can’t just “set it and forget it.” Follow-up is essential. Whether that’s a check-in call, a personal invite to an event, or a small gift with a handwritten note, every touchpoint helps build momentum. These surprise-and-delight moments go a long way in making customers feel seen and valued. ### Personalization and feedback are non-negotiable The worst thing you can do after a customer re-engages is bombard them with irrelevant content. Once you’ve regained their attention, you need to protect it. That’s why we always include a feedback survey in our re-engagement workflows. It helps us understand what they want more of, what they don’t care about, and how we can tailor their experience going forward. A personalized experience isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a foundational piece of a successful re-engagement strategy. If you break their trust by being generic or pushy, they’ll tune you out again. ### Make re-engagement continuous Re-engagement shouldn’t be treated as a one-off campaign that you launch after a specific period of silence. It needs to be a continuous element of your customer marketing strategy – something that operates across the lifecycle with intelligent triggers and dynamic entry points. That also means documenting which re-engagement tactics map to each phase of the lifecycle, and identifying where customers might be stalling. From there, you can prioritize the highest-impact campaigns, plug the gaps, and ensure you’re always guiding your customers forward. Re-engagement isn’t a side project. It’s an investment in the long-term health of your customer relationships. ## Tools that power our re-engagement strategy I want to spotlight a few tools that have been truly transformational for past re-engagement efforts. These aren’t always top-of-mind for customer marketers, but they’ve helped us engage more meaningfully, act proactively, and create genuine moments of connection with our customers. ### UserGems: Staying ahead of change One of my favorite tools is UserGems. It gives our team automated visibility into job title and role changes among our contacts, allowing CSMs to proactively reach out when a primary point of contact leaves or shifts roles within the company. It also gives your AEs and SDRs the ability to build warm introductions with new stakeholders and identify fresh opportunities. This can be built directly into Salesforce – UserGems updates contact records with new company info, titles, and email addresses when available. These updates can be surfaced through dashboards and automated reports that keep everyone aligned, especially your executive team. CSMs and SDRs are then notified in real time when a contact change is detected. When we undertook this at SheerID, we paired this with structured workflows and SLAs. For example, if a key advocate left, CSMs were expected to reach out to the existing account team within 48 hours to ask who should replace them, and within five days, they were to initiate warm outreach to the contact in their new role. We even provided message templates to make this as easy and repeatable as possible. To make these touchpoints more personal and memorable, we integrated Sendoso. When a contact landed a new role, we triggered a congratulatory gift – like a local coffee blend – with a message that read: > *“As you explore new terrain, fill up on a coffee from the SheerID team. Congrats on the new gig – we hope you bring us along for the ride.”* It’s a simple gesture, but it sparks smiles and creates a lasting impression. What makes UserGems so powerful is that it doesn’t just help retain existing customers; it opens doors through advocates who move on and can champion us in new organizations. It also helps you to get ahead of churn risk by flagging account changes early and arming new stakeholders with the information they need to stay connected to your platform and your value. ### 6sense: Uncovering hidden intent We also used 6sense, which was a game-changer for uncovering intent signals that would otherwise stay hidden. It helped us detect when customers were researching competitors or exploring new features, us powerful insights into churn risk, upsell opportunities, and lifecycle engagement. #### How does it work? 6sense pulls from a mix of first-party website behavior, third-party intent data, historical engagement patterns, and CRM data. For us, this started with reducing churn – we worked closely with the CS team to flag accounts that are signaling interest in competitors. Those insights feed directly into Salesforce, where we can act fast with competitive positioning and personalized nurture strategies. We also used 6sense to uncover upsell potential. By analyzing search terms, content downloads, and page visits, we can identify expansion opportunities within accounts and deliver targeted nurture streams to build momentum. And of course, 6sense played a big role in our re-engagement efforts. We used it to serve relevant content at just the right time – whether it’s product walk-throughs, landing pages, case studies, or webinar invitations. The data allowed us to tailor our outreach based on where a customer is in their journey and what they're actively exploring. This approach blends keyword intent, competitive signals, and lifecycle insights to build powerful segments. If you follow the same model, your CS team can then use this data for proactive outreach, while your marketing team can use it for paid social targeting that leads customers to content aligned with their search behavior. It’s also applicable for deepening your account-level insights. For example, you can drill into a specific account and see how many Directors or VPs you’ve actually reached. If you find gaps, say, five contacts not yet engaged, you know exactly where to focus your efforts. I’ve found that, typically, accounts with more decision-makers involved (roughly four to five Director-level or higher) consistently show stronger advocacy and retention. ## Final thoughts and takeaways Re-engagement programs are designed with one core purpose: to prompt action and sustain attention from customers who have disengaged. They’re not just reactive – they’re proactive, strategic efforts that can be deployed whenever a segment of your customer base stops moving forward with your brand. That might be a drop in product usage, a lull in meeting activity, or a lack of content engagement. Whatever the signal, it’s a sign that you need to step in. The most effective re-engagement programs are holistic. They don’t operate in isolation or at just one moment in time – they’re woven through every stage of the customer lifecycle. From onboarding to expansion, these programs should be dynamic, adaptive, and always aligned with your customer’s journey. But here’s the important part: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every brand is different, and so is every customer base. The nuances matter. That’s why it’s critical to look closely at your own data – at the behaviors, signals, and stories it reveals. Use that insight to shape a strategy that reflects your goals, your voice, and your customer experience. --- *This article was derived from Crystal's appearance at the* [*virtual Customer Marketing Summit in October 2023*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2023/)*. She formally held the position of Director, Customer Marketing at SheerID, but is now B2B Enterprise Customer Advocacy at Canva.* ### Why you need a crisis plan for your online community launch URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-you-need-a-crisis-plan-for-your-online-community-launch/ Last updated: 2025-07-28T10:27:45.000Z [Launching an online community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) is an exciting adventure. It’s a powerful opportunity to scale engagement, foster brand loyalty, and create a feedback loop between your organization and its users. But it’s easy to overlook one sobering reality: no matter how well you prepare, challenges will come up. Technical hiccups, unexpected customer reactions, negative media attention, or internal communication failures can turn a promising initiative into a brand liability if not handled well. That’s why having a strong, actionable crisis plan is the cornerstone of any community’s success. ## Expect the unexpected and protect your brand Even with months of planning, dry runs, and [cross-functional alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-solution-to-sales-and-marketing-misalignment/), your launch can still be sideswiped by unexpected events. Having a crisis plan under your belt is both an insurance policy against potential brand damage, as well as a roadmap for recovery. ### External shocks happen Community managers rarely operate in a vacuum. Your launch could collide with external forces like: - Global events (e.g., natural disasters, political disruptions, or pandemics), - Industry news cycles (a competitor’s surprise announcement or negative press), - Platform issues (downtime or API deprecations if you rely on third-party integrations). For example, think about how many product or community launches had to pivot (or pause entirely) during the onset of COVID-19\. In such moments, a crisis plan enables a "super reactive" and "agile" messaging strategy that communicates empathy, transparency, and adaptability. It helps you pivot your tone, reframe expectations, and maintain relevance in a changed context. ### Your reputation is on the line When launches go sideways without a contingency plan, the consequences can be severe: - Confusion and anger among early adopters, - Viral backlash on social media, - Press coverage that undermines future traction, - Investor or executive scrutiny. A well-structured crisis plan includes playbooks for rapid response, customer messaging templates, and decision-making escalation paths. As seen in past tech industry mishaps (like poorly vetted AI rollouts or mishandled data breaches) companies without clear crisis protocols often face long-term brand damage. On the other hand, organizations that own their mistakes and communicate proactively are often seen as more trustworthy. ### Customer discontent escalates fast Imagine a scenario where users face account lockouts due to a bug in your onboarding system. Without a coordinated crisis response, complaints can pile up on social channels, trust evaporates, and your customer success teams are left scrambling. By including [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) risks in your crisis planning, you can: - Preemptively set up alternate communication channels (like status pages or email alerts), - Prepare refund or incentive policies, - Identify high-value customers most likely to churn and trigger proactive outreach. ## Encourage internal alignment and accountability Don’t be fooled – an effective crisis response isn’t just about responding to customer and community members messages quickly. In fact, it hinges on your team’s ability to work in unison. Clarity around roles, workflows, and authority is essential when time is of the essence. ### Clarity on who owns what In the fog of a crisis, indecision can be more damaging than the issue itself. Without predefined decision rights, teams fall into the trap of a “mosh pit of decision making,” where responsibilities blur and progress stalls. That’s where frameworks like RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) or RAPID come in. These frameworks force you to ask: - Who leads customer communication? - Who owns product or engineering triage? - Who must approve legal language or compensation offers? Answering these in advance allows you to respond in hours – not days – during a crisis. ### Cross-functional collaboration is non-negotiable A community launch typically touches nearly every function: Product, Engineering, Legal, PR, Customer Support, Sales Enablement, and more. If these teams aren’t aligned during a crisis, you risk giving customers mixed signals or conflicting information. Build cross-functional rituals before the launch: - Include all stakeholders in dry runs and simulations, - Establish shared Slack channels or crisis war rooms, - Run “tabletop” exercises to test hypothetical crisis scenarios. These investments ensure everyone is on the same page when the pressure is on. ### Stay grounded in the community’s mission Your community launch should tie into a broader business goal: increasing customer retention, accelerating product adoption, or strengthening advocacy. A crisis plan helps you protect and reaffirm that purpose – even amid disruption. When your messaging, decisions, and remediation efforts reflect your community’s north star, it becomes easier to: - Rally internal teams around the same goals, - Make trade-offs with confidence, - Reinforce the community’s long-term value to executives and board stakeholders. ## How to build a resilient framework for continuous engagement A crisis plan is more than a fire extinguisher; it’s a blueprint for resilient, adaptive growth. It sets the tone for how you engage customers long after the initial launch buzz fades. ### Move from reactive to proactive Great crisis management isn’t just about reacting quickly. It’s about foreseeing where issues may emerge and taking preemptive action. This includes: - Auditing the community onboarding experience for friction points, - Monitoring early user activity to flag anomalies, - Building early-warning systems using NPS scores, support ticket patterns, or sentiment analysis. A culture of proactive problem-solving helps you avoid “random fire drills” and focus on continuous improvement. ### Communicate strategically – both internally and externally Crisis comms must be multi-channel, precise, and human. You’ll need to consider: - Who your primary audiences are (e.g., power users, moderators, investors), - Which platforms to use (email, social, in-app messaging, etc.), - How often to provide updates (daily, hourly, post-resolution). Internally, feedback loops between community teams and stakeholders help reinforce trust and accountability. Share updates even when there’s nothing new to report. Silence can breed anxiety. ### Let data be your compass Quantifying the impact of your crisis response helps you iterate faster. Use [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) like: - Response time to community issues, - Volume and resolution rate of support tickets, - Sentiment trends across channels, - Post-crisis customer satisfaction or retention shifts. When you step back and measure what matters, you empower your team to refine the playbook and prevent repeat incidents. ### Build relationships that withstand storms At the heart of any community are people. The more transparent and authentic you are during challenges, the more resilient those relationships become. Being upfront about data use policies, acknowledging mistakes, or explaining delays – even if imperfect – builds goodwill. Communities forgive errors more than they forgive silence or spin. That authenticity will be remembered when your next campaign or launch rolls out. ## Launch your community with confidence Launching an online community is more than hitting “publish” on a new platform. It’s about nurturing a living, breathing ecosystem of trust and value. And that trust is forged in moments of tension, not just celebration. By developing a comprehensive crisis plan, one that spans communication, governance, data analysis, and shared purpose, you set your community up for more than survival. You set it up for scale, loyalty, and long-term advocacy. Don’t wait for the unexpected to happen. Plan for it, rehearse for it, and most importantly, build a culture that sees every challenge as a moment to prove your commitment to your customers. Your launch may last a week. But how you handle a crisis? That’s what people will remember. ### 10 examples of great referral programs to inspire you URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/ Last updated: 2025-07-24T15:50:55.000Z We live in a hyper-consumer-driven world where companies bombard us with endless ads and promotional content. It can feel incessant to be constantly marketed *at* like a commodity. [Referral programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/) cut through the cynicism by encouraging customers to refer friends, family or colleagues often offering rewards like discounts or credits. There's something refreshingly genuine about a recommendation from someone you know and trust. The authenticity of an endorsement removes the commercial noise and showcases a product’s strengths in a straightforward way. In this article, we’ll explore great referral programs that [customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) can draw inspiration from as you craft or optimize your own. Psst... if you want to skip straight to the examples, then here you go: - [Dropbox ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#1-dropbox-referral-program) - [DigitalOcean](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#2-digitalocean%E2%80%99s-referral-program) - [HubSpot](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#3-hubspot%E2%80%99s-partner-referral-program) - [Google Workspace](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#4-google-workspace%E2%80%99s-referral-program) - [GetResponse](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#5-getresponse%E2%80%99s-referral-program) - [Trello](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#6-trello%E2%80%99s-referral-program) - [ActiveCampaign](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#7-activecampaign%E2%80%99s-referral-program) - [Zendesk](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#8-zendesk%E2%80%99s-partner-program) - [Canva](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#9-canva-referral-program) - [Notion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/great-referral-programs/#10-notion%E2%80%99s-referral-program) But let's explore the rationale behind referral programs first. ## Why referral programs matter in B2B SaaS Before diving into the examples, let’s quickly establish why referral programs are such a powerful tool in the [B2B](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/) SaaS world: 1. **Trust drives decisions:** B2B buyers rely heavily on recommendations from peers and industry experts. A referral from a trusted colleague carries far more weight than a cold email or paid ad. 2. **Lower acquisition costs:** Referral leads are often warmer and more likely to convert, reducing your cost per acquisition. 3. **Loyalty and retention:** Customers who refer others are more engaged and loyal, while referred customers tend to stay longer and have higher lifetime value. With this foundation in mind, let’s look at some referral programs that have made waves in the B2B SaaS space. ## Why customer marketers love referral programs Think about the last time you tried a new restaurant. Chances are, you went there because a friend couldn't stop raving about it. That's the magic of referral marketing – it taps into existing relationships and trust that no amount of advertising dollars can buy. But here's what makes referrals particularly exciting for marketers: they're incredibly cost-effective. While traditional marketing channels often require substantial upfront investment with uncertain returns, referral programs tend to pay for themselves. When your existing customers bring new ones to your door, you're essentially turning your customer base into a marketing force. At its core, referral marketing leverages your happiest customers to spread the word about your product, building trust with their peers faster than traditional marketing efforts. Here’s why it works so well: 1. **Trust is pre-built:** Unlike outbound emails, ads, or even [content marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/), referrals come from someone the prospect already trusts. 2. **Higher ROI:** Referred leads tend to close faster, purchase more, and have a higher likelihood of renewing their contracts. 3. **Viral loops:** Customers who were referred are more likely to become advocates themselves, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of growth. While referral marketing might seem like common sense, most SaaS companies fail to implement it systematically. **The result?** Missed opportunities for scalable, low-cost growth. [![Become a CMA Insider](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Insider-4.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ### Creating referral programs that people genuinely want to share The secret to a great referral program isn't just about throwing rewards at people – it's about understanding what makes your customers tick. Take Dropbox's legendary referral program, for instance. They don't just offer any old reward; they give people exactly what they want: more storage space (more on that soon). ### The art of making it work The most successful referral programs feel natural, not forced. You want to make sharing as effortless as sending a text message to a friend. If your customers have to jump through hoops to refer someone, they simply won't do it. The best programs we've seen strip away all the unnecessary steps and complications. But here's something many marketers miss: personalization matters. When you're asking customers to put their reputation on the line by making a recommendation, generic messaging won't cut it. Show them you understand and value their contribution to your brand's growth. ### Building for the long-term Referral programs aren't just about quick wins – they're about [building sustainable growth](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/) through advocacy. The beauty of a well-designed referral program is that it creates a virtuous cycle. Happy customers bring in new customers, who become [happy customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-ways-saas-companies-can-leverage-their-happy-customers/) themselves and bring in more new customers. It's marketing that compounds over time. **But remember to celebrate your advocates.** These aren't just customers – they're partners in your brand's success story. When someone brings in new business, you must make them feel special. A simple "thank-you" note, early access to new features, or exclusive perks can turn a one-time referrer into a lifelong brand ambassador. ### Measuring what matters While it's tempting to focus solely on referral numbers, the real story often lies deeper. Pay attention to how referred customers behave differently from those acquired through other channels. Do they stick around longer? Spend more? Become referrers themselves? These insights help you refine your program and demonstrate its true value to your business. ### Make it your own Your referral program should reflect your brand's unique personality and values. Whether you're a scrappy startup or a polished, well-established enterprise, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Experiment, iterate, and most importantly, listen to your customers. They'll tell you what motivates them to share – you just need to pay attention. The most powerful marketing has always been word-of-mouth. We’ve adapted this oral tradition to suit our chronically online lives with referral programs; these strategic digital programs supply us with a new way to encourage and track these natural conversations. When done right, they don't just drive growth – they build community, strengthen brand loyalty, and create the kind of authentic advocacy that money can't buy. Because let’s be completely real: most people will choose their friend’s opinion over a billboard or a PPC ad on Google. A well-crafted referral program simply helps them share the products and services they already love. ## 10 examples of great B2B referral programs ### 1\. Dropbox referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXevvRNZr_boLxj_FU9e8m8FWgqb2G0Ju9TYTgdeN_WbfqZjILFmixkyKWKNpmmpS8hWWmrmAfv3XfSebu3KsJR2KFWNewqKTP7niugZWJGm-6F07GF1p-1sYACFeqMp-no7wSWlEw?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) Let’s start with the big one: Dropbox. [Dropbox’s referral program](https://www.dropbox.com/en%5FGB/refer) pretty much became the blueprint in SaaS by offering dual-sided incentives – rewarding both the referrer and the referee with extra storage space. When someone refers a friend, family member, or colleague, and they then create a new Dropbox account, both the referrer and the referee receive free storage space. Basic users earn 500 MB per referral, while Plus users gain 1 GB. This straightforward system encourages users to share widely, creating viral loops that have fueled Dropbox’s massive user base. The program’s success lies in its simplicity and alignment with user needs—rewarding customers with what they value most: more storage. This approach not only drives sign-ups but also deepens engagement with the product. ### 2\. DigitalOcean’s referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcc3siTX1gDJkQrkJLOT90_U_N6drMxrJh8d5d6fOBzdeuQlZ5MjFfN_VpUnwr-EjxFngQE3Jj8AR1LkI2K5jRvDqvtl-mW0XcCeS5v5yhDVjo2LNGtkxMEaE0Uc2eFJivcI-FuZA?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) [DigitalOcean’s referral program](https://www.digitalocean.com/referral-program) is a perfect example of how to balance simplicity and impact, creating a win-win for both referrers and referees. The program offers new customers a **$200 credit** (valid for 60 days), making it easy for them to test out DigitalOcean’s services. Referrers earn a **$25 credit** once the referred customer spends their first $25. #### Why does it work so well? - **Dual incentives**: Both the referrer and referee benefit, ensuring mutual satisfaction and participation. - **Low barrier to entry**: A straightforward structure makes it easy for new users to join and explore DigitalOcean’s offerings without upfront costs. - **Retention-friendly**: Requiring the referred customer to spend $25 ensures that credits go toward engaged, paying users, increasing customer stickiness. **What did this do?** They transformed referrals from a passive transaction into an active, mutually beneficial partnership. So when you think about it, it's less about the hard sell and more about creating genuine value for both parties. ### 3\. HubSpot’s partnerreferral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeeSQye8aQm9oHBakoS227Z0C3t4J5j5ofvzVJfM-hFCOhB_YT4NhFWeWmjSs-0GTryrphfFhuvndT0HrLJ1yS3twqwXN016cNcXmYzHN-keU8YBkrAMmIhv-k4xeeCP-tlblma8A?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) While many referral programs focus on customers, some businesses succeed by empowering partners. HubSpot’s Solutions Partner Program and Affiliate Program illustrate how *partnerships* can drive growth. - **Solutions Partner Program**: Agencies and service providers earn tiered commissions for referring new customers. HubSpot supports partners with training, certifications, and tools to ensure success. - **Affiliate Program**: Content creators and influencers earn a **30% recurring commission** for up to a year, supported by a dedicated resource center. #### Why it works: - **Education and support**: Partners are equipped to effectively promote the product. - **Scalable reach**: Partners extend the brand’s influence to their own networks. - **Aligned incentives**: Tiered rewards encourage high-quality referrals. HubSpot’s approach shows how partnership-driven models can complement traditional referral strategies, especially for products requiring technical expertise or broader reach. ### 4\. Google Workspace’s referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeuSzVGQ5vxUNUOWvC5bLHwHoWZig9XCP5l0_d__WUn3wWNkG-axbyXHemGQfG_gAHhY89h07qLBFspVB081Vr6tEq2woqwjY76_lOcxpDKnFr6jaEbzubHa8QDIShZtxtiUGa4?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) Google turned its [Workspace referral program](https://workspace.google.com/intl/en%5Fuk/referral-program/) into a strategic growth engine by making rewards directly proportional to the value of new customers. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, they created a system where the more substantial the referral, the greater the reward. We’ll make no bones about this – it’s elegant in its simplicity, bringing in bigger customers and earning bigger benefits. According to Google’s website: “You earn a one-time reward for every new user that you refer, up to 100 users per referred account and up to 200 users per year.” This isn’t *just* a referral program… it’s an invitation for users to become active partners in Google's expansion. Referees can earn for up to 200 new Google Workspace users per year – an exceptionally attractive offer for businesses. ### 5\. GetResponse’s referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeFB1C1N_29TDmZzVxJrPxvLrawWndE06DKFdonEKtkue8xrYDM-_XSG1QkGlYwdWPU8X2QcgHvoAIDuyzo8ptecuD8pOYQ0EFvnHD1dvoCLHS724nkHUZ9ZoSJYJti-XRP5YDe1w?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) GetResponse offers a $30 reward for [both the referrer and referee](https://www.getresponse.com/referral-program), with an additional digital marketing certification (valued at $200) after three successful referrals. The reason why this referral program took off the way it did was two-fold; while it offered the standard financial compensation, it also looked beyond cash. Instead of solely offering a monetary incentive, GetResponder offered its referees the unique incentives of L&D certifications that align with their goals. ### 6\. Trello’s referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdfxrkIj6z7Bae80DGGoan2R7KzzSybAZl8UNX1uA0r_7XpanSyCsW1LAh1psyLuJ4wDBQL9bGX0QQaUN3wkapiiMIkLvcC0vgMtYVGDm3Tdt2Fnycwp0ftwmNnyp-oS4sg1l8e?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) Trello's referral program was a clever experiment in user engagement, offering a taste of premium features through a simple, enticing reward. Giving users a free month of Trello Gold for each successful referral (capped at a year), they created a low-friction path for users to explore additional value. It was a mega smart play that turned casual users into temporary power users, potentially sparking interest in a full subscription. However, like many innovative strategies, its time was finite, and Trello eventually sunsetted the program, closing this chapter of its user acquisition journey. ### 7\. ActiveCampaign’s referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXciyH6qN2eStHdxlUa10M0tbSzIU4vhy2QsZahAF2ethAhRE1YI6zGkFWg3EvjkTBTlsOXFpR0k7itJS9jFpEXm3lunHBBczSrRs5bpTp2vuvflBKvZdsiVZJ1s3s5u_Ex3GW1aag?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) ActiveCampaign understood that the best salespeople are those who truly believe in a product. [ActiveCampaign’s referral program](https://www.activecampaign.com/refer-program) turns satisfied customers into advocates by offering Amazon gift cards as rewards. Customers automatically join the program and can start referring friends with a unique link. Rewards range from $25 to $100 depending on the plan purchased by the referee, who also receives $10 in account credit. With a straightforward process and meaningful incentives, ActiveCampaign ensures both referrers and referees benefit, fostering organic growth and customer loyalty. ### 8\. Zendesk’s partner program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeTsm7ZCUEHsp91R3wYFY3lVoPTMWjA5ZYsjIqPOHetNdBVs7K_QQYIjPc7oZI4NZnjTTxNURHX67khONF7YpYszEnu7QhE3W8xSgjP3Qr7CBnKzhZnb7BnLbszw_qXUd8o2Qm2iw?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) As customer service pioneers, it’s hardly surprising that Zendesk is the reigning champion of authentic advocacy. They’ve managed to turn customer satisfaction into a strategic growth engine. How though? [Zendesk’s “partner” program](https://www.zendesk.co.uk/partner/) transforms satisfied clients and partners into active advocates. By referring clients, partners earn rewards while Zendesk handles onboarding, creating a seamless process for everyone involved. But why does it work? Well…: - **Effortless participation**: Partners simply refer, and Zendesk manages the rest. - **Valuable rewards**: Incentives make referrals a natural and worthwhile action. - **Collaborative support**: Zendesk equips partners with training and resources, ensuring mutual success. This program showcases how fostering partnerships and empowering advocates can drive sustained growth. ### 9\. Canva referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfl__JqUruVE1DuAVmVRfsgjLGnSzWEim4XemNc1R7PxAH2ztH4xYdAOjzEAiJ2AKs75-Vmq6ycb2yJofiiZmR2VhmkHpk6kWWGOkT_TpS2_3LZZPEVKGoL4CVn6-USlRifbt0yxg?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) [Canva's referral strategy](https://www.canva.com/en%5Fgb/help/redeem-canva-pro-code/) is brilliantly simple: make sharing as natural as creating. They offer credits that directly enhance users' experience, they turn every design project into a potential invitation. The program isn’t just about growth – it’s about expanding a creative community where each new member brings fresh possibilities. ### 10\. Notion’s referral program ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdEYz7kyQ7xoZ7enPelNoPq9T9DkvEXjqmIGV16wK4-AD_ck-DJY5kp83tH641_SqYhE2Bd95fb_qXyfmmNkXZE5noh1UwQT0QWpMASt7OH7wdwpC-0G-5BtyDQIgkKaF5H7dmsiA?key=-jZCRx6yJnhjvDKVbu1E9WJw) [Notion’s referral program](https://www.notion.com/become-a-partner) embodies the platform's ethos of collaboration and growth. Users earn credits for referring new customers, which can be used to offset the cost of their subscription. This structure incentivizes users to share Notion with others while fostering a deeper connection with the product. #### What makes it so good? - **Seamless integration**: The program aligns perfectly with Notion's collaborative, productivity-focused brand. - **Dual value**: Referrers benefit from subscription savings, while referees gain access to a powerful tool. - **Community building**: Each referral expands Notion’s user network, enhancing its utility as more teams and individuals join. ## Key best practices for creating a successful referral program So what have we learned? To create a great referral program that stands the test of time, turning customers into revenue-generating advocates, you should take this sage advice: - **Define a clear goal:** Are you trying to generate leads, increase customer retention, or grow revenue? Align your program’s structure with your primary objective. - **Keep it simple:** Complex referral processes deter participation. Make it easy for customers to refer others and claim rewards. - **Offer meaningful incentives:** Rewards should be valuable to your target audience. Whether it’s discounts, credits, or exclusive access, align incentives with customer needs. - **Focus on data:** Use customer insights, such as NPS scores or usage patterns, to target your most likely advocates. - **Promote your program:** Don’t assume customers will discover your referral program on their own. Include it in email campaigns, in-app notifications, and your website. - **Track and optimize:** Measure key metrics like referral rates, conversion rates, and ROI. Use this data to fine-tune your program over time. [![State of Customer Marketing 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Report--2--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) ### Scaling customer stories: Inside Microsoft's marketing engine URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/inside-microsofts-marketing-engine/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T08:42:17.000Z I’m part of Microsoft’s global customer advocacy program, where our mission is to create content that empowers customers to make smart, confident decisions when investing in enterprise software. Our audience includes some of the most innovative and forward-thinking decision-makers in business today – people who are actively transforming how their companies operate, and by extension, how industries evolve. But even the most capable leaders are inundated with content daily, from sales teams, internal research, and a flood of external sources. It's overwhelming. That’s why we focus on the unique power of customer stories. These stories serve as credible, human proof that others have faced similar challenges, made bold choices, and driven meaningful outcomes. They cut through the noise by offering reassurance, insight, and inspiration, all rooted in real-world experience. [Storytelling Certified | MastersMaster the art of story-selling. Understand the science behind marketing with stories.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/bc14804c664638e4cc6d9b7faf46c890-2.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/366664ad744966a5ad62bf8269c35bd2-1.png)](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/storytelling-certified-masters) ## The emotional foundation of customer proof Customer stories aren't just about facts and figures. They're about emotions – specifically, decreasing anxiety and increasing trust. Whether it’s B2B or B2C, people make decisions based on how they feel. That’s why our content is designed to connect on a human level. Relatability is key. When a prospect from a UK-based financial institution asks for a case study, they’re not looking for just any customer example. They want to see someone like them, another UK financial services company navigating the same regulations, the same complexities. Our stories have to speak to that need. At the same time, our stories must celebrate innovation. We showcase how our customers have reimagined their organizations, and we do it through trusted voices – individuals with deep, credible experience in their industries. This isn’t about someone who’s been in the job for six months; it’s about hearing from those who’ve led transformation for years. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Winning executive support to launch customer advocacy programs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-executive-support-to-launch-customer-advocacy-programs/ Last updated: 2025-07-16T08:47:39.000Z Successful [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) starts with strong internal alignment. Years of leading programs at BMC, Genesys, and Oracle has taught me the importance of listening first, building with intention, and connecting advocacy efforts to what matters most to the business. If you’re building a new team or evolving an existing one, here’s what I’ve learned works best. [Leslie Paterson | How To Approach Executive Conversations: Setting Up A Successful Customer Marketing Team | Customer Marketing Catch-UpIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Leslie Paterson, VP of Customer Advocacy & Engagement at BMC, talks to us about how you should approach executive conversations to set your customer marketing team up for success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-392.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--5---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/leslie-paterson-how-to-approach-executive-conversations-setting-up-a-successful-customer-marketing-team-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Start by listening, not telling I’ve learned this the hard way, having approached advocacy program launches both the wrong way and, thankfully, what I now believe to be the right way. One of the most essential lessons I’ve taken from those experiences is the importance of establishing a two-way dialogue with executive stakeholders. And in those early conversations, that dialogue needs to be heavily weighted toward listening. It can be tempting to walk in with a clear vision and a fully formed playbook for what a successful advocacy program should look like – especially if you’ve done this before. But the truth is, every organization is different. Executive stakeholders each have their own definitions of success. What’s a win for one might not even register as a priority for another. That’s why asking, listening, and understanding what “good” looks like to each stakeholder is absolutely foundational. I always ask: *“If an advocacy program was ideal for you and your team, what would it deliver?”* That open-ended question reveals so much. But you have to be patient enough to absorb the answers without jumping in to prove you’ve already done it elsewhere. Surprise and delight them later, listen now. ## Build champions by solving their problems first If you don’t take the time to understand what each executive actually wants, you risk working in a silo. That’s when you start hearing the dreaded, “So, what do you do again?” – a clear sign you’ve failed to connect your work to what matters to them. What you want is to build champions out of your stakeholders. And that only happens when you solve *their* problems. If you listen well, they’ll tell you exactly what they need – often without you even having to ask directly. Once they see you delivering against their goals, they’ll trust you to run with the rest. That trust is what gives you the freedom to start building out the broader program – the things you know will elevate advocacy. But first, earn their confidence by aligning with their priorities. ## Make the case for advocacy through efficiency, economy, and impact Thankfully, I don’t have to spend as much time anymore explaining *why* advocacy matters – executive teams and boards are increasingly seeing its value. But for anyone still needing to make that case, I always recommend framing it around three pillars: **efficiency, economy, and impact**. - **Efficiency** Designing the team in a way that a single request – say, for a speaker at an event – can be fulfilled quickly through a well-connected network of advocates. For example, I’ve always advocated for embedding customer engagement directors in regional markets to maintain close relationships with key customers. That proximity allows us to respond rapidly and confidently to requests. - **Economy** This is about scale. Those engagement directors need the ability to build and manage strong relationships with 30 to 40 customers each. That’s no small feat – it takes poise, experience, and exceptional organization. But with the right people, you can cover your global advocacy needs with a lean, focused team. - **Impact** Where it all comes together. You need to articulate exactly how advocacy contributes to business goals. Whether it's influenced bookings, faster deal cycles, or improved retention, the data must tell the story. Our most engaged advocates stay with us longer, deepen their relationships, and bring in others. When you can tie those outcomes to dashboards and forecasts, your value becomes undeniable. ### Don't chase your tail: Focus on business value Here’s something I say to my team all the time (probably too often): *Don’t chase your tail.* It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing on output – 30 case studies, 10 videos, and so on. But if those assets don’t support our strategic goals or move the needle with prospects, we’re wasting effort and budget. I’d much rather have five powerful, relatable stories that we can repurpose effectively than dozens of mediocre ones. Every story should be an asset, not just content for content’s sake. ### Advocate for your people, too Another point that often gets overlooked is the impact of team structure on employee retention. If you don’t staff your advocacy team appropriately, if you put too much on one person, you burn them out. I’ve seen it again and again – unrealistic expectations, lack of ownership, and eventually, high turnover. When structured right, these teams take pressure off of other departments too – particularly customer success. That’s a powerful internal stat you can surface to show cross-functional value. Just as you focus on [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/), you need to advocate internally for the resources, support, and structure your team needs to thrive. ### Measurement is strategic, not tactical Measurement isn’t about checking boxes or hitting quotas. It’s not “30 stories” or “X number of reviews.” That kind of tactical mindset will keep you stuck in execution mode, rather than being seen as a strategic contributor. Instead, frame metrics around business impact. Are we shortening deal cycles? Increasing conversion rates? Influencing renewal decisions? These are the questions that resonate at the executive level. To answer them well, you have to start by asking your stakeholders what success looks like for them. Then, build programs that support those metrics. When you align your outputs with their KPIs, you earn a seat at the table. ### Mapping the business needs to your advocacy plan One of the best ways to prioritize and defend your roadmap is to bucket initiatives by business need. Are you solving for brand? Sales acceleration? Expansion? Adoption? This model lets you say “yes, and” instead of “no” when new requests arise. For example, when someone asks for something outside your current priority, you can say: *“Great – that’s in our third bucket. Right now, we’re focused on bucket one. Do you recommend we shift priorities, or queue this for later?”* It’s collaborative, respectful, and protects your team’s bandwidth. And it creates a natural path to request more headcount when demand begins to outstrip supply. ### Paving the path for the next generation I’ve been in this space for a long time, and I’ve earned my fair share of skinned knees along the way. At this point in my career, my biggest motivation is to pave a smoother path for those just starting out. If you’re building your first team or transitioning into an advocacy role, I want you to know: it doesn’t have to be that hard. If you start by listening, align with the business, and focus on real impact, this work *will* pay off. I promise. ## Securing support and building the team Once I’ve had those foundational conversations with executives and understand their priorities, I move quickly to secure their *active* support. If I sense alignment during those talks, I don’t leave it at a handshake. I’ll ask directly: *“Can I count on your support as I build this team?”* That could be in the form of feedback, advocacy to other stakeholders, or simply helping reinforce the program’s importance internally. That step is key. It tells you who your allies are – and those allies make all the difference. Their buy-in makes the headcount and budget conversations smoother because you’re no longer just “another person asking for more.” You're someone with a plan that aligns with leadership’s goals. Once that support is secured, **headcount is the very next priority**. This work cannot be done alone. I’ve seen too many talented people burn out trying to run advocacy programs solo. You need a team that’s matched to the work ahead and aligned with the right skill sets. And once you have that, the creativity can flourish – you’re free to get innovative with how advocates are engaged, how stories are told, and how different internal teams contribute to those stories. For instance, at Genesys, we partnered closely with our value consulting team to identify customers who deeply understood and could articulate the value of the solution. That made our job easier. These weren’t just happy customers – they were informed, articulate, and ready to advocate with clarity and conviction. Partnerships like that allow you to build smarter, not just harder. ### The first steps to building a high-impact team If your executives have given you the green light and said, *“We trust you – go build it,”* the first thing you need to do is understand what the business needs. Not what *you* think they need – what they’ve said they need. Does the business want to improve brand visibility? Shorten sales cycles? Increase executive participation at events? Grow peer reviews before BDRs reach out? Each of those goals requires a different program structure and different early deliverables. That’s why I love the six-month mark as a target window. By then, you know your team, your product, and your internal landscape well enough to deliver something meaningful. If you can launch programs that show results by then – especially results that tie directly to executive goals – you’ve created a flywheel for advocacy to keep growing. ### When executive support wavers Sometimes, despite the best early conversations, things change. Priorities shift, relationships drift, or access to stakeholders becomes more limited. I used to feel discouraged when that happened – now, I view it as a cue to reframe the conversation. What I’ve found incredibly effective is presenting a **“current state vs. future state”** story. Current state acknowledges wins and challenges honestly. Future state presents a clear, strategic vision for what’s possible, *especially* when it's informed by what I know those stakeholders care about. It’s important to pair this with a visual. Conversations fade, but visuals stick. If you can show them what the program could achieve, not just tell them, you have a far better chance of reconnecting and re-engaging their interest. ### Don’t let setbacks derail the bigger mission I’ve been in situations where executive support dropped off or advocacy was deprioritized. It can feel isolating. You might start wondering if all the work you’ve done is about to unravel. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to quit or abandon the mission. Often, it just means it’s time to **pivot**. Find new pathways. Rebuild connections. And, if needed, give it some breathing room before making your next move. This work matters too much to give up because of a temporary shift. ### Impact is in the numbers and the stories When I talk about “articulating impact,” I don’t mean flooding a slide with logos. That’s table stakes. What I’m talking about is **real business impact** – the kind that makes a sales or finance leader sit up and say, *“That’s what I care about.”* To do that, you need data – and allies who can help you access and visualize that data. At BMC and in my previous roles, we worked to tie our customer engagements directly to Salesforce opportunity IDs. With the right dashboards (I love Tableau because it’s simple enough that even I can use it), we could show: - Which advocacy interactions occurred - What happened in pipeline afterward (new opportunities, expansions, accelerations) - And how those shifts tied back to specific programs like customer advisory boards or executive councils That’s the kind of data nobody can argue with, especially when it’s *their* numbers. And when you pair those numbers with stories that are specific, personal, and aligned with their strategic goals? That’s when the lightbulb really switches on. ### Build credibility from the ground up Sometimes, you’re not going to have direct access to key decision-makers right away. That’s okay. You can still build trust and visibility through their direct reports. At a previous company, when I needed buy-in from a CRO I barely knew, I focused on making sure his team was aware of and benefitting from my work. Slowly, word got back to him. Eventually, when the time was right, I reached out and asked the most important question: *“What does a successful program look like to you?”* He flipped it on me: *“You tell me.”* And I was ready. I’d already workshopped my story with my CMO, refined my message, and clarified my vision. That’s when I shared my “advocacy well” analogy – a framework for how our program would work and grow. I didn’t need to walk through every single detail. I just needed to show that I had a roadmap, a vision, and a plan for how to get there. ### Your map, their milestones Executives don’t need to know about every twist and turn. But they do need to know you’re driving toward a destination that matters – to them, to the business, and to customers. That’s what strategy is all about: a clear current state, a compelling future state, and a credible path to get from here to there. ## Why internal advocacy matters as much as customer advocacy As someone who lives and breathes customer advocacy, of course I believe it’s critical. But beyond personal bias, I’ve seen time and time again how transformational it can be – *when* the organization understands and supports it. That’s why having executives advocate for your advocacy program is one of the most powerful accelerants to success. If your ELT is talking about the impact of your work, it trickles down fast. I’ve seen my calendar fill up almost overnight with people across the business saying, “Hey, I want to connect. I want to support what you’re doing.” When I ask how they heard about us, it’s often because a senior leader mentioned our program. That’s what organizational buy-in looks like. But to sustain it, you also need to set realistic goals. Define what you’ll deliver in three, six, nine, and 12 months. It’s not just about hitting milestones – it’s about protecting your team from burnout and showing respect for the scale of the work. When your team members become the longest-standing relationships a customer has, outlasting even multiple account managers, that’s real advocacy in action. ### Ask for advice, not opinions Here’s a small but powerful mindset shift I’ve learned: when building internal champions, don’t ask for opinions, ask for *advice*. Advice creates connection. It pulls the other person into your journey. They want to see you succeed because their name is now tied to your success, even subconsciously. Once you take their advice, follow up. Show them how it helped, what changed, what results it led to. That’s how you bring executives and peers into your corner – and keep them there. ### Keep growing your circle of advocates internally Even if you already have a successful program, don’t get complacent. Keep looking for new allies across the executive team. At Genesys, we started pulling in execs who weren’t part of our original circle (like our CFO) for customer-facing activities like roundtables. He was a little hesitant at first, but the experience was exceptional. And from then on, it was an immediate yes anytime we asked him to get involved. Bringing new voices into the program not only strengthens it, but helps sustain it over time. Advocacy isn’t just something you scale externally – it’s something you scale *internally* too. ### Mapping the business needs to your advocacy plan One of the best ways to prioritize and defend your roadmap is to bucket initiatives by business need. Are you solving for brand? Sales acceleration? Expansion? Adoption? This model lets you say “yes, and” instead of “no” when new requests arise. For example, when someone asks for something outside your current priority, you can say: *“Great – that’s in our third bucket. Right now, we’re focused on bucket one. Do you recommend we shift priorities, or queue this for later?”* It’s collaborative, respectful, and protects your team’s bandwidth. And – bonus – it creates a natural path to request more headcount when demand begins to outstrip supply. ### A story of executive alignment that made all the difference I’ll end with a recent example. When I was in early discussions with my current CMO about the need for an advocacy program, I made one thing very clear – even after three or four conversations: *this does not happen with just me.* If I’m doing this, I need a team. Because we had those prior conversations and built alignment around the vision, when it came time to talk about resources, it wasn’t a battle. He saw the value, and he trusted the direction. That clarity from the start allowed us to build the team to the size needed to deliver real impact – and we’ve been moving forward with confidence ever since. ### People, tools, and vision Yes, you need the right people in place. Yes, you need the right tools – whether it’s an advocacy hub, a scheduling platform for briefings, or systems to automate reporting. But above all, you need the ability to clearly articulate *why* you’re doing what you’re doing. That means setting the stage with executives, listening to what matters most to them, tying your work to measurable outcomes, and telling the story behind the data. That’s how you turn internal curiosity into commitment – and build something that lasts. --- *This article was based on Leslie's appearance on the Customer Marketing Catch-up podcast. You can listen to the* [*full episode here.*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/leslie-paterson-how-to-approach-executive-conversations-setting-up-a-successful-customer-marketing-team-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### Customer success story questions template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-story-questions-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:24:37.000Z ## What is a customer success story questions template? A customer success story questions template is a guide designed to help you create compelling customer success stories by asking the right questions. Success stories are powerful tools for building trust and credibility, and this template provides a series of targeted questions that encourage customers to share meaningful insights about their experience with your product or service. ## What’s inside the template? The customer success story questions template includes several categories of questions to help you gather all the essential details for a strong success story: 1. **Customer background** 2. **Challenges faced** 3. **Why they chose you** 4. **How they use your solution** 5. **Results and benefits** 6. **Personal impact** 7. **Growth and learnings** 8. **Testimonial summary** ## How to use the template 1. **Prepare your questions** – Use the template to choose the most relevant questions based on the customer’s story and challenges. 2. **Interview the customer** – Conduct the interview by asking the questions provided, encouraging customers to share detailed responses. 3. **Craft the story** – Use the answers to structure a compelling success story, focusing on challenges, solutions, and measurable results. 4. **Refine and publish** – Edit the story to make it clear, concise, and engaging, then publish it as part of your content strategy to drive engagement and credibility. ## Download your customer success story questions template ![Customer success story questions template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/07/Customer-success-story-questions--1-.png) [Customer success story questions (1)Customer success story questions (1).docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/07/Customer-success-story-questions--1-.docx "Download") [Customer success story questions (1)Customer success story questions (1).pdf108 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/07/Customer-success-story-questions--1-.pdf "Download") [Customer success story questionsCustomer success story questions Quality customer success stories always need great customer responses. But how do you get the responses you need? The ones that are positive, trustworthy and compelling? Simple - you ask the right questions. Here, we’ve got the questions you can ask to create th…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-5.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyL6OcL7N2cTQcbDhJeOIH5STW6ErzE4iltdkEIrmx6vOtkCWec6BxC5bJBTsHdwyCYkwaqguWZSD-MLLoYREUMioBvlCE-GSoXBAbjEjjtGDb1oIYOt-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KE2YlZG6mZgZUOhMYTvY0lDgN%5FVUD1WSncYV0ixk814/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### You built a community. Now what? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/you-built-a-community-now-what/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T17:01:59.000Z Building a solid community takes a lot of effort, teamwork, and countless hours. But the real work doesn’t stop there. The Herculean task ahead is making sure it thrives. Because the last thing you want is for your fabulous community to fizzle out, becoming stagnant, losing its pizzazz, fading into silence. You built something awesome. Now it's time to keep it awesome. Below are 10 strategies to help ensure your community remains a place your customers want to come to, and stay in. ## 1\. Keep your ears open When you first [built your community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/), you probably reached out to customers, had lots of conversations, took notes, and used that feedback to shape your strategy. That was smart. But just because the community is built doesn’t mean you stop listening. This is when you listen even more. Your members will tell you, through words and actions, what’s working, what’s not, and what’s no longer relevant. If you pay attention, they’ll help shape your roadmap. Let your members show you what needs more attention, what needs less, and what you might need to drop altogether. ## 2\. Know when to rest This applies to both your personal and professional life: rest is essential. Your community doesn’t need to be running at full speed every day of the year. It’s not sustainable. Recognize and embrace seasonal lulls – holidays, summer vacations, back-to-school periods. These are natural pauses. Take the pressure off your members (and yourself) during these times. They’ll appreciate not being overwhelmed when life is already hectic. Slow down. Know when to rest. Maybe even grab a comfy blanket. ## 3\. Trust your vision People love to share ideas. And in the community world, we’re especially generous with opinions – and that’s great. But sometimes, all those opinions can cloud your original vision. Remember: you built something valuable. Trust that vision. Don’t let outside noise steer your community off-course. Stay rooted in what you set out to do, even as you adapt and evolve. ## 4\. Stay curious This is related to listening, but it takes things a step further. Be proactive in uncovering what keeps your members coming back. When’s the last time you asked them what they love about the community? Or – more challenging – what they don’t like? Asking those questions might bring uncomfortable truths to light. But those insights are invaluable. They help you continuously improve, making sure your community stays relevant and meaningful. ## 5\. Find the treasure Your community is full of brilliant, talented people. As the community manager, you probably know that – but do they know it about each other? [Highlight](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-how-to-connect-customers-using-voice/) your members. Let them see each other’s interests, talents, geographies, and backgrounds. Help them connect. A connected community is a successful community. That means connections to each other, to you, and to your organization. When members feel seen, they engage more, and they stick around. ## 6\. Don’t sleep on the job This one’s simple but powerful: don’t check out. It’s tempting to go into autopilot once your community is up and running, but your role is far from passive. Communities don’t manage themselves. They evolve constantly, and it’s your job to evolve with them. Stay engaged. Stay active. Be the example of the kind of energy and presence you want your members to bring. The moment you disconnect, your community starts to feel it. ## 7\. Always be alert Being in tune with your members helps you know when to stay the course and when to pivot. Be where your members are, whether that’s in Slack, LinkedIn, a user group, or your company’s conference. Presence matters. When you show up, you learn their challenges and needs. And when you understand that, you can build systems that actually help them succeed. That’s how you move from managing a community to truly supporting it. ## 8\. Make it comfy The pandemic taught us something important: comfort matters. For some, comfort means yoga pants and a hoodie. For others, it’s having a space to meet like-minded people. Your community can – and should – be that space. Think about what comfort looks like for your members. For some, it’s a quiet virtual meetup with cameras off. For others, it’s showing up loud and proud at in-person events. Both types of participation are valid. Build inclusive spaces that allow for both. Comfort is what keeps people coming back. ## 9\. Be ready to play Let’s face it, if your community isn’t fun, why would people come back? We all want to spend time doing things we enjoy. Sure, people may come to your community to learn. But they’ll stay if they also find joy. So bring in the fun. Try a juggling session. Book a comedian. Host a virtual game night or a meaningful volunteering activity. Injecting a little joy makes your community vibrant, memorable, and sticky. ## 10\. Do the unexpected Interesting people and unexpected moments [keep us engaged](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/). Sprinkle your community with surprise. A whimsical ask. A fun challenge. An offbeat topic. These moments create buzz and keep people on their toes. One night, I randomly posted in our Slack: “Hey heroes, got a cute pet? Send me photos – I might feature them!” Within 20 hours, I had 32 adorable pictures. I didn’t even know what I was going to use them for at the time. But those photos inspired an entire shift in my approach. They became the thread that tied together our focus – connection, curiosity, creativity, comfort, and joy. Sometimes the best ideas come when you’re not looking for them. ## Final thoughts You’ve already done the hard work of [building your community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/). Now it’s about nurturing it – keeping it vibrant, responsive, and relevant. Try new things. Pay attention. Create comfort. And never forget to make it fun. Your community has the potential to be a place people return to again and again, not because they have to, but because they want to. Let’s make sure it stays that way. ### Vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams/ Last updated: 2025-07-11T09:59:45.000Z If you’ve ever tried to build a marketing team from scratch, or even just restructure one, you’ll know it’s about more than filling seats. You’re not just hiring for roles. You’re setting a vision, aligning with business goals, and creating space for individuals to grow while still delivering results. And when you’re in a field like customer marketing, where the function is still evolving in many orgs, that balancing act becomes even trickier. But here’s the thing: with the right structure, the right mindset, and the right people, customer marketing can become one of the most strategic growth levers in your business. This is how I think about team design, leadership, and the skills that set great customer marketers, and customer marketing leaders, apart. [Vital leadership skills when structuring your marketing teams | Learning with LeadershipIn our second episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Katie Meeker, Director of Customer Marketing at ICIMS, about the vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-391.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/5-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/) ## Understanding customer marketing in B2B SaaS It might sound a bit cliché at this point, but even though we’re in the B2B space, we’re still engaging with people. Customer marketing is fundamentally about people engagement – deepening relationships so that the businesses, the individuals behind those logos, want to stay with your organization and grow their footprint. It’s a long-term play and a long-term investment, which is why [lifecycle marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-lifecycle-marketing-transformed-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-at-ivanti/) is so critical. In B2B customer marketing, you’re not just working toward a single transaction. You're supporting the full journey; onboarding, adoption, go-live, ongoing engagement, renewal, growth, and advocacy. I’ve never worked outside of B2B SaaS, but I’d imagine B2C is a bit more transactional, even though it still shares goals around loyalty and repeat purchases. ## Structuring a customer marketing team If I were speaking to another leader, especially someone newly promoted into a [leadership role](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/blueprint-for-cross-functional-team-leadership/), the first thing I’d ask is: what are your business goals? Are you trying to add revenue through [cross-sell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/) opportunities? Improve retention rates? Or maybe you’re on a mission to build a community to deepen customer relationships? Whatever the case, the goals of your team need to align with the goals of the company. If they don’t, you risk losing credibility, and the business may start to question the value of the function. As your company evolves, your goals may shift. You’ll need to pivot accordingly and figure out how to scale the team. Right now, our customer marketing org has two main pillars: one focused on references and customer stories, and the other focused on community. Each team member has clearly defined roles and objectives that support overall business goals. We also review dashboards monthly to track progress against those goals. Then, each quarter, we run QBRs to share highlights, lowlights, results, and plans for what’s next. That rhythm helps us stay aligned with the business and responsive when priorities shift. ## The skills and behaviors I value in team members While previous experience in customer marketing is certainly a plus, it’s not essential. Most of the time, I hire based on core skills and potential rather than direct experience. Empathy is huge, both in understanding the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) and in being a great business partner to other teams. In customer marketing, we serve both external customers and internal stakeholders. Having high [emotional intelligence](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/emotional-intelligence/) helps build trust, deepen relationships, and work cross-functionally with empathy and intention. I also look for people who are organized and able to manage projects independently. In this field, you'll likely be wearing multiple hats and juggling competing priorities, so strong project management is key. And communication is everything. I need team members who can clearly communicate the “why,” effectively convey the message, and always consider the customer perspective. We talk a lot about "WIFM" (what’s in it for me) from the customer’s point of view. Too often, we approach things from the company perspective, what we want to do or say, without truly stepping into the customer’s shoes. It's critical to ask, what’s in it for them? What are their motivations? ## What distinguishes a customer marketing leader Strong communication skills are essential, particularly the ability to present in all directions: up to executives, across to peers, and down to your team. [Customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/) isn’t yet a fully established discipline in every company, so part of the role is being an internal educator. You have to be the expert – able to clearly articulate what customer marketing is, what it isn’t, and how it drives business impact. The way I present to the C-suite is completely different from how I present to, say, the leader of our CSM organization or my own team. That adaptability matters. You also need confidence, paired with a willingness to get scrappy. Especially early on, I said yes to almost everything. If there’s a way to deliver value to your organization or customers, try it. Give yourself permission to experiment, fail fast, and learn. That’s often where the real growth happens. Eventually, you do have to learn how to say no. But in the beginning, saying yes can open doors and create opportunities that help you shape and define your team’s value. ## Balancing business priorities with individual team goals At iCIMS, the organization shares corporate-wide objectives each year, which cascade down to departments and then to individual functions. As a people leader, it’s my job to ensure that each team member understands how their work ties directly to the success of the business. Because I’ve been in this space for a while, I’ve developed a solid playbook of strategies based on different business objectives. For example, if retention is the goal and we don’t know why we’re losing customers, I might propose a voice of the customer program. That gives us a way to measure satisfaction, identify pain points, and ultimately improve retention through a better experience. If your organization is communicating priorities clearly, it becomes much easier to prioritize your team’s workload. For example, if it’s the end of the quarter and your team is responsible for delivering references, that becomes the top priority. Less time-sensitive tasks move to the backburner. Now, if your company isn’t great at cascading objectives or sharing its strategic priorities, then it’s important to take initiative. Meet with your leadership team, ask questions, and do the work to uncover what’s important to them. --- *This article is based on* [*Katie's appearance* ](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-learning-with-leadership-a-customer-marketing-podcast/?wchannelid=8bo0s1ugt2&wmediaid=p236tylhq8)*on the* [*Learning with Leadership*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-learning-with-leadership-a-customer-marketing-podcast/) *podcast. At the time of recording, Katie was Director of Customer Marketing at ISIMS.* ### Driving sustainable growth - Lifecycle marketing strategies that lead with value and amplify customer advocacy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/driving-sustainable-growth-lifecycle-marketing-strategies-that-lead-with-value-and-amplify-customer-advocacy/ Last updated: 2025-08-05T12:04:43.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** July 31, 2025 **Time:** 5:00pm BST **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2025-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=h0yq5owbrq&wmediaid=g4a001prua) In today’s competitive landscape, driving growth requires more than just acquiring customers—it demands creating lasting relationships that turn customers into advocates. This session will explore how lifecycle marketing strategies, grounded in delivering value at every stage, can fuel sustainable growth while building a loyal customer base. --- ### Key takeaways: - Designing value-driven touchpoints across the customer journey to enhance retention and satisfaction. - Leveraging data to personalize experiences and foster deeper connections. - Creating advocacy programs that amplify the customer’s voice and drive organic growth. Discover actionable strategies to transform your lifecycle marketing approach and unlock the power of customer advocacy as a growth engine for your organization. --- ### Meet the speaker: [**Max Bailey**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-bailey-mba/), Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Enterprise Activation at[ **Grammarly**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammarly/) Max Bailey is a NYC-based marketer with a broad range of experience across product, lifecycle, content, and performance marketing. Since early 2021, he has applied his B2B SaaS demand gen background to customer audiences by building the customer lifecycle marketing function at both Aircall and Frontify, from scratch. ![Profile photo of Max Bailey](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4D03AQF0qHmQ5vry7A/profile-displayphoto-shrink_800_800/profile-displayphoto-shrink_800_800/0/1708105353871?e=1756339200&v=beta&t=tYQeA79IYC_KOsWOPg7fzcnWALjcl2TiIj4trdiPWkw) ### Case studies: How to connect to your customers using their own voice URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-how-to-connect-customers-using-voice/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T14:41:57.000Z If you've ever tried to get customers to tell your story for you, you’ll know it’s harder than it sounds. Most people don’t wake up thinking, “Today’s the day I advocate for the software vendor I use at work.” And in a world full of automated emails and one-size-fits-all messaging, it’s even tougher to build real, lasting relationships. But here’s the thing: customers *do* want to feel seen. They want to feel valued. And when they do, they become your most credible storytellers – sharing your brand not because they were asked, but because they genuinely believe it does what it says. That’s the space I work in every day. This is how I approach building customer connections that last and stories that actually land. [Connect to your customers using their own voice | Learning with LeadershipIn our third episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Steph Mills, Director of Customer Advocacy at Matillion, about how to connect to your customers using their own voice, with case studies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-390.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/4--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/steph-mills-case-studies-how-to-connect-to-your-customers-using-their-own-voice-leadership-accelerator-program/) ## Telling your story through your customers As with most advocacy roles, it's your job to tell the story of a product, solution, or company through the voice of its customers. That means constantly thinking about how you tell your story through the voice of your customers, and how that story connects to our company goals, strategy, and identity. It's not just about collecting nice quotes or running a few [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/getting-the-right-case-studies-for-your-brand/). I think a lot about how we showcase the work we're doing in a way that genuinely reflects our customer obsession. Most companies say they’re customer-obsessed, but from the outside, that doesn’t always come through. ## Building meaningful customer connections Customer connections are everything. Of course, every part of the business would say that customers are the lifeblood of what we do, but for me, it's not just about connecting – it's about building relationships and constantly strengthening them. And that’s hard, especially in a mostly digital, post-pandemic world. Whenever I step into a new [advocacy role](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/), I start by asking: What are the natural connection points within this company? The advocacy landscape will always look different depending on the company, so I take time to figure that out. If a company already has an established [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/), those connection points might include a customer conference, customer awards, or a structured case study process. But sometimes you’re building those things from scratch, and that’s a huge opportunity. It’s also about collaboration. In my experience, I've worked closely with other teams across the business that already have customer touchpoints and look for ways to converge our efforts. That way, you create a more consistent, seamless brand experience for the customer. When every interaction they have with us feels connected, it's more meaningful and ultimately more impactful. ## Making the brand experience feel consistent No matter who or what our customers are engaging with, the experience should feel the same. That’s true for digital communications, in-person conversations, support interactions – everything. Consistency builds trust. It makes each [touchpoint](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-ways-to-remove-touchpoint-friction-in-customer-advocacy/) feel familiar, which deepens the relationship and reinforces our values. You want your customers to feel that you can provide them with valuable insights. So you need to make sure every interaction reflects that. For instance, if you're telling customers that you care about efficiency and insight, then every experience, whether it’s reading an email, using the product, or speaking to someone on our team, should *support* that feeling. And it’s not just about consistency across platforms, it’s about consistency across people. A customer shouldn’t feel like they’re talking to a completely different company when they speak to me versus someone else on our team. Everyone should reflect the same voice, tone, and intention. That’s how you build a strong brand image and a believable, relatable story. ## Letting customers tell your story When you get it right, when the brand is consistent, when the experience feels authentic and valuable – that’s when customers start telling your story for you. And that’s the real goal. Because let’s face it: it’s always more credible to hear about a brand from someone who’s actually using it. If a customer is genuinely excited about your product, their voice is far more powerful than anything you could say as the vendor. It’s natural, it’s trustworthy, and it spreads. When customers start sharing your story on their own, without being prompted, that’s when you know your advocacy efforts are really working. ## All roads should lead to advocacy When I think about gathering case studies, I start in the same place as I do with customer connections – by mapping out every point where customer information flows through the business. That could be CRM systems like Salesforce or Gainsight, it might be an advocacy platform, or even customer award submissions where people are already sharing their stories. It’s about getting a full view of all the ways we’re hearing from customers, and then creating a central place for those insights to converge. Ideally, that central place is the advocacy team. I always say: all roads should lead to advocacy. Not because we’re trying to control everything, but because it’s better for the customer if advocacy is part of the journey. When there’s a single place where stories and insights are gathered, it’s easier to spot the right opportunities and to make sure the stories we’re telling are meaningful, strategic, and high impact. Once those insights are centralized, we can start shaping them into stories. That means thinking about how case studies should show up in the market. We look at the [data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/empowering-advocacy-using-data-and-kpis-to-secure-resources-2/): are people reading them? Are they converting? What formats work best? And from there, we evolve how we present our customer stories to make them more useful for both the customer and the business. Ultimately, it’s about bringing together fragmented information, turning it into something powerful, and using that to amplify the voices of our customers in a way that feels strategic and authentic. ## Case studies vs. win-loss interviews If you'd asked me a couple of years ago when to do a case study versus a win-loss interview, I would’ve said it’s all about timing. Win-loss interviews should take place shortly after the deal is won or lost so you can gather insights on what influenced the outcome. They’re great for generating sales enablement content and refining the sales process. But the reality, especially in SaaS, is more nuanced now. With things like free trials and self-serve onboarding, prospective customers can start realizing value even before they’ve officially bought the product. That means there are often rich insights to be found much earlier than we used to think. So the difference between the two isn’t strictly about timing anymore – it’s more about the kind of insights you’re looking for. If you're trying to understand the sales journey, motivations, objections, or decision-making dynamics, then a win-loss interview is the right approach. But if you're interested in how a customer is using your product to be successful – how they've realized value, even in the early days – a case study makes more sense. Typically, I’ll start case study conversations around six to eight months after onboarding. That gives enough time for the customer to see some results and for us to gather meaningful insights. But if the customer has seen value early through a trial or pilot, it might happen sooner. And of course, if it’s a loss, that’s not the right moment for a case study, there’s no success story to tell. In some cases, it makes sense to do both: a win-loss interview right after the deal closes, followed by a case study once the customer is up and running. --- *This article is based on* [*Stephanie's appearance*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-learning-with-leadership-a-customer-marketing-podcast/?wchannelid=8bo0s1ugt2&wmediaid=qbmuj0fk8s) *on the* [*Learning with Leadership*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-learning-with-leadership-a-customer-marketing-podcast/) *podcast. At the time of recording, Stephanie was Director, Customer Advocacy at Matillion.* ### Shaping strategy with real customer input in the AdTech space URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/shaping-strategy-real-customer-input-adtech-space/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T08:58:10.000Z One of the biggest missed opportunities in product and marketing strategy is failing to fully harness the voice of the customer. We’ve all seen it happen: decisions made in isolation, roadmaps shaped by internal opinions, and assumptions about what customers want that don’t hold up under scrutiny. But I believe customer insights, when captured and acted on with intent, can be one of the most powerful drivers of business success. They don’t just validate strategy: they shape it. They inform how we go to market, how we build, and how we grow. So, let’s explore what building a voice of customer function really looks like, how communities and feedback loops can influence product direction, and why creating a culture of listening is key to long-term impact. [![Customer insights don’t just validate strategy: they shape it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/06/Customer-insights-don---t-just-validate-strategy-they-shape-it..png)](http://customermarketingalliance.com/shaping-strategy-real-customer-input-adtech-space) ## Why customer insights matter in AdTech One of the first questions I asked myself when stepping into my role at Taboola was simple: why do we need customer insights, especially in the AdTech space? The answer, to me, is clear: AdTech is a volatile industry. Things move fast. There’s constant disruption, whether it’s evolving regulations, shifting audience behavior, or big announcements like Google’s changes around third-party cookies. That uncertainty creates pressure, but it also creates opportunity. When you actively listen to your customers, you start to see patterns and trends long before they hit the mainstream. It’s how you stay ahead of the curve. By capturing insights directly from advertisers, we gain a deeper understanding of shifts in their priorities – why they’re increasing spend on social or search, or why they’re pulling back from those channels altogether due to diminishing returns. That kind of intelligence helps us identify white space and build better, more relevant solutions. ### The difference between data and insights There’s an important distinction to make between [data and insights](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/data-is-the-key-to-scaling-customer-success/). Data on its own isn’t meaningful unless you know what to do with it. Insights are about interpretation. They reveal the “why” behind customer behavior: why someone is spending more with you, why they aren’t, or why they’re dissatisfied. That’s where the [voice of the customer](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/voice-of-the-customer-strategy-template-framework/) (VoC) becomes critical. When I joined Taboola in May 2024, the company was ready to build a formal VoC and Insights function – and that challenge really appealed to me. It’s rare to find a role that’s so laser-focused on VoC within a product marketing context, and I was especially excited to work closely with our product teams to better understand the solutions we’re bringing to market. [![Data & insights](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdseTdf6G65kHGhoMilP4I168eof6YZtezCuRA-PSb9EvI8oCm0r96N6nQwO-ShqoON7W-GXk5ixvbvtO2bJ1nEJklDnhaHTye1EBFw4qXMNEA_H_zjVWyIkYaM6LlV8GuJF_J7ow?key=kuMy4hcCVsBJ5LNS6A-TIg)](http://customermarketingalliance.com/shaping-strategy-real-customer-input-adtech-space) ### Building the VOC foundation from scratch I won’t sugarcoat it, the foundation wasn’t solid when I arrived. There was no established infrastructure, and it’s still a work in progress. One of the most challenging aspects has been building a cohesive tech stack. Like many companies that have grown through acquisition, Taboola had multiple teams using multiple tools – everything from HubSpot to Snowflake, Qlik Sense to Tableau. Integrating these systems into a unified, functional setup has been tough, but also incredibly rewarding. We needed to create a holistic view of the customer. That meant stepping back and asking: how do we work across departments to create a 360-degree understanding of our accounts? And how do we ensure we’re not just collecting data for the sake of it, but actually producing actionable insights? ### From scattered systems to a 360° customer view Our solution was to build an account-level dashboard in Qlik Sense. This dashboard brings together various data points: customer behavior trends, [churn risk](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/high-churn-rate-look-to-your-customer-onboarding-process/) indicators, upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and qualitative feedback from our customer satisfaction surveys. It gives our go-to-market teams a much clearer picture of what’s happening in each account. For example, did an account just raise a concern in a survey? Are they showing signals of disengagement? Or are there signs of [expansion](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/drive-renewal-rates-and-smash-expansion/) potential? With this view, our sellers are better equipped to act quickly and in context. We started small, focusing first on our ideal customer profiles (ICPs). We defined these based on factors like advertiser spend, market potential, and cross-sell opportunity. Narrowing our focus allowed us to build something valuable without boiling the ocean. ### Insights as a continuous loop I often describe the [VoC](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/redefine-customer-experience-with-voice-of-the-customer/) process as a continuous loop. There are three core inputs: feedback on the product, feedback on the service, and broader satisfaction data from surveys and churn analysis. All of that flows into our go-to-market strategy, and in turn, that strategy influences how customers experience our product and services. It’s not a one-and-done process. Every insight we gather feeds into a cycle of improvement, shaping how we build, market, and support our offerings. The VoC journey doesn’t end, and that’s what makes it so powerful. [![Continuous improvement loop](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeav7cDdL0FNGq6WdYHWDDpKwLwHgwUm6wFjXWlWU1q7wPnLAn3B_sYsE2JGfSVbPGxqpegtlP1U-ObhrxJ53S1ocM0ItiTcx7_iB6O5vVPxGMCHvQrRaeUWgxcWKfLvhqfYTBYgQ?key=kuMy4hcCVsBJ5LNS6A-TIg)](http://customermarketingalliance.com/shaping-strategy-real-customer-input-adtech-space) ## Turning voice of customer data into action One of the most impactful initiatives we’ve implemented at Taboola has been the launch of a comprehensive 360° customer survey program. My goal wasn’t just to tick a box or run a basic satisfaction check, I wanted to go deeper. I wanted to uncover the real insights that could drive meaningful change for both our customers and our business. Because I sit within the product marketing team, it was especially important for me to build a program that not only collected feedback but had a direct influence on the product roadmap and broader vision. That’s exactly what we set out to do. ### Going beyond surface-level feedback Our survey was designed to cover a wide spectrum of satisfaction indicators: product experience, account management, professional services, even the perceived quality of the ads we deliver. But what made it unique was the intention behind it. I didn’t just want to hear that a customer was “happy”, I wanted to understand whether that satisfaction translated into continued partnership, increased spend, or preference over competitors. Interestingly, the survey revealed a big gap. While 70–80% of customers rated us highly and expressed satisfaction, that didn’t always correlate with tangible actions like increased investment or long-term commitment. And that contrast was incredibly revealing. It forced us to question assumptions – something I think too many teams (myself included, in past roles) fall into. We assume we know what our customers think. But when we actually ask them, the reality often looks very different. ### Asking better questions, across the business We structured the survey to include questions across key areas of the customer experience – competition, product satisfaction, account team performance, professional services, and whether our offerings were helping advertisers meet their revenue goals. This level of depth gave us insights we hadn’t accessed before. And those insights weren’t just filed away, they drove action. Some of our biggest ICP accounts gave us very honest, and sometimes negative, feedback. These were our largest advertisers, and their voices couldn’t be ignored. We acted quickly, engaging directly with them to better understand their concerns and ensure we didn’t lose their trust. At the time I joined, our churn rate was relatively high. Since then, and thanks to a number of initiatives including the [VoC program](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/creating-an-effective-voice-of-the-customer-program/), we’ve managed to reduce churn by 5%. That’s not just a number – it’s a direct reflection of better listening and more tailored responses. ### Opportunities for growth and expansion Interestingly, it wasn’t just the negative feedback that helped us. We also uncovered significant upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Several customers told us through the survey that they weren’t even aware of certain features or solutions we offered – features that would genuinely help them. This highlighted a disconnect between account teams and customers, and it’s something we’ve been addressing. In some cases, customers who completed the survey ended up expanding their investment with us shortly after. That, to me, is the power of insight-led engagement. ## How advertiser insights helped us reposition Taboola One of the most meaningful ways we’ve leveraged customer insights at Taboola was to inform and guide a major shift in our go-to-market strategy. When I joined, Taboola was still positioned primarily as a native advertising company. That label made sense at the time, but it also placed us in a very specific (and limited) category. Native advertising remains a niche segment, and we knew that if we wanted to scale and compete more broadly, we had to evolve. Senior leadership wanted to differentiate us from both smaller native players and giants like Google and Meta. Competing head-on with those platforms in search and social wasn’t realistic, but we saw an opportunity to reposition ourselves as a broader performance marketing company, offering solutions beyond search and social. But before making such a significant move, we needed customer validation. ### Customer validation: What the market really thinks To get that validation, I led a global insights initiative. Within just a few weeks of joining, I was asked to launch a full-scale customer research project to test this new market positioning. It was one of the most rewarding projects of my career. We interviewed 40 advertisers across regions, gaining first-hand insight into their pain points, goals, and perceptions of both Taboola and the broader advertising ecosystem. We asked them what they thought of native advertising, how they viewed platforms like Meta and Google, and what would motivate them to shift budget toward Taboola. What we heard was clear: advertisers were open to moving spend – if we could deliver performance at scale. Social platforms were yielding diminishing returns, and while search remained essential, advertisers were willing to reallocate budgets if we could meet their KPIs. That gave us the confidence we needed to move forward with our positioning as a performance marketing partner, not just a native ad provider. ### Creating a design partner program for strategic input We also recognized that some of our advertisers hold an outsized influence on our business. Around 10% of our customer base accounts for roughly 70% of our revenue. These customers are critical, and we wanted to involve them more deeply in shaping our future. That’s where the idea for our Design Partner Program came in. It’s something between a strategic advocacy community and an exclusive club. Today, the program includes 12 global advertisers who provide high-level feedback on our product roadmap and overall vision. Unlike typical beta testers, these partners aren’t just trialing new features – they’re helping us decide what should be built in the first place. And their feedback has been invaluable. In some cases, they helped us realize that features we thought were valuable actually weren’t. In other cases, they helped co-create entirely new solutions that more directly supported their goals. That kind of honest, strategic input has helped us prioritize the right innovations and avoid wasting time on the wrong ones. ### Building an early adopter community for technical validation While our design partners help shape strategic direction, we also needed an ongoing source of tactical, technical feedback. That’s where our early adopter community comes in. This community includes around 300 advertisers, ranging from SMBs to large enterprises. They’re our power users, the ones who help us beta test new features, identify bugs, and tell us whether our solutions are actually working in the field. This kind of day-to-day, product-level feedback is crucial. It allows us to iterate quickly, identify gaps, and optimize the experience before a broader rollout. And it also gives us a way to stay connected with the users who live and breathe our tools. ### Different communities, different purposes One of the key lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach to community. Your most strategic customers aren’t necessarily the ones who will give you the most detailed technical feedback and vice versa. That’s why we’ve built multiple communities with different purposes: - Our **Design Partner Program** delivers strategic, vision-level input from senior stakeholders. - Our **Early Adopter Community** supports tactical testing and technical validation from hands-on users. Each community plays a critical role. Together, they ensure that we’re not just building for the market, we’re building with the market. And behind every product launch, brand revamp, or strategic shift at Taboola, there’s a huge amount of unseen work, work grounded in listening to the customer and turning those insights into action. ## Final thoughts: Building a culture of insight and community I’ve worked with advocate and customer communities throughout most of my career, and I can confidently say that at Taboola, these communities are directly shaping the performance marketing strategy we’re building. The progress we’ve made over the past eleven or twelve months simply wouldn’t have been possible without intentionally investing in our customers – not just in terms of budget, but in time, focus, and care. That investment has taken many forms: structured surveys, targeted research, dedicated programs for key accounts, and ongoing engagement with technical users. But more importantly, we’re beginning to embed these practices into our culture. It’s not enough to run a VoC survey once a year and hope for insights. What we’re really working toward is a voice of the customer culture – one where insights are continuous, communities are empowered, and feedback loops actively influence how we work across product, marketing, and go-to-market teams. We’re not there yet. I’d say we’re halfway. But I’m incredibly optimistic. Because when companies truly commit to listening, and act on what they hear, that’s when you start seeing real, lasting impact. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Valerio at our* **Customer Marketing Summit**, **New York 2025** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2025-ondemand-2/?%5Fgl=1%2Azfhtp0%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTcxOTI0NjEyNy4xNzYwNjk0NzM2%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AczE3NjA2OTQ3MzYkbzEkZzEkdDE3NjA2OTQ3NDAkajU2JGwwJGgw&wchannelid=h0yq5owbrq&wmediaid=p4y4c9z2d1)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### Win/loss interview questions URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/win-loss-interview-questions-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:49:43.000Z ## What is a win/loss interview questions template? A win/loss interview template is a structured guide that helps you uncover why buyers chose your solution or why they didn’t. By conducting these interviews post-sale, you gain first-hand insight into what’s working in your sales process and what’s falling short. This template eliminates guesswork and helps you make informed, data-driven decisions to improve win rates, refine your positioning, and boost overall revenue performance. ## What’s inside the template? This template includes a comprehensive list of questions organized across every stage of the buyer journey: - **Awareness:** Understand how prospects first identified their problem and discovered your brand. - **Consideration:** Learn how buyers compared your solution with others and evaluated key features, content, and pricing. - **Decision:** Uncover the key drivers behind the final decision, whether they chose you, a competitor, or opted for no solution at all. You’ll also find categorized question sets including: - Buyer persona and role context - Brand perception and business drivers - Selection criteria and internal buying committee influences - Resource usage, solution feedback, and competitive comparisons - Pricing and sales experience - Open-ended questions to surface additional insights ## How to use the template 1. **Choose a format:** Conduct win/loss interviews via phone, video call, or even structured surveys. 2. **Select relevant questions:** Customize the question set based on the buyer’s journey and your objectives. 3. **Create a safe space:** Make it clear that the goal is honest feedback, not a sales pitch. 4. **Listen actively and document responses:** These insights will shape your sales strategy, content creation, product roadmap, and more. 5. **Analyze trends:** Look for patterns across multiple interviews to identify recurring strengths and opportunities for improvement. ## Download your win/loss interview questions template ![Win/loss interview questions template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/06/Win_loss-interview-questions.png) [Win\_loss interview questionsWin\_loss interview questions.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Win%5Floss-interview-questions.docx "Download") [Win\_loss interview questionsWin\_loss interview questions.pdf69 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Win%5Floss-interview-questions.pdf "Download") [Win/loss interview questionsWin/loss interview questions In their simplest form, win/loss interviews help you find out why a sales opportunity converted into a customer or chose a competitor over you, or perhaps chose no one at all. They take the guesswork out of the equation and enable you to understand what is and isn’t…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIAv5DhTvBBipsHoFXowXIuSmkXfV7BAux1QY7yc8Zs6Ip9t6i3IlsDaT3LNH-57hVWWBA6ii7cgVeC9R4n3oRoQQbRKJuBx3z8G5zoyhyqM4gL0zoN-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hHv0cO9NmXQV0dyu0K5AmLbKztHZLPAAibgKcaQC1f0/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to win over community skeptics URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-win-over-community-skeptics/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T10:58:43.000Z If you're trying to build a genuine community in a space full of smart, technical people who've been burned by vendors before, you know exactly what I'm talking about. They see right through corporate speak. They've watched too many companies start promising and end up disappointing. But here's the thing: those skeptics can become your strongest allies. The loudest critics often care the most. And the communities that seem impossible to crack are usually the ones worth cracking. When I joined NinjaOne in late 2018, our IT pro audience treated us like just another vendor trying to infiltrate their spaces. Reddit threads about us were brutal. I almost walked away. *Almost*. But I thought better of it, and instead, I leaned in. If you’re wondering, “So, how did you do it? How did you shift from ‘don’t engage’ to [building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) genuine credibility and momentum in our community spaces?” I’ll break it down. ## 1\. Influences matter We all know it’s infinitely more powerful when someone else, especially a peer or aspirational peer, vouches for you, rather than you doing it yourself. So our first mission was clear: find the cool kids in our space and figure out how to engage with them in a way that’s real, not salesy. This wasn’t about bribing anyone or pushing partnerships. Our audience is way too sharp for that. Especially in IT, these communities are tough, skeptical, and proud. If you’re going to show up in their world, you’d better bring something of value – and you’d better be doing it because you actually care. ### Finding common cause with people who set the standard In our industry, one of the most respected companies is Huntress – a security tech company with a reputation for integrity. When there’s a [vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange](https://www.zdnet.com/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-microsoft-exchange-server-hack/) or some major exploit making the rounds, Huntress is right there on Reddit breaking it down. They give practical guidance, hold vendors accountable, and consistently put community value first. They're beloved by practitioners – and, as you might expect, not exactly adored by every vendor out there. That’s kind of what makes them cool. About a year after I joined NinjaOne, one of our larger competitors had a major vulnerability exploited, leading to widespread ransomware attacks. Huntress was already doing deep, helpful work around the incident. I reached out to their CEO and said: “We don’t want to be ambulance chasers here, taking advantage of other people’s security incidents; we just want to help.” That sparked the beginning of a relationship based on aligned values. We didn’t sell security, but we understood that our audience cared deeply about it. We did too. So we asked ourselves: what can we genuinely contribute? What’s missing that we can help fill? From there, we began to collaborate on initiatives that weren’t about sales at all – they were about helping the community. And the bonus? We started becoming cool by association. That came with some risk, sure – Huntress has high standards. But at NinjaOne, we wanted to live up to those standards. Our leadership was on board. This was the kind of direction we wanted to take. ### Playing in a space we don’t sell into Since we weren’t selling security products, we had the freedom to create security-focused content and events without any baggage. We could invite the best speakers, regardless of whether they competed with us. No sales tracks, no hidden motives – just value. That approach led to a series of events that were as fun as they were practical. We asked: What would a security event look like if it were designed entirely with the audience in mind? Then we leveled it up with a twist: we leaned into the geek culture that defines much of our audience. ### Making it fun (and unforgettable) One of our early hits was “Rogue One: A Data Breach Story.” It was a virtual event where we staged a fictional post-mortem analysis of the Empire’s security failures in the 2016 *Star Wars* franchise prequel, [*Rogue One*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748528/). There were costumes, storytelling, and serious security lessons mixed in. It wasn’t fluff – it was thoughtful, useful, and fun. People loved it. That success snowballed. We followed it up with “Graphic Stock,” a tabletop-style scenario themed around, essentially, how bad IT management can lead to disaster, backed by practical takeaways. Then came the “IR/IP Ops Security Summit,” which I’m incredibly proud of. That one was [Dungeons & Dragons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons%5F%26%5FDragons) themed. We knew our audience well – IT pros with a love for fantasy, gaming, and hands-on fun. We partnered with Hero Forge, a company that makes customizable 3D-printed miniatures for [RPGs](https://www.forbes.com/sites/technology/article/what-are-rpg-games/). They had this fantastic online tool where you could design your own character, so we took that idea and ran with it. We created a set of archetypes: the battle-hardened system administrator (sysadmin), the board whisperer, the ticket wrangler. We invited our audience to customize their own characters and ran a contest to highlight the best designs. People got into it – really into it. But we didn’t stop there. We extended this concept to our speakers. We made a custom mini-figure for John Strand, the founder of Black Hills Information Security – a respected, no-BS figure in the security world. We printed it and sent it to him. He loved it. It wasn’t just a gimmick; it was a tangible reflection of our respect for his work and our desire to do something special. All of this had a ripple effect. People who had no idea who we were started reaching out. Influencers said, “That was cool. Let us know when you’re doing something like this again.” We earned trust, not through branding or noise, but by consistently showing up with value, fun, and real intent. We even surprised John Hammond from Huntress with a custom mini-figure in a promo video. He was delighted. And that kind of reaction does more for your brand than any pitch deck ever could. [The 8 ultimate how-tos and tips for community engagementEngaging with your community works toward fostering a more authentic relationship with your customers. Here are eight top tips to level up your strategy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-388.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jonathan-greenaway-wLdSbBDd9Ac-unsplash--1--3.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/) ### Community response and brand perception So, what happens when all this starts to pay off? Here’s a great example: not long after we announced our [Series C funding round](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/102015/series-b-c-funding-what-it-all-means-and-how-it-works.asp), a post popped up on Reddit. It was from someone in our community – someone who had just started warming up to us. But the tone was cautious. The subtext was clear: “We’ve seen this story before. You seemed cool, and now you’ve taken investor money. We know where this is headed.” That’s the kind of skepticism baked into our space. And it's justified. People have been burned. But then something amazing happened. Huntress – yes, the cool kids of the space – stepped in [to vouch for us](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/getting-the-right-case-studies-for-your-brand/). They publicly responded: “Ninja’s one of the good guys.” If you’d told me a year earlier that we’d be getting that kind of validation, I would’ve called it a pipe dream. But there it was – earned, not bought. That moment meant everything to me. We had tried to do things the right way, and it was being recognized. ### Turning challenges into opportunities Of course, not everything goes smoothly. We messed up, too. Another one of our competitors had a serious security incident, and one of our [SDRs](https://www.cognism.com/blog/sales-development-representative) jumped the gun with a follow-up email that looked (let’s just say) *opportunistic*. ![Twitter exchange](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd3PjU9Nu7k-OLJVVhFpEELzUGP_AxH3tHaSZ8xj7Mfu00cmtJNJqQpGL-4MuFvmYGD1-IgLGUMOAb1GWtG2qQpUQXN2i_i61Z6HEvBfxsUAM19G5ADHhEaLxGOjOQWy8aXIj7FmQ?key=XFc-abonz-WceMsvNRIy7w) Was it malicious? Not at all. But in our space, anything that even has a whiff off what I referred to earlier as “ambulance-chasing” is a big no-no. And sure enough, we got called out. And pretty publicly. Tom Lawrence, who runs a YouTube channel with 300,000+ subscribers, posted on Twitter to the tune of: “Not a good look, NinjaOne.” That could’ve gone really badly. But instead of spinning or denying it, I responded directly. No excuses. I agreed with him. I said we were taking it seriously and that it didn’t reflect our values. Our CEO followed up with personal emails to every contact the SDR had reached out to. He owned it. And that moment, just like the positive one with Huntress, planted a seed. Tom and I started talking more. I asked him: “What should vendors actually do when these incidents happen? How can we do better, not just perform better PR, but actually handle things in a way that builds trust?” That led to more conversations. That turned into a relationship. Today, Tom is a customer. He’s also been on our webinars. He went from publicly saying, “These guys are another reason I hate vendors in the space,” to publicly partnering with us. And it all started with accountability. There’s no playbook here. No viral tactic. Just honest, human interaction and meaningful follow-through. ## 2\. Embrace the critics who care The second major thing that helped us? Embracing the people who cared enough to speak up – even when they were critical. Especially when they were critical. Back in the early days, when I was still lurking on Reddit, I came across users who were everywhere – Reddit, Slack groups, Discord servers – clearly a NinjaOne customer, clearly opinionated, and clearly helpful. He had a lot of critical feedback, but also gave real value. He was in there at all hours, helping other users troubleshoot, sharing insights, and building trust. So what did I do? Instead of keeping him at arm’s length, I brought him in.. He became my first community hire, and it was a game-changer. He knew the community, spoke their language, and already had a presence. That move unlocked so much value. He ended up being a great fit, moved into product management, and became one of our most important internal voices for community-led insight. It’s not always going to work that way, of course. But when someone is that active and that vocal, why not channel that energy? ### Harnessing vocal community members We also discovered a community-run Discord server for Ninja users. It wasn’t started by us. We had no involvement in it initially. But it was growing, and the person running it was doing it all on the side. So we reached out – not to control it, but to support it. We didn’t swoop in and “brand” it. We didn’t use it as a lead-gen funnel. We said: What do you need? How can we help? And we meant it. Eventually, we took over management with full transparency and buy-in. It grew from 500 members to over 5,000\. Not the biggest number in the world, but highly active and incredibly impactful. ### Creating positive spaces in online communities Here’s why that mattered: in spaces like Reddit, where vendor sentiment is often negative, people who have something positive to say usually stay quiet. They don’t want to stick their neck out. But once we had a vibrant Discord filled with fans, helpers, and honest feedback, that confidence started to spread. Suddenly, Reddit comments defending NinjaOne became more common. People realized they weren’t alone. And they started showing up publicly. We were stocking the pond with the right fish – authentic, helpful, passionate people who actually liked what we were doing. ### Even the saltiest voices have value Now, not every active voice is easy to work with. Take one community member, “Mikey.” If you looked at our metrics, Mikey was far and away our most engaged Discord member – like, Grand Canyon-level distance between him and the next most active person. He was helpful, yes, but also brutally honest. And salty. If we were slow on a feature he cared about, we’d hear about it. *Loudly*. There were internal conversations: Should we ban him? Is this actually productive? But here’s the thing – Mikey wasn’t just complaining. He was showing up. Constantly. He gave real help, real feedback, and had a real impact. So we didn’t ban him. We made him a community champion. We brought him into conversations. We acknowledged his influence. And as a result, he leaned in even more. He still pushes us. He still calls things out. But he’s doing it from a place of care, not contempt. That’s the kind of person I’ll take every day of the week. ## 3\. Change your internal narrative In the early days, I was laser-focused on the external narrative. That was my prime directive: shift how people out there perceived NinjaOne. I didn’t really consider the internal story – the way our own teams viewed community, Reddit, or customer sentiment. But over the past year, that’s changed. I’ve started focusing more inward. Because here’s the thing: when you said “community” at NinjaOne early on, people immediately thought “Reddit… oh no.” It had a negative connotation. We even had a Slack channel called “Reddit-Ninja,” and anytime something got posted there, it triggered a mini red alert. It was all fear, all reaction. That’s started to shift. We now have advocates on Reddit. We know people are speaking up on our behalf. But I still noticed the lingering association between “community” and “crisis.” So I made a small change – one that turned out to have a big impact. ### Reinforcing positive customer experiences I created a new internal Slack channel: “Customer Love.” It sounds simple. But man, it was powerful. It became a space where we could surface all the good things people were saying about us – direct quotes, positive feedback, moments of delight. Comments from Reddit, Discord, emails, support tickets, social media – anywhere. It started to reframe the narrative inside the company. We moved from fear to pride. From “What are they saying now?” to “Look what they’re saying about us.” The truth is, we’re all emotional creatures. No matter how data-driven we try to be, sometimes we just need to see and feel the love. It reminded everyone that our efforts to be transparent, helpful, and human weren’t going unnoticed. People appreciated it. And that built momentum. Soon, it wasn’t just community or marketing in there. Account managers started chiming in. Salespeople started sharing wins. It became a virtuous cycle – people reinforcing the behaviors and values our audience responds to. When you show people they’ll be recognized for doing the right thing, they’ll keep doing it. Simple, but transformative. ## What we’ve learned So, what are my big takeaways from this journey? **1\. Run to criticism, not from it** **2\. The bar is low** **3\. Hold the core ties** ### Don’t erase skepticism – earn trust To close this out: we didn’t change perceptions by silencing criticism or running from it. We did it by showing up. By being consistent. By owning our mistakes. By giving people real reasons to believe that we want to do things differently. You don’t erase skepticism – you outlast it. You meet it with transparency, integrity, and proof of intent. And if you do that long enough, the skeptics start to become your strongest allies. ### Interacting with different cultures and regions both internally and externally URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/interacting-with-different-cultures-and-regions-both-internally-and-externally/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T12:56:57.000Z For too long, “understanding cultural nuance” has sounded like a soft skill, something nice to have, but not mission-critical. And in customer marketing, where metrics like pipeline and influence dominate, it’s easy for cross-cultural awareness to get deprioritized. But here’s the thing: if your programs don’t resonate across the regions you serve, they won’t land. Full stop. What works in one country might fall completely flat in another, not because your strategy is bad, but because it’s culturally misaligned. The good news? You don’t need to be a global expert or speak ten languages to make an impact. You do need to show up with curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to partner with the people who know those markets best. It starts with a shift in mindset away from one-size-fits-all and toward something more human. [Interacting with different cultures and regions | Learning with LeadershipFlorian Engel, Director of EMEA Marketing & Global Customer Marketing at Aiven, shares some tips on interacting with different cultures and regions both within your internal culture, and externally when interacting with customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-387.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Learning_With_Leadership_Podcast_Asset_--1--1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/florian-engel-interacting-with-different-cultures-and-regions-both-internally-and-externally-learning-with-leadership/) ## Adapting strategies for international markets Successfully adapting a customer marketing strategy for international markets begins with a genuine understanding of the cultural nuances and preferences of each audience. This means going beyond the basics of product messaging to develop a deep awareness of what makes each region and each customer unique. ### Research alone isn’t enough Cultural analysis and research are critical foundations, but they won’t tell you everything. Language plays a pivotal role, especially in markets where English isn’t the first language. Even when customers can speak English, the way they express themselves, their comfort level, and even their expectations can differ dramatically. ### Go beyond translation – localize Translation isn’t the same as localization. Spelling differences, idioms, tone, and references can all impact whether a message feels “off” or completely relatable. Each market also comes with its own regulatory environment – something that must be factored into campaigns to avoid compliance issues and maintain trust. One of the most effective ways to localize strategy is to collaborate with local teams. These are the people closest to the customer and most aware of cultural dynamics. Working with them – not around them – ensures marketing efforts truly support regional goals and resonate with target audiences. ## Techniques for tailoring messaging and communication Tailoring your messaging starts with getting close to your customers. Face-to-face (or even virtual) conversations bring valuable insights that traditional research often misses. These direct interactions help marketers grasp not just the pain points but also the emotions, behaviors, and unspoken needs that drive decision-making. ### Leverage global English, but don’t expect perfection In many regions, English is used professionally even if it’s not the native language. Marketers shouldn’t expect perfect fluency, nor should they let that be a barrier to valuable conversation. Even imperfect conversations provide key insight, and the act of trying shows respect. ### Turn internal collaboration into customer impact Internally, [close collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) with sales and customer-facing teams is key. Join go-to-market calls. Present at town halls. And, most importantly, build one-on-one relationships. Informal chats – like virtual coffee breaks with account execs or CS managers – go a long way in building trust. ### Advocacy starts with relationships Trust from internal stakeholders opens the door to their customers. That trust grows when they know advocacy efforts will respect and elevate their relationships – not misuse them. Customer advocacy isn’t just about driving revenue, it’s about giving customers the spotlight, helping them elevate their role internally, and telling their story with integrity. ## Building inclusive internal communication across cultures At a company-wide level, fostering inclusion internally requires intention. One example that works well is running cultural activities, like virtual cooking sessions where team members prepare dishes from their home countries. It’s a simple, joyful way to learn about each other’s cultures – and to create meaningful, memorable connections across regions. ### The power of active listening One of the most underrated tools in cross-cultural communication is active listening. Not just hearing, but truly listening. That means setting aside assumptions and being open to new perspectives – even when they challenge your own way of thinking. Active listening helps teams navigate complexity and build trust. ### Cross-cultural enablement should be ongoing Formal enablement matters too. Ongoing training and workshops on cultural nuance, localization, and advocacy best practices help global teams stay aligned. These aren’t one-off sessions – they’re part of creating shared understanding across departments, from field marketers to demand gen to customer marketing teams. ### Structure teams to reflect customer diversity Representation matters. That’s why structuring customer marketing and advocacy teams to reflect the diversity of the customer base is so important. Doing so brings new voices, fresh insight, and a deeper layer of authenticity to your programs. Customers can feel when they’re truly being represented – and they value it. ## Leading with curiosity and connection Cultural intelligence starts with curiosity. Don’t expect customers or colleagues to educate you. Take initiative. Show interest. Ask questions. When you approach cultures with humility and openness, you build trust faster and gain insight that no data set could ever provide. Remote work has opened up global collaboration, but it’s also created new silos. It’s up to marketing leaders to create connection. That means facilitating opportunities for interaction, not overwhelming people with activities, but finding the right balance to make everyone feel part of something shared. ## Resources for growing cultural competency At the moment, there’s no single dedicated program for cultural competency in customer marketing – but there should be. It’s something worth exploring and building collaboratively. Every company, team, and customer is unique, so rigid frameworks rarely apply across the board. The best resource? Your own internal experts. Talk to sales. Talk to the field. Learn from your customer success teams. They know the customers and the markets. Listen to them. Ask them what’s working. Partner with them to co-create the most culturally aligned strategies. Nobody gets it right every time. Mistakes happen – and that’s okay. What matters is learning from them, being transparent, and improving with each iteration. Cultural competency isn’t a destination. It’s a mindset. One that gets stronger with feedback, humility, and consistency. One of the most powerful things any marketer can do is join a community. As a member and mentor within the [Customer Marketing Alliance](https://customermarketingalliance.com/signup), I’ve seen how impactful it is to share best practices, swap stories, and support one another. ### 5 differences between customer marketing and community marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/differences-between-customer-marketing-and-community-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-06-18T08:29:59.000Z Understanding the differences between [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) and [community marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) can often feel like a “pot-ay-to” vs “pot-ah-to” situation. They’re both aiming for a lot of the same things, but reaching them in very different ways. There’s a lot of overlap between the two strategies. For instance, both are used by businesses to put [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/?%5F%5Fhstc=175915773.24f4ce7b2d41ea6d082b229be7e74594.1742815443121.1748857342669.1748875979669.6&%5F%5Fhssc=175915773.13.1748875979669&%5F%5Fhsfp=1177096371) at the heart of what they do and focus on building long-lasting relationships with them. However, the way in which they achieve this is what sets them apart, plus the other goals they aim for will differ too. It’s important to note that if you’re implementing a [customer marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/?%5F%5Fhstc=175915773.24f4ce7b2d41ea6d082b229be7e74594.1742815443121.1748857342669.1748875979669.6&%5F%5Fhssc=175915773.13.1748875979669&%5F%5Fhsfp=1177096371), you may also consider a community-based strategy as a factor in this, and vice versa. These can, and should, be complementary strategies. Still, as any customer marketer or community manager will tell you, it’s important to know the difference in order to achieve greatness from both. ## What is customer marketing? Customer marketing describes the type of strategy businesses will use to **build** and **maintain** meaningful relationships with their existing customers. A hallmark of this strategy is measuring [churn](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-churn/) and [retention](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-retention/). Customer marketers aim to [reduce churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn/) as much as possible while keeping a great level of customer retention. The ultimate goal is to increase customer loyalty, and drive repeat business in order to reduce the need for traditional marketing spend on new customers. More bang for your buck! This will often be achieved through activities such as [email marketing](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-b2b-email-marketing/?%5F%5Fhstc=175915773.24f4ce7b2d41ea6d082b229be7e74594.1742815443121.1748857342669.1748875979669.6&%5F%5Fhssc=175915773.13.1748875979669&%5F%5Fhsfp=1177096371), loyalty programs, personalized promotions - pretty much anything that can assure the customer that the company is paying attention to them, and values their service. Customer marketing encompasses strategic initiatives designed to nurture and strengthen relationships with your current customer base. Rather than solely pursuing new prospects, this approach prioritizes the valuable connections you've already established. At its core, customer marketing centers on meaningful dialogue and genuine engagement. It involves actively listening to customer feedback, providing channels for open communication, and treating each interaction as an opportunity to deepen understanding and trust. The foundation of effective customer marketing rests on three key pillars: 1. Encouraging unwavering customer loyalty. 2. Building authentic trust through consistent experiences. 3. Transforming satisfied customers into enthusiastic brand advocates who naturally attract new business. The process begins with [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/), ensuring existing customers receive exceptional experiences that not only encourage repeat purchases but also inspire them to become vocal supporters of your brand. These satisfied customers then become powerful marketing assets, sharing their positive experiences and recommendations with their networks. This dual-purpose approach creates a virtuous cycle: while you're strengthening bonds with current customers and increasing their lifetime value, you're simultaneously generating organic growth through their authentic endorsements and referrals. As it’s another great way to make sure the customer feels valued, customer marketing teams will often also implement a community marketing strategy, or a business can bring in this team to work alongside customer marketers. ## What is community marketing? Community marketing, or [community-led growth](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/what-is-community-led-growth/), is a strategy that focuses on building a community of customers or users around a brand, product, or service. It typically involves engaging with customers through forums, community platforms, social media, and more, in order to create a sense of belonging and loyalty among community members. The goal of community marketing is to enhance the customer experience by providing a space for customers to learn and interact with each other and to unite them around their shared passion for a product or brand. The desired result will be turning them into brand advocates who will promote the brand to others and help to drive acquisition and [retention](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-retention/?%5F%5Fhstc=175915773.24f4ce7b2d41ea6d082b229be7e74594.1742815443121.1748857342669.1748875979669.6&%5F%5Fhssc=175915773.13.1748875979669&%5F%5Fhsfp=1177096371).” These strategies are not competing; in fact, there is often a lot of overlap. Ultimately, both strategies will look to put the customer first, be it in the individual sense or in terms of their position in a wider group. ## 5 main differences between customer marketing and community marketing One of the main differences between customer marketing and community marketing is their focus. Customer marketing is focused on **individual customers** and their interactions with the brand, while community marketing is focused on **building a sense of community** and connection among customers. Another key difference is the type of activities involved. Customer marketing often involves direct marketing efforts such as email campaigns, while community marketing often involves more indirect efforts such as hosting events and creating social media content. To dig a little deeper, here are five of the main differences between customer marketing and community marketing. ### Target audience The target audience is one of the main differences between customer and community marketing. Customer marketing focuses on the individual customer and their needs, while community marketing focuses on the collective needs of a group of customers. ### Objectives The objective of customer marketing is to drive customer loyalty and repeat business, while the objective of community marketing is to build a strong and engaged community around a brand. ### Tactics Customer marketing tactics often include targeted promotions and offers, personalized communications, and loyalty programs, while community marketing tactics often include social media management, events, and content creation. ### Success metrics Customer marketing typically measures success through metrics such as customer lifetime value, repeat purchase rate, and customer satisfaction, while community marketing measures success through metrics such as engagement, advocacy, and community size. ### Customer role In customer marketing, the customer is seen as someone to be sold to, while in community marketing, the customer is seen as a valuable participant and contributor to the community. The focus is on creating a two-way relationship where the customer feels valued and engaged with the brand. ## 5 tips for community marketing and customer marketing collaboration While customer marketing and community marketing are each rock-solid strategies in their own right, they can complement each other like macaroni and cheese - both versatile and important in their own right, but even more brilliant together. Through collaboration, customer marketing teams can provide community marketing teams with valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences, while community marketing teams can provide customer marketing teams with valuable feedback on what is resonating with customers. For example, customer marketing teams may use data from community marketing activities to create more targeted and personalized promotions for their customers. Here are five clear-cut ways Customer Marketing Managers and Community Managers can collaborate to achieve the best possible outcome ### Goal sharing and alignment Customer and community marketing teams can work together by aligning their goals and objectives, ensuring they both support the overall vision and mission of the company. ### Collaborative Planning Both teams can come together to plan and execute marketing initiatives, leveraging each other's expertise and resources to maximize impact and efficiency. ### Cross-promotion Customer marketing can promote community engagement opportunities to its audience, while community marketing can highlight customer success stories to build trust and credibility. ### Joint analytics By sharing data and insights, both teams can gain a better understanding of customer behavior and preferences, enabling them to optimize their marketing efforts. ### Campaign integration Customer and community marketing teams can collaborate on integrated campaigns that bring together the best of both worlds, providing a unified experience for customers and creating a stronger connection with the brand. ## In a nutshell Customer and community marketing are two solid, increasingly popular strategies businesses can use to build and maintain relationships with their customers. While there are key differences between the two, they can be complementary when used together. By working together, customer and community marketing teams can provide valuable insights and feedback that can lead to more effective marketing efforts and increased customer loyalty. ### Is your advocacy program working? These metrics will tell you URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-program-working-these-metrics-will-tell/ Last updated: 2025-05-29T15:51:33.000Z For too long, customer advocacy has been dismissed as too “relationship-based” to measure. And that misguided perspective has been extended to customer marketing itself – a sort of fuzzy, feel-good function; great for community vibes, but hard to quantify. But here’s the thing: if you can’t show impact, it’s pretty tough to justify continual investment. And while your execs might love a good customer story or reference call, what they really want is proof that your programs are driving revenue, retention, and growth. *That’s* the bottom line they care about. The good news? There are ways to measure [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) and do it in a way that’s aligned with your company’s strategic priorities. It starts with knowing these three things: 1. What to measure 2. Why it matters, and 3. How to make the case for your team’s impact across the customer journey. So, if you’re tired of relying on vanity metrics or struggling to prove ROI, let’s break down the approach that’s worked for me. ## Why it’s time to rethink metrics in customer advocacy Most [CMOs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/crack-the-executive-code-7-steps-to-a-cmo-approved-charter/) and C-suite leaders still focus primarily on demand metrics, something that’s been the norm for over 20 years. As [customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), that makes it challenging to show our impact, because so much of our work centers on building strong, strategic relationships with customers. The difficulty is that we often don’t have the [data or meaningful metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/empowering-advocacy-using-data-and-kpis-to-secure-resources-2/) to demonstrate the value of what we’re doing. That’s why it’s so important to build programs that are integrated and aligned with other go-to-market functions like demand generation, product marketing, and sales. By doing that, we can more clearly influence strategic business outcomes. Sometimes that involves integrating tools and technologies, but at a foundational level, it’s about asking how your work supports broader goals, like new business, [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-retain-more-customers/), cross-sell, and upsell, and working backwards from there to measure impact. ## Choosing the right metrics for your customer marketing team It really comes down to what your team is focused on. For most [customer marketing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/), the foundational priorities are customer stories, [customer references](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them-3/), and building community. As you grow in your role, that scope may expand, but let’s stick with those three core areas for now. When it comes to community, you can track metrics like **membership growth over time** and how that community is influencing product adoption or retention. You can also look at things like **reduced support ticket volume**. These aren’t always easy to measure right away, it often requires deeper collaboration with your operations or analytics teams to clearly define what success looks like. But if you view community as a foundational part of the [customer onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/) and success journey, and work backwards from there, you can start identifying relevant metrics. For references, it’s a bit more straightforward. If you're using a reference platform, you can look at **how your advocates are influencing deal progression**. Metrics might include the **number of active advocates** in the program, **how often they’re being used in the sales process**, and how that’s **accelerating pipeline velocity** or **increasing deal close rates**. When it comes to customer stories, the key is integration. Don’t just publish a case study and track page views, those are vanity metrics. Instead, make sure these stories are embedded into email campaigns, social channels, and, more importantly, used directly by your sellers. Whether it’s BDRs or account reps, if they’re using those stories in deal plays, that’s where you can start to draw a direct line to impact. Getting them into the hands of go-to-market campaign teams also helps maximize their reach and utility. ## Proving ROI in customer marketing Proving ROI can be a tricky subject, but it really comes down to what your team is focused on strategically. Some customer marketing teams are dedicated solely to supporting new business and the sales organization. But if you can support the entire [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience/), from lead generation through onboarding, retention, and expansion, you’ll be in a much better position to show impact. It’s about aligning your programs to the company’s broader strategic goals. In my previous role at F5, we had a set of company-wide missions or promises. Our customer marketing programs are intentionally designed to support those specific missions, which helps demonstrate how we’re driving transformation across the organization. Again, back when I worked at Adobe, we had similar priorities focused on delivering better customer experiences. The goal was to ensure customers were happy, wanted to renew, and were eager to expand their relationship with us. When you align your KPIs and OKRs to those higher-level business objectives, it becomes much easier to connect your efforts to tangible outcomes and prove ROI. ## Moving beyond activity-based goals Whether you use OKRs, KPIs, or something like the SMART framework, the key is to make sure your goals are measurable and tied to impact. Use whatever system helps you and your team clearly demonstrate value. But we need to move beyond just tracking activity-based tasks and start thinking about how our work drives meaningful, holistic outcomes. Early in my career, I received some advice from an executive that’s stuck with me: if you’re working at a publicly traded company, listen closely to what your CEO and CFO share with analysts. What they highlight reflects the company’s true strategic priorities. If you can align your customer marketing programs to those themes, you'll be able to show impact much faster. That mindset has shaped how I approach everything. I’m constantly thinking about how to reimagine what we do and how to increase our impact. When teams across the company see customer marketing not just as the group that manages relationships, but as a strategic driver of growth, revenue, retention, and the entire customer lifecycle, that’s when you know you’re doing it right. ### 5 reasons why your customer advisory boards are boring URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boring-customer-advisory-boards/ Last updated: 2025-05-23T12:00:14.000Z Remember the feeling of sitting in a three-hour college lecture with a professor who would drone on, *talking at* you without any semblance of engaging the class? Chances are, your customers are experiencing that same feeling if you’re structuring your [customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) (CABs) like one giant presentation. They’re BORED. The good news is that there are five key problem areas to address that will turn your next [in-person advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) from a snooze-fest to a successful event. Advisory boards should serve as a place where dialogue takes place. The purpose is to get in front of your customers and listen to what *they* have to say. Think of this group as a sounding board. [Advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards/) are *the* opportunity to gut check [strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-customer-led-marketing-strategy-lessons-of-success/), [messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/), and the direction you are taking as a company. And no, I don’t mean spilling trade secrets–or maybe, if that’s where you are at with this group. The goal is to have an open and honest discussion backed by a solid agenda. This keeps the meeting structured enough for both parties to derive value from the meeting, but allows for the flexibility to explore what’s top of mind for your customers. Let’s get into it, shall we? ## 1\. Not enough dialogue Your number one problem is that **your team is the one doing the talking**; not good. But you have a major opportunity here to flip the script and get your customers talking. ![Infographic titled “You’re talking too much.” It outlines the problem of advisory boards being too presentation-heavy, and offers four solutions: add discussion questions, invite customers to present, use breakouts or roundtables, and assign note-takers and spokespeople to share group feedback. Includes icons for speaking, discussion, and collaboration.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/talking-too-much.jpg) The natural inclination is to see all this face time with your customers as a chance to tell them all about the amazing things you’re doing as a company. I get it. It’s tempting. I’ve been there too. The thing with that is you bias the conversation from the beginning; you’ll continue to drive discussion around what you are already discussing internally. So what’s the workaround? ### Let your customers speak And when you are “presenting,” **bake in discussion questions**. After each main point, turn it over to your audience. For example, if you want to kick off the day with a macro-level discussion on [industry trends](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/evolving-customer-marketing-strategies-insights-from-industry-experts/), consider asking: - “Are these [trends](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-business-strategies-around-market-trends/) consistent with what you are seeing in your market?” - “What opportunities are you seeing as a result of this industry shift?” - “How are you adapting to this change?” - “How can we set you up for [success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) during this time?” Next, **get your customers to present** as well; flip the script and have your customers speak to recent wins, [strategies for success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-every-interaction-count-4-key-success-strategies-for-tailoring-customer-experience/), or challenges they are having, and workshop them as a group. ### Make presentations more interactive Another engaging way to deviate from a classic presentation is to turn a hot topic into a group discussion. Better yet, split the group up and discuss a given topic in smaller roundtables. Be sure to balance the number of internals and customers per group. You may also consider being strategic about which customers you pair up beforehand, and split breakout groups up this way. Lastly, assign one note-taker and one spokesperson per group. At the end of the segment, reconvene as a larger group and have each spokesperson share the learnings with the broader group. As you plan your next [advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/), be thoughtful about how you can invite more discussion into your agenda. Try and limit the amount of time you are presenting. The goal isn’t to eliminate presentations altogether, rather, it’s to over-index on the amount of time your customers get to be the ones sharing. A big part of fostering those discussions is facilitating customer connections. Cue the networking. ## 2\. You’re missing networking opportunities Another huge problem in CABs is that [networking](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-san-francisco-summit-attendee-testimonials/) is an afterthought. The way around this? Craft your agenda with networking in mind. ![Grid-style infographic titled “Build Networking Into Your CAB Agenda.” Shows four informal networking opportunities: coffee breaks, lunch and learns, speed networking, and informal group debriefs. Encourages building connection time into the agenda with light imagery and clean layout.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/CMA_In-Article_Images_.jpg) ### Bake connection time into your agenda When putting together your [advisory board agenda](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/), think through where you can inject opportunities for your customers and your team to engage with each other outside of the structured meeting time. The networking opportunities don’t have to be a formal cocktail hour either. Simply looking at your breaks and meal times for those opportunities is more than enough. Get the group out of their seats; give them an opportunity to stretch their legs, grab a snack, some much-deserved coffee, and take a break. These “networking opportunities” are the proverbial water-cooler moments of the day. It’s the chance for customers to: - Catch up if they've met before - Make new industry acquaintances - Strengthen their relationship with your team ### Monetizing through networking If you’re looking to monetize your advisory board, these networking moments are a great time to invite sponsors or partners. It allows them time to socialize with your most strategic accounts, without being privy to the confidential discussions being had during the meeting. ### Encouraging participation If you want the dynamic of your customer advisory board to be one where attendees feel comfortable sharing, there needs to be some baseline level of familiarity with one another. The round robin intro is a good start, but the more informal the time to engage, the better. In a previous role, I revamped our advisory board structure, dedicating the first hour of the day to speed-networking. Every 10 minutes, my team rotated our attendees through different stations to engage with fellow advisory board members and our team. At each table, there was a list of discussion topics. This allowed everyone to start their day socializing and moving around, while getting to know one another. This primed the group to share more openly as our team began our discussions for the day. One big consideration when thinking through the general atmosphere of your advisory board is *who* is in the room. ## 3\. You’ve got the wrong people in the room This leads us to problem number three: what happens when your CAB casting isn’t *quite* right? One solution is to prioritize membership discussions during the planning stage. While the agenda is a super important part of planning your advisory board, I would make the case that it’s *who* you invite that is even more important. ![Side-by-side “Do and Don’t” comparison chart titled “Curate Your Room Carefully.” On the left, a list of don’ts: inviting everyone, prioritizing logos, ignoring role fit, and including competitors. On the right, a list of dos: aligning to goals, mixing thinkers and users, prioritizing engagement, and checking personality fit. Clear visual separation with thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/20.jpg) ### Be strategic with your invitations My advice is to be very strategic about who’s in the room and whether they’re the right fit. The criteria for invitation should be directly tied to your advisory board’s goals. Consider how much they have been exposed to your product, their seniority, expertise, and industry. If you’re looking to have discussions tied to your long-term vision and strategy, consider inviting customers who have a stake in that long-term vision. They may not be direct users of your product, but instead could be functional leaders or executive sponsors of the program that included the implementation of your product in the first place. In contrast, if you are centering the majority of your advisory board discussions around product or operations, you may consider inviting direct users so you can really get into the weeds. Be sure to consider the features or programs that are closely tied to your organization’s overall strategy, and invite avid users in those areas. They’ll have direct experience to speak to and the most user-centric feedback, which will most likely be an accurate representation of your customer base. Aside from the level of involvement with your product, you should also consider their personality. Ideally, you want someone who is engaged, participatory, willing to share, who will provide meaningful feedback, and who will contribute to the discussions as much as they will listen to others. ### Watch out for competitors and personalities Be sensitive to inviting direct competitors to the meeting. In some cases, there is no way around it. Simply be mindful of how much a customer *can* share, and don’t press them if there are areas they are less willing to speak about. ### Balance between internal and external attendees These discussions are super interesting, and you may get a lot of interest from team members who want to attend. However, it is not realistic to have everyone there. Do what is best for achieving the outcome you want. You can always share the findings with a broader group once the session has concluded and you move on to the action planning phase. ## 4\. The sessions aren’t delivering value If you receive feedback from your customers that the sessions aren’t worth their time, there’s only one thing to learn: you need to be better at setting clear expectations. ![Pyramid diagram titled “Deliver Clear, Tangible Value.” From bottom to top, five layers of priorities: set expectations, ask what customers want, tailor content, design a premium experience, and reward their time. Visual shows hierarchy to emphasize foundational planning.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/22.jpg) ### Set expectations clearly If your customers are in attendance, recognize they’re taking time *away* from their organization, team, and family to be with you. As such, the value they are getting from attending needs to be clearly communicated and lived up to. They need to clearly be able to answer their “What’s in it for me?” Outline how you expect them to participate, highlight key discussion areas so they know what they are walking into, and consider getting a pulse for the topics that are top of mind for *them.* A simple way to do this is by including a question upon registration that gives them a chance to tell you what they want to talk about. Take that and work it into your agenda. You may also use these as topics to seed the discussion. ### Make the experience feel premium During an advisory board meeting in a previous role, our events team helped level up the experience for attendees with two key components: 1. The venue itself was a beautiful golf course with stunning views. The location was a subtle way of saying “thank you” to our customers for finding the time to be with us. 2. The post-meeting dinner included a sommelier experience whereby the menu included a wine pairing and explanation at each course. This premium offering was yet another way to show our appreciation to our guests. Ideally, you're engaging with strategic accounts at advisory boards. As such, think about the session not as one giant meeting, but as an experience you are inviting them to. Tailor the experience to your industry. If you are organizing any activities in the days before/after the event, be sure it is something your customers would actually enjoy or can learn from. ### Show gratitude in meaningful ways Another way to tailor the experience is by showing gratitude. A nice touch is a “thank-you” gift. Things like goodie bags with items your target persona will actually use go a long way. If, for example, your customers are sales leaders who travel a lot, you may consider travel-related items. You’ll stay top of mind each time they reach for their new favourite piece of branded merch, long after your event has concluded. Now that we’ve gone through a few areas directly tied to your customers, it’s time to look inward. You may not have the most successful advisory board program due to a lack of internal alignment. ## 5\. Lack of internal buy-in Still struggling to engage your CAB meetings? Then there may be a final problem lurking beneath the surface: **Your team is not seeing the value, and your customers can sense it.** To avoid this, your team needs to understand the vision so you can show up as a unified front. ![Venn diagram titled “Great CABs Happen at the Center of This Overlap.” Left circle represents internal goals: strategic insight, product validation, and advocacy. Right circle represents customer goals: roadmap influence, peer learning, and being heard. The overlap highlights shared vision and actionable outcomes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/23.jpg) ### Build internal support around a shared vision So many teams make this mistake and forget you need to consider your *internal* customers, too. They’re equally as important in making your advisory board a success. If you’re about to embark on an advisory board strategy overhaul, make it crystal clear what you are trying to achieve, what is required of your [internal stakeholders](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-is-customer-marketing-structured-internally-and-externally/), and why you are making these changes. I like to anchor to the “why” behind CABs. It’ll look different from company to company, but here are my top three: 1. Align with strategic customers 2. Co-develop solutions 3. [Build community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) I encourage you to partner with your leadership team. Understand what kinds of insights they are looking to glean from customers. Make sure they feel heard and keep their interests in mind as you design your next meeting. ![Become a CMA Insider member for free](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/Insider.jpg) ### Elevate customer insights into action Where possible, dedicate time in your agenda to highlight positive changes their teams have implemented recently. You can start by bringing awareness to the desired impact of new programs or features. Then, transition the segment to sourcing feedback on how customers have received these new changes. A helpful method is using the “start-stop-continue” framework. Crowdsource customers’ thoughts around things they want to see implemented, things they secretly wish you would sunset, and areas they are perfectly content with that don’t need changing. When thinking through internal buy-in, it’s critical that you present your CAB program as an invaluable way to represent the voice of the customer. The insights you capture should spark internal discussions around what’s next. It’s not to say that you need to action every single piece of feedback. However, it does offer your team the chance to look at current priorities and get a sense for where energy can be better focused to optimize your customers’ experience. ## Final thoughts and next steps As the owner of a customer advisory board program, challenge yourself to see things from your customers’ perspective. Think through what would be most engaging for them, while also making it worth your team’s time. The above examples are problem areas with solutions that are relatively low-medium lift that can be game-changers when looking to maximize impact. Start by making a few changes. Collect feedback via a post-event survey from both internal and external attendees. Discover what worked, and even more importantly, what didn’t. In the spirit of inviting your customers behind the scenes, be transparent about the changes you are making, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Good luck planning your next customer advisory board, you’ve got this! ### Customer journey mapping and the importance of customer experience URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience/ Last updated: 2025-06-20T09:34:10.000Z As customer experience cements its place as a competitive differentiator in B2B, journey mapping and lifecycle marketing have become essential tools for driving retention, adoption, and long-term growth. At AlphaSense, we’ve learned that building a consistent, scalable customer experience requires more than just good intentions, it takes executive alignment, cross-functional collaboration, and a dedicated team focused on every stage of the customer journey. When you combine that focus with strategic lifecycle programs and strong stakeholder relationships, you can turn customer marketing into a core growth engine that supports the business from onboarding to advocacy. [Annie Eissler | Customer journey mapping and the importance of customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Annie Eissler, VP of Customer, Partner & Expert Insights Marketing at AlphaSense talks to us about the importance of customer experience and how customer journey mapping can help align teams to support retention and growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-386.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--6---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Why customer journey mapping matters [Journey mapping](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) is not easy. Most companies weren’t built from the ground up with customer experience in mind. Functions and departments were set up independently, each with their own processes. That creates a fragmented experience for customers. The reality is, we don’t have one customer experience – we have many. They’re inconsistent, not easily replicable, and that creates real challenges when you're trying to improve adoption, scale engagement, or create repeatable upsell motions. Without a consistent journey, we can’t automate or optimize any of that. ### Mapping the chaos That’s why customer journey mapping is so critical, and also so difficult. We’re trying to align the internal functions and uncover every touchpoint and milestone in a customer’s journey. But often when we talk to stakeholders, the answer to “what happens here?” is, “Well, it depends.” It might happen, it might not. It depends on which team is involved or what kind of customer it is. There’s a lot of ambiguity, and it takes time and collaboration to work through it. Trying to take all those variables and boil them down into a simple, clear visual representation is incredibly challenging. We’re talking about enough sticky notes to fill the room we’re sitting in right now. ### Meeting the expectations of the modern buyer I’ll be honest, brands like Apple that offer seamless user experiences have wholly changed the B2B game. Today’s [B2B buyers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-quality-strategies-by-learning-differences-in-b2b-and-b2c-marketing/) expect the same kind of frictionless, user-friendly experiences they get from B2C tech, but with their business software. Those expectations have carried over into their professional world, and it’s on us in B2B tech to meet them. Even though many companies wax lyrical about customer experience being their number one priority, very few are actually putting dedicated teams or working groups in place to focus on it. It’s a hard thing to operationalize. But if we want to drive adoption, grow engagement, and scale upsell in a meaningful way, we have to put in the work to understand and design that experience. ## Starting small with journey mapping We knew journey mapping would be a big, complex effort, so we started small. We picked one customer segment to focus on first. No one else at the company was stepping up to look at the customer journey holistically. Different functions like customer success or customer education had their own siloed views of the journey, but no one was connecting the dots end-to-end. When I proposed we take this on, no one pushed back. In fact, we got our CRO to sponsor the initiative. He felt it was so important to the business that he shared it with the board, which definitely raised the stakes for us. But it also validated just how critical this work is. Our SVP of [Customer Success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/) is equally invested. For him, having a well-defined, predictable, and scalable journey is key to growing and optimizing his team to meet future goals. That kind of executive alignment makes a huge difference. ## Customer experience is the new standard Customer experience used to be seen as a “nice to have” in B2B, but that’s no longer the case. Think about how expectations have shifted – once one phone had a camera, every phone had to have one. Now, when you get a Netflix-like experience in one app, you expect that level of ease and personalization everywhere. The bar keeps getting raised. That’s why our work on [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) is so important. It’s not just about making things nicer; it’s about staying competitive. And for us internally, it plays directly into how we scale. When we know what the journey looks like, we can design teams and processes to support it effectively. ## How I scaled my customer marketing team When AlphaSense acquired my previous company and I joined the team, customer marketing was pretty thin on the ground. There was only one person writing customer stories. That was it. Maybe there had been more support in earlier years, but at the time I joined, our function was very limited. When I reviewed our integrated marketing plan and saw that customer marketing was one of our five key pillars (with a mission to create customers *for life*), it was clear we needed to do more. One person writing stories wasn’t going to deliver on that. So I made the case to build out a full lifecycle customer marketing team. I was approved to hire a director and additional roles. Now, we have: - One person focused on lifecycle, working closely with customer success on adoption and engagement (and leading our journey mapping effort) - One person dedicated to upselling and growth - One person focused entirely on advocacy - A new hire dedicated to executive programs, like our customer advisory board, which spans multiple functions It’s been a big shift, and I’m proud of how far we’ve come. I’m hoping to expand further – ideally, I’d love to add a second person focused on growth and another on lifecycle. We're still building, but the foundation is there. ## What lifecycle marketing really looks like Our [lifecycle marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) owns the customer newsletter, but that’s just a small part of what they do. The real impact comes from how closely they partner with our customer success team on onboarding, adoption, and engagement programs. Let me give you an example. We recently launched a new product for one of our consulting customer segments. To roll it out successfully, we had to build an ongoing, coordinated outreach campaign, tag-teaming between Customer Success and Marketing. That included a cadence of emails, curated assets, in-app messages via Pendo, and ongoing education. It wasn’t just about creating assets, it was about building a full, strategic flow of communication that supported users over time and kept the product top of mind. That kind of program is a core part of what lifecycle marketing does. ## Supporting customers after the sale In traditional marketing, the pre-sale journey is beautifully orchestrated – rich content, alignment with sales, seamless handoffs. But once the customer signs, that experience often falls apart. Suddenly, CSMs are left piecing together decks on their own. Marketing disappears. There’s little support or infrastructure for post-sale engagement. That’s why lifecycle marketing is so crucial. We treat our customers like ongoing stakeholders in our brand experience, not just recipients of support. And we make sure our CSMs have the tools and content they need to succeed. ## Advice for scaling your team First and foremost: stay focused. Especially in areas like advocacy, it’s easy to get pulled in a million directions. We’ve gotten very strategic about where to place our resources. For example, when it comes to case studies, we align closely with sales and product marketing to identify where we have gaps and what stories we need to support key business priorities. We’re not just creating in a vacuum, we’re targeting what matters. Just as important: invest in your stakeholder relationships. Cross-functional alignment is everything. Spend time with your peers, their peers, and their leadership. Build those relationships and keep them strong. You want to be able to call on them when you need support, and that only happens if you’re nurturing those connections regularly. ## Teach your team to communicate upward I spend a lot of time training my team to think and communicate like leaders. Every week, our entire marketing org contributes to a slide deck that summarizes key updates. On Monday, our CMO packages that up and sends it to our executive leadership team. I make sure my team owns those weekly updates, but I also coach them to frame their work with the right lens. What will leadership care about? Not the technical details of an email sequence, but the outcome or business impact it drives. It’s a skill I want them to build, because I can’t be everywhere. They need to be seen as trusted voices across the organization. ## What I’ve learned the hard way One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made is forgetting to loop in a key stakeholder. It happens – especially when you’re moving fast – but it always comes back to bite you. Even if it’s unintentional, people notice when they’re left out of the loop. That’s why I now try to be very methodical about stakeholder management. Having a visual map of who needs to be informed at each stage of a project is something I’ve started doing, and it’s been incredibly helpful. It’s one of those small things that can prevent a lot of friction later on. ### Scaling customer stories - Inside Microsoft's marketing engine URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/scaling-customer-stories/ Last updated: 2025-06-20T12:32:52.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. [Watch OnDemand ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2025-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=h0yq5owbrq&wmediaid=b1lw7cxl6p) 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions --- **Date:** June 19, 2025 **Time:** 5:00pm BST **Location:** Online In today’s saturated market, the brands that stand out are those that connect with their audiences on a human level. At the heart of this connection lies the power of storytelling - specifically, the stories of your customers. In this keynote, we’ll explore the art and science of crafting compelling customer narratives that resonate with prospects, engage stakeholders, and drive action. You’ll learn practical strategies for uncovering authentic customer stories, shaping them into compelling narratives, and amplifying them across channels to maximize impact. Whether you’re launching a new product, scaling a business, or evolving your brand, this session will equip you with actionable insights to make your stories stick - and your message soar. --- ### Key takeaways: - **Human connection is key**: In a crowded market, brands that forge genuine emotional connections with their audiences stand out—and customer storytelling is central to that connection. - **Customer stories drive impact**: Authentic, well-crafted customer narratives resonate with prospects, engage internal stakeholders, and inspire action. - **Uncover and shape real stories**: Learn practical methods for identifying powerful customer experiences and transforming them into compelling, structured narratives. - **Amplify across channels**: Discover how to strategically share customer stories across different platforms to build trust and expand reach. - **Turn customers into advocates**: By highlighting authentic voices, you can turn satisfied customers into your most persuasive and influential brand champions. --- ### Meet the speaker: [Gabriela Olmos-Hill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaohill/), Senior Director Global Customer Advocacy and Marketing and Sales Privacy at [Microsoft](https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/) Gabriela Olmos-Hill is a Senior Director at Microsoft and is known for building at-scale global marketing engines. In Gabriela's current role, she leads two global organizations, overseeing Customer Advocacy as well as Marketing and Sales Privacy. Before her role in advocacy and privacy, Gabriela managed one of the largest social and blog ecosystems in the tech industry comprising of 120+ properties. Gabriela has an MBA in Marketing from Arizona University's Eller School of Management. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/05/image.png) ### How to prioritize and allocate resources for scalable customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-prioritize-and-allocate-resources-for-scalable-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T08:58:33.000Z As companies face tighter budgets and rising expectations, customer marketing is emerging as a critical lever for growth, retention, and long-term loyalty. At UKG, we’ve learned that [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) is a strategic necessity. When done right, it drives efficiency, builds advocacy, and empowers customers to succeed on their own terms. By blending high-impact experiences with scalable, self-service programs and meaningful measurement, we’ve made customer marketing indispensable to our business, and we’re continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible. ## The investment conundrum One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced is what I call the “investment conundrum.” Within most marketing teams, the lion’s share of budget typically goes toward lead generation, social media, analyst relations, and advertising. All of these efforts are focused on acquiring new customers and supporting the sales organization. But in a subscription-based business like ours, most of our revenue actually comes after the sale, from keeping customers, not getting them. Despite that, customer marketing tends to receive a fraction of the overall marketing budget. My team is the only one within marketing focused on existing customers, yet we’re tasked with supporting a huge ecosystem: professional services, relationship managers, support, renewal teams – you name it. Meanwhile, the resources allocated to us are far smaller than those given to teams focused on acquisition. We’ve made a concerted effort to rebalance this over time. Through a robust customer engagement strategy, we’re gradually shifting the mindset and the investment. But if you’re facing a similar imbalance, know that you’re not alone. ## What’s the secret to justifying customer engagement marketing? If you’re looking to elevate the role of customer [engagement marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) in your organization, the secret sauce comes down to three key things: 1. Driving internal scale and efficiency 2. Creating self-sufficiency for customers 3. Never sacrificing the experience And above all, you have to measure it. Just like we measure the sales funnel from top to bottom, we need to apply the same rigor to the post-sale experience. That’s how you justify the investment – and your team’s impact. ### Finding the balance between high touch and digital touch The first and most important step is figuring out how to drive scale internally. That means knowing when to apply a [human touch](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/adding-a-human-touch-to-customer-marketing/) and when not to. For me, it’s about understanding the right balance between high-touch and digital-touch interactions. A simple two-by-two matrix can help you map this out. I know most of your customer interactions are likely more complex than that, but the principle still applies. You need to identify which interactions can and should be digital. These are usually the lower-value moments – either for your organization or the customer – or things that can be delivered just as effectively through a digital channel. Some interactions should start digitally and escalate to a high-touch moment only if necessary – say, if the customer hasn’t taken an action. Your [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/) or account managers don’t need to reach out to everyone, only to those who truly need that extra support. Conversely, you might start with a high-touch approach but shift to digital once the personal interaction is no longer adding value. Of course, there will always be escalations and sensitive scenarios where high-touch is essential – but that should be the exception, not the rule. ### Mapping the customer journey and modernizing your touchpoints One of the most effective ways to gain efficiency is to map out your customer journey and determine which touchpoints are currently high-touch versus digital. Then ask: What could be digital? What should be? As we move into more self-service, consumerized experiences across all industries, our customers expect faster, more seamless interactions. So take a close look at how you're engaging with them across different product lines and lifecycle stages – and identify opportunities to modernize. Yes, it will take effort. Yes, you’ll need to reset customer expectations. But the result is a more scalable and more consistent experience. ### How we do this at UKG At UKG, we’ve implemented several strategies to help our customers help themselves, without sacrificing the experience: - **In-product messaging:** We provide helpful, real-time resources right inside the product interface, exactly when and where the customer might need them. - **Educational content:** Thousands of customers subscribe to our blog, which we use to share knowledge and best practices in a friendly, digestible way. - **Judicious email use:** We avoid over-emailing. When we do reach out, it's always to drive traffic to our community or a helpful resource. We're teaching customers where to go to get what they need – creating long-term self-sufficiency. - **Newsletters:** These allow us to batch content instead of sending constant one-off messages. - **Community:** This is a big one for us. Our community platform plays a central role in customer education, engagement, and support. ### Examples in action Let me give you a couple of concrete examples. **1\. Pre-onboarding support:** Sometimes, there’s a delay between when a customer signs a contract and when implementation can begin. Rather than leaving them idle, we send a “Welcome to UKG” email with clear next steps: join the community, explore key user groups, get familiar with the training platform, and start gathering data they’ll need later. Then, when their project manager is assigned, they can pick up the conversation and check in on that progress. It keeps customers moving forward – even before we’re ready to start. **2\. Targeted event outreach:** When we promote customer events, we use a mix of [digital channels](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-excel-in-the-digital-workplace-customer-marketer/?%5Fgl=1%2A1l12qhj%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjAyMjQzNTI1Ny4xNzQ2Nzg3MDA4%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AczE3NDY3ODcwMDckbzEkZzEkdDE3NDY3ODcwMTAkajAkbDAkaDA.) and high-touch follow-up. Our relationship managers can view registration lists and reach out only to the customers who haven’t registered but previously expressed interest. It's targeted, relevant, and efficient. We're not asking them to chase every contact – just the ones that matter. ## Scaling the seemingly unscalable Let’s talk about how we scale experiences that, at first glance, might not seem all that scalable. A great example of this is how we’ve scaled meaningful engagement for our most passionate customers – our advocates. ### The power of our advocacy program At UKG, our advocacy program is called UKG Insiders. It lives as a private, moderated group within our broader community, and it’s where we recognize and reward our most engaged customers. These are the people who show up consistently, ask questions, and contribute value to others. They even help each other by voting up product ideas to influence the roadmap. The UKG Insiders group is also where we manage exclusive, members-only event invitations, send friendly reminders, and build excitement around these special opportunities. But it’s not just about events – we lean on this group for honest feedback. When we rebranded, we turned to our Insiders: - “Here’s our new advertising – what do you think?” - “Who wants to weigh in on the last event we hosted?” And they love giving feedback. Whether it’s product-related or campaign-specific, they’re eager to contribute. That engagement gives us a powerful channel for co-creating better customer experiences at scale. ### Creating connection at large-scale events Another area where we’ve found creative ways to scale is our annual customer conference, Aspire. It’s our flagship user event, hosted in Las Vegas, and it attracts about 5,000 attendees. To support the experience, we set up a dedicated group in our community where attendees can find “know before you go” resources and ask pre-event questions. What’s amazing is how organically it becomes a space for customers to support each other. People posted things like: - “I’ve never been before – what should I expect?” - “I’m traveling solo – anyone else?” That led to something really special. We used that momentum to create a meet-and-greet zone inside our welcome pavilion – complete with tables, chairs, and drinks. People actually scheduled time to connect there. It felt personal, even at a 5,000-person event. ### Rethinking logistics to deliver value One piece of feedback we heard loud and clear: Vegas is a lot of walking. Customers told us, “If I stay for the sessions all day, there’s no time (or energy!) to go back to my room before the evening events.” We explored all kinds of options: - Could we rent golf carts? - Provide scooters? - Use a side entrance for transportation? None of the options were feasible due to hotel restrictions. So we reframed the question. If we couldn’t move the people, could we move their stuff? That’s when we came up with the idea to install a huge bank of lockers right at the venue. Customers could drop off their bags or anything they didn’t want to carry – and we even partnered with a sponsor to cover the cost. The takeaway? You can scale things you thought were impossible. Sometimes, it just takes looking at the problem from a different angle. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Report-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) ## Building customer self-sufficiency at scale Let’s talk about self-sufficiency. This is about empowering customers to create their own success, so they don’t have to call us. Because let’s face it: calling is expensive, and customers would often prefer not to if they can help it. One of the most powerful ways we do this is through personalized, in-product support. We know a system administrator has vastly different needs than an HR director, so we tailor our messaging accordingly. That level of customization helps ensure relevance and keeps support accessible at the right moment. ### Leveraging the community for scale and visibility Our community has over 100,000 members, and it’s a huge engine for self-service. One customer asks a question, and many can benefit from the answer. So we always encourage people to start by crowdsourcing their question in the community. It’s fast, it’s scalable, and it builds a culture of peer-to-peer support. We also use banners in the community to promote upcoming events and recognize our most active members on the homepage. That public recognition on the leaderboard has become something our customers take real pride in. Curation plays a huge role here, too. My team is responsible for creating “moments that matter” by building resource hubs for key times of year. For example, during year-end payroll, when the stakes are high and everyone wants to get it right, we publish a curated community page with everything they might need: required trainings, top FAQs, common trip-ups to avoid. We then run a campaign to drive traffic to that page, which dramatically reduces call volume and stress. ### Helping new admins succeed Another favorite initiative of mine is our New Administrator Bootcamp. We know that new system admins can be overwhelmed when learning enterprise software, so we designed a seven-week, step-by-step experience to guide them. Each week, we introduce one manageable task: - Join the system administrator group in the community - Complete key trainings - Review top resources We even show them their progress week-by-week to prevent burnout and create a sense of accomplishment. This has been incredibly successful – not just in reducing support load but in building confidence and early engagement. ### Surprise-and-delight experiences that scale You can still create wow moments at scale – and sometimes, those small, thoughtful gestures go a long way. Here are a few “delighter” examples we’ve used at UKG to show appreciation and reinforce value: - **National Systems Administrator Day:** We sent a fun, dragon-themed email recognizing their hard work – “you’re slaying it!” – with a link to claim a Starbucks gift card. Simple, clever, and appreciated. - **End-of-summer HR recognition:** We sent HR leaders a cheerful message celebrating all the vacation time they approved, framing it as them helping employees find work-life balance. A small gesture with a big feel-good impact. - **Cheers to a billion:** For large customers who hit a billion shift punches using our time management solution, we sent a celebratory message. It reinforced the value they’re getting from UKG – and gently reminded them why we’re indispensable. - **Employee Appreciation Day:** We reached out to our customer contacts and asked: Who are your internal champions? Who deserves recognition? On the big day, we sent those nominated users a message and a link to choose a gift through our Thanks platform. One customer told me, “Thank you – this let me recognize my team even though I didn’t have the budget.” And the best part? Every one of these programs is 100% digital. You don’t need a huge budget to make your customers feel seen and valued. You just need creativity, empathy, and the willingness to do something unexpected. ## Don’t forget to measure what matters Hopefully I’ve shared some ideas you can take back to your own organization, but none of it means much if you can’t prove it’s working. So let’s talk about measurement, because the proof really is in the pudding. You can’t stop at click-through rates. That’s just scratching the surface. Instead, ask: - Did they take the action? - Did they complete the training? - Did they engage with the product updates? That’s your baseline. But where we really need to go – and to be honest, we’re not fully there yet – is deeper, more holistic insight into engagement. That means looking at everything a customer is doing and understanding the value of each interaction. Are they: - Opening our emails? - Showing up to events? - Part of our UKG Insiders community? - Active in the broader community? Not all of those touchpoints are equal, so the goal is to assign weights and points to each one. Then, aggregate that into a single engagement index that we can track over time. That allows us to measure changes in engagement as we adjust our strategies, and most importantly, correlate that with CSAT, growth, and retention. ### Tying events to business impact From an event perspective, yes, we track all the typical metrics: - Are we growing registrations? - Are attendees happy with the content and experience? But we don’t stop there. We’re focused on linking event participation to real impact. - Are attendees more satisfied? - Are they becoming Insiders? - Are we generating or progressing pipeline? This year, we took a big step forward. We can now directly connect event attendance to how much new business was opened, and how much of it actually closed, after the event. That kind of data closes the loop and proves the value of what we’re doing. ### Transparency and accountability One thing I believe in strongly: don’t hide. We publish an internal advocacy report card every month, and it’s visible on our intranet. It also feeds into our board materials and QBRs. That report covers: - How much business our advocacy efforts are influencing - How many deals we’re touching - Whether customers are taking advantage of the advocacy offers - How many new Insiders we’re bringing in - Whether we’re generating excitement internally, too We want to see more people across marketing and sales actively engaging with the programs, not relying on the same few back-pocket references. That’s a sign we’re growing and embedding advocacy deeper into the business. ## Customer marketing deserves a seat at the table Here’s the bottom line: Marketing has the power to build programs that are highly relevant, personalized, and scalable. When we do it right – when we drive efficiency, empower customer success, create “wow” moments, and measure our impact – we make a compelling case for rebalancing investment toward customer marketing. Whether you call it customer marketing, engagement marketing, or something else entirely, it deserves a seat at the table. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Lisa at our* **Customer Marketing Summit in February 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-february-2024/?wchannelid=ye3uyguu7m&wmediaid=kvrcg2ahd8)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### How to set up customer advisory boards for true business impact URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:05:48.000Z As customer-led growth becomes a core pillar of business strategy, [customer advisory boards (CABs)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) have evolved from feedback forums into powerful engines for strategic alignment and innovation. At Nutanix, we’ve seen firsthand how a well-structured CAB not only surfaces valuable insights but also strengthens executive relationships, influences product direction, and builds a deeper sense of customer loyalty. When you pair intentional cohort design with active follow-through and a clear action process, advisory boards become more than conversations, they become catalysts for measurable business impact. [Sara Steffen | How to set up Customer Advisory Boards for true business impact | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Sara Steffen, Sr. Director of Connected Customer Experience at Nutanix talks about how you should set up all types of Customer Advisory Boards to enable true business impact.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-385.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--7---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/sara-steffen-how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards-for-true-business-impact-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## How we use customer advisory boards for strategic decision-making At Nutanix, we use our [CABs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/) as a core part of our customer decision-making process. These boards are about more than just gathering feedback, they’re a strategic forum where we bring together the right people to have meaningful conversations that can influence our business decisions, shape our product roadmap, and steer our overall strategy. We think carefully about who’s in the room (whether it’s a virtual or in-person setting) and how we act on the feedback we hear. The goal is always to make sure that our customers feel heard and that their insights lead to real, tangible action on our part. ### The most important element: Who’s in the room The single most important factor in building an effective advisory board is determining who should be on it. At Nutanix, our advisory boards are made up exclusively of customers, but we ensure there’s diversity in industry representation and seniority. We also design each board around a specific level of seniority to ensure peer-to-peer conversations. For example, if it's a C-level advisory board, all members should be C-level executives. If it’s a board for VPs or Senior Directors, we keep the conversations and participants at that level. This structure not only shapes the kind of dialogue that takes place, but also determines which Nutanix executives join those discussions. Ultimately, we want a mix of voices in the room. That means different industries, different tenures, and different perspectives, because those differences enrich the dialogue and make the feedback more powerful. ### Tailoring topics to the level of the board We think of our advisory boards as a pyramid, with **executive advisory boards** at the top. These are made up of C-level customers alongside our own company’s C-level leaders. At that level, the focus is on business strategy and long-term vision. We also use this forum to test ideas around our brand. For instance, when we rebranded in the spring, we brought it to our Executive Advisory Board before launching anything externally. We asked them: does this direction resonate with you? Does it feel like Nutanix? Their insights helped validate our direction before we went public with it. ### Engaged executives create value It’s not enough to invite someone simply because they have a certain title. We look for executives who are engaged – those who already understand and are invested in our brand and ecosystem. This could include both long-term customers who’ve grown with us and newer customers who are fully deployed and already seeing [ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) from our solutions. This mix is essential. Long-term customers can speak to the evolution of our relationship and the growth they’ve experienced. Meanwhile, newer customers bring a fresh perspective and aren’t anchored by prior experiences. That balance allows for rich, layered conversations. ### The magic happens when they talk to each other One of the most powerful outcomes is when our customers talk directly to one another. A newer executive might ask questions about the customer journey, and a long-time customer can share how they started and what they’ve added over the years. That peer-to-peer exchange is where the real magic happens. It’s those moments, where we just sit back and listen, that provide the deepest insights and the greatest value. [How to run a successful customer advisory board (CAB) eventHave you ever rushed to pull together a customer event, only to have it flop? Been there, done that! Here’re my top tips for planning, executing, and following up on CABs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-384.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCrystal Anderson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--3-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) ## Engaging the decision makers Our customer advisory board at the decision-maker level typically includes senior directors and VPs. This is where we start to get more product-focused. While there’s still discussion around overall business strategy, these sessions often lean into product roadmap, solution direction, and how our offerings are evolving. This level of conversation requires balance. Some participants will want to go deep into the weeds, while others are more focused on strategic alignment. That’s why having a strong moderator or board chair is critical. They help keep discussions productive, steer them away from overly technical detours, and ensure we stay aligned with the goals of the session. If a conversation starts to get too niche or technical, you risk losing a portion of the audience, so managing that dynamic well is key. ### Listening to the people closest to the product We also run a global Technical Advisory Board made up of about 60 IT admins and systems engineers – the people who use our products every day. These are incredibly technical conversations, and they’re led by our product marketing team. In this setting, we go deep into individual products or solutions. Meetings are run virtually due to the size of the group, and they focus heavily on actionable feedback. As with all our boards, when feedback is shared that we can act on, we make sure to follow through. We’ve also historically done smaller, regional in-person technical advisory meetups, but we likely won’t go back to flying in the full group for a single event. However, if we already have a customer event or summit planned, we might organize a breakout session as part of that larger gathering. That hybrid approach allows us to stay efficient while still creating space for deeper engagement. ### How to select participants for each board The selection process for each board varies depending on the group. With the Technical Advisory Board, we’re less stringent, it’s a broader group, and we want as many relevant voices as possible. But when it comes to our executive advisory board, it’s a much more curated experience. We typically cap it at around 15 C-level participants, which means every seat counts. With over 24,000 customers globally, the selection process is highly strategic. We look at things like logo recognition, total spend, pipeline opportunities, and geographic and industry mix. Currently, we’re in the process of refreshing that board, so we’re re-evaluating who to invite. We created a shortlist of target participants, then vetted that list with our sales leadership, executive team, and even our CEO. It’s a collective effort to ensure we’re getting the right people into the room. The same strategic lens applies to our CAB. We look at a variety of factors, including spend, open pipeline, and brand recognition. If two customers have similar spend levels, but one is a globally recognized brand, we’re likely to prioritize that invite, especially since we want to share their story externally at some point. ### Integrating advisory boards with events One strategy we’ve found successful is pairing advisory board meetings with larger customer events. For example, at our conference in Chicago, we brought our CAB members together for a focused two-and-a-half-hour session with our executives. Then, they stayed for the full event. It was a win-win: our board members were already onsite, our executives were present, and we could maximize the time for both structured feedback and informal conversations. It’s an efficient way to deepen engagement without requiring additional travel or scheduling. ## Turning advocates into advisory voices One idea we've experimented with is bringing together our top [customer advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocates-and-employees-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/) at the same time as our executive advisory board. While they attend separate sessions during the day, we plan overlapping social experiences, like a shared happy hour or dinner. For example, we’ll seat advocates next to executives to spark cross-functional conversations. These informal interactions often create some of the most valuable exchanges. Executives get to hear directly from the people who are hands-on with our technology every day. And sometimes, hearing feedback from an external advocate carries more weight than internal reports. It opens minds, builds empathy, and reinforces why the product matters across all levels of the customer organization. ### How to keep CAB members engaged long term To keep our advisory board members engaged, we check in every year. We ask how they’re feeling about their participation and whether they’d like to continue for another year. Our retention rate is incredibly high, which tells us the experience is resonating. Before each meeting, we send a survey asking for input on agenda topics and which executives they’d like to hear from. Afterward, we do a follow-up survey to understand what worked, what didn’t, and what we should do differently. We want our members to feel like the agenda is built with them, not for them. Beyond the meetings themselves, we try to create VIP experiences, whether that's special room drops, holiday gifts, or personal touches like a handwritten note from our CEO. When someone retires, we don’t just say thank you, we send something thoughtful to mark the occasion. These gestures are part of how we show they’re not just contributors, they’re part of our tribe. We also ensure they have a direct line to our executive team. That access is a huge value-add. I’ve seen board members use it mid-deal or even during urgent support issues. It gives them a level of advocacy most customers don’t have. ### How to make sure feedback turns into action We’ve all seen what happens when feedback goes into a black hole, it’s incredibly frustrating for customers and can even turn promoters into detractors. We’re committed to making sure that doesn’t happen. After every advisory board meeting, we go through the transcript line by line and identify every single piece of actionable feedback. We create a tracker that notes who said what, what the request or comment was, and who inside Nutanix owns the follow-up. That might be a product manager, an executive, or an account manager, but someone is accountable. Sometimes, this means scheduling one-off meetings to dig deeper into feedback. Other times, it’s a broader issue that gets routed into our product roadmap. Either way, we close the loop. We also ensure our account teams are in the loop, especially if they weren’t in the room during the session. We'll flag specific points so they’re prepared going into their next conversation with that customer and can coordinate with internal teams on how best to respond. At the next advisory meeting, we summarize the key themes we heard last time and what we’ve done about them. We won’t walk through all 50 action items line by line, but we do make it clear that follow-up has happened. If someone asks for a meeting, we’ve booked it. If we heard consistent feedback on a topic, we’ve either acted or are in the process of acting. That follow-up builds trust and keeps the dialogue going. ### Making customers feel like they truly matter Ultimately, it all comes down to creating a sense of ownership. When customers see their input shaping your strategy or product roadmap, they feel connected in a much deeper way. That kind of engagement is what turns one-time contributors into lifelong champions. We don’t just want feedback. We want partnership. And that starts with listening carefully, acting thoughtfully, and always following through. ### Getting the right case studies for your brand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/getting-the-right-case-studies-for-your-brand/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T14:42:10.000Z As customer marketing matures into a strategic growth driver, case studies have emerged as one of the most effective tools for building trust and proving value both internally and externally. At Reputation, we’ve learned that a well-crafted customer story is a critical asset that fuels sales enablement, deepens customer relationships, and drives real business impact. When you pair storytelling with the right data and internal alignment, case studies become one of the most scalable ways to amplify customer voices and showcase outcomes that truly move the needle. [Cassie Sneed | The foolproof process to getting the right case studies for your brand | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of customer marketing catch-up, we talk to Cassie Sneed, Senior Manager of Customer Marketing at Reputation, about her process for getting the right cast studies for your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-383.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/8.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cassie-sneed-the-foolproof-process-to-getting-the-right-case-studies-for-your-brand-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Why customer-first thinking works I’ve always believed in putting the customer first; it’s been a core principle throughout my entire career. And I know it might sound cheesy, but I truly believe that customers should be at the heart of any organizational strategy. It’s the most effective way to drive success. When you prioritize your current customers, everything else falls into place. Customer marketing is such a good fit for me because it lets me live out that belief every day. I love what I do, and I’m hopeful that the work we’re doing will continue to get recognition. ## Why case studies matter Case studies are absolutely critical. They’re your proof that your customers demonstrate the real-world success of your product. I give a lot of credit to our [account executives](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-the-difference-between-customer-success-managers-and-account-managers/) (AEs). They’re incredible at building relationships and communicating the value of our platform. But nothing builds credibility quite like hearing success stories directly from peers and colleagues in the industry. When prospective customers see others in their field using the same language and solving the same problems, that relatability makes an immediate impact. I’d say 90% of the time, case studies serve as powerful tools for demand generation and upsell. But there's also that 10% retention piece where you can spotlight a fantastic customer, celebrate the work they've done, and elevate their story. When you put a customer in the spotlight, whether through PR or social media, you’re not just showcasing your solution, you’re also boosting their personal and company brand. It’s a win-win. It helps with renewals, deepens the relationship, and creates long-term advocates. ## How I identify the right customers for case studies When I’m building our case study library, I follow three golden rules. First, your library should reflect your current customer landscape, industry, company size, and product usage. That means showcasing the verticals we serve most, like automotive, healthcare, and property management. And while big enterprise logos are exciting, I make sure mid-market and SMBs are well represented too. Prospects need to see themselves in these stories. Second, find passionate customers who are excited to talk. Enthusiasm translates directly into richer, more compelling stories. Third, secure logo and name usage approval before you begin. Nothing is more frustrating than doing all the work and then learning you have to publish the piece anonymously. That early check saves time and protects the integrity of your content. ## How we use case studies internally Internally, case studies are one of our best enablement tools. With so much change and new hires across teams, they help everyone (especially new team members) get into the mindset of our customers. They learn the language, the KPIs, and what matters most in each industry. We also treat the interview process as a gold mine. When customers start talking, they often reveal product feedback, unexpected wins, and even pain points. I’ve pinged our product team mid-call more than once to loop them into valuable insights we wouldn’t have uncovered otherwise. ## How we use case studies externally Externally, we use case studies everywhere. We create several formats for each story: a landing page for SEO, a downloadable PDF for sales, and a printed version for in-person events. We also use customer quotes and stats in paid ads as they perform significantly better than branding content alone. We often turn strong case study participants into speakers. If they’re presenting at an event, we’ll bring printed handouts to the booth to help drive engagement. And we don’t stop there, we create summary slides so CSMs and AEs can quickly reference the story in meetings. They don’t have time to walk through a four-page PDF on a call, but a single, well-designed slide? That’s gold. ## Who to collaborate with Our [CSMs](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) are our MVPs. They know the customers best – when it’s the right time, who’s happy, and what story needs to be told. We always start with an internal interview with the CSM and AE to get context that doesn’t show up in the CRM. We ask about the backstory, key results, and the angle we should focus on. It’s also our responsibility to say no sometimes. Just being a happy customer doesn’t automatically make someone case study-ready. If we can’t tie their success to real metrics or align them to our strategic content pillars, we’ll suggest alternative advocacy opportunities like testimonials, speaker slots, or reference calls. We even train our CSMs to collect their own stories – short videos, testimonials, or customer soundbites – so we don’t lose valuable insights just because we don’t have capacity for a full case study. ## How to make sure your case studies get used Creating case studies is only half the battle – distribution is where the impact happens. We maintain a central Google Sheet matrix, organized by industry and product, with links to each version of every case study. It’s shared widely and consistently. So when someone asks for a specific asset, the answer is, “It’s right here in the matrix.” We also reinforce it weekly through our “Customer Corner” segment on our field enablement calls. We spotlight a story, call out the AE and CSM involved, and make sure everyone knows how to use that content. People love the recognition, and the repetition ensures the message sticks – even if someone missed it the first time. ## What great case study data looks like In a perfect world, every case study would include three layers of data. First, platform-specific metrics – things like our Reputation Score, reviews, star ratings, or social signals. Second, year-over-year insights pulled by our amazing data science team. If I can get them involved, they’ll build beautiful data stories that speak for themselves. And third – this is the holy grail – customer KPIs. If a customer is willing to share their own internal business metrics, like occupancy rates, sales lift, or patient satisfaction scores, that’s a level of trust that speaks volumes. You could write a case study with just four killer stats and a single paragraph if the data is that good. ## My favorite use cases for case studies Honestly, I’m a broken record when it comes to repurposing content. Case studies fuel SEO, digital ads, email nurtures – you name it. We use them across the entire funnel, and we design each case study with multiple formats so it can work everywhere. One of my favorite use cases is at live events. We print case studies featuring industry peers and recognizable names. When someone walks by the booth and sees a brand they know, it makes an impression and gives them something valuable to take with them. We also create one-sheeters and summary slides to make it as easy as possible for our teams to use these stories on calls or in decks. It’s all about accessibility and relevance. ## How to keep your case studies fresh We do an annual audit of our case study library to keep things up to date. We check for branding changes, product updates, and we assess whether the data is still relevant. If a story is showing its age or the customer has churned, we archive it. As much as sales might want to hold onto it, referencing churned customers opens the door to conversations you don’t want to have. We also avoid adding specific years to our content. Instead, we’ll say something like “over a two-year period” so the story remains evergreen. If the data still holds up, the story can still be useful. That said, if a customer adds new products or grows with us, we treat that as a chance for a version 2.0 – an updated case study that shows how the relationship has evolved. And if a particular case study is driving a lot of traffic, but the customer is no longer current, we’ll 301 redirect that URL to a new, similar story. It preserves some SEO value while ensuring the content remains fresh and relevant. ## Final thoughts Case studies are one of the most versatile, high-impact tools in the customer marketer’s toolkit. When done right, they don’t just support marketing and sales – they educate your team, deepen customer relationships, and tell the most important story of all: how your product makes a difference in people’s lives and businesses. --- *This article was based on Cassie's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-up podcast*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/?%5F%5Fhstc=260976594.198b5721fc957b5da32595174924585c.1740997361424.1746607861831.1746781184322.53&%5F%5Fhssc=260976594.3.1746781184322&%5F%5Fhsfp=660705190)*.* ### The 5 customer data signals that power growth-stage marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-data-growth-stage-customer-journey/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:15:53.000Z As companies shift focus from acquisition to long-term retention, the growth stage of the customer journey is where marketing can make its biggest impact, and where data becomes absolutely essential. At BigCommerce, we’ve found that understanding your customers through data isn’t just useful, it’s the key to driving deeper engagement, smarter upsell and cross-sell strategies, and ultimately, better business outcomes. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-380.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/9-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Why data matters in the growth stage Data is incredibly powerful when it comes to serving your customers in ways that make sense for the business. I’m a huge data nerd, I spend a lot of my time analyzing it, drawing insights, and using it to shape our strategies. Data helps you scale your programs, shorten the time to value, and get to success faster. At BigCommerce, we have a "test and learn, fail fast" culture, which means we're always experimenting, whether it’s testing messaging, audience cohorts, or tactics. I love that, because it keeps us agile and focused on what actually works. That’s a big reason I love talking data. It's not that other companies aren’t paying attention to it, but I believe data should truly sit at the core of any [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) function. Data can tell so many different stories. With the rise of AI, automation, and other tools, the ways we can use data are expanding fast. I’m a huge proponent of using it in any way possible to drive programs forward and make a measurable impact on the business. When I think about the customer journey from a [B2B perspective](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/), I like to keep the stages simple: onboarding, growth, retention, and renewal/advocacy. - **Onboarding** is about helping new customers get started and find value quickly. - **Growth** is where customers are already successful and using your product – now it’s time to expand that value through new features, upsell, or cross-sell opportunities. - **Retention** is about keeping them happy, informed, and continually engaged through best practices and enablement. - **Renewal and advocacy** are where you turn loyal users into champions who share their success with others. Most customer marketing resources tend to focus on [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) (case studies, community building, and so on), which is all important. But there’s so much that comes before that. If we want customers to become champions, we have to support them through every stage that leads up to it. Personally, I’m especially passionate about retention marketing. The data can tell you who’s at risk of churning, and when you have that insight, you can proactively communicate with those customers and work to keep them engaged. But during the growth phase, the focus is on enabling, empowering, and supporting customers as they deepen their use of your product, and data is the key to doing that well. ## The five types of customer data to prioritize for growth If I had to choose just five types of [data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/) to inform growth programs, these would be my go-to: 1. **General account details** This includes things like tenure, company size, industry, product plan, and the personas we have relationships with. All of that helps build out more meaningful cohorts. When you know the broader context of an account, you can shape programs that are hyper-relevant. For example, I love building vertical-specific programs. If we’re targeting fashion brands, we can tailor everything (messaging, assets, examples) to fit that industry. Knowing your customers on this level makes your marketing smarter and more impactful. 1. **Account health** Using a health score matrix to determine whether a customer is healthy or at risk of churn is critical. It allows you to prioritize which accounts need attention and which are primed for growth. I could talk about health scores for hours, they’re that important. They’re not just for customer success. Customer marketing can (and should) use them to inform campaigns and interventions. 1. **Product usage** This one’s huge. If you know what features your customers are actively using, you can tailor your enablement accordingly. Launching a campaign about a new feature? Exclude users who’ve already adopted it. That way, you're only sending content to the people who will benefit from it. It all comes back to relevance and personalization. 1. **NPS and referenceable status** This is one of my favorites. Understanding how customers feel about your brand, whether they’d recommend you or not, is valuable for more than just your advocacy program. It adds another layer to your picture of account health. You might already include NPS in your health score, and that’s fine, but it’s useful to analyze independently, too. I’ve seen plenty of high-performing accounts that have neutral NPS scores but are still great advocacy candidates. 1. **Personas** If you know the types of users within an account, you can tailor your content more effectively. At BigCommerce, we think about technical vs. business personas. A technical persona wants documentation, how-tos, and in-depth feature breakdowns. A business persona wants results: “How does this [improve my ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/), revenue, or efficiency?” When you understand the "who," your messaging hits harder. All five of these data points together help you create more sophisticated, accurate cohorts. You avoid the trap of segmenting based on just one or two attributes, which can lead to generic messaging. If you really want to drive engagement during the growth stage, personalization is non-negotiable. One additional type of data I’ll call out, even though we’re focused on customer-specific data today, is success metrics. It’s important to track what’s working. Are you A/B testing your calls to action? Measuring campaign performance? That kind of data helps you iterate and improve. It’s just as essential for scaling customer growth programs effectively. [Why data-driven storytelling transforms marketingAs a career marketer who’s spent time both agency-side and in-house, storytelling has always been at the core of how Andy, CMO at Ceipal, approaches brand building.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-381.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAndy Weiss![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--8-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/) ## How to assess and apply these data points Let’s talk about how to actually assess the data you collect, especially when it comes to health scores and personas. Health scores are entirely dependent on your business goals and the data you have access to. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. A good health score is made up of key [success metrics or KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/empowering-advocacy-using-data-and-kpis-to-secure-resources-2/) that help indicate whether a customer is thriving, at risk, or somewhere in between. NPS can be part of it, but it’s important to think beyond that. For example, at one of my previous companies, our health score was primarily based on product usage and overall sentiment. Product usage was our leading indicator of both churn and retention. If someone wasn’t engaging with key features, we could use that signal to trigger campaigns or enablement to bring them back on track. That’s the kind of proactive marketing that customer marketing should be doing more of. In another scenario, we built health scores around business-level KPIs. One question we asked was: Does this customer consider us a long-term strategic partner? That may seem intangible, but it’s incredibly telling. If a customer sees you as part of their broader ecosystem, they’re far more likely to renew and grow with you. That level of insight is powerful. So, how do we capture those more qualitative inputs? For things like sentiment and long-term partnership potential, we rely on conversations between our Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and the customer. Our CSMs are trained to log those insights in our system, which feeds into the health score algorithm. In our case, about three out of ten KPIs in our health score are manually updated based on those trusted relationships. The rest are pulled automatically from product and engagement data. The point is, your health score should be a living, breathing reflection of what matters most to your business and your customers. It should blend hard metrics with soft insights to give you a full picture. And once you have that, you can act on it – personalize your outreach, prioritize accounts, and build campaigns that meet customers where they are. ## Using data to drive meaningful growth When I’m thinking about how to use data during the growth stage, I always start with the business goal. Let’s say the objective is to upsell services. The first step is to use data to build a cohort of customers who are the best fit for that offer – those who need the service, are ready for it, and haven’t recently purchased it. For example, if someone just bought services three months ago, they don’t need to hear from us again about the same thing. Blasting every customer with upsell messaging isn’t just ineffective – it can actively work against you. Data helps you narrow your audience, make the message relevant, and improve the chances of engagement. Relevance and personalization aren’t just buzzwords, they’re what move the needle on actual program performance. This kind of [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) doesn’t just improve efficiency, it enhances the quality of the customer experience. You can scale your efforts without sacrificing the personalized feel that customers value. That’s how customer marketing supports growth in a scalable way. It also supports [cross-functional alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligned-customer-teams-report/). CSMs are often focused on one-to-one interactions, especially in high-touch environments. Customer marketing, on the other hand, can help scale lifecycle strategies one-to-many, or even many-to-many. The better we are at using data to do that, the more helpful we become to CS teams – and the more buy-in we get for our programs. One point that often gets overlooked is that data doesn’t just tell you who to target – it also tells you who not to target. In a previous role, we had a rule in place: if an account was flagged as high churn risk, they were automatically excluded from upsell and cross-sell campaigns. Instead, our focus would shift to retention and support. These customers weren’t in the right headspace to expand, they needed reassurance and value delivery first. That’s a critical part of managing the growth stage well. If a customer isn’t realizing value from your product, it doesn’t matter how great your upsell offer is. You might even do damage by pushing too hard, too soon. That’s why growth isn’t just about new features or sales – it’s about enabling customers to realize the value they already have. Only then are they ready to expand. Get that right, and they’re not just open to growth: they’re eager for it. [Ultimate guide to customer segmentation.Customer segmentation is a tool used by businesses that sorts and categorizes your existing customers by certain characteristics. This tool has a multitude of benefits, which we’ll be going over in this comprehensive guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-382.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_segmentation_strategy.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) ## Collaborating cross-functionally to make data actionable While CS is absolutely one of my key partners, it’s just one part of a broader coalition I try to build at every company I’ve worked in. There are typically three to four teams I align with closely to solve customer-facing business problems in a strategic and scalable way. CS is at the core, they’re the team with the strongest direct relationships with customers. They’re often the first to hear feedback and the first to notice early signs of risk or opportunity. But then I layer in two other essential groups: the product team and the product marketing team. When these three teams – customer success, product, and customer marketing – work together, we form a really powerful task force. Product teams help guide everything from roadmap planning to persona development. Product marketing adds strategic messaging, positioning, and often brings valuable competitive analysis to the table. All of this informs how we approach our customer marketing programs – everything from content development to feature launches and adoption campaigns. The final piece of that coalition is the data and analytics team. They’re critical to helping us slice, segment, and prioritize based on real insights. Whether it's validating hypotheses, identifying trends, or measuring impact, data teams make everything more actionable. Bringing these teams together creates more than alignment; it builds consistency. We’re able to test new product experiences, align campaign timing, and speak with one unified voice across all customer touchpoints. That’s what prevents a fragmented experience where one team is saying one thing and another is saying something completely different. And for anyone in customer marketing: if you’re not already looped into what these teams are working on, make the effort. Even being a fly on the wall in their meetings will help you identify opportunities to support and collaborate. Another thing I’ve learned is that one of the best ways to deepen these relationships is by offering help. Don’t wait for teams to come to you, come to them with ideas and support. If product marketing needs help getting customers onto a call for messaging validation or competitive analysis, you can help. If product is looking for early adopters for a beta test, you can surface the right champions. I always suggest identifying a few ways you can add value, then ask the team to rank how well they think they’re doing in each area. Use that as a guide to tailor how you support them. That kind of proactive collaboration has been one of the biggest accelerators in my own career. It doesn’t just elevate the work we’re doing, it positions customer marketing as a strategic, cross-functional partner that everyone wants to work with. ## Where automation, AI, and real-life examples come into play AI is evolving fast, and while I wouldn’t call myself an expert in it yet, I’m a big believer in automation, especially for customer marketers with large customer bases. Scaling your efforts is critical for long-term success, and automation allows you to do that without sacrificing quality. At previous companies, I’ve used platforms like Gainsight to great effect. Gainsight pulled in customer data from multiple sources, ran it through a health score algorithm we designed, and automatically triggered programs based on specific criteria. Yes, the upfront work of building these programs was time-intensive, but once they were live, they were evergreen. That gave our team the time and bandwidth to focus on optimizing, iterating, and finding new ways to support customers and the business. Automation doesn’t just drive scale, it enables impact. Especially if you’re a team of one (or feel like one), making your time efficient and effective is everything. Tools that analyze data, summarize calls, or automatically surface customer insights can help you stay connected and focused, even with limited resources. ### Two ways data has directly driven growth and retention I’ll wrap up by sharing two real-world examples that show how we’ve used data to power meaningful results: **1\. Driving feature adoption with product usage thresholds** At one company, our health score was built around [product usage](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/recognize-product-value/). We identified a key sticky feature that had a big impact on customer retention. When customers dropped below the threshold for using that feature, our system triggered an automated enablement campaign – a multi-channel nurture with training, support, and even some fun swag. The result? A 35% increase in usage of that feature in a short timeframe. We knew this usage was tied closely to retention, so this was a huge win. It was also one of the first moments I really saw how customer marketing could go beyond advocacy and play a critical role in product adoption and long-term growth. **2\. Mitigating churn by identifying upgrade opportunities** In another instance, we noticed that customers on lower-tier plans were significantly more likely to churn. Once we identified that cohort through data analysis, we launched a targeted upgrade campaign. It focused on the benefits of moving to a higher tier, walked them through how to upgrade, and added some fun incentives. We even positioned it as an exclusive opportunity, like a secret club. That personalization and positioning worked. We saw strong upgrade rates, and more importantly, we were able to retain a segment that was previously high-risk. Both of these programs succeeded because we had access to the right data, used it to identify patterns and cohorts, and acted quickly with relevant, personalized messaging. That’s the magic of customer marketing when it’s driven by data, you're not just reacting; you’re strategically shaping the customer journey. --- *This article was based on Cetiera's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-up podcast*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/?%5F%5Fhstc=260976594.5cf710e7d61136534d1038501ee15d6c.1746003529522.1746003529522.1746003529522.1&%5F%5Fhssc=260976594.8.1746003529522&%5F%5Fhsfp=3264543542)*.* ### How human connection drives exceptional marketing results URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-human-connection-drives-exceptional-marketing-results/ Last updated: 2025-05-27T15:33:55.000Z As marketing becomes more saturated and customer attention harder to earn, personalization is no longer a “nice to have”: it’s the foundation for building trust, loyalty, and long-term value. At DailyPay, we’ve learned that effective personalization isn’t just about using someone’s name in an email – it’s about understanding who they are, what they need, and where they are in their journey. In this article, I’ll walk through the key principles that have shaped my approach to customer advocacy and personalization – from starting small and scaling with data, to re-engaging at-risk accounts, and creating surprise-and-delight moments that truly resonate. These are the strategies that have helped us build stronger relationships, even in moments of uncertainty, and they all start with putting the human connection first. ## Why personalization matters more than “Dear \[First Name\]” [Personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) isn't just about inserting a name into an email. It starts with data – knowing what you have and what you can actually act on. Before building out any kind of personalized experience, you have to understand what that personalization should be based on. For me, it's about seeing the ebb and flow of how people move in and out of different personas. People evolve, their needs shift, and if we treat them like they fit permanently into one static segment, we’re missing the mark. Personalization works best when it’s fluid. Whether it’s someone moving through a buying journey or discovering new use cases for a product, it’s our job to tailor experiences to where they are, not just where we think they should be. That’s where the power lies: in making people feel like you truly understand them. And when that happens, they gravitate toward your brand more naturally. Earlier in my career, I saw this firsthand in the email marketing world. We looked deeply at behavioral trends and served content accordingly, often before the user even realized they wanted it. That’s where the magic happens. It feels like serendipity to the user, but it’s all rooted in smart strategy. And when you do it right, you build trust. That’s the real outcome: personalization creates trust. [Maria Braune | Perfect personalization: Why human connection is vital for your marketing | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Maria Braune, Director of Client Advocacy at DailyPay, about perfect personalization and why human connection is vital for your marketing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-379.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/maria-braune-perfect-personalization-why-human-connection-is-vital-for-your-marketing-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### Creating connections in a world of competing priorities One thing that’s important to remember is that while you might feel like you're the only one trying to reach a customer, you’re not. In B2B, especially, a single contact at a company might be juggling multiple CSMs, tools, marketing messages, and beta invitations – just from one vendor. Multiply that by their full tech stack, and it’s overwhelming. So if you’re reaching out without [personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/privacy-vs-personalization-in-customer-marketing/) – without context – you’re probably getting ignored. I always encourage people to think about what makes a real relationship work. Sometimes, you don’t talk every day. But then out of the blue, you get a note from someone saying, “Hey, I saw this and thought of you.” That kind of message cuts through the noise. No ask. No pitch. Just a connection. That’s the spirit behind what I used to call "drive-by emails" – quick check-ins that say, “Hey, you came to mind.” Not only are they low-pressure, they’re powerful reminders that there’s a real person on the other side of the screen. ### Scaling personalization with purpose To truly scale personalization, you can’t just rely on instinct or manual outreach. You have to put in the work upfront. That means building data-driven cohorts, defining fluid personas, and constantly checking in to make sure the experiences you're offering still resonate. We do this in our own programs by tailoring journeys based on where a customer is in their lifecycle – are they in the [onboarding phase](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/)? Exploring new features? Expanding into new business units? Each of those paths requires a different approach. And it's never one-size-fits-all. It’s built from a matrix of behavioral signals and touchpoints, and it should evolve with the customer. People grow, products change, industries shift. So your personalization strategy has to keep up. I like to think of it like gentle nudges, guiding someone from one phase to the next without them even realizing they’re being led. It’s subtle, intentional, and grounded in a deep understanding of where they are – and where you want them to go. ### Start small and stay human It’s easy to get overwhelmed by data. Sometimes we get so deep into the metrics that we forget the human on the other end. That’s when personalization starts to feel mechanical, and people can sense that. The key is to begin with a few meaningful data points. What behaviors or patterns stand out? What content truly resonates? Start there. Build out personas based on those insights, but don’t treat them as fixed. Personas should be a starting point, not a box to lock someone into forever. Think about how to help that person evolve – from a new user to a champion, from curious to confident. And always remember: the end goal of personalization isn’t the message. It’s the movement. You’re guiding people forward, not just making them feel seen,but helping them grow with you. ## Where to begin with personalization If you’re stepping into personalization for the first time, especially as a new [customer marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/), my biggest advice is to stay humble and be willing to test everything. You’re going to have big ideas – your dream content, messaging, and journey flows – but some of them won’t land. And that’s okay. You have to figure out where the friction points are. Where are people dropping off? Are you overwhelming them? Are you hitting them with too much, too soon? Start with a single, simple journey – one or two moments that you’re already executing – and tweak just those. Watch what happens. Did engagement increase? Did users take the action you wanted them to? Then move to the next piece. Personalization doesn’t have to be overwhelming – it’s a series of informed experiments. I like to think of it as a hit list. Look at different stages of the customer journey and ask: “Where are we seeing drop-off? Where is engagement stale?” For example, if you’ve identified a “steady state” 13 weeks into the journey, think about how you might rejuvenate the experience there. Don’t try to personalize everything at once – start small and build momentum from what works. ### Why piloting personalization matters One of the smartest ways to introduce personalization is by framing it as a pilot. That word changes everything. It softens resistance, builds buy-in, and signals that this is an experiment, not a mandate. You’re not overhauling the entire customer experience; you’re testing a variation with a small cohort to see what impact it has. And here’s a pro tip: don’t start testing in high-stakes moments like upsell or expansion phases. Start earlier in the journey – during onboarding or early adoption. That’s where you have more room to adjust and refine. If you lose someone in those early moments, you still have time to rebuild trust. But if you lose someone during an upsell attempt, you may not get another shot. ### Personalization as an excuse to clean house Piloting also gives you the perfect opportunity to do some internal housekeeping. It’s a great excuse to take inventory of what you’re sending out and ask: what’s still useful? What’s just noise? I’ve had moments where I’ve gone to marketing ops and said, “Hey, we can probably trim some of this fat,” and they’re thrilled – because no one wants to be sending irrelevant content. At the same time, you’ll likely need to introduce some new messaging or functionality, which might mean tapping your dev team, your copywriters, or your designers. That’s where your approach matters. Lead with how you’re going to make things better, and build trust by keeping teams in the loop. It’s not about getting approval on every word or button. It’s about alignment. Does the team believe in the concept? Do they understand the “why” behind the change? Once you have that buy-in, you can keep them updated with results. Share what worked – was it a subject line? A repositioned call to action? – so they feel part of the journey without needing to control it. ### The power of cross-functional buy-in One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that cross-functional collaboration can make or break your personalization efforts. It’s not just about launching a program – it’s about bringing your internal stakeholders along for the ride. And that means setting expectations early, communicating transparently, and showing empathy for how busy everyone is. We’re all juggling so much, and change, especially unexpected change, can feel like a threat. When people aren’t looped in, their instinct is to resist. Not because they’re against you, but because they’re already stretched thin and relying on muscle memory to get through the day. Personalization isn’t just about connecting with customers. It’s also about connecting internally – with legal, sales, product, ops, and more. I like to think of our role as kind of like being B2B sports agents. We don’t just highlight customer stories – we elevate our colleagues, our teams, and our shared goals. That kind of internal [relationship-building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/develop-customer-relationships-using-personalization/) is just as important as any personalization journey you put in front of a customer. ## Why personalization fuels sustainable growth One of the most overlooked moments in a customer’s lifecycle is what happens after the initial excitement wears off – when the deal is signed, the platform is integrated, and the shiny new toy isn’t quite so shiny anymore. During acquisition, there’s typically a lot of attention: a salesperson is actively engaged, there's dedicated onboarding support, and it all feels personal. But once the customer hits that "steady state," that level of intimacy drops off – and that’s when personalization becomes not just important, but essential. In the growth stage, your customers are juggling multiple priorities, tools, and stakeholders. They’re being pulled in every direction. That’s exactly why your efforts need to cut through the noise. You can’t assume that just because a customer signed a contract, they’re fully bought in for the long haul. Engagement fluctuates. Usage dips. And if you're not paying attention to those early signs of disengagement, you risk [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/churn-101-the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-and-preventing-customer-loss/). This is where data becomes your best friend. Are they logging in? What features are they using? Where are they dropping off? And most importantly, are they seeing success? That’s the moment to lean in with personalized messaging – something that speaks directly to what they’re experiencing right now. And here's where [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-to-remove-friction-in-your-customer-advocacy/) becomes a powerful lever. Even if a customer’s usage is down, they may still be ideal candidates for things like webinars, blogs, or speaking opportunities. By inviting them to participate in these programs, you can re-engage them in a way that feels meaningful and personal. Sometimes just being asked to co-host a session or share a story is enough to spark a renewed interest in your platform. It’s not just about retention – it’s about deepening their connection to your brand. That’s the real power of personalization. ## Building anti-fragile programs through personalization [Personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) isn’t just a strategy for engagement – it’s a foundation for resilience. Especially in today’s climate, when acquisition is harder and resources are tighter, personalization helps you get more out of your existing customer base. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re not chasing net-new leads. You’re working with people who already said “yes.” This approach is what I call anti-fragile. It holds strong in both abundance and scarcity. It works whether you're in a growth phase or a more cautious, constrained environment. That’s why customer marketers are being asked to do more with less right now – to increase value from the install base without burning through budget or people. But for this to work, we have to do more than just talk about value. We have to show it. And that means personalizing not just our customer communications, but our internal ones, too. If you want to elevate personalization within your company, you need to speak the language of each department. Show legal how it reduces risk. Show sales how it supports renewals. Show product how it surfaces real user feedback. And when you go to execs, frame it in terms of overall business value and retention impact. It’s not a one-size-fits-all message internally, either. Just like with customers, it takes empathy, insight, and strategic storytelling. Personalization doesn’t just connect people to your brand – it connects your teams to a shared vision. And in today’s world, that alignment is everything. ## Personalization isn’t a cure for churn: But it can be a powerful deterrent Let’s be real: personalization won’t magically eliminate churn. I’ve seen customers leave even when everything on paper looked perfect – high adoption, great engagement, strong relationships. But churn can happen for reasons completely out of your control. A CEO chats with a competitor over dinner. A board makes a top-down decision to switch vendors. Sometimes you're just caught in a political game that has nothing to do with your service. That said, what personalization can do is build trust over time, and trust creates hesitation when someone starts to consider alternatives. If you’ve done your job building a personalized, relationship-first experience, your customers know you get them. They see the effort, the thoughtfulness in your communication and the relevance of your content. And when a competing vendor comes in with generic messaging, that contrast is glaring. It’s not about [preventing churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/) at all costs – it’s about being the kind of partner they’re reluctant to leave. A customer might say, “Maria really understands me. Her team has always treated me like a person, not just a contract.” That emotional loyalty matters. It might not stop churn every time, but it definitely slows it down. It buys you time. It gives you a fighting chance. ### Building advocacy during risk moments One of the most underrated strategies is looping in advocacy during churn-risk moments. Even if a customer’s platform engagement is slipping, they might still be open to things like events, panels, or co-hosting opportunities. And those invitations do more than just promote your brand – they remind customers of your value in a way that feels human. Sometimes the invitation alone reignites interest. It gets them thinking: “Wait, are we still using that platform the way we used to? Should we be doing more with it?” And suddenly, you’ve created a bridge – one that a CSM can walk across to re-engage that customer more meaningfully. I’ve seen customers who looked “cold” in the data light up again because they were invited to speak at a roundtable or share their story. That outreach made them feel seen, valued – and that made all the difference. ### When things go wrong, own it with empathy There are times when you will drop the ball. It happens. Software evolves quickly, customer needs change, and sometimes we just miss the mark. And when that happens, it’s on us to rebuild trust. Not with excuses. Not with polished talking points. With honesty and empathy. We’ve all seen it – the customer who stuck their neck out internally to champion your product. They convinced their boss. They got budget. They pushed through change management. And now it’s not working. They’re frustrated and maybe even embarrassed. That’s a human moment – and we need to show up for it as humans. This is where re-engagement programs can really shine. It’s not just about getting them to use your product more. It’s about restoring their confidence, helping them feel like a rock star again in front of their team. We should be asking: “How can I make this person look amazing at their next meeting?” That’s the mindset. ### Listening without fear One of the most powerful things we’ve done recently is invite customers to join our Client Advisory Board – even the ones with low adoption. Some people questioned that move: “Why are they on the list? Their usage is down.” But that’s exactly why I wanted them there. I wanted to hear directly from them: What’s not working? Why haven’t we delivered the impact we promised? And I wanted them in a room with high-engagement customers, so we could all learn together. Sometimes that means hearing hard truths over cocktails and dinner. But that’s how you grow. That’s how you spot potential red flags early and keep small problems from becoming systemic issues. Avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t make churn go away. But inviting those conversations? That’s how you protect your reputation and strengthen relationships – even if a customer does end up leaving. At the very least, they’ll remember that you listened. ### It's better they vent to you than to their boss This is one of my core philosophies: it’s always better for a frustrated customer to vent to you than to their boss. You want them to feel comfortable saying, “Here’s what’s not working.” And when they do, your job is to stop, listen, and say, “Yeah, you’re right. That would be frustrating.” Sometimes, you can fix it. Sometimes you can’t. But acknowledging the issue and showing that you care goes a long way. These moments matter. They’re where customer loyalty is either reinforced or eroded. ## How personalization sustained us through crisis If I think back to how personalization helped us through tough global moments like COVID or today’s economic challenges, it really comes down to this: it saves people time. And in moments of uncertainty, time becomes even more valuable. I remember those early Amazon days when they’d show me, “Here’s what you should read next,” and I’d think, thank you for thinking for me. You’ve saved me from falling down a rabbit hole of indecision. That’s what great personalization does. It gives people clarity. It says, “You’re here. This is your next best step.” And when we as marketers do that well, it doesn’t just feel helpful – it builds trust. During COVID, and even now as we navigate budget freezes and economic shifts, we leaned into that mindset. We delivered short, snackable content – things like quick videos, quotes, and case studies. Nothing overwhelming. Just small, perfectly-timed nudges. The kind of content that made customers think, “Oh, that’s what we should try next,” without them realizing we were gently guiding them forward. It’s all about timing, which starts with data. If someone’s been in the platform for a while, we know what they’ve done – and what they haven’t. That insight lets us tailor the right piece of content to the right moment. Not to overwhelm them, but to spark that internal momentum again. To say, “You’ve done this, now here’s what’s next.” That’s the goal. Not just to personalize for the sake of it, but to help people grow without even realizing they’re being led. ### The personal touch that sticks Personalization can be strategic, but it can also be joyful. One of the best applications I’ve seen came from a “surprise and delight” program. It reminded me that personalization doesn’t always have to be tied to product usage or metrics – it can simply be about making someone feel seen. We created a set of moments – life milestones like having a baby, getting married, or just celebrating a favorite sports win. CSMs could “spend” a few of these moments each quarter on customers they felt deserved something special. And it wasn’t just about sending a gift – it was about creating a story around it. The CSM would record a quick message, and we’d sometimes even loop in the customer’s boss to share a congratulatory video. That gift? It landed differently. It wasn’t transactional. It was layered with meaning. It said, “We see you. We care. You matter to us.” That’s the kind of personalization that sticks. Not because it’s flashy, but because it’s thoughtful. And in a world where everyone is moving fast and being pulled in a million directions, thoughtful wins every time. ## Final thoughts If I had to sum up personalization in one idea, it’s this: grow your customers without them knowing you’re growing them. Guide them gently. Build trust. Time things right. And always, always come from a place of understanding. It’s not about flashy tech or fancy segmentation. It’s about being the Amazon recommendation that shows up right when someone needs it – quietly, helpfully, without making a big fuss. That’s where the magic of personalization really lives. --- *This article was derived from Maria's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-up podcast*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/)*.* ### The AI behind Workday’s high-impact advocacy program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-program-ai/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T08:59:18.000Z Customer advocacy has never been more important – or more complex. In an era where trust drives decisions and peer validation outweighs polished marketing, turning happy customers into active brand champions is a business imperative. Enter artificial intelligence (AI): the technology transforming how we identify, engage, and scale customer advocacy like never before. But as AI reshapes the way we work, it’s not about replacing human connection – it’s about *amplifying* it. Because the truth is, advocacy isn't built on automation alone. It’s built on relationships, relevance, and the right story (told at the right time). ## Turning customer engagement into advocacy with AI Picture this: A customer purchases your product. Instantly, [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) begins tracking their journey – understanding their preferences, interests, and how they interact with your brand. But instead of just firing off generic automated emails, AI builds a fully personalized advocacy journey tailored specifically to that individual. It’s more than just [personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/). AI can craft detailed content that aligns precisely with each customer's interests. It can invite them to events that resonate with their needs, identify which social media platforms they’re most active on, and nudge them to share their experiences authentically. And it doesn’t stop there. ### AI that learns, adapts, and engages [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/) is constantly learning. It continuously tracks customer engagement, refines its understanding of their behavior, and adapts your engagement strategies in real-time. Imagine knowing the exact moment a customer is ready to become an advocate – and then sending them a perfectly timed email asking for a testimonial, review, or even a piece of user-generated content. Even more powerful? AI can highlight which customers are engaging the most, identify which stories are resonating best, and help you reward your most active advocates. Whether it's personalized gifts or early access to new products, AI ensures recognition is both meaningful and timely. It may sound like a dream, but AI is the secret weapon that makes this vision a reality. It’s where human connection meets machine intelligence. ## Why customer advocacy matters at every stage At Workday, we often say what our CEO has long believed: customers are your best sales team. That philosophy drives everything we do in our [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) program. We’re intentional about identifying our most loyal and satisfied customers and turning them into brand ambassadors – people who genuinely want to share how they’ve partnered with Workday and the impact it’s had on their organizations. ## Mapping advocacy to the buyer journey We’ve all seen the typical buyer journey: awareness, education, consideration, conversion, and community. What’s often overlooked is how customer advocacy plays a powerful role at every single stage. Let me walk you through how we align [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/) to each part of this journey: ### 1\. Awareness At the top of the funnel, it’s about visibility. Think press releases, social media cards, and announcements about customer go-lives or new deals. These moments, paired with authentic customer quotes, help generate buzz and credibility. ### 2\. Education Here, we tap into third-party validation – analyst reviews, Gartner reports, TrustRadius rankings. When customers leave reviews that land us in a top quadrant or rating, it’s their voice doing the talking, not ours. ### 3\. Consideration This is where advocacy shines brightest. We lean heavily on in-depth case studies, video testimonials, real-world use cases, and value-driven infographics. It’s about showing – not telling – how our solutions deliver measurable results. ### 4\. Conversion When a prospect is almost ready to commit, that’s when we bring in peer-to-peer engagement. We offer one-on-one customer reference calls to address specific concerns and share direct experiences. Lately, we’ve taken this a step further with customer reference roundtables – a single customer speaking to a group of prospects. These sessions are incredibly impactful, offering honest, unscripted insights that help move deals across the finish line. ### 5\. Community Beyond the purchase, we nurture a thriving customer community. It’s a space where our customers connect, collaborate, and share their stories with one another. That sense of connection reinforces their loyalty and builds even more advocates organically. ## Building a structured customer advocacy program Let me walk you through how we’ve structured our [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/) at Workday. It’s been designed with clear goals, targeted personas, and dedicated teams – each contributing to business impact in a focused way. ### Defining the goal Every successful customer advocacy program needs a clearly defined objective. At Workday, we grounded ours in two core outcomes: 1. Increasing brand awareness 2. Driving revenue growth by supporting pipeline and influencing deals If you’re a customer marketer or leading advocacy efforts, you need to stay close to the numbers – especially sales numbers – if you want to create real impact and earn your seat at the table. ### Focusing on the right personas With those goals in mind, we identified the key personas that advocacy efforts should support. At Workday, we focus on four primary executive roles: - CFO (Chief Financial Officer) - CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) - CSO (Chief Security Officer) - CIO (Chief Information Officer) By aligning advocacy content and reference efforts to these personas, we can ensure relevance and resonance throughout the buyer journey. ## The four pillars of advocacy at Workday We’ve structured our program into four pillars, each with a dedicated team responsible for driving measurable outcomes. ### 1\. Customer references This is one of the most critical and high-impact areas. The references team handles onboarding customer advocates and mapping them to the right prospects. This includes setting up one-on-one reference calls as well as group calls and Customer Reference Roundtables (CRRs), where a single customer shares their story with multiple prospects. These activities directly influence the pipeline and support revenue generation. ### 2\. Public advocacy This pillar is arguably the most challenging. Legal constraints and corporate communication policies often limit what customers can publicly say about their vendor partnerships. But we work closely with our advocates to participate in events, webinars, case studies, video testimonials, and more. These [stories are powerful](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) – and when done right, they elevate the brand in ways traditional marketing can’t. ### 3\. Analyst relations Our analyst advocacy team identifies and engages customers who are willing to share their experiences on platforms like Gartner, TrustRadius, G2, and others. Positive reviews and strong analyst feedback help position our products effectively in the market and build trust with new prospects. ### 4\. Customer community We’ve built a vibrant community called the Ask Makers Collective, where customers – especially from finance and planning – connect, share insights, and learn from each other. This community-driven advocacy helps maintain strong relationships and creates a feedback loop that informs everything from product development to go-to-market strategy. ### Advocacy takes a village A strong customer advocacy program doesn’t exist in isolation. It requires alignment across multiple teams. At Workday, we closely collaborate with: - Customer Success Managers - Product Marketing - Sales - Demand Generation - Product teams Turning a customer into an advocate is a team sport. It takes cross-functional coordination, shared goals, and a unified understanding of what success looks like. ## How we're using AI in customer marketing After laying out the structure of our customer advocacy program, I want to shift gears and talk about something that’s transforming how we work – AI in customer marketing. AI plays a crucial role across the board. It enables problem solving, creates deeply personalized experiences, helps us craft compelling customer stories, and ensures those stories reach the right audience at the right time. At Workday, AI isn’t just a futuristic concept – it’s already powering many of our advocacy activities today. We’ve grouped our AI use cases into three primary buckets. Let me walk you through each one and the specific tools we use. ### 1\. Content and storytelling This is by far our strongest use case for AI. When I talk about content and storytelling, I mean the full lifecycle of customer story creation – whether it’s a webinar, case study, video testimonial, or sales reference. AI supports us from start to finish. **From data to narrative** We start by using AI to gather and analyze customer data based on product usage, demographics, and behavior. The AI then generates compelling narratives tailored by industry, buyer persona, and business outcomes. At Workday, we focus heavily on both industry- and persona-driven messaging, and AI helps us build those narratives with precision. **Building briefs and scripts** Once a narrative is in place, we may identify a specific customer – let’s say, someone like Martha from Customer Marketing Alliance. We input Martha’s name and her company into the AI tool, which then scans her public content and social media, understands her interests, and generates a personalized story brief. This brief includes suggested questions I should ask during an interview, based on her role, her company, and her digital footprint. **Transforming transcripts into content** After the interview, we use AI tools to turn transcripts into formatted quotes, grouped by theme – industry, product, persona, or value message. If it’s a video interview, the AI can cut it into short, high-impact snippets, add stock or branded B-roll, and create a polished final video. **The tools we use** Here are the four main tools we rely on for this process: - **Anyword** – This tool helps us write narratives, scripts, and even generate interview questions. It includes a great feature called Prompt Enabler, which helps refine prompts to improve AI outcomes. Essentially, it helps you tell the AI exactly what you want, so the AI can give you exactly what you need. It’s AI helping you use AI – very meta, but very effective. - **Edge & Decay** (in-house tool) – We use this internally to support various aspects of content creation and storytelling. - **An automated reference tool** – This one’s incredible. It records reference calls, transcribes them, extracts quotes, and even sends those quotes to the customer for review and approval – completely automatically. Once approved, the quotes are pushed into our internal system and flagged for campaign managers to use. - **SlapFive** – A fantastic tool that simplifies video reference collection. It sends a prompt link to the customer advocate, who can record themselves answering predefined questions. Once submitted, the tool generates a clickable storyboard with embedded videos, which we use as a powerful reference asset in late-stage sales cycles. All of this is happening now – it’s not a vision. We’re actively using these tools every day. ### 2\. Data analytics Once we’ve created and shared our stories, we need to measure their impact. AI helps us track which stories are performing well, what kind of outreach they’re driving (like LinkedIn engagement or lead generation), and most importantly, how they influence revenue. For example, if we host a group reference call with 10 prospects, we feed those participants directly into our CRM. The CRM then maps each prospect to open opportunities – say, a $1M deal – and connects their engagement with the advocacy activities they’ve experienced. At Workday, customer marketing has a revenue target. That means we’re responsible for showing how the content we create and the advocacy moments we drive directly contribute to pipeline and closed revenue. AI helps us do that with precision. ### 3\. Predictive analytics and personalization This is all about amplification – getting the right story to the right audience, at the right time. We start by feeding a target audience into the system. AI then analyzes their interests, behaviors, and demographics. Based on that, it matches them with existing customer stories and sends out personalized content that aligns with what they’ve shown interest in. It’s predictive analytics in action – we’re anticipating what our audience cares about, then delivering content that speaks directly to those needs. It’s a game-changer for campaign performance and engagement. ## Real impact: How AI is changing the game Let’s talk about impact – because that’s what really matters. We’ve been using AI in our [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) efforts for about a year now, and the results have been significant. We’re seeing an increase in ROI, generating more leads, and contributing more directly to revenue. One of the biggest shifts is our ability to finally connect the dots and report on the exact impact of our efforts. Before, we were doing great work, but we didn’t always have the data to prove it. AI has changed that. ### Time savings and efficiency The impact isn't just in numbers – it’s also in time. A good example: at our annual Workday Rising event last year, we recorded 60 customer videos. Without AI, it took us six months to turn those raw recordings into polished content ready to go live. This year, we produced 65 videos – and AI helped us complete the entire process in just two months. That’s a four-month reduction in production time. And the quality didn’t drop – we were still able to align each video with our messaging and goals. That’s the power of efficiency at scale. ### Real-time personalization and stronger relationships Thanks to AI, we’re building better relationships with our customers, too. In our customer community, we’ve introduced an AI-powered chatbot that provides 24/7 support. It doesn’t just answer questions – it actively maps customer issues to the right teams, whether that’s customer success or product, ensuring they get timely and relevant support. ### Smarter marketing measurement As I mentioned earlier, we now have better visibility into how our advocacy efforts are performing. AI allows us to track and measure outcomes more effectively – whether it's engagement, lead generation, or revenue influenced. We know what’s working, and we can course-correct in real time. ### Faster, more strategic decisions AI is also speeding up decision-making. With the right data in front of us, we can act quickly, reduce unnecessary costs, and focus our efforts where they matter most. Whether it's choosing which content to prioritize, which prospects to target, or which stories to amplify, AI gives us the confidence to make faster, smarter decisions. --- AI is evolving fast, and its role in marketing is expanding just as quickly. It’s helping businesses grow more efficiently, serve customers better, and deliver real ROI. But as marketers, we also need to stay mindful of the ethical implications of AI – how it’s used, what data it relies on, and how we ensure it remains a tool for good. I’m not an AI expert – but I can confidently say that the results we’re seeing at Workday are exciting, impactful, and just the beginning. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Meenakshi at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, New York 2025** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2025-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=h0yq5owbrq&wmediaid=xlufcza0s4)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### How to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-excel-in-the-digital-workplace-customer-marketer/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T10:57:47.000Z As the digital workplace continues to evolve, customer marketers must rethink how they build relationships, foster advocacy, and scale connection. At Google Workspace, I’ve found that the most impactful strategies are the ones that prioritize human connection – whether we’re working face-to-face, across time zones, or entirely online. That means embracing digital tools not just for efficiency, but for inclusion, flexibility, and authenticity. It means showing up early in the customer journey, co-creating meaningful content, and making space for every voice, not just the loudest or most visible. In this article, I’ll share the strategies and lessons that have shaped my approach to customer marketing in a digital world – from rethinking events, to building community, to finding the balance between high-touch and scalable. These are the insights I’ve gathered by listening closely, collaborating often, and staying open to what’s next. [Meaghan Sullivan | How to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Meaghan Sullivan, Marketing Customer Programs Lead at Google, about how to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-389.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/meaghan-sullivan-how-to-excel-in-the-digital-workplace-as-a-customer-marketer-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## The differences between digital and in-person customer interaction As [customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/), most of our interactions with customers are digital. We email, we chat, we jump on video calls and we’ve become really skilled at building meaningful connections without ever being in the same room. That’s just the reality of how we work today. That said, there’s something uniquely valuable about meeting customers in person. Whether it’s for a video testimonial, a customer event, or even just a casual coffee, face-to-face interactions create a different level of connection. They remind us that these are real people behind the stories we’re telling – not just names in a database or email threads. When we get to share a physical space, even briefly, it deepens the relationship and helps bring those human stories to life in a powerful way. Of course, we can’t meet every customer in person. It's simply not scalable, or sustainable. We’re often supporting hundreds, thousands, or even millions of customers, depending on the size and scope of our organization. That’s where digital really becomes essential. It allows us to connect with customers at scale in a way that's efficient, flexible, and mindful of resources – both ours and theirs. ### Making digital collaboration work One of the biggest advantages of digital interaction is the ability to collaborate asynchronously. We can work across time zones, schedules, and work styles without needing to coordinate constant live meetings. That flexibility is key, especially when working with executives or senior stakeholders whose time is incredibly limited. In [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), we’re always thinking about how to minimize the lift for our customers. Before we even get into the details of an ask, one of the first things sellers want to know is: how much time will this take from the customer? And that’s the right question to ask. We never want to burden customers – we want to create value. So if we can say, “This will only require a quick review in a shared doc,” or “There’s just one short call at the end,” it makes it easier for everyone to engage. That’s where a thoughtful digital strategy really shines. It allows us to be respectful of people’s time while still delivering compelling, collaborative experiences that spotlight customer success. And ultimately, that’s what customer marketing is all about. ## How digital has transformed customer marketing There’s no doubt that the digital space has transformed customer marketing, especially over the last few years. Big challenges, like the global pandemic, forced us to pivot quickly. But in doing so, we uncovered new strategies that continue to improve how we connect and work every day. When the world went into lockdown, we had to completely rethink how we engaged with customers. At Google, we were in the middle of planning Google Cloud Next – our biggest in-person event of the year, usually drawing over 50,000 attendees to the Bay Area. Suddenly, we had to take that global event online. And we knew we still owed our customers a great experience, from speakers to participants to anyone looking to learn and grow. The first year, we rolled out a multi-week digital program. It was a huge effort, and we learned a lot,especially about digital fatigue and online engagement. The next year, we adjusted to a more condensed three-day format. Every iteration taught us more about what makes digital events successful. ## Creativity and authenticity in a digital-first world The shift to digital didn’t just change how we meet, it also reshaped how we create. One of the customer videos I’m most proud of was filmed during the pandemic with Ulta Beauty. We had a tiny on-site crew – just a camera and sound person in full PPE – and conducted the entire interview remotely from my apartment, with a laptop on a stool. Watching that final cut, you’d never guess the circumstances behind it. It reminded me how resourceful we can be when we need to be – and how those constraints often lead to creative breakthroughs. That experience opened the door to remote filming strategies we still use today. It's more cost-effective, reduces the need for travel, and still delivers high-impact results. In many ways, we may never have explored that approach without the pressure of a global challenge pushing us to think differently. More recently, we’ve been focusing on even more authentic, grassroots-style content. Tools like Vocal Video allow us to collect short, self-recorded clips from customers who simply tell us why they love Google Workspace or what they’ve built using it. These videos are genuine, relatable, and incredibly scalable. You don’t need fancy B-roll or a big production team – just real voices, telling real stories. That kind of content resonates, and it helps us capture more diverse customer perspectives than ever before. Authenticity is becoming an essential part of modern customer marketing. It’s another tool in our toolkit – one that helps us engage more customers in more meaningful ways, no matter where they are in the world. ## Building relationships digitally One of the key strategies I’ve adopted in the digital workplace is maintaining regular connection points with my top advocates and most engaged customers. Whether it’s through monthly or quarterly video meetings, or ongoing chats with them and their comms teams, I try to create a cadence that feels like a real partnership. These conversations don’t always have to be formal – they’re about maintaining a human connection, even when we’re working remotely. I aim to be a true extension of their team. Their goals are my goals. I want them to feel supported, and that means breaking down the formality that can sometimes come with reference and [advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-value-connection-why-customer-advocacy-belongs-in-customer-success/?%5Fgl=1%2A1f7e54%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTU0OTMzNzMwNy4xNzQ0NzEyODU5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0NDcxMjg1OS4xLjEuMTc0NDcxMjg2My4wLjAuMA..), especially when we’re not interacting face-to-face. Using messaging tools to keep the conversation going between meetings has helped create that feeling of continuity and trust. ### Embracing the right tools Naturally, I use Google Workspace tools exclusively to collaborate with customers. I connect with them via my Pixel phone, and we work together through tools like Google Meet, Google Chat, Docs, Slides, and more. And while this might sound like a commercial, what’s exciting is that no matter what productivity suite your organization uses, these kinds of digital tools have become universal in helping us stay connected. Years ago, when I was in sales, most customer interaction happened through phone calls – headsets and desk phones were the norm. Now, we’re meeting face-to-face on video calls. It’s made us more connected than ever, and it helps humanize our interactions in a way that audio alone never could. We also use messaging platforms to collaborate asynchronously. Whether it’s individual chats or shared spaces, these tools allow us to stay aligned and move projects forward without always needing a meeting. And increasingly, we're using video conferencing tools not just for conversation, but for content creation, like filming customer interviews or testimonials. It’s amazing to see how creative and effective these solutions have become. ### Creating frictionless advocacy experiences When it comes to [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/?%5Fgl=1%2A1f7e54%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTU0OTMzNzMwNy4xNzQ0NzEyODU5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0NDcxMjg1OS4xLjEuMTc0NDcxMjg2My4wLjAuMA..), one of the most important things we can do is create a seamless, intuitive experience for our customers. Tools in the advocacy tech space allow us to scale relationships, personalize engagement, and build vibrant communities. These platforms help ensure customers can participate in advocacy efforts easily, without unnecessary friction. Community is a key part of digital strategy. Whether you’re [building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/?%5Fgl=1%2Awjapb0%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTU0OTMzNzMwNy4xNzQ0NzEyODU5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0NDcxMjg1OS4xLjEuMTc0NDcxMjg2My4wLjAuMA..) it from scratch or supporting one that’s already forming organically, the goal is to give customers a space to connect, contribute, and feel valued. When customers feel like they’re truly part of something, they’re more likely to stay engaged and advocate for your brand. ### Co-creating with customers Some of the most meaningful moments in customer marketing come from true collaboration. Something as simple as co-writing a blog in a shared Google Doc can be surprisingly powerful. When a customer is leaving comments, making edits, and helping to shape their own story, it creates a deeper sense of ownership – and a stronger final piece. Those moments, when you see a customer editing right alongside you, even from halfway around the world, are incredibly energizing. It’s a reminder of why we do this work. We’re helping customers tell their stories, and we’re doing it together – no matter the distance. These shared digital experiences can feel just as real and connected as being in the same room. The tools we have today allow us to bridge time zones, geographies, and organizations to build something meaningful. That’s the power of the digital workplace when it’s done right. ## Embracing hybrid experiences One of my favorite parts of working in the digital space has been the evolution of digital and hybrid events. Before I joined Google Cloud, nearly all customer events I worked on required us – and our customers – to travel. We’d spend a lot of time coordinating logistics and hoping key speakers could make it. But there were always hurdles: conflicting schedules, travel restrictions and budget constraints. Sometimes, the customers we most wanted to feature couldn’t attend simply because of practical limitations. The rise of digital events changed all of that. Suddenly, we could create experiences that didn’t require everyone to be in the same room. And now, we’ve entered this new phase – hybrid events – that bring together the best of both worlds. They allow us to create a more inclusive experience by opening the doors to a wider range of participants. Not everyone can travel, and not everyone needs to. Hybrid events give customers options. Maybe a company’s executive team attends in person, while their IT admin team joins remotely. This flexibility helps us bring in a more diverse set of voices, which is so important in customer marketing. We want panels that reflect different roles, regions, and perspectives – and digital access makes that possible in a way in-person-only events never could. Being part of the shift to digital and hybrid strategies has been one of the most exciting parts of my work. It’s shown me how we can apply the lessons of digital to physical experiences, and vice versa. Ultimately, it’s about creating access and making customer marketing more inclusive and impactful for everyone involved. ## The future of customer marketing in a digital world Looking ahead, I think customer marketing will continue to be shaped by this balance between digital and physical engagement. We’re all learning how to operate in a hybrid world – not just in marketing, but in how we work and live. That same mindset needs to apply to our marketing strategies as well. We’ll keep refining how we bring customers into advocacy efforts, from outreach to execution. Some experiences will be digital-first, others may be rooted in face-to-face connection, and many will blend the two. The key is staying flexible and open to change. I also think we’ll continue to learn from one another. Whether it’s through industry events, webinars, community forums, or just following the work others are sharing, customer marketers have an incredible opportunity to collaborate across organizations and learn from each other’s successes and setbacks. If there’s one constant in this space, it’s evolution. We’re always adapting – adapting to customer needs, to global events, to new tools and technologies. And when we stay curious, connected, and focused on creating meaningful relationships, we’ll keep finding better ways to tell customer stories and build stronger communities, no matter what the future looks like. ## Creating connection through the customer lifecycle The digital workplace has become a powerful tool, not just because it makes things more efficient, but because it supports a deeper level of human connection. It’s not just about automating workflows or streamlining collaboration; it’s about creating something that works for you and your customers, in a way that feels personal and supportive. That’s why I think it’s so important for customer marketing to embrace a full lifecycle approach. It’s no longer just about getting a quote or case study at the end of a successful implementation. It’s about supporting the customer journey from day one. How are we helping customers adopt and engage with our products early on? Are we making it easy for them to succeed right out of the gate? Are we showing up for them when they hit those first important milestones? To me, being part of a customer’s journey – early and often – is essential. We should be celebrating those initial wins, not just the headline successes. Even something as small as using a product for the first time or completing a new training course deserves acknowledgment. And when customers know they can reach out and feel supported along the way, they’re more likely to stay engaged and become advocates naturally. That’s where digital tools come in. They give us the ability to be present and responsive at scale. Whether it's a welcome message, a resource hub, or a community forum, these touchpoints help us build strong, lasting relationships. It's a two-way street – and digital connection is what makes that possible, especially early in the journey. ## The future is unified, human-centered, and connected As we look to the future of customer marketing, I believe the next big shift is going to be around creating unified, consistent experiences across the customer lifecycle. It’s not just about creating individual touchpoints – it’s about connecting those touchpoints into something that feels seamless and intentional. That means building systems that help customers feel known, supported, and celebrated at every stage of their journey. Whether they’re onboarding, learning, contributing to a community, or becoming a public advocate, they should feel like they’re part of one continuous, supportive experience, not a fragmented series of interactions. We’ll still use a variety of tools – LMS platforms, community portals, advocacy hubs – but we’ll get better at hiding the seams. We’ll focus more on consistency and personalization, making sure customers feel like they're on a clear path with us, rather than jumping from one disconnected system to another. At the heart of all this is a simple idea: when customers succeed, we succeed. Our job as customer marketers is to be there, early and often, helping them build confidence, grow their voice, and tell their story – on their terms. And the digital space, when used thoughtfully, gives us everything we need to do just that. ### How to find the right customer passion topics to engage customer interests URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engage-customer-interests/ Last updated: 2025-04-11T12:15:57.000Z As expectations rise and audiences become more diverse, customer marketers are under pressure to create programs that not only deliver value but also feel deeply personal and relevant. At Jamf, we’ve found that the key to lasting connection is focusing on people first. That means listening more than assuming, building community with intention, and constantly adapting based on what customers actually care about – not just what we think they need. In this article, I’ll share some of the core principles that have guided our approach, from discovering customer passion points to choosing the right platforms, gathering feedback, and turning insights into real action. These are the lessons I’ve learned through trial, error, and a whole lot of listening. ## Starting with customer value When people are just beginning in customer marketing or [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/), it’s common to unintentionally start from the wrong place. There’s often a rush to focus on [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) or company goals – what the organization wants to achieve – before truly considering what the customer needs. But the foundation of any successful program starts with one essential question: How can I provide value to our customer base? That’s the real starting point. If we’re not thinking about what customers want, what matters to them, and how we can deliver something meaningful, the program won’t attract or retain their attention – and it won’t succeed. It’s also critical not to make assumptions. Get to know your customers deeply and intentionally. Use a mix of methods to understand who they are, what motivates them, and what challenges they face. From there, you can build programs that resonate and deliver lasting value. That’s what creates the foundation for long-term success. ## Choosing the right format for engagement Over the years, I’ve written all kinds of [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) – everything from obituaries and personal profiles to ebooks and newsletters. What I’ve learned is that there’s no single format that works for everyone. People have different personalities and preferences. Some love a deep dive in a weekly newsletter, others prefer the ease and flow of a podcast, while others just want bite-sized updates on [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-resurrect-your-case-study-content-using-social-media/). Because of that, content strategy can’t be one-size-fits-all. An ebook might be perfect for one segment of your audience, while another would completely ignore it in favor of a quick blog post. It all comes back to knowing your audience and accepting that you’re not working with a static product, you’re working with people. Real humans, with changing needs and shifting interests. That’s one of the biggest challenges in [community management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-community-led-growth/). Unlike a product you can iterate on and control, people evolve, and so must the way we engage with them. It takes experimentation, attention, and adaptability to meet them where they are and continue delivering value as those needs evolve. ## Gathering feedback that matters When it comes to [getting feedback from customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/), we tend to overthink it. We go straight to brainstorming some elaborate or creative tactic, when really, the best way to get feedback is simple: just ask. The key is to ask in multiple formats. Some people are happy to complete a longer survey if there’s a strong enough incentive, like a gift card. Others will only engage if it’s short and targeted – if you ask about the one or two things they really care about. Offering a way to provide bite-sized feedback often results in more thoughtful, higher-quality insights. It also matters where and how you’re asking. Surveys can be useful, but they require time and often rely on writing skills that not everyone feels confident in. On the other hand, inviting people to a 30-minute roundtable can yield far richer feedback than a dozen written responses ever could. And once you’ve gathered feedback, don’t stop there. One of the biggest frustrations I’ve heard from customers is when they take the time to share their thoughts, but never hear back about what was done with them. We need to explain *why* we’re asking, *how* their input is being used, and what actions it led to. That kind of transparency turns feedback into a real relationship – and reinforces trust in the process. ## Discovering customer passions through human connection One of my favorite parts of community building and [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) is uncovering what people are truly passionate about. Understanding what motivates someone is key to bringing them value, and that starts with recognizing the human behind the customer. Passion points aren’t discovered through complex processes. It’s actually very simple: we listen. Think about the way you interact with your friends – whether you're catching up over dinner or chatting at a get-together. You share stories, ask questions, and learn about each other. The same should be true in our communities. We need to create more opportunities for genuine conversation. That might mean virtual or in-person meetups, social media challenges, or simply leaving room for open communication. The format doesn’t matter as much as the intention: making space for real people to share what matters to them. Even small cues can be powerful. I’ve often said I dislike Zoom backgrounds – not because they look bad, but because they erase one of the richest sources of insight. When you can see someone’s environment, you learn about them. Maybe there’s a Baby Yoda on the shelf, a wall of guitars, or a piano in the corner. These little details open doors to deeper conversations and stronger relationships. They spark connections – not just between us and the customer, but between customers themselves. Too often, we skip ahead to business outcomes: ROI, metrics, end goals. But if we don’t take the time to understand people first, we won’t build the trust and connection needed for a program to thrive. The foundation of strong [community and advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-101-a-complete-guide/) is always human. ## Letting customers guide your channel strategy Choosing the right social media platform for a community isn't about guessing where people might want to engage – it’s about understanding who they are on a deeper level. That means going beyond roles and titles. While personas have their place in marketing, they can only take you so far. Real connection comes from knowing the individual people behind those labels. What kind of life do they lead? How many kids do they have? What kind of work do they do, and where did they come from? These personal details help paint a clearer picture of where and how someone might prefer to engage. When we were reworking parts of our community last year, I spent time meeting one-on-one with members. I asked a simple question: What social media platforms do you use in your personal life and why? The answers gave me direct insight into where people were already active and what types of experiences they valued. Instead of assuming our customers would gravitate toward a certain space, we let them tell us. That’s the key. Too often, community managers pick a platform based on what we think will work. But if we just ask, listen, and observe, our audience will show us where they want to be. It’s a much stronger starting point for building meaningful engagement. ## Turning engagement into action When it comes to translating customer passions and preferred engagement styles into meaningful internal changes, it doesn’t have to be complicated. The formula is simple: build, watch, and iterate. Build something based on what you’ve learned about your community. Watch how it performs – who engages, who doesn’t, and why. Then iterate. Adjust your strategy over time, because you're working with people, not static data points. Paying close attention to what resonates and what falls flat allows you to evolve your processes in a way that truly serves your customers. ## Contributing to the future of customer marketing I’m incredibly excited to be involved in programs like the Customer Marketing Fellowship, because they create space for learning, sharing, and growing together as a community. Building a strong, engaged customer base is not an overnight process. Done well, it's slow and steady – and that's exactly how it should be. Throughout my journey, I’ve picked up a lot of lessons, and if I can help others avoid some of the early missteps and start from a stronger foundation, that’s a win. There’s so much potential in this space, and it’s growing at an incredible pace. Being part of that conversation – hearing fresh ideas, sharing experiences, and imagining what the future can look like – is one of the most energizing parts of the work. At Jamf, I’m constantly inspired by our community members – especially those involved in Jamf Nation and our Jamf Heroes programs. Their passion is unmatched. If there’s one thing every community manager hopes for, it’s to foster that kind of energy and commitment. Passionate community members don’t just engage – they shape the culture and direction of the community itself. I’m endlessly grateful for them, and I truly believe that passion is the heartbeat of any thriving customer community. --- This article is based on Jeni’s appearance on our [*Learning with Leadership podcast*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-how-to-find-the-right-customer-passion-topics-to-engage-customer-interests-leadership-accelerator-program/). You can listen to the full episode and others like it in our [podcast hub](https://media.thealliance.io/podcasts/?filter=podcast-filter-community-cma). ### Dark social: Tracking and leveraging private sharing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/dark-social-tracking/ Last updated: 2025-04-22T13:08:26.000Z The term “dark social” was coined in 2012 by American journalist Alexis Madrigal in [an article in The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/10/dark-social-we-have-the-whole-history-of-the-web-wrong/263523/), titled “*Dark Social: We Have the Whole History of the Web Wrong*”. He used it to refer to content shared through private channels like instant messaging and email, making it extremely difficult to track and measure. It accounts for a significant portion of social sharing, meaning there’s a lot of untapped potential you should be considering—after all, as a CMO or marketing leader, understanding and leveraging dark social can help you drive brand [awareness](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-your-brand-through-customer-storytelling/) and [engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/). ## What is dark social? As mentioned, dark social is all about the content that can’t be tracked by [analytics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/) tools since it’s shared in private spaces, from SMS to messaging apps. While this content might be invisible to you, it can still influence consumer behavior and brand perception. > [@marketing.alliance](https://www.tiktok.com/@marketing.alliance?refer=embed "@marketing.alliance") > > Heard of dark #social? There’s a lot of untapped potential you should be considering, as this type of #content accounts for a significant portion of social sharing. #socialmedia #contentmarketing #marketing #marketingtips #fy #fyp #messaging #growthmindset #privacymatters > > [♬ original sound - Revenue Marketing Alliance - Marketing Alliance](https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-Revenue-Marketing-Alliance-7416329697206995718?refer=embed "♬ original sound - Revenue Marketing Alliance - Marketing Alliance") For example, imagine a [marketing director](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/learning-with-leadership-a-customer-marketing-podcast/) shares a unique discount code for an upcoming product launch in a private WhatsApp group with close friends and family. The link will take the users to the site, but tracking is nearly impossible as conversations are encrypted within this platform. In addition, what if the group forwards the message to their contacts, who further share it in other private chats and direct messages on Instagram and Facebook? Despite the company's extensive [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) tracking, they notice an unexpected surge in [conversions](https://www.cmoalliance.com/user-intent-the-true-secret-to-amazing-conversion-rates/) and website traffic, with no clear source in their analytics. > *“One dirty secret of web analytics is that the information we get is limited. If you want to see how someone came to your site, it's usually pretty easy. When you follow a link from Facebook to The Atlantic, a little piece of metadata hitches a ride that tells our servers, 'Yo, I'm here from Facebook.com.' We can then aggregate those numbers and say, 'Whoa, a million people came here from Facebook last month,' or whatever.* > *“There are circumstances, however, when there is no referrer data. You show up at our doorstep and we have no idea how you got here. The main situations in which this happens are email programs, instant messages, some mobile applications\*, and whenever someone is moving from a secure site ("https://mail.google.com/blahblahblah") to a non-secure site (http://www.theatlantic.com).* > *“This means that this vast trove of social traffic is essentially invisible to most analytics programs.” — *Alexis Madrigal** ## Ethical concerns with dark social While dark social itself is a neutral concept and not inherently ethical or unethical, the ethical considerations depend on how it is used and how orgs respond to it. For example, if marketers try to exploit private channels for [advertising](https://www.cmoalliance.com/personalizations-power-in-modern-advertising/) in ways that aren’t transparent to users, this can be seen as manipulative. Dark social can also be used to spread misleading or false information, which is hugely unethical. It’s crucial that you’re **transparent** and clear about how you collect data and how you use it. Users should also **consent** to tracking and data collection. Another thing to consider is **privacy** – respect your users’ privacy and avoid invasive tracking methods. 💡 Let’s give an example that, while not exactly about dark social channels, showcases the issue very well. Users expect to be able to use incognito mode (a.k.a., private mode) but a [5 billion USD class action lawsuit ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67838384)against Google, initiated in 2020, alleged that the company tracked online activities and invaded users’ privacy. Google agreed to settle. Therefore, it’s important to remain transparent, request consent, and ensure privacy. ## The importance of tracking dark social Not only are you in the dark when it comes to a good chunk of your traffic but also everyone uses dark social, so it’s clear ignoring it can impact your company’s marketing. Steve Lamar, Web Analyst and the founder of Really Good Data, led an experiment [published on SparkToro](https://sparktoro.com/blog/new-research-dark-social-falsely-attributes-significant-percentages-of-web-traffic-as-direct/) where he set up 16 unique URLs across various subdomains, each designed to track traffic from different social networks and private messaging apps. **The results?** 100% of visits from platforms like [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@cm%5Falliance) and [Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-cma-slack-community/) were marked as ‘direct traffic’, which meant they didn’t contain any referral information. 75% of visits from Facebook Messenger lacked referral data, as did other platforms like [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cmo-alliance/) and Instagram DMs. His experiment highlights the significant amount of traffic that is misattributed as ‘direct’ in analytics reports. ## Tapping into dark social [2018 research from GetSocial](https://blog.getsocial.io/dark-social-2018-getsocial-research-report/#gs.d66ukl) found that, on average, 10% of the traffic to their site came from shares on private channels. This is huge when you consider how much traffic your site receives. But how can you tackle the attribution challenge? ### Use UTM parameters Adding these parameters to links shared in known dark social channels can help you track the origin of when the links are accessed. ### Implement direct sharing buttons Incorporate buttons in [email](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-email-templates/), messaging apps, and other private channels directly on your website, which can help you capture attribution data when people click those buttons. ### Analyze traffic patterns Identify spikes in direct traffic and correlate them with your marketing activities. Doing this can provide you with indirect evidence of dark social activity. ### Surveys and feedback Asking new customers how they heard about your brand or product can help measure that hidden traffic, since it offers insights into dark social sources. [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-378.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) ### Referral codes Use unique referral codes for different campaigns and share these codes in private channels, since tracking them can help you attribute traffic. ### Custom landing pages Another thing to consider is creating landing pages dedicated to different campaigns. When users share these pages, you can track the visits and interactions more effectively. ### Use analytics Analytics tools allow you to infer dark social traffic by analyzing patterns and user behavior. You can also sign up for services like [GetSocial’s dark social calculator](https://getsocial.io/dark-social-calculator), which uses your Google Analytics data to estimate the amount of traffic you receive from these opaque sources. ## Example: Airbnb AirBnB’s Guest Referral Program allows people to share a unique referral link with friends and family and earn rewards when people make bookings through it. However, it wasn’t always the case. Before using these links with unique identifiers which allows Airbnb to track the source of the new user sign-ups or bookings, a lot of this traffic would come from untrackable sources, such as SMS and [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-social-media-listening-revamp-customer-advocacy/) messages. The program incentivizes people to share because they earn travel credits or discounts, too. Airbnb is able to understand where traffic is coming from and make the most of it to drive conversions. So, the company effectively leveraged dark social. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc7ICBEW2JfSHfEtGZjQ4sUuIjBTxFkVhLFkA3oSe08KqRME16Gr7NoMEC-dTIsBrr4oNHCwkgMihlUj9ST2LGrUa00PD8q2UnxBmVFVP6gW0ffjxRLd2DdhjPa00RzOe3YVt4h6gMyAiT_EU1W3hBajHsX?key=iiR1aRmrpmE4HXPKsthjRA) [**Image source*](https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/84) ## In short Understanding dark social is crucial for a holistic marketing strategy and, while challenging to track, there’s no denying its impact on brand engagement. Make sure you employ the right tools and tactics in order to drive growth and boost your brand’s presence. --- *Want to discuss topics like dark social that are crucial for marketing leaders? Share your thoughts on the* [***CMA Slack community***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) *and network with your peers at the same time.* ### Understand your customers better via business intelligence URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-your-customers-better-via-business-intelligence/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:16:45.000Z Getting internal teams aligned around the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) is no small task. With more channels, more complexity, and higher expectations, [leaders in marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/11-exclusive-customer-marketing-tips-from-thought-leaders/) and product are under pressure to move quickly, while still delivering [personalized](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/), data-driven experiences that resonate. At Dialpad, we’ve found that business intelligence (BI) is the key to making that alignment possible. Focusing not just on what customers purchase, but *how* they actually use our platform, means we’ve been able to build [stronger partnerships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-cultivate-crucial-internal-partnerships-for-faster-growth/), improve internal communication, and tell more impactful customer stories. In this article, I’ll share the core strategies that helped us turn data into action – from driving alignment across teams to giving product and sales better insight into what really matters to our customers. These are the lessons that have worked for us, and they might work for you too. ![Before/after](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/before-after.jpg) ## Grounding customer conversations in reality When I stepped into this role, one of the most valuable things I learned was how essential data is – not just what a customer *bought*, but what they’re actually *doing* with our products. That insight became foundational for me. I knew that building a strong partnership with our business intelligence team would allow us to accurately tag and track product usage. With that foundation, I can go into any customer conversation or panel discussion with confidence, backed by real insight instead of assumptions. It completely changes the nature of those conversations. I can ask smarter questions and be more thoughtful about the guidance we give our customers. ![Sales data vs usage data](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/What-you-sell---what-they-use.jpg) ## Why business intelligence is so important Business intelligence isn’t just about usage metrics – it’s about identifying trends. For instance, if you’ve launched a new AI feature, BI helps you understand whether it’s being used as intended. Maybe real-time assistance is gaining traction in North America, while transcription features are more popular in Europe. BI also helps highlight regional differences and potential roadblocks, such as compliance challenges that might impact adoption. Ultimately, business intelligence tells the real story. It bridges the gap between what you expect when you launch a product and what’s actually happening in the field. ## Using intelligence to align teams across the customer journey In my role as VP of Alliances and Customer Marketing, I focus on maintaining a consistent message – whether I’m speaking with technology partners or end customers. That message is about how Dialpad's AI can help them sell faster, integrate smarter, and drive better outcomes. Having that same story across partner and customer engagements creates alignment. ![Business intelligence](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/business-intelligence.jpg) Whether you're building with us or buying from us, you're hearing a unified message about how our AI can empower you. ### A key challenge in customer marketing One of the biggest challenges in customer marketing is finding the right people. Customer marketing often operates behind the scenes while sales, customer success, and product teams take center stage. So we have to find ways to provide value to each of those groups. That means helping sales sell better with customer stories, showing CSMs how marketing can elevate a customer's brand, and giving product teams proof that features are being used and loved. ![Customer marketing](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/at-the-intersection.jpg) It’s all about communication – and making sure everyone sees the value we bring. ### Communicating internally with business intelligence We use internal newsletters, in-app messaging, and even our own chat product to share insights across teams. But one of the most effective things we do is simply show up. I regularly ask to speak at lunch-and-learns, demand gen team meetings, or any internal event where I can share what we’re learning from customers. It helps us stay top-of-mind, demonstrate our impact, and build stronger cross-functional relationships. ## Final thoughts [Marketing is a journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/) – it’s never static. And in customer marketing especially, [over-communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/) is a strength. It’s about being precise in the story you're telling and clear about how your product solves real problems. When you can do that, across teams and with your customers, you create real impact. ### Customer Marketing Summit New York 2025 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2025-ondemand-2/ Last updated: 2025-03-21T17:01:40.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit NYC. Discover best practices from experts at Microsoft, Slack, Condé Nast, Cisco and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How lifecycle marketing transformed customer engagement and advocacy at Ivanti URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-lifecycle-marketing-transformed-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-at-ivanti/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T09:00:14.000Z No business thrives without its customers. And in today’s ultra-competitive climate, customer engagement and advocacy aren’t just nice-to-haves – they’re essential drivers of long-term success. From personalized onboarding experiences and peer-to-peer communities to reference programs and success stories, customer advocacy plays a critical role in retention, expansion, and brand credibility. Yet, many organizations struggle to align these initiatives with their broader business goals, leaving advocacy efforts fragmented and underutilized. So, how do you turn [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) into a strategic growth engine? In this article, I’ll walk you through how adopting a lifecycle marketing model at Ivanti has transformed our approach to customer advocacy. We’ll explore: - The challenges of a post-acquisition customer landscape - How we built a structured, data-driven customer advocacy program - Practical use cases, including Project Thrive and our reference program - The business impact of aligning advocacy with the customer lifecycle ## Overcoming post-acquisition chaos to build a unified advocacy strategy Let me paint a rather bleak picture – one that may sound familiar to many of you. Following a series of acquisitions, Ivanti’s [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/?%5Fgl=1%2A1wzs6tv%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1NTQwMjI0LjE3NDIyMDgxNDE.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0MjIwODE0MC4xLjAuMTc0MjIwODE0MC4wLjAuMA..) efforts were scattered across different teams, each operating in silos. Processes were manual, our data was messy, and most critically, we couldn’t effectively demonstrate our business impact. It wasn’t for lack of effort – the teams were working incredibly hard – but we were missing the mark. We didn’t have clear priorities, everything felt urgent, and we lacked a comprehensive understanding of our customer journey. The reality was that no one truly knew what it was like to do business with Ivanti from a customer’s perspective. That uncertainty created inefficiencies, confusion, and, frankly, a lot of anxiety. ### Reframing our approach At the start of this year, we took a step back and reframed our approach. It may sound obvious, but we were committed to seeing everything through the eyes of our customers. This was no small task – we undertook a major initiative to map out our full customer journey, identifying key touchpoints and aligning all our initiatives, customer experience strategies, [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/), and business outcomes to each stage of that lifecycle. A crucial part of this shift was the foundation of our [voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/) (VoC) strategy, ensuring that we could listen, understand, act, and respond to our customers in a structured and meaningful way throughout their journey. For the first time, our entire team had complete clarity on what they were working towards and how their contributions fit into the bigger picture. To reinforce this alignment, we developed a mission statement, a goal and metrics scorecard, and a visual framework that is now embedded at every level of the organization. It has executive buy-in, is consistently communicated across teams, and serves as a guiding reference for everything we do. ### A shift in customer advocacy One of our biggest challenges had been the siloed nature of our advocacy efforts, leading to operational inefficiencies and a disconnect from our go-to-market strategy. That is no longer the case. First, we leveraged Ivanti’s well-established demand generation engine – scaling its methodologies and tools to expand our peer-to-peer customer community. Previously, our small advocacy team was responsible for everything, but now we can tap into subject matter experts across different teams, allowing my team to become specialists rather than generalists. This shift also meant we could access deeper business performance analytics, creating a unified focus on driving outcomes across the customer lifecycle. The impact? A stronger, more strategic role for [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) within the organization. We’re no longer an afterthought – we’re an essential part of the business strategy. ### Demonstrating business impact and securing investment Another major win was our ability to showcase the tangible impact of [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) on business performance. The operational efficiencies we introduced allowed us to gather better data than ever before, proving the direct value of our work. And that proof translated into action. Just this week, thanks to the metrics and reporting we built, we secured executive sign-off on a six-figure investment into our customer community programs – an initiative we had struggled to get off the ground in the past. For us, this is more than just a financial win. It’s a validation of the work we’ve done to align advocacy with business outcomes, demonstrating that when we put the customer at the center of our strategy, both engagement and revenue follow. This is just the beginning, but it’s a massive step forward in how we elevate customer engagement and advocacy at Ivanti. ## Bringing the lifecycle marketing model to life To truly illustrate the power of our lifecycle marketing model, let me share a couple of key initiatives that have transformed customer engagement and advocacy at Ivanti. ### Accelerating adoption and value for our customers One of our flagship programs, Project Thrive, focuses on the onboarding phase of our lifecycle. The goal? To help customers successfully adopt our solutions, accelerate time to value, and ultimately, thrive with Ivanti. This initiative was directly aligned with our corporate North Star goals, ensuring it had strategic weight across the organization. **What we did** The lifecycle model allowed us to bring together a cross-functional team – including stakeholders from marketing, product management, and technical teams – to design solutions that addressed key pain points in our customer experience. These challenges surfaced directly from our customer community, and we took action. Here’s what we implemented: - **Streamlined product release methodology** – Customers now have exclusive early access to upcoming features, providing feedback before launch. - **Biannual solution and strategy roadmap webinars** – These ensure customers understand our long-term vision and strategy. - **Monthly “RC Expert” sessions** – Customers get direct access to subject matter experts to ask real-time questions and deepen their understanding. - **Empower hours** – One of my personal favorites, these are live-streamed stories told by customers, for customers. Beyond cross-functional collaboration, Project Thrive allowed us to move beyond campaign-based advocacy and integrate a programmatic approach across the entire customer lifecycle. The results speak for themselves – [community membership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/) has grown significantly, and more importantly, those members continue to engage because they see real value in these initiatives. And from a business perspective? Higher customer retention and reduced churn. But the opportunity didn’t stop there. This highly engaged, satisfied customer base became the perfect pool for advocacy – which brings me to the next major initiative. ### Transforming our reference and success story program When I took over our customer reference and success story program at the end of last year, it was – putting it politely – a mess. I debated whether to take it on at all, given that the business had produced only a handful of stories in the previous two years. Across 40,000 customers, we had no structured way of identifying which were in a strong position to advocate for us. Compounding the issue, post-acquisition restructuring meant that our sales and customer success teams weren’t in a position to proactively surface potential advocates either. But under the new lifecycle marketing model, there was nowhere to hide – this was now on our leadership’s radar as a critical priority. **What we did** Given Ivanti’s large global sales organization and diverse portfolio of nearly 100 different solutions, we knew we needed technology to bring structure and scale. We implemented ReferenceEdge into our Salesforce CRM to streamline customer advocacy identification and tracking. But as anyone in customer marketing knows, technology alone isn’t enough – adoption is everything. So we focused on: - **Cleaning up and standardizing our story production process** – We outsourced content creation to free up our team to focus on recruitment and internal alignment. - **Rebuilding program credibility** – Advocacy had a poor reputation internally, so we launched an internal education campaign to prove the program’s value to our sales and customer success teams. - **Aligning advocacy with lifecycle moments** – By integrating advocacy recruitment into key customer journey milestones, we ensured that reference opportunities naturally emerged from engaged, happy customers. **The impact** This structured approach secured executive buy-in and firmly established advocacy as a business priority. Customer references and success stories have increased, and because we now align these assets with go-to-market priorities, they are delivering measurable business impact. And here’s what’s most exciting: for the first time, we’re beginning to attribute closed deals to the reference program. We’re only just getting started, but the potential is huge. I can’t wait to see how these numbers evolve over the next year. ### The bigger picture The adoption of a lifecycle marketing model has fundamentally changed how Ivanti engages with customers. We now have: - Clear business buy-in for advocacy as a strategic function. - Stronger internal alignment, allowing us to focus our efforts where they drive the most impact. - A culture of accountability, where teams across the organization actively contribute to advocacy efforts. As a result, demand for advocacy assets is higher than ever, and most importantly, we are now seen as a trusted strategic partner in delivering business outcomes. This is just the beginning. With a solid foundation in place, the future of customer advocacy at Ivanti is brighter than ever. ## Bringing it all together: How you can apply these lessons If you have the ability to influence a lifecycle marketing model within your organization, I hope I’ve shown you just how game-changing it can be. But even if a full lifecycle approach isn’t feasible right now, there are still valuable lessons you can apply. For example, in the buy stage, if you’re not leveraging the processes, tools, reports, and automation your company already uses to acquire new customers in the way you engage and support existing ones, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Tapping into those resources – and the expertise behind them – allows your team to become specialists rather than generalists. It also enables you to be data-driven, working smarter, not just harder. ### Be relentless in proving business impact One of the biggest gaps we had for a long time was our ability to demonstrate the business impact of customer marketing and advocacy. Addressing that changed everything for us. If you don’t yet have the right data and reporting mechanisms in place, be relentless in getting them. You don’t need a full lifecycle model to start applying this – simply build cross-functional teams that can help design and deliver programs that drive adoption, retention, and advocacy. And don’t do it alone. Partnering with teams across your business expands your reach and influence, making advocacy an integrated, strategic function rather than an isolated initiative. ### See through the eyes of the customer At every stage, the most important thing you can do is see things through the eyes of your customers. If possible, let them take the lead. Our customer-led community was already in place, but Project Thrive complemented and enhanced it – allowing us to strike the right balance between serving our customers and achieving our business goals. The key is to map out, track, and report on the moments that matter in your customer journey. You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Progress is incremental, and every step forward counts. ### Identifying and nurturing customer advocates If you don’t yet have lifecycle maps or detailed customer journey frameworks, that’s okay. Start by conducting your own discovery process – identify the key moments of interaction your customers have with your business, and assess where you can either influence their journey toward advocacy or identify potential advocates. And when it comes to go-to-market alignment, if you’re unsure about the business’s priorities, find the people who do know and get their support. Advocacy must be aligned with overarching business goals to be truly effective, and strong internal partnerships are key to that success. Remember: this is a team sport. Advocates don’t just appear overnight – they need to be nurtured, supported, and empowered. And above all, never underestimate the power of data. Know the impact your programs have on the business, and don’t be afraid to shout about it. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Louise at our* **Customer Marketing Summit in London, 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2024-ondemandvideo/)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### The value connection: Why customer advocacy belongs in customer success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-value-connection-why-customer-advocacy-belongs-in-customer-success/ Last updated: 2025-04-17T09:06:28.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions --- **Date:** April16, 2025 **Time:** 5:00pm GMT **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2024-ondemandvideo/?wchannelid=ktz272z40v&wmediaid=43o9hwaki0) In this session, we will explore why customer advocacy is an essential element of a successful Customer Success (CS) strategy. As businesses focus on creating lasting relationships with customers, integrating advocacy into the CS function can drive retention, deepen customer loyalty, and create authentic brand ambassadors. By examining real-world examples and key insights, this session will highlight the value of aligning customer advocacy with Customer Success teams to build a stronger, more proactive customer experience. --- ### Key takeaways: - **The Power of Advocacy in CS** – Customer advocacy plays a vital role in strengthening retention, deepening loyalty, and turning satisfied customers into brand ambassadors. - **Integrating Advocacy into CS** – Embedding advocacy within Customer Success strategies helps create a proactive customer experience and fosters long-term relationships. - **Cross-Team Alignment** – Collaboration between Customer Success and advocacy programs ensures a seamless approach to customer engagement, enhancing both satisfaction and growth. - **Proven Strategies for Success** – Learn actionable steps to develop and scale advocacy programs within CS, leveraging real-world examples for inspiration. - **Driving Growth Through Customer Voices** – Authentic customer stories and testimonials build trust, enhance credibility, and fuel sustainable business growth. --- ### Meet the speaker: [Catherine Staite](https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinestaite/), Head of Customer Advocacy at [GoCardless](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gocardless/) Catherine Staite is an expert in **Customer Advocacy Strategy**, with a proven track record of driving customer-powered events and creating mutual value for both GoCardless and its customers. With a deep expertise in **Film and Written Content Creation**, Catherine excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. As a **Cross-Functional Collaborator**, Catherine brings together teams across **Customer Advocacy**, **Internal Communications**, **PR**, **AR**, **Events**, and **Marketing** to create impactful, customer-centric initiatives. With a passion for **Mentorship** and a background as a **Presentation Coach**, Catherine is dedicated to empowering others while delivering top-notch presentations and communications strategies. Throughout Catherine's career, she has consistently focused on **creating mutual value** for both customers and organizations, ensuring sustainable growth through strategic customer engagement and advocacy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/image-1.png) ### How adopting a lifecycle marketing model is elevating customer engagement and advocacy outcomes at Ivanti URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-adopting-a-lifecycle-marketing-model-is-elevating-customer-engagement-and-advocacy-outcomes-at-ivanti/ Last updated: 2025-03-27T10:44:03.000Z CMAnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations from our previous events, hosted by customer marketing experts and industry leaders. It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after customer marketing content – ordinarily reserved for CMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key customer marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions. 🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations ✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends 🗣 Hear from experienced customer marketing leaders 👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions Take a look at what we've got coming up 👇 --- **Date:** March 26, 2025 **Time:** 5:00pm GMT **Location:** Online [Watch OnDemand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2024-ondemandvideo/?wchannelid=ktz272z40v&wmediaid=gs2kq0tgoz) Great customer engagement isn’t just about interaction—it’s about transformation. But driving outcomes that truly make an impact? That’s a strategy. Join us for an exclusive keynote presentation with Ivanti. Learn how adopting a lifecycle marketing model has elevated customer engagement and advocacy at Ivanti. --- ### In this session, you’ll discover: - How a lifecycle marketing model drives efficiencies, demonstrates greater business impact, and leads to increased program investment. - The power of cross-departmental collaboration – Improve customer engagement, adoption, and satisfaction through a programmatic approach. - How to fuel your customer advocate pipeline throughout the customer lifecycle. Don’t just engage—empower. Sign up now and elevate your customer advocacy strategy. --- ### Meet the speaker: [Louise Wadsworth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-wadsworth/), Director of Customer Advocacy, [Ivanti](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ivanti/) With over a decade in Customer Experience facets within global IT and security software organisations, I am currently the Director of Customer Advocacy at Ivanti. I oversee a vibrant customer-led community and customer advocate programs. I am passionate about endurance sports, regularly competing in trail ultra-marathons and canicross events with my GSP. Continuous forward progression is my guiding principle. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/image.png) ### Why a customer advocacy strategy creates genuine customer connections URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T13:58:52.000Z When it comes to customer advocacy and [community engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/), there’s one thing we know for certain: strong relationships drive success. Advocacy isn’t about pushing marketing agendas – it’s about creating an environment where customers feel valued, heard, and empowered. The central thread to all conversations around advocacy and engagement is this: authenticity matters. Advocacy programs thrive when they are built on genuine relationships, transparency, and a true desire to support and uplift customers. If you’re looking for insights on how to create a thriving customer community, you’re in the right place. In this article, we explore: - If there’s a difference between customer advocacy and customer marketing - How to create a customer-first mentality - What it means to give customers a seat at the table - The key takeaways for building an impactful advocacy program ## Customer advocacy vs. customer marketing One of the most common discussions we hear around advocacy programs is the distinction between [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) and [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) – and whether you can have one without the other. It’s a question that comes up frequently, and for what its worth, we ought to interrogate the relationship between the two. At its core, customer marketing is a natural byproduct of a well-executed advocacy program, but the reverse is not always, if ever, true. This goes back to a fundamental truth: people don’t like being sold to. It’s an unnatural feeling, when you realize you’re being marketed to. However, when you treat customers well, invest in their success, and [build meaningful relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-advocacy-and-lifelong-customer-relationships/?%5Fgl=1%2Afpmef2%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTM5NTA5NjMzOS4xNzQxNjkyNjcw%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0MTY5MjY3MC4xLjAuMTc0MTY5MjY3MC4wLjAuMA..) through advocacy, something powerful happens – they become organically inclined to support your marketing efforts. They see value in the program, they trust your organization, and they want to be a part of the journey. If you build a program to gave back to your customers, you'll always be able to fulfill your marketing team’s requests. When you provide value to them, and you’e a strategic part of their success, there are always going to be customers that are willing to do stuff on your behalf. We’ve tried this before and here’s the verdict: Leading with asking and *then* giving back further down the funnel doesn’t always work. Advocacy should never be about extraction – about taking testimonials, case studies, or references from customers without first building a foundation of trust and value. Instead, it’s about creating an ecosystem of mutual benefit. ### The importance of making advocates comfortable Another misconception is that customers are always ready and willing to speak on behalf of a company. That’s not the case. Customers have different levels of comfort when it comes to [engaging in advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-engagement-channels-for-advocacy-and-retention/), and as community leaders, it’s our job to understand where they feel most at ease. Are they comfortable speaking at events? Are they comfortable speaking on webinars? Are they comfortable speaking to prospects? Having that information also helps us identify where we can safely place them in customer marketing. This is a critical step in building a successful advocacy program. Not every advocate wants to be on stage at a conference. Some may prefer writing a blog post, participating in a closed-door customer advisory board, or sharing feedback in a one-on-one setting. When we take the time to truly understand our advocates – what excites them, what makes them nervous, and where they can shine – we create experiences that are beneficial for both them and our organizations. Ultimately, advocacy and marketing can work hand in hand, but the best results happen when we lead with advocacy and let marketing follow naturally. If we focus on providing value, building trust, and making advocacy an enjoyable experience, the marketing side of things will take care of itself. ## How to create a customer-first mentality All stellar community leaders know the importance of creating a customer-first space, but I don’t always get the sense that everyone understands how to do it effectively. It’s one thing to say customers come first; it’s another to build programs and cultures that actively reflect that belief. Creating a customer-first mentality has to come from both a program perspective and a personal perspective. From a program perspective, this means being intentional about the [pillars](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pillars-of-customer-marketing-video/) that shape the experience you’re creating. Here are some critical questions that help guide this process: - What do you want to give back to your customers? - What internal goals do you need to hit? - What are the goals that need to be met across all stakeholders? Internal buy-in is essential across the board. Every single business unit needs a hand in the pot. Whether it’s engineering support, product management, product marketing, or customer experience, if everybody is not on board, that will create roadblocks and prevent your community from thriving. [Customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-to-remove-friction-in-your-customer-advocacy/?%5Fgl=1%2A9dlgrn%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTM5NTA5NjMzOS4xNzQxNjkyNjcw%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0MTY5MjY3MC4xLjAuMTc0MTY5MjY3MC4wLjAuMA..) can’t exist in a silo. If different teams within an organization don’t understand or support the mission of an advocacy program, it can lead to major roadblocks. That’s why a customer-first approach needs to be woven into the fabric of the company, not just something left to the advocacy team alone. But beyond the program itself, creating a customer-first mentality is also deeply personal. ### The pillars of customer-centricity ![The pillars of customer-centricity](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/The-pillars-of-customer-centricity.png) Your personal pillar should always be to **dream big**. To *always* dream big. When you’re pitching a program, whether it’s internally to somebody who’s heard it ten times before or to somebody new, you should always aim to be confident in the vision of where *you* want to go. **Vision** matters. As advocacy leaders, we need to be willing to take bold risks, make tough decisions, and take full ownership of the communities we build. Whatever touches your community, own it. You’re accountable for it. Don’t try and pass the buck to your community lead. Another key pillar is **teamwork**. The best advocacy programs don’t function in isolation. They thrive on collaboration – finding ways to connect with any department or individual who can bring value to customers. And at the heart of everything is **integrity**. Always try to conduct yourself with honesty and integrity with every single customer and in every single interaction. It’s not always easy – sometimes, you’ll want to tell them more than you can, but leading with as much transparency as possible earns their respect on a level that is absolutely stellar. Ultimately, you have to love what you do. If you’re not passionate about advocacy, if you don’t genuinely care about your customers, they’ll know. And if they sense that enthusiasm and authenticity, they’ll respond in kind. Having well-defined pillars also allows you to be a human. The human aspect of these communities is so important. Wewould also stake our jobs that robotic communities do *not* thrive. Because at the end of the day, customer advocacy isn’t just about strategy – it’s about relationships. It’s about showing up, being accountable, and creating spaces where customers feel valued, supported, and empowered. When you build from that foundation, success follows naturally. ## What does it mean to give your customers a seat at the table? At the heart of any great customer advocacy program is the commitment to giving customers a seat at the table – creating opportunities for them to connect with each other and with your organization in meaningful ways. But what does it really mean to put customers at the center of decision-making? It comes down to something simple, yet powerful: The seat at the table concept means listening, which isn’t rocket science, right? But in order to do it well, you have to be willing to put your ear to the ground and hear what your customers want and need. Listening sounds obvious, but listening well is an entirely different skill. It means going beyond surveys and feedback forms – it’s about actively seeking out customer insights and using them to shape the direction of your programs and initiatives. ### Listening means being willing to pivot Sometimes, what customers need isn’t what’s on your organization’s roadmap. But at the end of the day, our product isn’t just what our teams are building – it’s the people we serve. Their needs, expectations, and challenges evolve constantly, and we have to be willing to adjust. You may find yourself with an entire plan mapped out for an advocacy program. Then suddenly, your customers aren’t looking for the same things. Instead of structured initiatives, they wanted connection. But it’s all about being adaptable. Like many during COVID-19, Jamf’s advocacy programs pivoted to virtual meetups, many of which may still continue to this day. For example, Jamf routinely gets 50 to 60 customers from up to 11 different countries on those calls, with friendships developing constantly. That was a simple shift – one that took very little effort to implement – but it made a world of difference. Those meetups became a source of support and community for Jamf’s customers, and they continue to be a core part of its advocacy program today. ### Amplifying customer voices in meaningful ways There are many ways to ensure customers feel heard. One of the simplest is asking for feedback regularly – and actually acting on it. Another approach is to involve them in key initiatives, such as: - Focus groups to gather real-time insights - Beta testing to give them early access and a sense of ownership - Customer advisory boards to provide strategic input on product and service direction Beyond that, amplifying customer voices within your organization is just as important. Taking the incredible ideas and experiences of our customers and making sure they’re heard in the right places. One of the most effective ways to do this is through content creation. Customers can share their insights by writing blog posts for your organization’s website, giving them a platform to highlight their expertise. You should also make it a point to share customer stories internally – whether it’s through Slack, all-company meetings, or leadership briefings. If you hear something great in your program, whether it’s a customer success story or feedback on our support team, do make sure the right people know about it. When we consistently amplify customer perspectives, we create a culture that truly values them – not just as users of our products, but as partners in shaping the future of our business. At the end of the day, giving customers a seat at the table is about respect, inclusion, and action. If we listen, amplify, and adapt, we create advocacy programs that don’t just engage customers, but empower them. ## Tips and tricks for success There are countless strategies and best practices for building a strong [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/), but at the end of the day, it comes down to something simple: building real, human relationships. One of the most important things we’ve learned along the way is that vulnerability matters. Community and advocacy leaders often feel pressure to always have the answers, to be the steady presence for our customers. But sometimes, the most impactful thing we can do is show up as our authentic, imperfect selves. ### A case study in vulnerability One of the most important things we've learned along the way in our roles is that vulnerability matters. As community and advocacy leaders, we often feel pressure to always have the answers, to be the steady presence for our customers. But sometimes, the most impactful thing we can do is show up as our authentic, imperfect selves. During a virtual meetup at Jamf, customers were opening up about their struggles, and this had a profound effect. Jennifer felt compelled to share that moment of raw humanity with her customers. She recorded a short message saying: "I just woke up from an awful nightmare, and I think it's because the world is crazy. We're all going through so much, so if this is any help or enjoyment to you, I'm going to deliver something that makes me feel better." Then, she sang a few verses of a well-known comfort song and sent it to them. The responses were overwhelming. People told her how much it meant to hear that someone else was experiencing the same struggles – that she had taken the time to be real with them. This experience reminds us that little gestures matter. We often think about big, strategic initiatives, but sometimes the most powerful impact comes from small, thoughtful actions. Things like: - Sending handwritten thank-you notes - Congratulating a customer on a life milestone (a new baby, a work anniversary, a promotion) - Recognizing their achievements publicly within the company These aren’t just transactional moves – they are ways to build genuine relationships. And if nothing else, that’s what advocacy is all about. If we truly want to know our customers, want to help them, and want to celebrate them, we’re going to be successful. ### Personalize your advocacy programs Personalizing everywhere and anywhere that you can is really great. Even if it means sending 50 emails as opposed to one email, that personalization – speaking directly to that one customer – could be the difference between success and failure. It’s not just about sending out mass communications – it’s about speaking directly to individuals in a way that resonates. ### Never forget empathy Another key piece? Empathy. If they need you and they’re reaching out, there’s probably a reason for that. So take a step back, no matter how busy you are, and put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Taking the time to understand a customer’s unique needs, frustrations, and goals can transform how they engage with your advocacy program. ### Never underestimate the power of creativity and fun Customers get excited when they know they’re your guinea pig. Do something fun with your customers. Take the mundane task of doing something on our behalf and put some spice into it. One of Jennifer’s most successful engagement posts happened back in 2018\. The prompt? > *“Take a movie title and replace one of the words with ‘bacon.’”* Years later, that post still gets engagement. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the simplest ideas – ones that spark joy and laughter – are the most effective. At the end of the day, advocacy is about connection. People want to feel valued, seen, and appreciated. When we lead with empathy, authenticity, and creativity, we don’t just create engaged communities – we build lasting relationships. We hope everyone reading this has found a few takeaways to apply in their own programs. Customer advocacy is an exciting space, and we can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve. ### Customer renewal strategy planner URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-renewal-strategy-planner-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T13:35:36.000Z ## What is a customer renewal strategy planner? A customer renewal strategy planner works backward from the moment a customer actually leaves, starting with the early warning signs of churn and whether they hit time-to-value before their first renewal, then builds a specific action plan grounded in why customers really churn, not generic retention goals. This planner is built to catch that earlier, using two of the strongest predictors of churn: usage and engagement signals, and whether a customer hit time-to-value before their first renewal date. ## What's inside the template? The planner covers five steps: 1. Spot the risk signals 2. Watch the time-to-value clock 3. Diagnose why customers actually leave, including a churn post-mortem 4. Build the renewal plan 5. Know what's in your control ## How to use the template Work through it in order rather than jumping straight to the plan. Sections one and two tell you which accounts are actually at risk and why; section three turns that into real root causes instead of guesses, using data, customer surveys, and a post-mortem on every account that's already churned. Only then does section four turn what you've learned into specific, owned actions with a deadline. Run the post-mortem on renewals that feel unavoidable; the pattern across several of them is more useful than any single one, and it keeps section five honest about what was actually preventable. ## Download your customer renewal strategy planner ![Customer renewal strategy planner](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Customer-renewal-strategy-planner.png) [Customer renewal strategy planner (1)Customer renewal strategy planner (1).pdf131 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-renewal-strategy-planner--1-.pdf "Download") [Customer renewal strategy plannerCustomer renewal strategy planner.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-renewal-strategy-planner.docx "Download") [Customer renewal strategy plannerCustomer renewal strategy planner Spot renewal risk early, understand why customers actually leave, and build a plan before the conversation becomes a fire drill Customer churn is expensive: it costs 5-25 times more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. Yet most renewal strateg…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-35840bdf-de28-42bd-ba70-25b52f66c798.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLOC6KuiHdnST1FnNzKIDxXtRVMZUDqj1h_KLtPzKxveD5DVX6hxq_270xhlWeWIRsibWmtxt0uE-5_Ub3rrawff5pQ7l6veBo4tXbM8XJC-A7Dbm8-w1200-h630-p-7724c55e-69c3-4291-a3d4-a99d5dfa1029)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sAeF1VLk5PrDEsH5SHwiA13Ha2yFtr3L5bwpWnUDy%5Fw/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why GoCardless moved advocacy from marketing to customer success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-from-marketing-to-customer-success/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T09:00:30.000Z No company can succeed without its customers. And [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) is more than just a marketing initiative – it’s a powerful driver of trust, growth, and long-term success. From compelling case studies and high-impact testimonials to strategic customer engagement events, customer advocacy has the ability to shape brand perception, influence sales, and foster deeper relationships. But for advocacy to be truly effective, it needs to be more than just ad-hoc storytelling – it must be strategic, scalable, and rooted in customer value. So, how do you build a customer advocacy program that delivers measurable business impact while ensuring customers feel valued, not just used? In this article, we’re going to cover: - Why customer advocacy belongs in customer success - How to create a structured, strategic approach to advocacy - The role of cross-functional collaboration in scaling advocacy - Turning advocacy into a revenue driver - Key lessons for building an advocacy program that works ## Why GoCardless moved customer advocacy to customer success In 2020, GoCardless made the strategic decision to move [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-to-remove-friction-in-your-customer-advocacy/?%5Fgl=1%2Aeczvfj%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjAzNjQxODE0Ny4xNzQxMDEyMzE1%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0MTAxMjMxNS4xLjAuMTc0MTAxMjMxNS4wLjAuMA..) under [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/). One of the first things I discovered was how broken the process had been. There were stories of customer [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-a-case-study/) taking over 12 months to get approved, and [customer success managers](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) (CSMs) felt frustrated – either repeatedly approaching the same customers or hearing rejection after rejection. These interactions often felt negative for both CSMs and customers. We identified three major challenges that needed to be addressed: 1. **Lack of alignment with business objectives** – Customer advocacy efforts were scattered and unmeasured. The approach had been largely opportunistic – “This customer seems happy, let’s work with them” – with no clear strategy or metrics. 2. **Siloed and uncoordinated activities** – While there was a [dedicated customer advocacy team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-i-learned-from-some-of-the-best-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-teams-in-the-world/), multiple teams across the business were independently reaching out to customers for press releases, events, and partner activities. This lack of visibility led to customer fatigue and a disjointed experience. 3. **No focus on customer value** – The most significant issue was that customer value was never considered. What was in it for the customer? Often, they were being asked to participate at times when they weren’t ready or hadn’t yet seen success with the product. This disconnect made engagement challenging and, in some cases, counterproductive. ## GoCardless’s approach to customer advocacy The first step in transforming our approach to customer advocacy was identifying our key stakeholders. In any business, there are countless stakeholders with different priorities and expectations, so it was essential to engage with them early on. We took the time to listen – understanding what they needed and, in their view, what “good” looked like. While we couldn’t promise to deliver on every request, having that insight was invaluable. One of the most crucial relationships we needed to build was with our global [leadership team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/blueprint-for-cross-functional-team-leadership/?%5Fgl=1%2A1aasi6d%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTUzMDY1Nzg3Mi4xNzQxMDEyMjU0%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTc0MTAxMjI1NC4xLjEuMTc0MTAxMjI2My4wLjAuMA..). Securing their buy-in from the start was a game-changer, helping to embed advocacy as a core function within customer success. ### The customer advocacy growth loop To bring structure to our approach, we developed what we call the customer advocacy growth loop – a four-stage process that puts customer value at the center of everything we do. This framework allows us to clearly communicate to the business how we operate and why our approach is intentional and strategic rather than reactive. **1\. Identifying and targeting strategic customers** Unlike traditional [advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-advocacy-program-video/) that often wait for teams to request customer stories, we take a more proactive and strategic approach. We focus on quality over quantity – seeking out customers who are the right fit for our advocacy efforts rather than simply responding to inbound requests. We work closely with CSMs to identify customers who are ready and willing to engage, ensuring their journey aligns with the advocacy opportunities we provide. **2\. Nurturing and growing relationships** Once we’ve identified the right customers, the next step is nurturing those relationships – both with customers and internal stakeholders. Being part of the customer success function gives us a natural advantage here, as we work closely with CSMs. But beyond that, we also maintain strong connections with product, product marketing, brand and communications, social media, and other teams to ensure advocacy is integrated across the business. **3\. Activating customer stories** This is where advocacy comes to life. Activation involves creating high-quality content – whether it’s video testimonials, written case studies, or sales enablement materials. With just three of us on the advocacy team, efficiency and impact are critical, so we focus on producing stories that deliver the most value. **4\. Distribution and measuring impact** The final step is ensuring that the customer stories we create are used effectively. This means maximizing their reach both internally and externally, making sure they support sales, marketing, and broader brand initiatives. It’s also about measuring success – tracking engagement, impact, and return on investment to continuously refine and improve our approach. ## Prioritization and strategic alignment A common challenge in [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-advocacy-without-losing-the-personal-touch/) is prioritization – how do you stay focused and avoid being pulled in too many directions? To prevent our strategy from becoming reactive or diluted, we developed a qualification criteria framework. This ensures our efforts align with the company’s broader strategy while allowing us to proactively deliver the stories our stakeholders need – before they even ask for them. Rather than waiting for requests to come in, our goal is to be ten steps ahead, ensuring that we already have the content, advocates, and assets needed to support different teams. ### A structured approach to story selection We break down our advocacy efforts into three distinct categories: **1\. Strategic stories (60%)** The majority of our focus – around 60% – goes toward high-impact, strategic stories. These are carefully chosen to align with key priorities, such as: - Core products and regions - Key verticals and partners - Recognizable, well-known logos These stories are always-on, meaning we proactively seek out these opportunities rather than waiting for them to emerge. They are typically video-led, with additional written content and supporting assets created as needed. **2\. Credibility-building stories (20%)** Around 20% of our time is dedicated to expanding credibility. These stories may focus on more niche products, emerging verticals, or areas where we’re beginning to gain traction but don’t yet have an established track record. While we prioritize them accordingly, we recognize their value in supporting future growth. These tend to be more written-focused, but we still create supporting materials where needed. **3\. Brand awareness stories (20%)** The final 20% is allocated to brand-building initiatives. We collaborate closely with teams across content, PR, and social media to create compelling assets that position GoCardless in the way we want to be perceived in the market. These stories help shape our public presence and reinforce our brand messaging. ## Understanding the right timing for advocacy One of the most powerful tools we use at GoCardless is what we call the value pathway – a visualization of the customer lifecycle that helps us determine the right time to approach a customer for advocacy. Timing is everything when it comes to capturing authentic, compelling stories. For example, just after a customer has implemented our solution, we might begin sowing the seed for future advocacy. However, we typically wait three to six months post-implementation – after they’ve had time to take payments and realize the value of our solution – before making a formal request. Of course, there are exceptions. If a customer is using a new product, we may engage much sooner, sometimes within a week of launch. Key moments like renewals, upsells, and cross-sells are also ideal opportunities, as customers are often in a highly positive mindset. Additionally, we stay closely connected to customers who are part of beta testing programs, ensuring we capture their feedback and successes early on. ## Collaboration with customer success CSMs play a critical role in helping us understand the value for the customer, not just the business. They know their customers best – whether they are seeking brand exposure, positioning themselves as thought leaders, or have other motivations that can shape how we pitch advocacy opportunities. To foster a strong two-way relationship with CSMs, we: - Hold regular one-to-ones to ensure alignment - Involve them in our editorial panel for customer stories - Share insights from customer interviews that they may not hear otherwise Interestingly, customers often open up to us during interviews in ways they wouldn’t with their account teams – even when they’re on camera. This has become a valuable feedback loop, allowing us to bring fresh insights back to customer success teams and deepen engagement. Beyond storytelling, we also create meaningful surprise-and-delight moments for our advocates and are exploring discovery events at various customer levels to build even stronger relationships. ## The impact of a strategic approach Looking back at the challenges we set out to solve, the transformation has been significant. By shifting from a reactive, ad-hoc approach to a strategically aligned customer advocacy function, we’ve seen real, measurable improvements. ### From no strategy to strategic alignment We’ve moved from having no clear strategy to being fully aligned with our go-to-market (GTM) plans. Rather than scrambling to find suitable customer stories when a request comes in, we now operate a customer-led pipeline – one that prioritizes the right timing for the customer. This ensures that advocacy happens at a point when they are seeing success, making their stories more authentic and impactful. As a result, we’ve built a robust catalog of over 80 customer stories – all relevant, approved, and easily accessible for stakeholders. Marketing and content teams no longer need to come to us for approval; they know they can self-serve from this library with confidence. ### From siloed activities to a centralized approach Before, customer advocacy efforts were scattered across different teams, leading to customer fatigue and a lack of visibility on who had been approached. Today, we’ve centralized our approach, ensuring that engagement with customers is thoughtful, well-managed, and maximized for impact. This has also restored faith among CSMs. Initially, many CSMs were hesitant about advocacy efforts, feeling like they were repeatedly approaching the same customers with little to show for it. Now, they see the real value of customer advocacy – and many are proactively bringing suggestions to us. Because they understand our focus areas – such as open banking – they are now identifying and recommending customers who align with our strategic goals, making advocacy a more collaborative and efficient process. ### From no customer value to a customer-first approach Perhaps the most significant shift has been in how we approach advocacy opportunities. Before, customer value was an afterthought. Now, it is the first and most important factor we consider. Every time we invite a customer to become an advocate, we lead with the value for them. Each pitch is tailored to their specific goals, whether it’s brand promotion, thought leadership, or another benefit. We also ensure that we’re only making the request when the timing is right, aligning with key moments in their journey. By embedding customer-first principles at the heart of our strategy, we’ve built an advocacy program that not only serves the business but also delivers real value to the customers themselves – which, in turn, strengthens their relationship with us. This transformation has proven that when customer advocacy is done right, it’s not just about telling great stories – it’s about creating an ecosystem where customers, CSMs, and the business all benefit from a well-structured, thoughtful, and value-driven approach. ## The numbers behind our success While we’ve always prioritized quality over quantity, the consistency of our output has been impressive. We’ve been publishing an average of 28 new stories per year; each story isn’t just a standalone piece – we create multiple assets to maximize impact. Every customer story includes: - Video and written content - Sales enablement slides - Social media content - Distribution across all key channels This ensures our stakeholders can easily access and utilize content where they need it most. ### We built a powerful advocacy library Beyond just increasing volume, we’ve also dramatically improved the relevance of our advocacy materials. We now have four times more relevant stories available for our GTM teams – stories that truly reflect where GoCardless is today. When we first took over customer advocacy, we inherited a backlog of outdated content, including case studies dating back to 2011, when GoCardless was first founded. Many of these no longer reflected our business or our customers’ needs. We undertook a massive content audit, removing irrelevant stories and replacing them with high-impact, up-to-date customer narratives that truly showcase our value. ### How we measure success Like many others, we faced the challenge of defining meaningful [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) for customer advocacy. We needed a way to quantify our impact on revenue, which led us to focus on influenced bookings as our primary success metric. **How we track influenced bookings** We measure influenced bookings by cross-referencing: 1. **WinWire data and Salesforce records** – Identifying successful deals. 2. **Gong transcripts** – Looking for meaningful mentions of our customer stories in sales conversations. We set a high bar for what qualifies as an influenced booking. A simple mention of a customer story isn’t enough – there must be clear evidence that the story was discussed in-depth and had a tangible impact on the deal. Additionally, we count influenced bookings from demand generation events, where a featured customer played a significant role in moving a deal forward. We set an ambitious target – 30% of annual global bookings – and we’ve consistently hit that goal every year since introducing this KPI. ### Advocacy is a win-win for customers and your business Another key measure of success is how willing customers are to engage in advocacy. Our numbers speak for themselves: - 95% of customers say yes to participating in advocacy. - Only 3% declined but said “not now”, meaning the door remains open for future opportunities. - 100% of customers we’ve worked with before said yes again when asked. While we don’t have the capacity to ask every past advocate to participate again, every single customer we’ve re-engaged has been happy to do so. That’s a testament to the value-driven, customer-first approach we’ve embedded into our advocacy efforts. ### Showcasing advocacy at GC Live One of the highlights of our advocacy program is GC Live, an annual event where over 900 GoCardless customers from around the world come together to hear updates on our strategy. Customer voices are always a key part of the event, and this year, we incorporated video-led content to showcase real-world success stories. By continuously refining our approach and keeping customer value at the core, we’ve built a sustainable, impactful advocacy function that delivers tangible benefits – for our customers, our sales teams, and the entire business. ## What’s next? Expanding into customer engagement As our customer advocacy program has matured, we’ve recently expanded our remit into customer engagement. We realized that we had a wealth of engaged customers who weren’t being leveraged across other areas of the business – many of them were thought leaders, product experts, or simply great advocates for GoCardless. Rather than letting these valuable relationships go underutilized, we saw an opportunity to connect them with different teams and initiatives. We started small, testing the waters with a breakfast briefing featuring three customers, inviting a broader group of our merchants to attend. The response was positive, so we began moving into more vertical-focused events, working closely with our demand generation and sales teams. We approached these teams with a clear opportunity: - We had engaged customers ready to share their expertise. - We had budget to support customer-led initiatives. - We could collaborate to drive attendance and business impact. This collaboration has evolved into GC-hosted events that are now fully cross-functional within our UKI group. These events are not just about advocacy; they have become a core part of our demand generation strategy, helping to drive both new business and expansion within existing accounts. ### High-impact executive engagement One of the most successful new initiatives has been our key client dinners – exclusive, high-value networking events that bring together our most strategic executives and senior customer decision-makers. These events are held quarterly, in intimate, high-end settings designed to foster meaningful conversations. One standout venue was Sexy Fish in Mayfair, a visually stunning location featuring an indoor coral reef. The impact? - In just two dinners last year, we influenced over £1 million in revenue. - Senior execs from our customer base are eager to attend and engage. - The appetite for these events continues to grow, reinforcing the value of direct peer-to-peer conversations. Given their success, these dinners are becoming a core part of our executive engagement strategy, strengthening relationships and deepening trust at the highest levels. ### Merchant accelerator events: Best practices and value realization Looking ahead, we’re also launching merchant accelerator events – sessions designed to help customers get the most value from GoCardless. These sessions will focus on best practices, bringing together: - Existing customers to share real-world insights. - GoCardless experts to provide strategic guidance. - Practical workshops to help merchants maximize their use of our platform. By evolving beyond traditional advocacy into broader customer engagement, we’re creating more opportunities for connection, learning, and business impact – both for our customers and for GoCardless. ## Key lessons learned Not every business will be able to move their advocacy team into customer success, but the principles behind our approach can be applied no matter where you sit in the organization. Here are the most important lessons we’ve learned along the way. ### 1\. Customer value must be at the heart of everything This might seem obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing – customer advocacy only works when it delivers value to the customer, not just the business. Every time we invite a customer to participate, we ask: - What’s in it for them? - How does this align with their goals? - What kind of recognition or exposure do they value? Our CSMs play a crucial role in helping us uncover these answers, ensuring that advocacy is a mutually beneficial opportunity rather than just another request. ### 2\. Executive buy-in keeps your strategy on track A strong advocacy program needs executive alignment from the start. Without it, your strategy can quickly become fragmented by competing internal priorities. When we developed our strategy, we took it to our CXO team for feedback and approval. We also aligned on how success would be measured. This has been instrumental in keeping us focused – when different stakeholder groups challenge or push for different priorities, we can always refer back to the agreed strategic objectives. ### 3\. Customer advocacy is a team pursuit Advocacy isn’t a single team’s job – it’s the result of cross-functional collaboration. From the first digital ad a prospect clicks on to their [onboarding experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/), every department contributes to creating an advocate-worthy customer journey. Our work wouldn’t be possible without the demand generation team, SDRs, sales teams, finance, billing, and implementation teams – every touchpoint along the customer journey influences whether a customer will be willing to advocate for us. While our advocacy team sits in customer success, we actively collaborate across the entire organization to make sure advocacy is deeply embedded into GoCardless. ### 4\. Help your CSMs build their brands One of the best ways to strengthen your advocacy program is by elevating your CSMs. When their customers succeed, they succeed – and when they are seen as trusted advisors, they’re more likely to have customers who are eager to advocate. We actively support our CSMs in building their personal brands, both internally and externally. Whether it’s helping them share success stories, highlighting their work in customer engagements, or encouraging them to take part in industry discussions, we recognize that their visibility and credibility directly contribute to advocacy success. ### Final thoughts By putting customer value first, securing executive alignment, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and empowering CSMs, we’ve transformed advocacy into a strategic, high-impact function at GoCardless. Customer advocacy isn’t just about getting great stories – it’s about building a culture where customers want to champion your brand because they’ve had a great experience. When you get that right, everything else falls into place. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Catherine at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, London 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2024-ondemandvideo/)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### The solution to sales and marketing misalignment URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-solution-to-sales-and-marketing-misalignment/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T11:07:04.000Z Sales and marketing often interact like an old couple—bickering, yet inseparable. They need each other to achieve optimal results, but despite the clear benefits of collaboration, misalignment between these two crucial functions persists in 2024. Why is this still an issue? ## Why sales and marketing alignment matters for revenue generation Historically, sales and marketing have worked in “silos”, meaning they were segmented from one another. Marketing would manage the top of the funnel, while sales would handle the bottom. Once a lead was ready for sales, it was handed off and, in many cases, would never hear from marketing again. The importance of [sales and marketing alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/) is stressed now more than ever. It was reported as the number one priority for sales leaders in 2023\. The reason is clear: A [recent Gartner study](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-03-07-gartner-survey-finds-aligning-commercial-functions-as-sales-leaders-top-priority-for-2023) found that: > *Sales organizations that align cross-functional KPIs are nearly 3 times more likely to exceed new customer acquisition targets.* Conversely, misalignment leads to missed opportunities, wasted resources, and ultimately, a negative impact on revenue. ## Why is there ongoing misalignment between sales and marketing? **1) Different languages:** Marketing and Sales often don't speak the same language. Marketing talks about brand awareness and engagement metrics, while Sales focuses on closing deals and revenue. **2) Skill set divergence:** Marketers excel in creativity and long-term strategy, while salespeople thrive on relationship-building and immediate results. **3) Temporal misalignment:** Marketing plans for quarters and years ahead, while Sales targets monthly and quarterly quotas. **4) Tool discrepancies:** Each team uses distinct tools, from CRM systems to marketing automation platforms, leading to data silos. **5) Different goals:** The Gartner study revealed that the majority of sales organizations actually face challenges with unifying their commercial strategies. For example, 62% of respondents describe their sales and marketing functions as defining qualified leads differently. This often leads to inefficient and ineffective customer engagement. Marketing aims to generate leads and build brand presence, whereas sales aims to convert leads into customers. **6) Siloed operations:** They're often treated as separate entities, with a "high handover wall" where leads are passed from marketing to sales without ongoing collaboration. [Boost post-sale revenue with aligned customer teamsDiscover how aligning customer marketing and success teams can drive retention, boost post-sale revenue, and deliver seamless customer experiences. This report outlines four actionable strategies to overcome role ambiguity and create stronger, more profitable customer relationships.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-374.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Opentext_Meta--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligned-customer-teams-report/) ## Actionable strategies to fix misalignment **1) Unified KPIs:** Align Key Performance Indicators so that marketing is measured not by vanity metrics but by sales-qualified leads and accepted opportunities. This creates a shared sense of purpose. Here’s how shared goals can unite both teams: Both departments collaborate to define what constitutes a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) and a sales-qualified lead (SQL). Leaders from both teams agree on a lead score threshold that determines when a lead should be handed off from marketing to sales. Leads below this score should remain with marketing for further nurturing campaigns. Aligning on common metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive revenue growth, such as revenue attribution, ensures both teams are working towards the same goals. Emphasizing quality over quantity by making SQLs the main performance indicator encourages the marketing team to focus on the quality of MQLs. This approach helps build a healthier sales pipeline and supports long-term revenue growth. **2) Sales incentive insights:** Marketing should understand the sales incentive structure. Knowing what motivates the sales team helps tailor marketing strategies that resonate with their needs. **3) Collaborative planning:** Instead of pointing fingers, plan goals and campaigns together. Joint planning fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. **4) Fact-based decisions:** Replace opinions with data-driven decisions. Ask, "What does the data say? What do customers say?" This approach grounds strategies in reality. **5) Data-driven strategies**: Use integrated tools that both teams can access, ensuring transparency and a unified view of the customer journey. **6) Regular feedback sessions**: Establish regular meetings where both teams can share insights, successes, and challenges. This keeps communication lines open and fosters mutual respect. In addition to meetings, enhance communication by using centralized company channels like Slack and email. This allows both teams to communicate regularly, collaborate effortlessly, track each other’s project progress, and share interesting information and ideas. You can also organize company events, lunches, and informal activities to improve team connection. Ultimately you want both teams to communicate honestly and have an open feedback loop. ## Let's embrace Smarketing Sales and marketing alignment, also known as "smarketing," integrates workflows, goals, KPIs, messaging, and overall strategy between the two teams. When these departments collaborate effectively, it creates a seamless customer journey, enhances sales and marketing ROI, and drives higher revenue. Sales can provide valuable customer insights to inform marketing campaigns. Conversely, marketing can develop [content to educate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) prospects, nurture leads through the early stages of the buying process, and qualify them. As a marketing leader with experience in multiple B2B international companies, I have had the privilege of collaborating with exceptional sales professionals who appreciate the value of this partnership. Their willingness to integrate with marketing strategies has significantly enhanced our mutual success. By fostering a culture of collaboration, shared goals, and data-driven decisions, we can bridge the gap between marketing and sales. Together, these teams can drive remarkable growth and innovation, proving that they are indeed better together. ### A blueprint for cross-functional team leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/blueprint-for-cross-functional-team-leadership/ Last updated: 2025-02-28T10:33:43.000Z ## The consequence of poor stakeholder management Imagine you wake up one morning and see that a leader from another key function has sent a dramatic message to sales [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/c-suite-elevating-customer-marketings-voice-in-leadership/) on a topic that your team is invested in. There was no warning and no prior communication – they just went straight there and made your marketing team look like they were unprepared for the future and not doing enough. This happened to me a few years ago, and it was a stressful experience. The reason why this happened was that we didn't have clear [alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/), we didn't communicate with each other transparently, and we had no agreed process. We also didn't have day-to-day projects that reinforced our partnership. This is an example of failed [stakeholder management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/guarantee-stakeholder-buy-in-for-your-customer-advisory-board-strategy/). It causes stressful situations and confusion for the departments involved. ## Why effective stakeholder management matters On the other hand, successful stakeholder management can create a much happier working environment, make people more productive, and drive business results. The better your stakeholder management, the more joy you and your team will have at work. I'll share with you today how you can think about this systematically, with some advice and best practices from my experience of working at global technology companies. The framework and the thought starters I'm going to talk about will help you build effective relationships with your cross-functional partners and drive business results. [Tips for community marketing and customer marketing collaborationWhile customer marketing and community marketing are each rock-solid strategies in their own right, they can complement each other - like macaroni and cheese - both versatile and important in their own right, but even more brilliant together.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-371.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mario-purisic-jG1z5o7NCq4-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) ## How to handle unexpected cross-functional conflicts So, what do I do in stressful situations like the one I opened with? Well, I like to make myself a cup of tea. ### The 7 components of the "Teacup Framework" The "Teacup Framework" has seven different components that you need to think about as you build out [cross-functional](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) relationships and cross-functional teams. The components are… - **T**rust, transparency, - [**E**mpathy](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/how-to-distribute-empathy-at-scale/), - **A**lignment, - [**C**ollaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/curate-collaborate-cultivate-transforming-communities-through-curation/), - **U**nity, and - **P**rocess. These are all necessary ingredients for leading and inspiring your stakeholders. ### Trust Let's kick it off with an important foundation (aka, the saucer), which is trust. There's a great book by **Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley** on the *Remote Work Revolution*. It distinguishes between two kinds of trust: cognitive trust, which is faith in others' competencies and that they'll do what they say they'll do, and emotional [trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/), which means you believe others care about you. My view is you can always course-correct if you realize that trust is being taken advantage of, so I operate on the belief that you should be generous and give trust automatically – there's no need for others to earn it first. I follow this guideline not only with cross-functional stakeholders but also with the employees on my team. I don't need to see them doing the work; what I care about are the output and impact, so there's no need to monitor their day-to-day. On the other side of the coin, while you should trust by default, what can you do to facilitate others' trust in you? Well, be clear about what you're going to do and what you're not going to do, follow through, and do it repeatedly to achieve consistency. More specifically, I think it's much better to say "no" from the get-go than to stay ambiguous and require lots of follow-ups that you're not planning to honor. [How to build and structure a powerhouse customer marketing teamBuilding a powerhouse customer marketing team is both an art and a science. In this article, discover strategies and insights essential for building and scaling a successful customer marketing team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-372.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAllison Johnson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/How-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team-7.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/) For example, I once had a member from another department on a working group who verbally and repeatedly committed to the work, but then showed no engagement, didn't show up to meetings, and didn't do the work they were expected to do. This affected not only one-on-one relationships with that employee but also overall relationships between departments. To build emotional trust, you want to share and make others feel comfortable sharing. That makes it easier to truly care about someone and their well-being and then work together. Empathy, which I'll talk about in a bit, is the key here. For example, during the COVID lockdowns, I had a horrible day when I was unable to look at work with optimism. I felt emotionally safe sharing this with my colleagues, and they shared their stories in return. That helped me realize that I really needed to take a day off. The reaction and the support that I got then further helped build my trust. [How you’re demotivating your team and how to stopFew things are as costly and disruptive as managers who kill motivation. It’s said that “people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers” and the stats back this up: 70% of an employee’s motivation is influenced by their manager, according to Gallup.![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-215.png)Customer Success CollectiveChloie Brandrick![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/thumbnail/Screen-Shot-2022-03-16-at-15.15.19-1-1.jpg)](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/how-youre-demotivating-your-team-and-how-to-stop/) ### Transparency Alright, I know I'm cheating here, but there's another T that I don't want to neglect. It stands for transparency – you can think of it as the water in your cup. It's an interesting one, as if you [work closely with sales](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/), you learn over time that you can't just share all the information you have in real-time. For example, product roadmaps might not be accurate, and sharing them might set the wrong expectations with sales and clients. Plus, you always have to manage communication effectively to not be confusing. Be as transparent as can be and explain why you don't want to or *can't* go into detail on certain things. When it comes to working with other cross-functional teams, [over-communicate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/). Share what's coming down from the global teams with your local stakeholders with as little filter as possible. That way, you’ll be on the same page and able to work together on how to position things with the sales teams. What I've experienced many times is that when [departmental goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) are [misaligned](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/ensuring-better-alignment-with-customer-success/) globally or regionally, it makes alignment harder at a local level. If you work transparently with each other, share information freely, and support each other as one team, you can fix this much more easily. Transparency requires trust that the other teams want to share confidential information. It also builds trust – the more you share with other teams, the more willing they'll be to share with you as well. [Why customer empathy is the key to building trustEmpathy is a critical skill. By putting ourselves in the shoes of our customers, customer success managers can better understand frustrations or roadblocks customers may be facing.![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-217.png)Customer Success CollectiveGuru Bhat![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design--15--1.jpg)](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/how-to-distribute-empathy-at-scale/) ### Empathy Empathy, or the tea bag, is all about showing real interest in people, caring for them, and putting yourself in their shoes. The more you understand what's going on with someone, the better you can interpret their behavior at work and ensure you're working together effectively. This might differ by culture, but it's my strong belief that, especially virtually, some personal sharing helps [build empathy and trust](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/how-to-distribute-empathy-at-scale/). If you're aware that someone's dog is sick, that's a good indicator of how they might be feeling that day about approaching work. Another piece of advice is to show care, not only to the people on your team but also to cross-functional partners. Empathy goes a long way and it can be learned and improved. It'll help you build meaningful one-on-one [relationships that aren't just transactional](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-authentic-relationships-in-a-changing-marketing-landscape/). Empathy also comes into play when people make mistakes or when they have goals that might not be in line with yours. My advice is to give people the benefit of the doubt. At Meta, we had a saying: “Assume positive intent.” When somebody acts in a way that you find jarring, seems to go against your interests, or contradicts what was agreed, first find some non-nefarious reasons for why they might have acted that way, and then have a conversation with them. During the pandemic, I kept reading that people were “Zoomed out” and didn't want any more meetings. My point of view is, yes get rid of mass meetings where the content isn't universally relevant for everybody, but prioritize one-on-ones and take the time to get to know each other. Especially when working remotely, I find it's important to set aside five minutes at the start of each conversation to catch up and figure out what's top of mind for the other person – not just how they're doing but how they're feeling. People are willing to share more than you think, and these little conversations go a long way in helping you build empathy, which in turn can drive mutual emotional trust. ****Editor's note:** Harvard Business Review recently found that [leading with compassion has scientific benefits](https://hbr.org/2023/02/leading-with-compassion-has-research-backed-benefits?ab=hero-main-text&ref=productmarketingalliance.com), like reduced burnout, higher retention rates, and job performance. ### Alignment The next ingredient is sugar - or alignment. [Alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/be-the-voice-of-your-customer-and-drive-company-alignment/) is about figuring out what people's goals are – both personal and professional. It’s about sharing your own and your department's goals and plans, then finding a way to bring them together to develop joint goals and ensure you're not pulling in two completely different directions. When you’ve figured out your own plans, ensure you also do joint planning with cross-functional teams. Seek to understand how the plans interact and where there are opportunities to execute together. I’ve found that alignment is difficult to achieve on a group call. Instead, what has worked for me is having one-on-ones with key stakeholders – aligned step by step – and then only having that final meeting to reconfirm everyone's commitment. This might be a big time commitment, but not only will you have stronger alignment at the end, but you'll also develop deeper relationships. Alignment is not a one-off. Yes, you should align on plans as part of your planning cycle, but as you move to execution, things might require readjustment. You’ll notice you might need realignment if you're surprised at another department's actions or if things aren't moving. ### Collaboration I find that tea tastes better with milk, or collaboration in our case. Once you're aligned, truly collaborate on the outcome – don't just work away on your own. For example, when collaborating with the marketing science team at TikTok, we set up a joint pillar that is aligned between both teams, and we have co-leads from marketing science and product marketing on the individual sub-pillars. The projects that these pillars tackle drive joint goals, which were set as part of the alignment process, and reinforce the commitment to these goals every day. At Meta, we had a thanks bot. At [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@cm%5Falliance), we have a similar tool that allows you to send recognition to your cross-functional colleagues with their manager CC’d. That goes a long way in rewarding collaboration. ### Unity Next, you need a cup for your tea, which represents unity. When presenting to sales, present as a united cross-functional team, rather than competing with each other. When presenting to clients, present as a united team with sales, rather than contradicting them. For external meetings, what I’ve found is that briefs help. Get sales to tell you what they want the outcome of the meeting to be and give you all the background information you need; then you can be the most effective. When sharing internally, lift each other up. Call out the great work of your cross-functional colleagues when you present and recognize their contributions, rather than claiming all the credit for yourself. This unity will increase sales’ confidence in you. [Marketing inside out: Put your team firstThink marketing is all about your customers? According to Tim Parkin, marketing advisor to a portfolio of multimillion-dollar brands, you’re thinking about it all wrong. Instead, you need to be looking inwards and focusing on marketing internally to get everyone engaged, motivated, and on brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-373.png)Customer Marketing AllianceWill Whitham![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/leah-hetteberg-0pSsWN8uqAE-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/marketing-inside-out-put-your-team-first/) ### Process Finally, you need a kettle to boil your water. This stands for the processes and structures you need to put in place for everything to work and be sustainable. This can be documentation, a task force, regular meetings, mechanisms for conflict resolution, or working groups with joint goals that ladder up into each department's goals. For example, I like to document alignment and collaboration. That allows me to easily refer to the work that’s going on across the business. That can be a simple document where both departments put down their mission, vision, and goals, and you write down areas of collaboration and how you'll execute them. When working remotely across time zones, a process for acing collaboration is key. For example, in a previous role, I had global meetings on my calendar for 2 am my time in Australia. I value work-life balance, so the process we put in place was for me to leverage meeting docs to ask questions async and then watch back the recordings to see the discussion and get my answers. In addition, you can find someone to stand in and be vocal for you in meetings. For example, I had an ally in Europe that I caught up with one-on-one and who could represent APAC on my behalf. Another useful process is to provide regular update emails or instant messages for key projects to keep everyone in the loop. Once you've got all these components in place, you can take it one step further and lead and inspire cross-functional teams. ## Putting the teacup framework into action Now let's move on to a concrete example. ### Managing change in a remote world In a previous role at Meta, I was leading our efforts on the future of data and privacy across APAC – all from my bedroom because this was at the height of COVID lockdowns. My cross-functional partners were spread across the region, especially Singapore and Japan. ### Uncertain times: The iOS 14.5 rollout During that time, Apple started rolling out its app tracking transparency framework alongside iOS 14.5\. If you have an iPhone, you'll have noticed that you're now being asked whether you want apps to track you or not. What looked like a simple change to consumers had a significant impact on the personalization that was possible through digital advertising, and it required a lot of preparation. ### Building cross-functional alignment and collaboration We needed to prepare sales teams and advertisers, share actions for them to take, and answer countless questions in a highly uncertain environment. We also had to instill a change management mindset. Any guidance we gave one day could change dramatically the following day, with new information from Apple coming in and global teams making decisions or changing course. iOS 14.5 touched many different cross-functional teams, so I had to be closely aligned with their leadership. I built a first draft for a joint plan, then looked for input from cross-functional leaders. I also had to bring on board people from each function whose help I needed for the execution. This was not a one-off. Because the whole launch was dynamic and we would receive new information from Apple regularly, we had to be flexible and realign as needed throughout. ### Creating a strong communication and execution plan To prepare for the change and the rollout, I set up an APAC-wide cross-functional task force including marketing science, solutions engineering, legal, technical product support, partnerships, sales, learning, and more. We ran external webinars, weekly internal workshops, and bimonthly training, and kept sales leadership in the loop through weekly updates. As a cross-functional team, we had weekly meetings leading up to the launch, in which we'd realign, report on what our functions were doing, keep track of joint targets, and plan activations. We also had to ensure that [communication was clear](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) and each cross-functional stakeholder knew what to do. On top of this, we prepared an APAC mission control model for what would happen once Apple launched the change because we didn't have a clear date. Once mission control kicked in, we ran daily stand-ups during and post-launch with all key cross-functional representatives. We also scheduled joint office hours with sales to ensure APAC questions got addressed, and when necessary, we shared that with the global teams. ### How the "Teacup Framework" strengthened the strategy So, how did I apply the Teacup framework in this case? Well, I built **trust** through regular one-on-ones with each of the leaders – not just talking about work, but also sharing openly – and by being a good reliable partner. I was completely **transparent** with the information that came down through my department, which then encouraged transparency from other departments, giving us a full picture on the regional level. In my catch-ups with other departments and with sales, I showed **empathy** by emphasizing that we were all in this together. This was a big challenge with tons of uncertainty, but we were up for the task. Also, this happened during COVID, so everyone was going through a lot and I always needed to be mindful of how I communicated. I built **alignment** by drafting a plan and then getting input from cross-functional leaders that we all signed off on and adjusted as needed. We **collaborated** closely and shared credit across all the different activations that we ran. For example, we had strong cross-functional representation across both internal and external Q&As. We showed **unity** in front of the sales team by coordinating closely on communication, aligning on a weekly basis, and supporting each other rather than trying to compete. All this was helped by a rigorous **process**, which we captured as part of the mission control model to bring as much structure as possible into the uncertainty. That’s it from me. I hope you learned something today and will find the Teacup framework useful. It's something to think through when you work with and lead cross-functional stakeholders. ## Lessons learned As for the example from the start – that shocking email – we connected and the relationship between our departments flourished after this incident. We put a plan together and we started collaborating, building trust, and supporting each other. It was a great learning experience – like everything that goes wrong in life. ### Building a winning business case that drives revenue growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-winning-business-case-revenue-growth/ Last updated: 2025-06-25T08:42:51.000Z No business case succeeds without a compelling story. It’s the bridge between an idea and executive buy-in, transforming abstract concepts into clear, data-backed justifications for investment. From securing budgets and influencing key stakeholders to proving measurable impact, crafting a business case is both an art and a science. For such a critical skill, it begs the question: what actually makes a winning business case? In this article, we’re going to cover: - The mindset needed to build a persuasive business case - How to leverage data, storytelling, and strategic networking - Proven frameworks for structuring your case effectively - Common challenges and how to navigate them - Real-world examples of business cases that delivered results ## The art, science, and mindset of building a successful business case Building a compelling business case is a blend of art, science, selling, and success. Each plays a crucial role in not only crafting a persuasive argument but also ensuring that what you propose delivers results. ### The art of visualization Ansel Adams, the legendary landscape photographer, once said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” This concept of visualization is critical in business, too. If you know where you are today and have a clear vision of where you want to be, all that’s left is mapping out the steps to get there. Some steps may be small, others significant, but the key is to work backward from your desired outcome. That’s exactly how we approached the reference program at Sage. When I first started working on it, I asked my colleague, “Where do you want to be in three or five years?” Once we had that vision in place, we could start breaking it down into actionable steps. ### The science of data While vision is essential, a strong business case also requires data. Numbers tell a story, and that’s where the science comes in. Take Florence Nightingale. Most people know her as a pioneering nurse, but she was also a statistician. In 1854–1855, she created a visual diagram to illustrate the causes of death during the Crimean War. Her goal was simple: make the data clear and compelling enough that people couldn’t ignore it. That’s exactly how data should be used in a business case. It’s not just about presenting numbers; it’s about telling a story that makes the decision obvious. When you can show the impact of a problem and the potential benefits of solving it in a way that’s easy to grasp, you increase your chances of getting buy-in. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why data-driven storytelling transforms marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-02-19T14:00:28.000Z *This article is based on a presentation given by Andy at the* [*Chief Marketing Officer Summit*](https://events.cmoalliance.com/)*, New York, 2024\.* --- As a career marketer who’s spent time both agency-side and in-house, storytelling has always been at the core of how I approach brand building. And while data-driven storytelling isn’t a new concept, the [tools](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tools-for-success-single-product-vs-multi-product-environments/) and data available to us today have evolved, making it an incredibly exciting time for marketers. First, let's break down our main talking points: - Why storytelling matters - Evolution of data-driven storytelling - Knowing your audience - Finding the right data - Crafting a narrative from data ## Why storytelling matters Let me start with a confession: I didn’t initially want to go into marketing—I actually wanted to make movies. My first “real” job was in Hollywood, working as an intern on the Disney lot. I spent my days reading script after script, learning a key truth about storytelling: it’s easy to hook someone in those first ten minutes, but keeping their attention through to the end? That’s the real challenge. Those early experiences taught me the power of crafting [narratives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/) that resonate, and it’s something I carried with me as I pivoted into marketing. Over the years, I’ve seen that storytelling isn’t just a creative tool—it’s essential to human connection. It helps us make sense of the world, it connects us to others, and it helps us remember. And from a marketing perspective, [storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) helps us create that emotional bridge between a brand and its audience, something AI hasn’t yet mastered. [How storytelling works to perfect customer marketingConstructing a narrative to communicate a message to an audience is one of the backbones of marketing. A gripping story can be used in all sorts of ways, by customer marketers, product marketers, sales, and everyone in between.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-367.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/joanna-kosinska-B6yDtYs2IgY-unsplash--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) ## The evolution of data-driven storytelling The idea of using data to tell [brand stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-master-guide-to-brand-storytelling/) isn’t exactly revolutionary—some of the best examples are over a decade old. But what’s different today is that we have an unprecedented amount of data at our disposal, along with the tools to do remarkable things with it. As marketers, our challenge is to find a way to bridge the art of storytelling with the science of [data analysis.](https://www.cmoalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-drive-action/) The question is: *How can we use data to enhance, inform, and validate our narratives?* ## Knowing your audience beyond demographics Effective storytelling always starts with a deep understanding of your audience. And I’m not just talking about demographics or basic customer [personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/). It’s about understanding what motivates your audience, why they’re drawn to your brand, and what emotional connection might be hiding beneath the surface. Let’s say you’re in the airline industry. An ad touting “the magic of flying” is emotionally engaging, but if you weave in data points—like the number of flights or destinations—you add a layer of credibility and connection. British Airways did something similar in their now-famous "Look Up" campaign, where digital billboards in Piccadilly Circus showed live information about BA flights overhead, blending magic with real-time data. That campaign went viral because it tapped into both the heart and mind of its audience, grounding an emotional message in relatable, real-world data. [The master guide to brand storytellingBrand storytelling is the use of a brand’s values, purpose, and identity to create compelling narratives that captivate the target audience. It involves crafting stories that connect emotionally, fostering brand loyalty and deeper connections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-368.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Stock--3---1--3.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-master-guide-to-brand-storytelling/) ## **Finding the right data to tell your story** Data can come from almost anywhere—customer purchase histories, engagement metrics, market trends, or competitive analyses. The trick is figuring out which data points are most relevant and meaningful for the story you want to tell. It’s like laying out puzzle pieces and figuring out which ones fit together to create a complete picture. When I work on a campaign, I like to map out clusters of data to see what stands out. Is there a pattern in [customer feedback?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) Are there emerging trends in engagement on specific platforms? Sometimes, it’s those small, unexpected data points that turn out to be gold. The goal isn’t to bury your audience in numbers but to find those nuggets that reinforce your story in a way that resonates. ## Crafting a narrative from data This is where the magic happens—but it’s also the challenging part. Blending data with storytelling requires creativity and a willingness to push boundaries. It’s like being a surfer who ignores the “Danger” sign on a cliff and finds the perfect wave on the other side. In marketing, that means using your [data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) in ways that go beyond the status quo, finding connections that may not be immediately obvious. A colleague and I once faced the challenge of introducing a new hot dog without overshadowing their classic product. So, we decided to create the data and build a story around it. We launched a campaign where each customer review raised the value of a coupon, encouraging customers to share their reactions on social media. This approach helped us tell a story around the product’s quality while amplifying word-of-mouth. The campaign was incredibly successful, proving that data-driven [storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) can be incredibly impactful when done right. [How to use emotional storytelling in marketingIn today’s society, emotional advertising has become increasingly popular and expected. People want to feel emotionally engaged with our brand messaging and content. To evoke those feelings, I advise balancing pathos with logos – the rational, logical side of your argument.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-369.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGastón Tourn![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Stock--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) ## Real-world B2B data storytelling: Gong’s approach In the B2B world, Gong offers a fantastic example of data-driven storytelling. Gong uses data from sales calls to create insights that are both informative and engaging. They share simple but compelling stories on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-marketing-alliance/), like how top performers avoid sharing prices early in a call or how asking too many questions in executive-level meetings can reduce win rates. These bite-sized insights pull in audiences by offering practical advice while highlighting the unique value Gong’s software brings to the table. ## Making data personal: The nest thermostat Nest’s thermostat is another great example. Saving energy isn’t exactly thrilling, but Nest turns it into a game with its “leaf” feature. Each time you adjust your thermostat to a more energy-efficient setting, you earn a “leaf.” Nest’s monthly email recaps how many leaves you’ve earned, how your energy use stacks up against other users, and even how close you are to hitting certain milestones. This is a prime example of using data to create an ongoing story that makes an impact on the individual level while promoting larger environmental goals. ## Creating FOMO with Data: Spotify wrapped Spotify has nailed data-driven storytelling with its annual [**Spotify Wrapped** ](https://www.cmoalliance.com/applying-b2c-tactics-in-b2b-marketing/)campaign. They turn users’ listening data into a year-end summary, showcasing top artists, most-played songs, and listening habits in a beautifully visualized, shareable format. But Spotify doesn’t stop at individual data—they also use Wrapped to create a sense of FOMO. If you’re not a Spotify user, you don’t get a Wrapped recap, which in turn encourages more people to join Spotify so they can be part of the experience next year. This blend of personal and social storytelling is a masterclass in using data to build community and drive growth. ## How to start telling data-driven stories There are four essential steps in crafting a data-driven narrative: 1. **Know your audience**: Dive beyond the basics and understand what motivates them on an emotional level. 2. **Identify the right data**: Look at your available data and find those unique insights that align with your story. 3. **Connect the Dots**: Look for patterns, trends, and those “aha” moments that bring your data to life. 4. **Build the narrative**: Weave data into a story that not only informs but resonates. Don’t be afraid to experiment—try different approaches and see what sticks. [Harness AI’s transformative potential in customer engagementAchieving and sustaining meaningful customer engagement is more about leveraging the immense power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized, data-driven, and emotionally resonant experiences that captivate and retain customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-370.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/brett-jordan-5L0R8ZqPZHk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) ## The intersection of data, storytelling, and AI We’re on the brink of an AI-driven future in marketing, but storytelling will remain a powerful differentiator. The intersection of data and storytelling is where marketing magic happens, allowing us to make genuine connections with our audience. Experiment, play with your data, and take risks. As AI tools become more integrated into our workflows, the human element—our ability to craft compelling, data-enhanced stories—will continue to set brands apart. So here’s my challenge to you: take that first step. Look at the data you have at your disposal, start small, and experiment with incorporating it into your storytelling. I’m excited to see where this journey will take all of us as marketers, and I hope these examples have sparked some ideas for how you can blend data and storytelling in your own work. Let’s continue to innovate and find new ways to connect with our [audiences.](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-science-of-responding-to-customers-unmet-needs/) ## Embrace storytelling At its heart, data-driven storytelling is about bringing a deeper level of connection to the way we market, helping brands stand out by creating meaningful, memorable narratives. As marketers, our ability to blend the science of data with the art of storytelling will be key in navigating a world that’s increasingly driven by AI and digital tools. By understanding our audience, identifying valuable insights, and crafting stories that resonate, we can create authentic, engaging experiences that go far beyond the numbers. So start small, experiment with your data, and let your creativity lead the way. The most compelling stories are waiting to be told—and they just might start with a single data point. --- *Want to hear more about tried and tested data-backed strategies? If you have insights to share, or questions to ask, share them with a global network of marketing leaders on the Customer Marketing Alliance* [*community on Slack*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community)*.* [ Join the community ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community) ### The power of multifaceted community building URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/multifaceted-community-building/ Last updated: 2025-02-17T15:00:46.000Z No company can thrive without [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/). It’s the connective tissue between customers and businesses, transforming users from passive consumers into engaged advocates. From online forums and ambassador programs to exclusive events and organic knowledge sharing, community-building is the invisible force that drives customer loyalty, [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), and brand [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-evolution-of-customer-advocacy-embracing-a-value-led-approach/). For such a crucial function, it begs the question: what actually makes a great multifaceted community program? In this guide, we’re going to cover: - What makes a community multifaceted? - Best practices for building a multifaceted community - Navigating the challenges of a global community - Common pitfalls to avoid when building a community - Demonstrating the business impact of community Let’s dive in. ## What makes a community multifaceted? Community-building as a profession is in a similar place today as fields like customer success were about 10–15 years ago. Back then, businesses had their sales team and their support team. They will have had account managers thrown into the mix, but the concept of a dedicated function for ensuring your customers' success? It was a pretty alien concept. Now, customer success is a given for any service-oriented business. It's *not* just a department; [customer-centricity ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/)is a business strategy that entire companies need to get behind. And community is *bolting* in the same direction. Rewind a good 10 years ago, if a company was forward-thinking enough to have an online community, chances are they viewed it as nothing more than a support forum. It was a reductive viewpoint. Of course, forums *are* useful, there's no knocking them. But a true community program should be far more expansive. You see, a multifaceted community is designed to go beyond problem-solving—it’s about creating meaningful [engagement touchpoints](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-ways-to-remove-touchpoint-friction-in-customer-advocacy/) across different platforms and formats. A robust community should: - Provide a space for engaged and passionate users to connect - Enable both online and offline interactions - Offer multiple channels for interaction beyond just a forum - Support customers throughout their journey, not just when they have problems If all a company does is host a support forum, they’re only serving a small subset of their audience. But there’s a much larger group that wants to engage differently. That’s where a multifaceted approach comes in. ### Avoiding the pitfalls of one-dimensional communities Many B2B communities mistakenly replicate a B2C-style forum model. In B2B, customers seek solutions and leave once their problem is resolved. This transactional approach results in low-return engagement. If your primary goal is to reduce support costs, you're in it for the wrong reason. To avoid this, businesses must shift their focus from cost reduction (via ticket deflection) to value creation. A thriving community includes: - Learning opportunities (best practices, industry insights). - Peer-to-peer connections that encourage collaboration. - Recognition programs to celebrate contributions. - Exclusive access to content, events, and discussions. When you get people excited and give them more places to go and more things to talk about beyond just "I have this problem, help me solve it," that’s when you truly build deep customer engagement. [Tips for community marketing and customer marketing collaborationWhile customer marketing and community marketing are each rock-solid strategies in their own right, they can complement each other - like macaroni and cheese - both versatile and important in their own right, but even more brilliant together.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-362.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mario-purisic-jG1z5o7NCq4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) ## Creating spaces for connection beyond problem-solving One of the most powerful things a community can do is provide members with opportunities to connect beyond just solving problems. When a community moves from being purely a support channel to a space where people engage proactively, it transforms into something much greater. As Ari Hoffman, an expert in customer advocacy and [community engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/), points out: > “It’s about connecting with each other. It’s about getting inspired by each other. It’s about learning from each other. It’s the FOMO – the fear of missing out– that social separation you create. It’s all of it. A community should make people feel like they’re part of something bigger.” This is especially important in B2B, which can sometimes feel dry or transactional. But at the end of the day, people still want to feel a sense of belonging. Even with a workplace productivity tool like Asana, users are deeply interested in improving how they work. Beneath the surface, there’s a strong desire to learn, share insights, and celebrate efficiency. When you create the right framework and channels for people to share ideas, they inspire each other. They celebrate successes together. They push each other to improve. ## The intersection of community and customer marketing For customer marketers and [advocacy professionals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/), understanding how community fits into their strategy is essential. As Ari noted, community-led growth (CLG) is real, and companies that get it right reap major benefits. Customer marketing, advocacy, and community management all serve the same goal: engaging and empowering customers. The difference is in how they approach it. These functions are really closely related. They’re just often targeting different segments of the customer base. At Asana, I worked very closely with our [customer marketing team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/?%5Fgl=1%2A1w63uu5%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANDcxNjI3ODMxLjE3Mzg2NjYxMDA.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTczODY2NjEwMC4xLjEuMTczODY2NjIzNC4wLjAuMA..). We’re all customer-facing, and we’re all trying to get people engaged in different ways. When we align our strategies, we achieve more. [Customer vs. community engagement: Know the differenceNot all forms of engagement are created equal. Understanding the distinctions between customer engagement and community engagement is crucial.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-361.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_community-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) ## Best practices for building a multifaceted community ### 1\. Meet your customers where they are One of the most fundamental principles of community-building is understanding where your customers already engage. Instead of forcing them onto a new platform, find out what tools and channels they are already using. At Asana, we simply asked our community: “If we were to start more channels for you, where would you like us to be?” Their feedback helped us decide where to focus our efforts and, just as importantly, where not to spend time. ### 2\. Make participation valuable (and fun) Your customers are busy. They don’t need yet another place to go. Once you establish the right channels, the next step is ensuring that community members get immediate value from participating. This could take many forms, depending on what your company offers and what your members find useful. Some of the ways we add value include: - **Educational opportunities:** Exclusive training sessions, workshops, or webinars - **Early access:** Previewing new features before they launch - **Community challenges:** Encouraging users to submit templates, workflows, or success stories - **Celebration and recognition:** Showcasing member contributions and achievements ### 3\. Integrate community with customer advocacy One common challenge in organizations is the disconnect between customer marketing, [advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/), and community teams. Often, advocacy professionals fear that integrating too much into the community will disrupt engagement, while community managers worry that pushing advocacy programs too hard might feel too “sales-y.” The best approach is to ensure that advocacy naturally fits within the broader community framework rather than being treated as a separate entity. For example: - **Salesforce’s MVP program** was embedded within the community rather than being a separate initiative. Members naturally aspire to be part of it. - **Marketo’s purple select** was built within the existing Marketo community, ensuring that engaged members had a clear path to becoming advocates. As I put it, “If you already have a community, think of it as a big tent. There are different spaces within it for different needs, but you don’t need to build an entirely new tent just for advocacy.” ### 4\. Adapt to changing communication preferences As we look to the future, community teams need to adapt to the communication habits of new generations. Gen Z, for example, engages on entirely different platforms than previous generations. With Gen Z moving into the workforce, we need to ask: What channels are they on? Are we going to see B2B communities on Discord or Twitch? We’ve grown comfortable with certain platforms, but we need to meet this new generation where they are. Involving younger community members in the decision-making process ensures authenticity. Nothing is more cringe-worthy than trying to build engagement on a platform you don’t fully understand. That’s why diversity on community teams—including generational diversity—is key to staying relevant and reaching a global audience effectively. [The 8 ultimate how-tos and tips for community engagementEngaging with your community works toward fostering a more authentic relationship with your customers. Here are eight top tips to level up your strategy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-363.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jonathan-greenaway-wLdSbBDd9Ac-unsplash--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/) ## Navigating the challenges of a global community ### 1\. Be realistic about your team’s capabilities Managing a global community with a small team is a challenge many organizations face. The reality is that if your community team is based in one-time zone and speaks only one language, you won’t be able to support every user 24/7 in their preferred language. Instead of over-promising, it’s crucial to set clear expectations. You don’t have to hide things from people. If your team can only engage in English, say so clearly within the community. Be upfront about your limitations while looking for creative solutions to bridge the gaps. One way to address this challenge is to leverage engaged community members. If you can’t offer full multilingual support, consider starting an ambassador program where members fluent in key languages help bridge the communication gap. These ambassadors could: - Answer a set number of questions per month in the forum - Host periodic webinars or discussions in their language - Offer insights into cultural nuances that help tailor community strategies Of course, asking for help means offering value in return. While these members don’t work for your company, they are motivated by recognition and meaningful exchanges. You could offer them: - **Exclusive access to product teams or leadership** for behind-the-scenes insights - **Priority support** for their own product-related needs - **Swag, credits, or recognition** as a way to celebrate their contributions The key is to create a mutually beneficial value exchange. Most highly engaged community members want to contribute—but they need clear expectations and incentives to stay involved. [Support your advocacy strategy with brand storytellingprioritizing certain elements within brand storytelling can convert current customers into supportive advocates: Consistency and authenticity, Knowing your audience, Communicate the problem you solve, and Connect with your community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-364.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/priscilla-du-preez-CNf31ObmoCs-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/support-your-advocacy-strategy-by-using-authentic-brand-storytelling/) ### 2\. Strengthening the link between advocacy and community Ari Hoffman brings up an excellent point about [leveraging advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-advocacy-without-losing-the-personal-touch/) to strengthen global community efforts. > “If you find advocates in different countries who aren’t yet part of the community, introduce them to the community managers. This is a great way for them to advocate in their native language and represent their region organically.” Even if your company isn’t operating at a multinational scale, this strategy applies on a smaller level. Your most active community members can serve as lighthouses—visible champions who inspire others to participate. Marketing teams can collaborate with community managers to create content that highlights these individuals and their contributions. The key takeaway? **Provide value first before asking for something in return.** ### 3\. Understanding different levels of engagement within a business A crucial distinction in community strategy is recognizing **who** you’re engaging at different levels of an organization. At Asana, most customer marketing happened at the executive and VP level, whereas the community is designed for the product users—typically director-level and below. Many organizations have this structure, with multiple layers of stakeholders. Instead of treating these groups separately, customer marketing and community teams should work together. For example: - If a **customer marketer** is working on a case study with a VP, they should ask: Who are your internal champions using our product? - Those champions can then be introduced to the **community team**, where they can be featured in events, discussions, or success stories. ### 4\. Building future advocates within your community Another powerful advantage of community engagement is **planting seeds for the future**. When users engage deeply in a community, they develop strong product affinity. As their careers progress, they may move into leadership roles at new companies—and when they do, they’ll remember the positive experiences they had with your brand. By having this community available to users, you’re helping them grow. One day, they’ll be decision-makers at another company, and they might choose your product because of their past engagement with your community. This is why investing in community is a long-term strategy. Today’s community members may be tomorrow’s executive champions. By fostering engagement now, you create brand loyalty that extends beyond a single job or organization. [Leveling up your customer communityA community can significantly help your customers succeed. In this article, discover the activities you can implement, and best practices to make your program indispensable within your organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-365.png)Customer Marketing AlliancePida Pairawan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Leveling-up-your-customer-community.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-basics-to-beyond-leveling-up-your-customer-community/) ## Common pitfalls to avoid when building a community ### 1\. Starting a community without a clear purpose One of the biggest red flags I see when advising organizations on community strategy is when decision-makers say, “We need a community,” but they can’t articulate why. A community isn’t just something a company “should have.” It needs a **defined purpose** that aligns with both business goals and customer needs. Without this clarity, community efforts risk becoming directionless. If a community program starts without leadership buy-in or a clear objective, it often falls into a cycle where it’s considered important one quarter and forgotten the next. This is problematic for multiple reasons, but most importantly: **Once you invite people into a community, you *can’t* abandon them.** If a community loses momentum and engagement declines, it’s incredibly difficult to rebuild trust and participation. As I often say, “Once the train leaves the station, you have to keep it moving. If it stops, it’s not coming back.” To avoid this pitfall: - **Clearly define** why the community exists and what it aims to achieve. - **Establish success metrics** from the beginning and track progress. - **Ensure long-term buy-in** from decision-makers so resources remain consistent. ### 2\. Making the community solely about business needs Another common mistake is treating the community purely as a business tool without considering the customer’s perspective. Yes, a community should drive value for the company—but it must also provide value to its members. If the community feels like a thinly veiled marketing or sales channel, customers will disengage. There needs to be **balance** between what the business wants and what customers need. If the program is all about company goals—more engagement, more sales, more referrals—without offering meaningful benefits to the members, customers will quickly see through it. A thriving community is built on a **give-and-get** model. Businesses must offer real value—whether through exclusive content, networking opportunities, or product insights—before expecting customers to contribute. ### 3\. Treating community as just a support forum A common misstep is viewing community through the narrow lens of ticket deflection—only solving customer problems rather than fostering engagement. While customer support forums are valuable, they are only one facet of a well-rounded community. Instead of framing community as a troubleshooting tool, businesses should focus on celebrating customers, sharing stories, and creating spaces for meaningful interaction. By shifting the messaging to align with broader marketing and brand narratives, a community becomes a strategic pillar of marketing, rather than just a cost-saving measure for support teams. ### 4\. Ignoring data and operating on gut feeling Many community professionals lean toward the relationship-building side of engagement—but some struggle with the data side of the equation. I often hear, “I feel like we should do this” or “I think this would work,” but when I ask for supporting data, there’s hesitation. The best community strategies balance intuition with insights to make informed decisions. At Asana, we tracked two key types of data: - **Program health metrics:** Where are members most active? How frequently do they engage? What type of content or events draw the highest participation? - **Business impact metrics:** How does community participation correlate with product adoption, retention, or expansion? Do community members use the product more than non-members? This data doesn’t just validate the effectiveness of a community program—it also helps secure more resources and executive buy-in. ### 5\. Assuming a community can run itself Many organizations believe that once a community is built, customers will take over and sustain it. While that’s the end goal, getting to that point requires ongoing investment and management. To use the train analogy: - If you stop running the train, the passengers get off. - Restarting the train later is far more expensive and difficult than keeping it running. - Once trust is broken, members won’t easily return. The reality is that community engagement requires constant nurturing—whether through content, events, recognition, or proactive outreach. If businesses aren’t willing to make that commitment, they shouldn’t start a community in the first place. [Why all customer marketers need a holistic customer advocacy communityTo create an engaging community experience, we have to look beyond the way that we’ve done things in the past and bring these special moments of togetherness. The majority of our connections with our customers will be online, so how do we bring these magical moments into an online community?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-366.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKatie Smeal![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/austin-neill-ZahNAl_Ic3o-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/heres-why-all-customer-marketers-should-be-aiming-to-build-a-holistic-customer-advocacy-community-2/) ## The role of passive observers in community ### 1\. Understanding the value of lurkers A common concern in community management is the presence of passive observers—members who engage with content but rarely participate in discussions. Some may log into a forum to read answers but never post, while others might attend webinars but remain silent. This is *not* a problem. Many companies make the mistake of focusing too much on converting lurkers into active participants when, in reality, not everyone wants to engage in the same way. Some people join a community to consume information rather than contribute—and that’s okay. The key is to design a community that accommodates different engagement styles. ### 2\. Balancing different types of engagement Instead of trying to turn every passive observer into an active participant, businesses should focus on creating content and experiences that cater to both groups: **For passive observers:** - Provide high-quality resources, guides, and discussions that they can consume without pressure to participate. - Offer webinars or Q&A sessions where they can listen and learn without needing to engage. - Ensure that even non-active members feel like they’re gaining value from the community. **For active participants:** - Create interactive events, challenges, and opportunities for deeper engagement. - Encourage discussions, peer mentoring, and recognition for top contributors. - Provide leadership opportunities through ambassador or champion programs. 💡 ****The goal isn’t to change how people engage—but to ensure that everyone finds value in the community.** ### 3\. Designing for long-term engagement I often say that community building isn’t about what I want—it’s about what the members need. Some community managers focus too much on their own vision of an engaged community rather than listening to the members. The best approach is to create a space where each person can engage in the way that suits them best—whether that means leading discussions or simply learning from others. By balancing active participation with high-quality passive experiences, businesses can ensure that all members feel supported—no matter how they choose to engage. ## Balancing active and passive engagement ### 1\. Not everyone wants to be on the dance floor—and that’s okay One of the best ways to think about community engagement is through the house party analogy—some people want to be in the middle of the dance floor, actively engaging, while others prefer to hang out in the kitchen, observing and enjoying the vibe without being front and center. The same is true in communities. Some members love participating in discussions, attending events, and contributing content, while others quietly consume information, engage passively, and rarely (if ever) post. 💡 ****Key takeaway:** The presence of passive observers isn’t a failure of community design—it’s simply a reflection of different engagement styles. ### 2\. Understanding what engagement metrics actually mean When stakeholders or executives look at engagement data, they often focus on the raw number of active participants as a sign of success. But raw engagement numbers don’t tell the full story. Instead of focusing solely on how many people are posting in forums or attending events, community teams should ask: - What business impact does this engagement have? - Are active members also driving product adoption or advocacy? - What’s the behavior of passive observers—are they returning regularly? Are they customers with high lifetime value? A highly engaged user who attends every webinar and posts daily in the forum might be from a 10-person company on a free plan. Meanwhile, someone at a 10,000-person enterprise who pays hundreds of thousands of dollars per year might only engage a few times a year. Which is more valuable? The answer depends on how each type of engagement contributes to the overall business. Engagement for engagement’s sake isn’t the goal—impact is. ### 3\. The exception: Passive observers who drive business growth But here's an important caveat: passive participants can be incredibly valuable if their silent engagement leads to referrals, advocacy, or revenue growth. This is why advanced community analytics and attribution models are crucial. Simply tracking who posts the most won’t reveal the full impact of community participation. Instead, organizations should: - **Monitor referral activity:** Are passive observers recommending the product to others? - **Track retention and expansion:** Do community members (active or passive) renew and expand contracts at a higher rate? - **Map community touchpoints to the customer journey:** Where does community engagement correlate with purchasing decisions? ### 4\. Gradual engagement One of the biggest mistakes companies make in community-building is **asking for too much, too soon**. Imagine you’re on a first date, and before you even order drinks, your date asks if you’d be willing to leave them a five-star review at the end. It’s way too soon! Many communities make this exact mistake. When a new member joins, they’re immediately asked: - Would you like to write a case study? - Can you be a reference? - Will you post about us on LinkedIn? At this point, they haven’t yet received any real value from the community. Instead of rushing into asks, businesses should: - Deliver value first - Observe organic behavior - Make small, low-pressure asks - Customize advocacy opportunities ### 5\. Community building is a long-term investment Many companies want to skip ahead to the good part—where they have an army of customer advocates, a thriving forum, and a vibrant event series. But they don’t want to do the hard work of cultivating relationships, fostering trust, and proving value along the way. You can’t fast-forward through relationship-building. If you want a strong community, you have to put in the effort to create value consistently. This long-term mindset is crucial in the **subscription economy.** These days, so many companies don’t sell perpetual licenses anymore. Everything is a subscription. Why should we expect relationships and community engagement to work any differently? A thriving community isn’t built overnight—it grows through consistent engagement, meaningful value exchange, and ongoing investment. ## Demonstrating the business impact of community ### 1\. Community as a growth driver One of the most effective ways to secure buy-in from stakeholders and coordinate with different departments is to demonstrate real-world impact—not just hypotheticals. At Asana, our community program is structured around three main pillars: - **The membership program (ambassadors)**: A network of passionate Asana champions who promote the product within their teams and organizations. - **The events program**: A mix of online and offline events tailored to engage and educate the community. - **The community forum**: A space where users can collaborate, share insights, and solve challenges together. Rather than evaluating these programs in isolation, we look at their cumulative impact on key business goals. ### 2\. Tracking the business value of community One of the most powerful community metrics that resonates with decision-makers is pipeline generation. Community-sourced pipeline – We can directly attribute new business opportunities and expansions to community participation. Decision-makers understand pipeline, making this an incredibly valuable metric to track. But pipeline isn’t the only factor we measure. At Asana, we focus on deepening engagement and increasing product stickiness among our most passionate users. Increased product usage and retention – When users participate in community programs—whether by attending an event, joining a private webinar, or engaging in our forum—we track: - How often they use Asana after participating - Whether their organization expands seat count after engaging in community - How their engagement affects long-term retention These metrics tell a clear story: the more engaged a user is in the community, the more value they get from the product—and the more likely they are to stick around. ### 3\. Connecting the dots For those building their own community programs, the key is to find and connect the dots between community actions and business impact. - Did an increase in forum engagement lead to improved product adoption? - Did an event attendee become an internal champion who influenced a renewal? - Are engaged ambassadors helping drive product advocacy and referrals? The more data points you can tie together, the stronger the case you can make for community investment. ### 4\. The long game It takes time to build the right infrastructure to measure and communicate community impact effectively. At Asana, this was a multi-year effort, but we now have a data-driven system that allows us to track: - **Program health metrics:** Engagement levels, event attendance, forum activity. - **Business impact metrics:** Expansion rates, product adoption, pipeline growth. Having this data in one place makes it easier to communicate why community matters—not just from a feel-good perspective, but as a key strategic function that drives real business results. --- *This article is based on Joshua's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-Up podcast*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=b5vwhsjw59&wmediaid=ck9znc02wl) *when he was Head of Global Engagement Marketing (Community) at Asana. You can listen to the full episode, and others like it, in our* [*podcast hub*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-to-remove-friction-in-your-customer-advocacy/)*.* ### How to launch a successful fintech customer advocacy program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fintech-customer-advocacy-program/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T10:59:26.000Z Whether you're selling payment solutions, expense management tools, or financial software, your current customers and future prospects are looking for evidence of success from companies similar to theirs. But how do we separate the wheat from the chaff? This is where a well-structured [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) becomes invaluable. There's simply no better way to tell your story than through your customers' voices. When a prospect hears how your solution helped another company increase their acceptance rates, reduce fraud, or save 20 hours per month on reconciliation, it carries far more weight than any sales pitch. However, building an effective [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/) in FinTech comes with unique challenges. You need to navigate compliance concerns, translate complex metrics into compelling stories, and maintain an always-on approach that aligns with your industry. In this article, I'll share practical strategies for building a program that drives real business results. ## Key steps for launching a customer advocacy program The foundation of any [successful customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/) lies in its initial setup. From my experience, the most critical first step is getting the right [stakeholders involved](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/guarantee-stakeholder-buy-in-for-your-customer-advisory-board-strategy/) from day one. This means bringing together leaders from [marketing, sales, customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/), and account management right from those initial discussions. Your program needs clear goals that align with your business objectives. Start by [identifying your ideal customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ideal-customer-avatar-understanding-your-brand-story-hero/) from your existing customer base – those big brand names you'd want as advocates. You’ll need to consider their size, verticals, and use cases. Then once you’ve established that, it’s time to determine what types of assets you want to create. That could be: - [Webinar](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/webinars-ondemand/) appearances - [Video](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-the-power-of-customer-videos/) customer stories - Written [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boosting-value-from-case-studies-a-cybersecurity-view/) - [Event speaking](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/) opportunities ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/02/onboarding--1-.jpg) Most importantly, establish how you'll recruit these customers both at launch and into the future. This requires buy-in from all [customer-facing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligned-customer-teams-report/), helping them understand how customer advocacy can enable their success. ## Common mistakes in advocacy program setup ### 1\. No buy-in One of the biggest mistakes I've learned from – and one I unfortunately see frequently – is not [securing comprehensive business buy-in](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/) from the very beginning. Instead of having two or three separate conversations and *then* bringing everyone on board, we need to involve all key stakeholders from the very start. ### 2\. Periodic vs. continuous advocacy Another common pitfall is treating advocacy as a periodic initiative rather than a continuous strategy. A truly great [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/) program enables your sales team to discuss advocacy during their initial conversations with prospects, planting the seeds for future success stories even before they become customers. This “always-on” approach helps build a consistent pipeline of customer stories, rather than finding yourself constantly scrambling to find advocates when you need them. When sales teams understand this approach, they can naturally integrate advocacy discussions into their deal-closing processes, setting the stage for future collaboration. ## The unique challenges and opportunities of advocacy in fintech It’ll come as no surprise to hear that the fintech sector presents distinct challenges and opportunities for customer advocacy programs. One of the primary challenges we face lies in effectively communicating key metrics that matter in our industry. For example, with payment services, we're looking at [metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-over-executives-with-customer-marketing-metrics/) like acceptance rates and fraud rates, but in other areas like expense management, your focus tends to shift to time savings and efficiency gains. So, when crafting fintech customer stories, it's crucial to dig deep into these specific metrics. Take this as an example. When working with expense management platforms, we focus on quantifying the time saved during month-end reconciliation and calculating the ROI of automating processes that previously relied on petty cash. The key is structuring these stories around three key elements: 1. Where the customer was before implementing the solution 2. The implementation journey 3. The measurable results and improvements achieved ## Selling advocacy programs internally Real customer advocacy brings the concept of customer centricity to life by showing how real customers use your product to solve real problems. When selling your advocacy program internally, your best bet is to focus on how it enables different teams to achieve their goals. By appealing to their desires and goals, you’ll be able to get them on board much easier. For sales teams, customer advocacy provides powerful assets that align with specific use cases, verticals, or company sizes. It also facilitates customer reference calls that can help close deals. Marketing teams benefit from multiple assets for [cross-selling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/) and [upselling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/), while customer success teams can use advocacy content as engagement pieces to showcase how similar customers are maximizing value. ## Creating engaging customer advocacy content In fintech, use cases and [customer stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/drive-sales-and-marketing-with-customer-success/) are particularly powerful tools for elevating your brand. In my experience, I've found that video content often proves more compelling than written case studies, although both have their place. When showcasing your content, the key is presenting information in digestible, interesting ways – perhaps through engaging infographics or creative visual presentations that make metrics stand out. ## Navigating compliance and privacy in advocacy When dealing with sensitive financial information, compliance and privacy concerns are paramount. I've found that the best approach is to express improvements in percentages rather than absolute numbers. 💡 For example, discussing "an uplift of 10%" or "a time saving of 20 hours per month" often proves more acceptable than sharing specific financial figures. Always remember that you should only be as comfortable as your customer wants to be. Establish a clear approval process that involves multiple stakeholders, both internal and external. Share drafts, gather feedback, and be prepared for multiple iterations before reaching final approval. ### Adapting customer advocacy programs to rapidly changing industries The fintech industry moves *fast*, with new developments at every turn. To keep up with the times, your advocacy program must always remain flexible and adaptable. What you can do, is ensure it continues to align with your company's [North Star metrics](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-a-north-star-metric/) and business goals by maintaining regular communication with brand teams, [CMOs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-building-a-creative-culture-as-a-cmo/), and other business leaders. The key to future-proofing your program is maintaining those crucial stakeholder relationships and ensuring your advocacy efforts continue to support and promote the business in the most effective way possible. ## Fintech advocacy in a nutshell As a B2B marketer specializing in customer and [product marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/), I've spent the last decade deeply immersed in customer advocacy, particularly within the FinTech sector. My journey began in call center management, where I developed a fundamental understanding of customer needs while helping people with their broadband queries. This experience taught me the most crucial aspect of customer advocacy: the art of listening. Without listening, you’re fighting an uphill battle. And listening is just the beginning. A successful customer advocacy program isn’t just about collecting testimonials – it’s about fostering meaningful relationships that drive mutual value. When you prioritize customer engagement and remain adaptable to change, you can build an advocacy program that not only amplifies your brand but also delivers real, lasting impact for your FinTech organization. --- *This article is based on Dean's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-Up podcast*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/)*. You can listen to the full episode, and others like it, in our* [*podcast hub*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-to-remove-friction-in-your-customer-advocacy/)*.* ### 6 ways to remove friction in your customer advocacy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-to-remove-friction-in-your-customer-advocacy/ Last updated: 2025-06-25T08:44:30.000Z Empowering teams for sustainable transformation starts from within. I'm Sarah Wylie, Customer Marketing Manager at 6sense, and I've worked a lot on refining strategies that remove internal friction, scale personalization without losing human connection. Too often, companies focus on external messaging while struggling with internal misalignment. But the truth is, a seamless customer experience begins with how we operate behind the scenes. In this article, I’ll share some key strategies we’ve developed to empower teams, scale advocacy, and create impactful customer moments—without forcing them. ## The myth of the goldfish attention span We've all heard the infamous stat: humans now have an eight-second attention span—allegedly shorter than a goldfish. But here’s the truth: we’ve been fooled. This so-called "goldfish stat" is nothing but a myth. There’s a big difference between actively trying to pay attention and deliberately dividing your attention. Think about binge-watching. A Deloitte report found that **73%** of people have binge-watched a show, often consuming five or more hours of content in one sitting. So, where does the misconception come from? 💡 It stems from misunderstanding how we divide and shift our attention. For example, when you listen to a podcast while driving, you’re alternating your focus between the road and the conversation, maintaining a low level of selective attention to both. When you scroll social media with the TV on in the background, you're primarily engaged with one thing while passively consuming the other. Advertisers rely on this divided attention, using tactics designed to interrupt whatever you’re focused on and redirect it toward their message. **But here’s the key takeaway:** our brains crave immersive storytelling. We naturally latch onto narratives that feel familiar and engaging. This is where customer marketers thrive—by using relatable storytelling and reducing friction, we create memorable customer moments that last far beyond eight seconds. ## Removing internal friction The first step in building these moments is removing internal friction. At 6sense, one major friction point was our Customer Success Management (CSM) team. Balancing human connection, scalability, and efficiency was a challenge. When your CSMs are the sole source of communication with customers, it can create bottlenecks. And if you know anything about CSM teams, they can be a little...protective. You can’t just walk in and expect them to immediately embrace a new way of doing things. Change requires trust. We started from the top down, ensuring that leadership aligned with our vision, and that trust trickled down to the team. As a result, they became willing to shift certain responsibilities, allowing us to improve efficiency without sacrificing relationships. So how did we do it? Here are the six core strategies we implemented to drive sustainable transformation: 1. **Simplify program enrollment** 2. **Utilize intent data** 3. **Make MOPs (Marketing Operations) your best friends** 4. **Create impactful events and communities** 5. **Listen to your customers online** 6. **Never neglect the power of one-on-one time** Each of these strategies plays a role in creating authentic, memorable customer moments—ones that last well beyond an eight-second attention span. Let’s dive into each of these in more detail. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Mapping the customer journey in marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T14:35:46.000Z The [relationship between a customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/) and a brand is much like a story, with its own beginning, middle, and ongoing chapters. [Each interaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-every-interaction-count-4-key-success-strategies-for-tailoring-customer-experience/), whether digital or physical, adds to this narrative and shapes how customers perceive and engage with your organization. That's why it's vital to map your customer journey and make each interaction count. In this guide, we'll explore how to map, understand, and optimize this journey to create lasting customer relationships. - [An overview of what the customer journey looks like,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/#:~:text=it%20can%20present.-,The%20customer%20journey,-Although%20often%20represented) - [Its relevance to customer marketing,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/#:~:text=post%2Dpurchase%20stages.-,Post%2Dpurchase%20flow,-We%20can%20break) - [How to approach customer journey mapping, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/#:~:text=the%20customer%20journey.-,How%20to%20map%20the%20customer%20journey,-There%20are%20so) - [The possible challenges it can present.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/#:~:text=or%20a%20process.-,Customer%20journey%20challenges,-Some%20possible%20challenges) ## What is the customer journey? At its core, the customer journey represents every interaction a person has with your brand over time. However, the path a customer takes with your brand isn't just a straight line originating from the awareness stage, through to the point of purchase, and culminating in advocacy. If only it were so simple! Instead, it's a non-linear, complex web of interactions across various touchpoints and channels, emotions, and decisions that shape their entire experience. Think of it as a detailed map showing not just where customers go, but how they feel and what they think along the way. This journey isn't limited to just purchases – it encompasses everything from the first time someone hears about your product to their ongoing relationship with your brand years later. The customer journey aims to understand the point of view of the customer and how they experience an organization across the various touchpoints. As **Georgia Watson, Sales Enablement at IBM** points out: > "Even in the buying stage, customers increasingly value positive experiences over anything else, with **85%** for B2B and **79%** for B2C customers." Traditionally, most journeys are represented in linear form, from A to B. However, the reality is that there are often **cycles** or cases of **skipping** across the course of the customer journey. ## Why the customer journey matters in customer marketing Mapping out this journey allows organizations to better understand any pain points, particularly how the consumer arrived at these points, and reveals opportunities for intervention. When organizations take the time to map customer journeys, they gain a powerful tool for understanding and improving customer experiences. This process reveals: Understanding and mapping the customer journey is **critical** for customer marketing because: - **It helps reduce churn:** By identifying pain points, you can proactively fix issues and improve retention. - **It increases customer lifetime value:** A smoother experience keeps customers engaged longer and more likely to buy more. - **It creates a seamless onboarding experience:** Customers who get value quickly are more likely to stick around. - **It improves personalization:** Knowing customer needs at different stages allows you to tailor content, support, and offers. - **It boosts advocacy:** Happy customers share their experiences, bringing in more referrals. Each customer will approach this journey differently. This is why [customer personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) are at the heart of how customer journeys work; they should be mapped specifically to a particular persona, as customer behavior and touchpoints will vary. Journey mapping isn't just an exercise in documentation – it's a strategic tool that drives real business outcomes. Organizations that excel at customer journey management typically see **higher customer satisfaction**, **increased retention rates**, and **stronger revenue growth**. ![Digital and physical touchpoints in the customer journey](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/02/CMA_Infographics_--1-.jpg) Generally speaking, the starting point is the moment that a potential customer becomes aware of the product or service. - How customers actually interact with your brand, rather than how you think they do - Where friction points exist that might be driving customers away - Opportunities to create memorable positive experiences - Ways to align internal teams around customer needs ## The pre-purchase customer journey in the marketing funnel Like the foundation of a house, the customer journey cannot be stable and produce the end result (advocacy) if it's not properly constructed. Before we get to the point of purchase, this initial phase is where potential customers begin forming their perceptions of your brand, testing whether your solutions align with their needs, and evaluating if your organization truly understands their challenges. It's typically broken down into two parts: the awareness and consideration stages. ### The awareness stage Every customer relationship starts somewhere. In the awareness stage, potential customers are just beginning to realize they have a need or problem to solve. They might not even know solutions like yours exist yet. This is where your brand's presence in the right places becomes crucial. Consider how people might first encounter your brand: - Through a carefully crafted search engine result - Via a thought-provoking social media post - From a colleague's casual recommendation - Through targeted advertising Marketing teams will typically produce content to attract your target market and your target customer. These efforts will attract prospective customers by promising a customer journey that will create a customized experience for themselves. ****For example**, a prospect may encounter a brand via a quick Google search or word of mouth. But the key to success in this stage isn't just being visible – it's being *helpful*. Your content and messaging should focus on understanding and addressing customer problems rather than immediately pushing your solution. ### The consideration stage Once prospects know about your solution, they enter a more detailed evaluation phase. This is where the real investigation begins, as they weigh up the prospective brand against alternative solutions before seeking out reviews, [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-a-case-study/) or [product demos](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-deliver-an-effective-product-demo/) in the decision-making phase. There are a range of channels and touchpoints, and depending on the nature of the purchase involved, these could be physical, digital, or a combination of these. Prospects will conduct their own market research, looking at a variety of options before settling on your product. During consideration, potential customers: - Research multiple solutions in depth - Compare features and pricing across competitors - Read reviews and case studies Seek out product demonstrations - Evaluate implementation requirements What makes this stage particularly complex is that different types of customers approach it differently. A technical user might dive deep into specifications and integration details, while a business user might focus more on ROI calculations and ease of deployment. Your role during this stage is to provide clear, honest information that helps prospects make informed decisions. This means offering detailed product documentation, transparent pricing information, easy access to demonstrations or trials, clear comparisons with alternative solutions, and readily available customer success stories. ## The post-purchase journey in the marketing funnel A helpful way of looking the latter half of the customer journey is considering it as the beginning of a partnership rather than the end of a sale. This crucial period determines whether a customer becomes a lifelong advocate or a one-time buyer. ![Post-purchase stages of the customer journey.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/07/funding-meta--1-.jpg) ### The purchase stage The moment a customer decides to buy represents a critical transition – it's where the excitement about possibilities meets the reality of implementation. Making this transition smooth requires careful attention to: - Clear, simple purchasing processes - Immediate welcome and onboarding communications - Setting accurate expectations for the next steps - Providing easy access to support resources It's important to consider that the purchase itself is just the beginning of the customer's real journey with your product or service. Under a subscription or service model, much of the ### The service stage After careful evaluation, the consumer will buy the product and move into the "service" stage as a paid customer. This is where your company's user experience must be top-notch. Once they've made the purchase, customers expect to be able to use and experience the features that attracted them to you in the first place. Maintaining consistency within your customer journey by meeting these expectations will offer you more in the way of repeat customers, and loyal customers, and even improve your conversion rate. ****For example**, processes connected to email nudges on [customer onboarding](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) triggers. They enable teams to design specific services across the journey to reduce friction at any identified pain points along the way. ### The adoption stage The early days of product usage often determine long-term success or failure. During this critical period, focus on: - Creating personalized onboarding experiences - Providing multi-channel support options - Celebrating early wins and progress - Building user confidence through education Smart organizations recognize that different users need different types of support during adoption. Some might prefer self-service resources, while others need more hands-on guidance. ### The retention stage Retention is where customer marketing truly shines. It's the opportunity to give them a reason to stay. This stage involves four [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) tactics: - Proactive support that anticipates customer needs - Regular check-ins and success reviews - Personalized communication based on usage patterns - Community building and engagement opportunities But what customer marketers must remember is that retention success means going beyond bog-standard problem-solving and, instead, creating genuine connections with customers. At this point, you might consider providing **regular product updates** and new feature announcements; **educational content** and best practices; user **community events** and forums; and **success story spotlights.** Today's customers expect support through multiple channels. They might browse your knowledge base for quick answers, join community discussions, hop on live chat, or call in for complex issues. The key is making each interaction smooth and helpful. Smart companies don't wait for problems – they spot and solve them before customers even notice. This proactive approach keeps satisfaction high and complaints low. ### The advocacy stage But great service is just the beginning. The real magic happens when customers become loyal fans. When customers become advocates, they do more than just continue using your product – they actively promote it to others. This means going beyond basic support to build lasting relationships. We're talking: - Reward programs - Customer reviews - Referral programs - Case studies - Customer communities Think of it like nurturing a friendship. Stay in touch, show you care, and make every interaction count. Do this right, and your customers won't just come back – they'll bring their peers along too. ![The customer success pre-and post-purchase journey](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/02/CMA_Infographics_2--1-.jpg) ## Practical steps for customer journey mapping in marketing Here’s where customer marketing really comes to the forefront. In essence, mapping and refining the customer journey can further your understanding of the customer, what’s influencing them, and predict what may happen next. It also enables the creation of optimized and personalized experiences. As a customer marketer, knowing your personas’ journeys inside out, evolving with them, and ensuring that they’re full of magic moments that dazzle the customer is crucial. Having a customer journey mapped out also: - Increases engagement - Improves cross-functional efficiency - Increases revenue - Improves response time to pain points - Builds brand loyalty - Supports onboarding and retention - Increases customer lifetime value - Saves time through automation setup Depending on the structure of your team or setup of your organization, you may or may not have a hand in all of these stages or indeed the creation of the customer journey map. The beauty of visualizing the customer journey, however, is that you can zoom in and out where needs be. You may want to map out specific flows such as onboarding or advocacy programs to optimize those areas for a particular persona or [customer segment.](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-unbounce/) Next up, let’s look into some key action points when creating or mulling over the customer journey. But first, consider downloading our ebook that covers ****the essential elements of a customer marketing plan**. Fill out the form below to learn six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up. Download the playbook ## How to map the customer journey There are so many different ways to bring the customer journey to life: some teams prefer to start on paper, with post-it notes and markers, while others opt for a digital whiteboard, such as Miro. Whichever way you choose to kick off, here’s our framework for getting started that can be tailored to the aims of your teams and organization. ### 1\. Gather input from multiple sources Your customer personas are a great starting point here; they can give you a lot of information about the audience in front of you. If this isn’t an option right now, focus on interviews, ethnographies and or surveys to get an idea of the interactions your customers are having and the touchpoints at hand. Quantitative surveys can follow to confirm the results. Some companies also enlist the help of customers to aid in the mapping process. This can be especially helpful if you’re zooming in on a particular section of the journey, like onboarding or support. ### 2\. Identify the touchpoints For SaaS companies, don’t forget to consider the multiple types of users that may interact with the product to find out which user may be involved and at what point. The person who does the initial research will more than likely not be the one making purchase decisions. Therefore, it’s important to keep them in the front of your mind while mapping and considering touchpoints. **It'll be useful to consider:** - Where do users use the tool? - When do they use it? - Do they use it collaboratively? - Who with and what role do they have? - Which functions are they using? - What can we learn from how they are using them? It’s vital to get a handle on the sequence of events that a typical customer from a given persona might follow. These are your touchpoints, the moment in which a customer encounters your brand. Some, of course, will be external and out of your control. **Chris Ridson, the Design Director of Adaptive Path** suggests that touchpoints should be: - **Appropriate** - **Relevant** - **Meaningful** - **Endearing** To ensure that touchpoints are truly reflective of customer experience, talk to existing customers about the path they’ve taken, via roundtables or feedback. Make use of tools such as Hotjar which provides mapping and recordings of a user’s movements on websites - highlighting sections that are commonly visited, or conversely, ignored. For instance, it may give insights into why a particular type of user may drop off a homepage or landing page after a few clicks. The information they were looking for probably wasn’t available or easily accessible, and key interactions were missed. By switching up the page and testing different layouts and content, the number of exits or bounce rate can be reduced, as the target personas see content that is relevant and of value to them. ### 3\. Seek moments of truth Also consider moments of truth. These are key points in which customers often form an opinion of your brand, and be sure to pay attention to them whether they’re good or bad. Some common moments of truth typically occur earlier in the customer journey when users discover the value of your product. This might be in the onboarding process, or slightly further down the line when they truly integrate the product into their daily lives. Do some digging to find out when these ‘aha’ moments normally happen. According to a Nielsen survey, 8/10 customers say that they completely or mostly trust recommendations from friends or family. Therefore, you need to consider where these key points fall in your customer journey mapping. ### 4\. Understand your customers' goals It’s really important to know and understand your customer’s goals. They may impact how long a particular person spends on a particular process or stage. For instance: how much time they invest in the onboarding process or how much interest they will have in additional resources. These goals may also evolve over time as customers develop their relationship with a company. Consider what problems they have that need to be solved. Goals can also impact the feature adoption of your product. ### 3\. Map emotions Whether you’re in a B2B or B2C setting, considering how someone might feel at a particular point is invaluable. If you want to be truly customer-centric, you ought to be tuned into the emotions of your customers as they interact with us. Whether it’s frustration or elation at the adoption stage or the warm fuzzy vibes that stem from a feeling of belonging to a brand community, it should be considered and give you insights into why people feel the way they do at a given point in time. Mine your interviews or probe your customers for emotional insights. NPS (net promoter score) can also give a snapshot of how customers are feeling at a particular time and gauge their sentiment towards you. ### 4\. Map expectations What do your customers believe you’re delivering and does it live up to your overall brand proposition? Whether your brand is sold as the fastest, most convenient, or the cheapest doesn’t really matter if your customers fail to see that supposed value. This point is inherently tied to the last, and sketching out the customer journey can provide key insights into where this disappointment originates and where your brand could tighten up a touchpoint or a process. ## Customer journey challenges Some possible challenges lie ahead when mapping your customer journey. It can take a lot of skill to get everyone onboard the customer journey train. Bear in mind that the purpose of journey mapping is to uncover potential sticking points for customers, improve processes and enrich overall customer delight. Therefore, ensure any areas for improvement are addressed. Like customer personas, customer journeys may change and evolve and could need updating if you’re seeing contradictions. To learn more about these challenges, have a look into our [**Customer Marketing Certified**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) course. Here you will learn more about the customer journey including: 🛤 Customer journey best practices, 🎟 Introduction to the onboarding process and framework, 🎤 Tools to boost customer engagement, and 💛 A breakdown of customer advocacy and community. [Enroll to learn more](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### Building authentic relationships in a changing marketing landscape URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-authentic-relationships-in-a-changing-marketing-landscape/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:17:34.000Z As the director of customer marketing at GitHub, I've witnessed firsthand how our field has evolved from its early days. Like many in customer marketing, I started in a completely different space – I was actually an architect by education! After making several lateral career moves, I found my way into customer marketing about eight years ago, building a ground-up program at Zendesk before joining GitHub five years ago. Today, customer marketing is having its heyday, with companies increasingly emphasizing the voice of the customer in their marketing strategies. This evolution extends far beyond just logos and [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-a-case-study/) – it now encompasses advocacy programs, [customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/), and innovative approaches to post-adoption nurture. ## **Expanding beyond traditional boundaries** At GitHub, my team is focusing on how we can activate the voice of the customer through post-adoption nurturing. Instead of solely focusing on the funnel, we're thinking about how to transition [customer voice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/) into something that can help enable [best results and ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/). We develop evergreen content grounded in real-life scenarios that help people understand what feature optimization will mean for their end customers. My role has begun to expand beyond traditional customer marketing. I now oversee the Read Me Project, an editorial platform where we speak directly to our developer audience by providing actionable strategies for career growth, both technical and cultural. This expansion shows how customer marketing continues to evolve and find new ways to deliver value. ## **Testing and learning** One philosophy we embrace at GitHub is what we call "ship to learn" – don't be afraid to take risks or test something, but don't be married to it. If it's not delivering the results you're expecting or aligning with your intent, quickly pivot and try something new. This is especially important when you're dealing with resource-intensive projects like [podcasts](https://media.thealliance.io/podcasts/?filter=podcast-filter-community-cma) or [newsletters](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/subscribe-to-customer-marketing-dispatch/). As Ari Hoffman, Director of Customer Advocacy & Community at Amplitude points out: > *"When the market gets too saturated with podcasts, they start to die out. You can't set a program up and just set it and forget it. You need to constantly keep things evolving and being fresh and really engaging."* ## **The importance of intent and cross-team collaboration** For customer marketing to succeed, integration with other parts of the business is crucial. I often describe customer marketing as a hub – we need to ingest information from other teams and align closely with them. - [**Sales**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/)should be a core part of your pipeline generation for building customer content. - [**Customer success**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/)should identify opportunities to create content that resolves common questions. - [**Product marketing**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/) should be one of the core consumers of the content we produce. Ari emphasizes this point with a crucial observation: > *"I don't know if there is a position that is more centrally connected to more parts of the organization, and it can be really daunting.* > *"You're dealing with the product side and the engineering side because they want beta-test users and feedback loops. You're dealing with product marketing, all the teams on the marketing side, sales, customer success, and legal."* Recently, we've been working with our Customer Success team leadership to develop a shared definition of [acts of advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/) and setting clear expectations for how [Customer Success Managers](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) can help funnel their customer champions to complete these acts. This includes everything from speaking at events to providing logos, giving quotes, and offering beta feedback. ## **Making heroes of your internal partners** One crucial aspect of successful customer marketing is making heroes of your internal partners. When we publish something or complete a project, it's just as important to share it within the business as it is with customers. We put together comprehensive posts outlining the story arc and what teams should know, including ready-to-use slides for pitch decks. Most importantly, we always acknowledge the people who made it possible. Yes, sometimes it might feel like you're sharing the spotlight for what seems like a simple introduction, but this establishes healthy, appreciative relationships. People remember that moment of feeling seen, and they come back to you when they have another great story to tell. ## **Building authentic relationships in an AI era** Let's talk about the elephant in the room – [AI tools like ChatGPT](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/). While they can be valuable for certain tasks (I'll admit I've used ChatGPT to help structure [communications](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/)), maintaining authentic relationships remains paramount. I believe relationships need to be personal and authentic. If you start using generative AI instead of writing honest, from-the-heart communications, you're going to lose something essential. As Ari notes: > *"There's a very fine line between being efficient and being lazy. Right? And AI will show you where you fall."* The reality is that [AI can help](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-customer-marketing-is-here/) in many ways. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is start with a blank page, and tools like ChatGPT can help break that mental block. I’ve used it myself to get something down when I was staring at the screen, erasing the first sentence over and over. It can help brainstorm or structure content, but the final product still needs to be in my own words, my own voice. That’s where the distinction lies. If you use [AI to be effective](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) and efficient – to co-create and refine ideas – you can open up new doors. You can save hours of time and mental energy. But if you lean on AI too much, simply copying and pasting what it spits out, you lose something fundamental. You can already spot LinkedIn posts where it’s obvious [AI wrote them](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) versus ones where someone took the time to customize and make them their own. The best content still needs a human touch. I take an informal, human connection approach in my customer communications. With advocates I've worked with for four or five years, I’ll send them a quick note like: > *"Hey! How’s it going? What’s up? What do you want to work on?"* That’s not the kind of message I’d send in a first outreach, but it works because we’ve built that relationship over time. If I just copied and pasted something from AI, it wouldn’t feel right. It wouldn’t build the deeper connection that allows me to reach out when I have a customer marketing emergency and need their help. At the end of the day, AI should be a tool that enhances your work, not a replacement for authenticity. In customer marketing, the trust you build with your advocates and customers is everything – no AI can replicate that. ## **Advice for new customer marketers** Success in customer marketing isn't just about getting logos on websites – it's about understanding the individual goals of the human beings you're working with. I constantly try to think about how I can understand their professional development goals and find opportunities that align with their career aspirations. Remember that behind every logo is a person choosing to take time away from their core responsibilities to help you succeed. They're going through communications and legal challenges to push projects through. Building long-term relationships requires honesty and transparency. For those entering customer marketing, focus on putting the customer first. Don't just say it – internalize it and truly believe it. As Ari puts it: > *"We get paid to make friends for a living. Are you kidding me? Like, this is the best job on Earth. Right? So start there."* Look for ways to help [your advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocates-and-employees-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/) become thought leaders among their peers, network with valuable connections, and advance their careers. Be honest when things go wrong. If you need a last-minute favor because another customer dropped out, own it. People appreciate truth, transparency, and human connection. They don't want to work with robots; they want to work with individuals who care and will go out of their way to help when needed. The relationships you build today can last throughout your career. I've had customers who've moved to different companies and immediately reached out to collaborate again. One gentleman has worked with me on projects from three different organizations – that's the power of authentic [relationship-building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-advocacy-and-lifelong-customer-relationships/) in customer marketing. Remember, we're not just collecting case studies; we're building bridges between people and organizations. By focusing on genuine relationships and [mutual growth](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-and-scaling-up-your-customer-reference-program-to-support-business-growth/), we create lasting partnerships that benefit everyone involved. --- *Want to hear more from people like Virginia in person rather than online? We've got a host of in-person events all over the world to satiate your curiosity. Take a look at our* [***global event calendar***](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) *below.* [CMA event calendar](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### From stories to loyalty: Building advocacy and lifelong customer relationships URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-advocacy-and-lifelong-customer-relationships/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T09:00:40.000Z I'm Erica Bartsch, and as a customer marketing professional with over 15 years of experience—now leading efforts at JPMorgan—I’ve had the privilege of seeing how impactful authentic customer advocacy can be. My journey spans industries and organizations, each with its own challenges and opportunities, but the core truth remains the same: advocacy is built on relationships and storytelling. At JPMorgan, we’re redefining customer marketing by focusing on meaningful, long-term engagement with our clients, prioritizing authenticity, and tailoring our approach to fit their unique needs. In this article, I’ll share the lessons we’ve learned, the strategies we’ve embraced, and the steps we’ve taken to transform advocacy into a collaborative, customer-first effort that drives real results. ## Defining customer marketing at JPMorgan At JPMorgan, we define customer marketing and advocacy as a programmatic approach to engaging, nurturing, and cultivating client relationships. The ultimate goal is to integrate our customers into our sales and marketing activities in ways that drive credibility and advocacy for our brand and products. You may notice that our definition doesn’t emphasize sales impact, pipeline growth, or direct revenue generation. That’s intentional. While those outcomes are certainly important, our current focus is on building a solid foundation for advocacy and fostering meaningful relationships with our clients. To distill it even further, when liaising with stakeholders unfamiliar with this discipline, we describe it as: Building real relationships with real clients to tell real stories, making buying decisions easier for our audience. This concise explanation underpins everything we do, aligning our efforts with the broader needs of our organization. Whether it’s product marketers strategizing or sellers engaging with prospects, our work reflects and supports their goals. ### A focus on relationships and advocacy Our efforts include a variety of traditional and innovative customer marketing initiatives. While we manage references, create case studies, produce videos, and integrate campaigns, our true focus lies in relationship-building and advocacy. Currently, our reference program is manually managed. It’s a far cry from the sophisticated platforms many organizations use today—we rely on an Excel-based system reminiscent of my early days in customer marketing back in 2008\. This approach, while not the most advanced, is highly managed and tailored. Our team serves as a central point for requests, ensuring that every interaction is intentional and aligned with our goals. We also support our sellers in deepening their client relationships, positioning our team as an extension of their efforts. Beyond references, we create traditional assets like customer case studies and experiential content but also explore unique opportunities such as a magazine collaboration with Wired, tier-one event integrations, and experiential activations at key events. ### Harnessing the power of advocacy We’re spending the majority of our time with customer advocacy. It’s where we see the true value of our work come to life. By cultivating relationships over time, nurturing them, and supporting account teams, we are unlocking the potential for deeper, more impactful customer connections. These relationships don’t just happen overnight—they’re developed, nurtured, and supported through thoughtful, deliberate programming. It’s through this long-term approach that we’re seeing real results, building credibility for our brand, and making a tangible difference for our teams. ## Building advocacy from the ground up When I joined JPMorgan, our reference marketing and advocacy program was brand new—just as old as my tenure at the company. Starting from scratch brought its own set of challenges, and I suspect many of you might relate to these: a lack of shared language, unclear goals, process misunderstandings, and no clear governance model. Over the past year and a half, we’ve tackled these obstacles head-on through a process of testing, learning, and deeply understanding both our internal and customer audiences. Through this journey, we’ve identified a few core truths that guide our approach to advocacy. ### Core truths for building advocacy **1\. Start with your customer and work backward.** This seems obvious, but it’s surprising how often we fail to do this in marketing. At JPMorgan, for example, we had been very marketing-centric in our messaging—engaging customers in ways that didn’t always feel approachable or customer-friendly. **2\. CMA is a relationship business.** Advocacy thrives on relationships. The more you invest in building trust and providing value, the more you’ll get in return. It’s a constant reminder to focus on the customer’s needs and experiences. **3\. To your customers, you’re one company.** At JPMorgan, we’re a massive organization with multiple business units. While we sit within the payments division, which is relatively young at five years old, our customers don’t see the internal silos. Nor should they. They expect seamless coordination, and it’s our responsibility to deliver on that expectation through collaboration across teams. ## Learning from Sephora: A case study in rethinking advocacy When I joined, our approach to client engagement often defaulted to a singular activity—usually a high-budget video. These videos, costing upwards of $250,000, were neither scalable nor sustainable. Worse, they didn’t always align with a customer-first mindset. For example, we asked Sephora to participate in a reference video. The process wasn’t ideal: the video was filmed at an event, the audio quality was poor, and the experience left much to be desired. When we asked them to redo it, we compounded the ask with additional requests—a webinar, a case study, and more—all at once. Unsurprisingly, Sephora disengaged, and we didn’t hear from them for four months. This experience became a turning point for our team. We realized we needed to adopt a more customer-obsessed approach that honored the client’s time and capacity while fostering mutual value. ### Shifting to a customer-first strategy Instead of overwhelming Sephora with a "big ask," we began re-engaging them through smaller, more manageable opportunities: - **Nominations for awards:** We started by nominating them for an industry award, a small gesture that positioned us as partners invested in their success. - **Collaborative thought leadership:** We invited them to contribute to a Wired magazine piece, giving them control over their messaging and providing a platform to showcase their insights without the pressure of a testimonial. These smaller engagements built trust over time. This gradual approach ultimately paved the way for a larger marquee storytelling initiative. ### The results of mutual value By taking Sephora on this journey, we not only regained their trust but also created a foundation for deeper collaboration. Today, they actively participate in our events, including speaking engagements and experiential activations. This partnership didn’t just benefit us—it helped Sephora amplify their achievements both internally and externally. For example, Sephora’s treasury team showcased their innovative work on their social channels, building their personal and company brand. This mutual value approach underscores the power of working bottom-up rather than top-down, respecting our clients’ time, and delivering outcomes that matter to them. ## Mapping the customer advocacy journey After our experience with Sephora, we began thinking more deeply about what a customer advocacy journey might look like—not just for the customer but also for our internal stakeholders. At JPMorgan, advocacy as a motion is still relatively new, and this has been a unique challenge. Unlike the tech industry, banking doesn’t have a long history with customer marketing and advocacy programs. Add to that the layers of regulation and compliance we face, and the process becomes even more complex. In the banking world, what might take six to nine months in a tech company can take significantly longer. For example, Siemens is one of the few clients we’ve seen progress through this journey end to end—and even that took over a year and a half. ### Siemens: A journey from reluctance to advocacy When we first approached Siemens, they were hesitant to engage beyond a simple award nomination. Even that required persistence. It wasn’t until we met with their representative at the award ceremony and had a candid dinner conversation that we managed to establish some initial trust. We kept our initial ask small and straightforward. At the event, we suggested filming a short thought leadership video—not about JPMorgan, but something Siemens could share with their peers. This approach made it easy for them to say yes. During the conversation, the client became more comfortable and even began discussing their use of our blockchain technology and programmable payments. This led to a lightweight testimonial, which successfully navigated Siemens’ PR approvals. From there, we continued to build the relationship by offering other engagement opportunities tailored to their interests: - **Speaking sessions at major conferences:** A way for Siemens to showcase their work to their industry peers. - **Thought leadership collaborations:** Involvement in our Wired magazine project allowed Siemens to control their messaging and share insights. ### A journey of mutual value This incremental approach paid off. Over the course of a year and a half, the Siemens global treasurer became actively engaged with us, evolving into a self-directed advocate. In the last few months, he even approached us with ideas, expressing how our collaboration was helping him secure internal resources and budgets. His enthusiasm has since created a flywheel effect. He brought additional Siemens leaders into the fold, including the head of payments and the North American group treasurer. Together, they’re now participating in a marquee storytelling effort that highlights not just their individual perspectives but also how they’re driving change within their organization. ### The power of selectivity This type of advocacy journey isn’t scalable, and it isn’t meant to be. It’s about focusing on the most strategic clients—those whose stories can amplify your broader efforts. By being intentional and collaborative with relationship teams, these journeys can deliver extraordinary value. At JPMorgan, we’re currently working with about 200 clients in our reference database. These aren’t just names on a list; they’re clients we’ve actively engaged, nurtured, and built relationships with. While this approach prioritizes depth over scale, it’s laying the groundwork for lasting advocacy and creating a flywheel of influence that extends far beyond individual engagements. ## Strategic account planning: A tailored approach with Siemens One of the key elements of our success with Siemens has been the integration of customer marketing into their account plan. By collaborating closely with account teams, we’ve developed a strategic roadmap that guides how we engage with the client over time. This roadmap is designed not just to manage our asks but also to deliver value back to the client. For example, in the spring, a significant portion of our engagement with Siemens focused on nominating them for award programs and amplifying their marketing messages through our channels. These initiatives were purely about giving back to the client, without requiring additional effort from their side. At the same time, we peppered in strategic asks, like participating in a video or attending birds-of-a-feather sessions at events. These smaller, well-timed requests didn’t feel like a heavy lift for Siemens but yielded significant results for us, particularly in lead generation and business impact. ### From overwhelming asks to collaborative journeys By taking this incremental approach, we’ve been able to achieve outcomes that weren’t possible when we used a "one big ask" model. In our earlier example with Sephora, we tried to get everything—a video, case study, webinar, and more—in one go. The result was disengagement. With Siemens, however, breaking down the journey allowed us to create a comprehensive set of assets over time, including: - **Social assets:** Engaging content to amplify Siemens’ story across platforms. - **Hero films:** High-quality videos showcased at conferences and in booth spaces. - **Case studies:** Full-length written materials with quotes and social copy. - **Short-form videos:** Bite-sized content that complements the hero film. - **Sales enablement tools:** Resources for our teams to use in the field. This approach not only delivered the materials we needed but also built trust and loyalty with Siemens, making them more willing to participate in future initiatives. ### A mix of client-led and company-led initiatives One of the most exciting outcomes of this process has been the shift in dynamics. On the left side of Siemens’ customer marketing asset mix, you’ll find the activities we’ve initiated. But on the right side are initiatives Siemens has requested from us. They’ve begun asking us for support in bringing their stories to life—a clear indication of the trust and mutual value we’ve built together. This shift is a powerful testament to the effectiveness of taking clients on a journey rather than overwhelming them with immediate demands. ### Scaling the impact with diverse asset mixes The success of this approach isn’t limited to Siemens. For example, with Paramount, we’ve moved beyond standalone videos to create a much richer asset mix. While we still produce hero pieces, we now also deliver supplemental assets like quotes, testimonials, and bite-sized content. Even something as simple as a well-placed quote can influence a prospect’s decision-making process, making these assets just as impactful as larger pieces. By rethinking our process and focusing on incremental, customer-first efforts, we’ve been able to produce more complex and meaningful content with fewer resources and in less time. ## How to get started: Core truths for building advocacy If you’re looking to build or refine your customer advocacy program, start with the core truths. These principles have guided our efforts at JPMorgan and can serve as a foundation for your strategy, no matter your organization’s size or industry. ### Start with your customer and work backward It sounds simple, but it’s crucial. The first step is to define who your customer is. At JPMorgan, we realized we have both internal and external customers, each with unique needs. For external audiences, we needed to understand how they wanted to tell their stories and what challenges they were trying to solve. For example, Siemens wanted to position themselves as a tech company—an image they hadn’t traditionally been associated with. We worked to bring that message to life in a way that resonated with their goals. Internally, we had to align their aspirations with our marketing messages, ensuring that both sides were working toward shared outcomes. Every business will have its own unique model, and it’s important to tailor your approach to fit your organization’s needs. ### Invest in relationships Advocacy is a relationship-driven business. The more time you spend building trust with both internal and external clients, the more you’ll get back. This isn’t about financial investment—it’s about dedicating time to understand their needs, their goals, and the challenges they face. ### Present a unified company From a customer’s perspective, your company is one entity. They don’t see the internal silos, and they shouldn’t have to. A coordinated approach across teams is essential to presenting a seamless, cohesive experience. ### Keep it authentic Testimonials must be grounded in reality to be credible. While it’s tempting to lean into aspirational messaging, it’s authenticity that resonates most with your audience. When your stories are true, accurate, and relatable, they carry much greater weight. ### Think long term Building advocacy is not a quick win; it’s a long-term investment. Your relationship with account teams is critical to identifying the right milestones within account plans. These milestones allow you to strategically ask for customer participation and unlock advocacy opportunities at the right moments. ### It takes a village Customer marketing and advocacy aren’t standalone channels—they require collaboration across your entire marketing and sales organization. Engaging your internal stakeholders early and often will set the foundation for success. Advocacy programs thrive when supported by a collective effort, and this partnership will pay dividends over time. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Erica at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, San Francisco 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-september-2024/?wchannelid=o9a2iud0ir&wmediaid=7f138q6wko)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### Partner marketing strategies every customer marketer should know URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partner-marketing-strategies-every-customer-marketer-should-know/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:18:09.000Z A winning product isn't enough. To truly thrive, businesses need to cultivate strong, lasting relationships with both their customers and their partners. At the heart of this crucial strategy lies professional roles like that of the Product Marketing Manager (PMM), a strategic leader who expertly orchestrates a complex interplay of communication, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. > This isn't simply about creating marketing materials; it's about building a holistic ecosystem of engagement and advocacy that fuels sustainable growth. This in-depth exploration will uncover the essential role of these leaders, highlighting their responsibilities, navigating common challenges, and demonstrating how they measure their impactful contributions. ## Understanding customer and partner marketing While building and nurturing strong relationships is paramount for sustained growth, this requires a sophisticated approach to both customer and partner engagement. Let's clarify the distinct yet interconnected roles of customer and partner marketing. **Customer marketing** focuses on building and nurturing relationships directly with your end-users. This involves creating compelling content and campaigns tailored to their specific needs and preferences. The goal is to foster engagement, drive loyalty, and encourage advocacy throughout the customer journey, leading to increased retention and positive word-of-mouth referrals. Effective customer marketing translates into a strong and loyal customer base, which becomes a valuable asset for future growth. **Partner marketing**, on the other hand, leverages the power of strategic alliances to amplify your reach and enhance your brand's credibility. This involves collaborating with other businesses to co-create value and tap into new markets. Joint initiatives, such as co-branded materials, shared campaigns, and joint events, create synergistic opportunities that benefit both partners. The result is expanded market penetration, enhanced brand recognition, and the ability to reach new customer segments through trusted and established channels. Strong partnerships not only amplify your marketing message but also build credibility and trust among your target audience, further bolstering your customer marketing efforts. In essence, customer and partner marketing work in tandem, creating a powerful and holistic growth strategy. [What is customer marketing and why is it so important?So, let’s dive in - what exactly is customer marketing? The truth of the matter is, is that it really looks quite different depending on an organization, and its internal structure and goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-358.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engagement-marketing--1--16.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) ## Aligning customer and partner engagement Marketing leaders like the PMM often take on far more than the traditional idea of 'a marketer'; they are the strategic conductor of a complex orchestra, harmonizing customer and partner engagement to drive sustainable business growth. Their role transcends individual marketing tasks; they are the architects of a holistic ecosystem where every interaction, from content creation to partner collaboration, contributes to a unified and impactful brand narrative. This orchestrated approach ensures that customer and partner strategies aren't disparate efforts but rather integrated components of a larger, cohesive growth strategy. Let's examine how these leaders achieve this… ### Aligning goals Rather than operating in silos, the marketer works collaboratively with leadership to establish overarching marketing objectives that encompass both customer and partner strategies. This involves thorough market research to understand market trends, competitive landscapes, and the unique needs of both customer segments and potential partner organizations. Detailed profiles of [ideal customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) and partners are created to guide targeted messaging and efficient resource allocation. Crucially, they ensures that customer and partner marketing initiatives work in harmony to achieve shared business objectives, such as increased market share, enhanced brand awareness, or revenue growth. [Building a successful customer marketing programBuilding a successful customer marketing program is no small feat. In this article, discover strategies for creating a high-impact, cost-efficient customer marketing program that drives value.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-359.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGillian Farquhar![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Building-a-successful-customer-marketing-program-21.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-successful-customer-marketing-program/) ### Fostering cross-functional collaboration The PMM acts as the central hub, fostering seamless [collaboration](https://www.gotomarketalliance.com/how-to-lead-a-cross-functional-go-to-market-strategy/) between various departments. They work closely with the sales team, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary resources—battle cards, presentations, and compelling value propositions—to effectively communicate with customers and partners alike. Customer success data is leveraged to inform marketing strategies and enhance the overall customer experience. This includes utilizing customer feedback, success stories, and testimonials to build credibility and trust. Close collaboration with product management ensures marketing campaigns accurately reflect product capabilities and address customer needs. Finally, the PMM develops and executes joint marketing initiatives with partners, creating co-branded materials, shared campaigns, and collaborative events. This requires exceptional communication and negotiation skills to forge mutually beneficial agreements. ### Crafting effective content Professionals in positions like that of the PMM lead the creation of compelling content that resonates deeply with both customer and partner audiences. Engaging content, such as case studies, blog posts, and videos, is developed to highlight the value proposition for customers, fostering brand loyalty and advocacy. Simultaneously, the marketer creates co-branded materials, joint press releases, and shared content to leverage the strengths of strategic alliances. This requires maintaining a consistent brand voice and message across all customer and partner touchpoints, creating a cohesive and impactful brand experience. ### Creating a feedback loop These marketers establish and manage a continuous [feedback loop](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) to inform and improve both customer and partner marketing strategies. This involves analyzing data from various sources—surveys, reviews, customer support interactions, and partner performance metrics—to gain valuable insights into customer needs and preferences, as well as the effectiveness of partner collaborations. This data is then used to refine marketing strategies, allocate resources efficiently, and maximize return on investment (ROI). ### Strategic events and relationship building PMMs and other marketing leaders play a vital role in planning and executing events designed to foster strong customer and partner relationships. They organize webinars, workshops, or conferences to build customer loyalty and provide valuable insights. Simultaneously, they participate in industry trade shows and organize joint events with partners to showcase mutual benefits and expand network reach. This event strategy strengthens existing relationships and cultivates new opportunities for growth. ## Challenges faced by marketers and strategies for success Having said so much about how marketers bridge between customer and partner marketing, the path to success is rarely smooth. As an example, PMMs consistently encounter obstacles that demand creative problem-solving and strategic thinking. Understanding these challenges and proactively addressing them is crucial: - **Communication silos:** Fragmented communication across departments can lead to misaligned messaging and missed opportunities. *Solution:* Implement regular cross-functional meetings, utilize shared platforms for collaboration, and champion open communication. - **Feedback gaps:** Without structured mechanisms, valuable customer and partner insights are lost. *Solution:* Establish systematic feedback loops through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and regular review meetings. - **Underleveraged customer stories:** Missed opportunities to showcase the value proposition and build credibility. *Solution:* Develop a content calendar that consistently highlights customer success stories across various channels. - **Inconsistent branding and messaging:** Diluted brand narrative confuses audiences and weakens impact. *Solution:* Develop and maintain a comprehensive brand style guide, ensuring consistency across all communication channels. - **Resource constraints:** Limited budgets and competing priorities require efficient resource allocation. *Solution:* Prioritize high-impact initiatives, leverage automation tools, and track ROI meticulously. - **Building Bridges:** Essential Stakeholders for success One essential path to the seamless execution of customer and partner marketing is by cultivating strong relationships and facilitating collaboration with key stakeholders. Based on their influence and importance in shaping and contributing to the overall product marketing initiatives, the stakeholders are categorized as primary and secondary. **Primary Stakeholders:** This category includes, Customer Success Managers (CSMs), Partner/Alliance Managers, Product Management, and Executive Leadership Team (ELT). - Customer Success Managers (CSMs): They help gather insights from customer interactions, capture success stories, and ensure feedback is integrated into marketing. - Partner or Alliance Managers: They coordinate partner marketing efforts and develop value proposition content that aligns with the joint goals. - Product Management: They ensure the customers and partners are timely informed about the product features and updates for accurate positioning. - Executive Leadership Team (ELT): Their involvement is crucial for strategic alignment and resource allocation to support broader business goals. **Secondary Stakeholders:** This category includes, the Marketing and Communications Team, and Sales Teams. - Marketing and Communications Team: They help maintain consistent brand messaging and execute PR, website updates, and case studies. - Sales Team: Their alignment ensures that the right resources are produced to effectively engage with customers and prospects. - Measuring success Demonstrating the value of a PMM’s, or marketers, contributions requires a results-oriented approach to measurement. > Rather than relying on superficial metrics, a marketers success is best reflected in tangible business outcomes. [Key performance indicators](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) (KPIs) are crucial for showcasing the impact of their efforts in customer and partner engagement, aligning directly with overall business objectives. These KPIs demonstrate the effectiveness of initiatives across various aspects of marketing, providing a clear picture of the contribution to growth and success. Some metrics to keep track of include: - **Website Traffic and Engagement:** The ability to create engaging content is reflected in increased website traffic and user engagement. Compelling case studies and other high-quality content attracts visitors, improving customer retention and driving conversions. - **Lead Generation from Joint Campaigns:** Successful collaboration with partners results in a significant increase in qualified leads. Joint marketing initiatives create valuable opportunities for the sales team, expanding market reach and generating strong sales pipelines. - **Enhanced Customer Engagement:** The focus on building relationships is demonstrated by increased customer engagement across various channels. Successful customer advocacy programs and targeted content campaigns foster deeper connections with customers, encouraging loyalty and advocacy. - **Event Success and Follow-up:** Well-executed events build brand awareness and generate leads. A PMM's ability to organize and manage events, followed by effective post-event communication, is reflected in strong attendance rates and increased engagement from attendees. - **Sales Enablement and Cycle Optimization:** Improved sales performance showcases the effectiveness of sales enablement efforts. Providing sales teams with targeted materials and training leads to shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates, and increased revenue generation. [The ultimate guide to customer marketing OKRs and KPIsWondered how to navigate the world of OKRs and KPIs? You’re in the right place. This guide reveals the relevant OKRs and KPIs your customer marketing team should set.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-360.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/OKRs-and-KPIs-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) ## Final thoughts As businesses navigate increasingly complex markets, the need for a strategic approach to customer and partner marketing becomes even more critical. The marketer, armed with data-driven insights and a commitment to collaboration, is essential for driving future growth. By building strong relationships, optimizing marketing efforts, and continually adapting to changing market dynamics, professionals like the PMM positions organizations for sustained success in the years to come. ### How to scale advocacy without losing the personal touch URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-advocacy-without-losing-the-personal-touch/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T10:40:48.000Z [Advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/) and its associated programs are the lifeblood of [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) responsibilities. Whether it’s customer experience, engagement, loyalty, or retention, all of it funnels into the end goal - advocacy. While this [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) is easy to follow with smaller [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/), the true challenge comes when companies experience a boon in growth and must work to maintain efficiency, performance, and personalization with the customer lifecycle of their business. So, how can customer marketers set themselves up for success when it comes to scaling advocacy for larger and larger audiences? In this article, we’re covering: - Why scaling advocacy programs matters - Key challenges in scaling advocacy - Strategies to scale advocacy programs for high personalization Let’s get started. ## Why scaling advocacy programs matters Scaling your advocacy program is like upgrading from a cozy dinner party to a full-blown festival. When it’s small, you can chat with everyone, remember their favorite drink, and swap stories. And while it’s true that more voices equals more impact, how do you keep that personal touch when your audience grows? When you grow your advocacy efforts (the right way), you’re unlocking some serious perks like: - **Increased brand reach:** More advocates = more conversations about your brand in more places. - **Boosted credibility:** Peer recommendations are marketing gold—people trust real stories more than ads. - [**Community**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) **magic:** Expanding your advocacy circle builds a supportive, thriving brand community. - **Diverse voices:** More advocates mean more stories, perspectives, and use cases showcasing your [brand's impact](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). The challenge? Bigger isn’t always better if you lose the *human* touch. As your audience grows, you risk turning once personal and specific interactions with each customer into a slog of robotic interactions. Modern customers expect brands to *know* them. Personalization isn’t just a nice touch; it’s a necessity. People want experiences that feel tailor-made, whether they’re buying shoes or sharing their story as a brand advocate. Personalization drives: - **Stronger Loyalty:** People stay engaged when they feel valued. - **Deeper Connections:** Tailored experiences spark emotional bonds. - **Long-Term Engagement:** Happy advocates stick around when treated like individuals. [Privacy vs personalization in customer marketingWith personalization being so important, how do you accomplish it without compromising your customer’s data or privacy? Let’s go through some strategies to give you the data-driven campaign of your dreams without compromising privacy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-357.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/crm--3---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/privacy-vs-personalization-in-customer-marketing/) So what are the most common missteps when it comes to this kind of scaling? ## Key challenges in scaling advocacy while retaining personal touch When you’re looking to make advocacy work on the big scale, there’s a lot to keep track of, and you won’t get it right the first time you do it. You certainly won’t get it perfect because every customer community is different. To make the process as smooth as possible, here are the three biggest errors scaling advocacy can come into contact with: ### Loss of direct one-on-one connections When your advocate base grows, those personal “Hey, how’s it going?” moments can start to slip. The bigger the crowd, the harder it is to keep those close, genuine connections where advocates feel like *VIPs*, not just names on a list. ### Difficulty in managing large data sets and personal preferences Scaling means [*lots* of data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/)—preferences, interactions, engagement patterns. Staying on top of who prefers emails vs. DMs or which advocates love sharing testimonials can quickly become overwhelming without the right tools. ### Over-automation leads to impersonal experiences Automation is great for scaling—but too much can make your outreach feel robotic. While it’s tempting to streamline *everything* when scaling, too much efficiency can really dull the human touch. Personalized touches often get lost when [messages sound generic](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/). The challenge is finding the sweet spot where automation boosts efficiency *without* losing authenticity. ## Strategies to scale advocacy programs effectively Now the bit you’ve been waiting for - the tips to make your scaling journey an assured success. To begin… ### Segmentation and audience grouping Think of segmentation like planning playlists for different party vibes—every group deserves the right tunes (or, in this case, messages). Here's how to make it work: **Break audiences into smaller, manageable segments** based on factors like advocacy activity, interests, or [engagement level](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/decoding-customer-engagement-scores-best-practices-for-customer-marketers/). Think: your content creators, social sharers, event champions, and review rockstars. 💡 Smaller groups make it easier to keep conversations relevant and personal—because no one likes feeling like just another face in the crowd. **Tailor messaging for each group** and send exclusive content to your creators, offer VIP event invites to your event champions, or share [testimonial opportunities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/) with your storytellers. When messages match their passions, advocates feel valued—and a valued advocate is a *louder* advocate. ### Personalization through automation tools **Leverage CRM and marketing automation tools with personalization features.** Your CRM and marketing tools as your backstage pass to knowing *everything* about your advocates—favorite campaigns, past contributions, and even milestones they've hit. Platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Marketo help you automate outreach while still personalizing details like names, interests, and advocacy history. **Dynamic content and customized messaging** let you create a single campaign that adapts based on advocate behavior, preferences, or segments. Using this means emails can offer specific opportunities for specific kinds of advocates with an easy lift on your end. ### Empowering brand advocates with resources Your brand advocates are already rockstars—so why not give them the tools to shine even brighter? Empowering your champions with the *right* resources makes it easier for them to spread the word while keeping their [unique voice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/). Here's how: **1\. Provide training & templates for personalized outreach** - Share *ready-to-go* templates for [social posts](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-resurrect-your-case-study-content-using-social-media/), emails, and testimonials that still leave room for a personal twist. - Offer short workshops or webinars on advocacy best practices—like how to craft authentic LinkedIn posts or share event experiences. - Create an easy-access resource hub filled with brand guidelines, image assets, and messaging examples for inspiration. **2\. Encourage personal storytelling & user-generated content** - Prompt advocates to share *their* success stories, not just praise for your brand. - Feature user-generated content in [newsletters](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/subscribe-to-customer-marketing-dispatch/), social feeds, and on your website. ### Humanizing mass communications **Using personalized video messages** can transform generic outreach into something memorable. Sending a quick thank-you video with the advocate’s name mentioned—*bonus points if it’s from a team member they know*—feels special and genuine. Recording personalized invites for advocacy events or campaigns instead of a standard email blast makes people feel valued, while tools like Vidyard or Loom help you create quick, heartfelt videos that stand out in a crowded inbox. **Incorporating customer stories and testimonials** takes it even further by letting your advocates’ voices shine. Sharing real stories in newsletters, social media, and nurture campaigns adds authenticity while spotlighting the individuals behind the praise. 💡 Letting advocates co-create content, like blog posts or case studies where **they* tell the story in their own words, makes messaging even more relatable and impactful. ### Leveraging data analytics for personalization at scale **Using data to identify customer preferences and behaviors** Track behaviors like event attendance, content sharing habits, and product usage to personalize outreach. When you know what makes each advocate tick, you can send messages that *actually* resonate. **Balancing data-driven insights with authentic engagement.** Avoid sounding robotic by blending insights with authentic, conversational messaging. Think of data as the guide—not the whole story—so your advocates feel seen, not just analyzed. **Tools and platforms for effective data management.** Use tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Marketo to manage data without overwhelm. These platforms help centralize insights, segment advocates, and [automate personalized](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/martech-and-customer-marketing-automating-customer-interactions-2/) messaging at scale. ## Conclusion Balancing scalability with personalization in your advocacy programs isn’t an impossible task. By segmenting your audience, personalizing through automation tools, empowering advocates with resources, humanizing mass communications, and leveraging data effectively, you can expand your reach *without losing* the personal spark that makes advocacy powerful. Remember, advocacy is all about relationships. Prioritize making your advocates feel valued, heard, and connected to your brand’s story. When you lead with authenticity, engagement naturally follows. --- *Want to level up your advocacy skills even more? Check out the *Customer Marketing Alliance's Micro-Course on Customer Advocacy*, hosted by Kevin Lau. Learn expert strategies to build and scale impactful advocacy programs that keep customers at the heart of your growth!* [Get certified today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advocacy-strategic-frameworks-advanced-micro-course) ### Empowering advocacy: Using data and KPIs to secure resources URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/empowering-advocacy-using-data-and-kpis-to-secure-resources-2/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:53:40.000Z Empowering advocacy through data is key to driving meaningful impact in customer marketing. I’m Sarah Stephan, Head of Customer Marketing at Databricks, and my decade of experience in customer advocacy has taught me the immense value of aligning efforts with measurable outcomes. From my time at Cisco and Nutanix to my current role, I’ve seen how leveraging data and KPIs can transform how we prioritize, optimize, and showcase the work we do. In this article, I’ll share strategies for measuring impact, aligning with leadership priorities, and using insights to amplify the success of customer marketing programs. ## Why measurement matters As marketers, we’re all juggling multiple priorities, often with limited resources—whether it’s a lean budget, a small team, or both. In such an environment, taking time to measure might feel like a luxury. However, understanding the performance of your initiatives is not just beneficial; it’s essential. Measurement helps validate the effort and resources you’re investing in customer marketing. It answers critical questions like: - Is the content you’re creating resonating? - Are your programs delivering the expected impact? Without these insights, it’s impossible to refine your strategies or justify the value of your team’s work to leadership. ### Aligning with leadership priorities One key to successful measurement is ensuring your work aligns with your company’s overarching goals and narratives. The content and programs your team develops should support the company’s priorities. This alignment ensures that your efforts are not just visible but also meaningful to leadership. When measuring success, consider how your initiatives advance the broader company mission. **For example,** are your [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/) programs amplifying your brand’s value? Are they contributing to sales enablement or product feedback loops? Connecting your work to leadership’s focus areas strengthens your ability to secure resources and recognition. ### Internal and external measurement Most marketers naturally think about external measurement—how campaigns and programs perform with customers. While this is crucial, it’s equally important to evaluate the impact of your efforts. Internally, your team may be producing a wealth of content for sales enablement, product launches, or cross-departmental initiatives. Analyzing how this content is used and valued internally can yield surprising insights. **For example,** are sales teams leveraging customer stories effectively? Is internal training content contributing to higher adoption rates? These metrics help demonstrate the broader influence of customer marketing. ### Reporting: sharing the story Once you’ve collected meaningful data, the next step is communicating it effectively. Reporting is not just about showcasing numbers—it’s about [telling a story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/). Share insights on what’s working, what’s not, and why. Highlight wins and lessons learned, and frame your findings in a way that resonates with your audience—whether it’s your [CMO](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/crack-the-executive-code-7-steps-to-a-cmo-approved-charter/), executive leadership, or cross-functional teams. Consider using visuals, concise summaries, and real-world examples to bring your data to life. Effective reporting keeps stakeholders informed and fosters trust in your team’s contributions. ## Why measure? Key benefits of tracking your content’s impact Measurement is essential for any [customer marketing team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/). Without it, we can’t demonstrate the value of our work or refine our strategies effectively. Here are the main reasons why measurement matters and how it can drive better outcomes: ### Aligning with company priorities One of the most important reasons to measure is to ensure alignment with key company priorities. If your team is creating a lot of content around a product or solution that isn’t a top priority for the company, it’s worth asking: why? Start by understanding your company’s fiscal-year goals, focus areas, and the narratives they want to drive in the market. Then, make sure your team’s efforts directly support those initiatives. By aligning your work with these priorities, you demonstrate how customer marketing contributes to broader business goals. ### Evaluating performance Measuring helps identify what’s performing well and what isn’t. By analyzing content performance, you can refine your strategies, double down on what works, and course-correct where needed. It’s about ensuring that your efforts deliver maximum impact. ### Increasing visibility For many of us, the workload means we’re often heads-down creating content. As a result, leadership might not always be aware of the stories we’re telling or the wins we’re achieving. Measurement provides a way to showcase your team’s output and its impact, keeping leadership informed and engaged. ### Establishing baselines If you’re not already measuring, it’s impossible to know what “good” looks like at your company. Establishing a baseline involves collaborating with subject matter experts across web, digital, and social teams to understand performance benchmarks. Once you have this baseline, you can track progress over time—whether quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year—and set realistic goals for improvement. ### Gaining insights Measurement isn’t just about numbers; it’s about uncovering insights. **For example,** if two case studies feature similar global brands but perform differently, ask why. Is it the title, the visual used on social media, or the placement on your website? These insights can guide future content creation and help your team avoid repeating mistakes. ### Testing and optimizing content A common pitfall in content marketing is letting underperforming pieces “die” without trying to improve them. If a case study or video isn’t gaining traction, there are simple ways to experiment and optimize: update the title, refresh the visuals, or repost with new framing. These small tweaks can have a big impact on engagement, even after the content is live. ### Strengthening relationships through feedback Measurement also opens the door to authentic, non-transactional touchpoints with customers and internal teams. For example, if a customer story or video is a high performer, let the customer know: “Your story was one of our best-performing pieces this quarter—just wanted to share the good news!” Similarly, share the win with the account team that supported the content: “This couldn’t have been done without your help, and it’s driving amazing results.” These acknowledgments build goodwill and foster stronger partnerships without adding to anyone’s workload. By measuring the impact of your content, you not only validate your team’s efforts but also gain the insights needed to continuously improve and strengthen relationships across the organization. ## Measuring impact: External and internal perspectives Understanding how your content is performing—both externally and internally—is critical to ensuring your team’s time and resources are used effectively. At Databricks, we’ve developed a comprehensive approach to measurement, focusing on both external and internal metrics to guide our strategies and showcase impact. ### External measurement **Web performance** One key area we track is web performance. We measure total visits to our customer content pages and analyze the journey visitors take before and after landing on these pages. - Where are they coming from? - What pages do they visit next? By understanding these patterns, we ensure that the journey flows logically and that the pages they encounter are updated with relevant and engaging content tailored to their industry or solution area. Demographics also play a vital role. For example, if a significant portion of visitors comes from a particular industry or region, we assess whether we have enough stories representing those demographics. If not, this insight helps us prioritize content creation to fill those gaps. **YouTube insights** Our customer stories are featured prominently on our YouTube channel. Here, we monitor not just total views but also view duration. If our data shows that viewers aren’t watching past the first 30 seconds of a three-minute video, we consider shortening the videos or breaking them into digestible chapters. This data-driven approach ensures our efforts resonate with viewers and saves time by tailoring content to audience behaviors. **Social media metrics** We work closely with our social media team to track engagements, impressions, and engagement rates. These metrics guide our understanding of what’s working and help us set realistic [OKRs and KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) that align with what’s achievable in our organization. **Learning from underperforming content** While it’s tempting to focus only on high-performing content, some of our most valuable insights come from analyzing the pieces that didn’t perform well. By asking why—was it the title, the format, or the channel used?—we refine our future strategies and avoid repeating mistakes. ### Internal measurement **Intranet and internal content performance** Internally, we measure traffic to our intranet pages to understand who within the company is accessing customer content. Ideally, it’s not just the marketing team but other departments too. If access is limited to a narrow audience, we reassess whether the content is reaching the right people. Similarly, internal newsletters are a staple in many organizations, but they can be a time-sink if engagement is low. If your team’s newsletters are only reaching a handful of people, it might be worth reallocating that effort elsewhere. **Sales enablement materials** Sales enablement is another area where measurement is critical. We track how often decks, one-sliders, and presentations are accessed. If the data shows these resources aren’t being used effectively, we use that insight to adjust or even discontinue creating certain types of content. This data-driven approach ensures that our team’s time is spent on high-value activities. **Account value and reference activity** We’ve found a strong correlation between reference activity and overall account value. Measuring this helps validate the impact of [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) programs. Accounts that participate in reference activities often show higher engagement and value, creating a compelling case for continued investment in these initiatives. **Employee engagement with social sharing tools** Using tools like Bamboo, we can track how employees engage with and share customer stories. This provides an additional layer of visibility into how internal teams amplify customer advocacy content. ### The power of anecdotal feedback Finally, while hard data is invaluable, anecdotal feedback brings the human element to life. We maintain a running document of positive messages from Slack, LinkedIn, or direct emails. Whether it’s a thank-you note from an account team or a customer praising their experience in a LinkedIn post, these stories make our impact tangible. **For example**, we received a LinkedIn post from Brian Ames of General Motors, who spoke at our summit, sharing how much he enjoyed the experience. This type of feedback is not just gratifying but also provides a powerful narrative to complement the numbers in our quarterly business reviews (QBRs). Including anecdotal feedback in reports reminds leadership of the people behind the metrics and reinforces the broader impact of customer marketing. By measuring both external and internal performance, we gain a holistic view of how our efforts are driving value. Combining data with human stories ensures we not only showcase the tangible outcomes but also the meaningful connections we create along the way. ## Effective reporting: Aligning with leadership priorities When it comes to reporting, alignment with your leadership team is crucial. Understanding what metrics they care about—and just as importantly, what they don’t—ensures that your reporting is both relevant and impactful. ### Establishing a standardized framework At Databricks, we’ve implemented a standardized framework for reporting. This framework, which has been pre-aligned with our leadership team, outlines the metrics they value most. Each quarter, we update this framework with new data, comparing performance year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter. While it might seem straightforward, having a consistent, predictable format simplifies the process and makes it easier for leadership to digest and track progress over time. This standardization also offers a dual benefit: it highlights the hard work your team is doing and ensures that their efforts are visible to those making strategic decisions. ### The power of brevity Executives are busy, and while we provide detailed decks, we recognize that most of them won’t open a 75-slide PowerPoint. Instead, we create a “TLDR” summary—a concise, digestible snapshot of the most important highlights. This includes a few key bullets that capture the metrics and insights leadership needs to know. For those who want more details, the full deck is available, but the brief summary usually does the job. This approach has been well-received and ensures that our work stays top-of-mind without overwhelming anyone. ### Creating a feedback loop Reporting isn’t just about sharing metrics upward; it’s also an opportunity to give back to the customers and internal teams who contribute to your success. When a piece of content performs exceptionally well, we make a point of letting the relevant stakeholders know. **For example,** sharing with a customer, “Your case study was one of the top-performing pieces this quarter!” is a simple but impactful touchpoint. Similarly, thanking sales teams for their collaboration—by highlighting how their support enabled a success story—builds goodwill and strengthens partnerships. These small gestures help create a continuous feedback loop, reinforcing the value of everyone’s contributions. ## Key takeaways for effective advocacy through data and KPIs As we bring everything together, here are the big takeaways to help you elevate your customer marketing strategy using data and KPIs: **1\. Align with leadership on what to measure** The foundation of impactful reporting is alignment. Collaborate with your leadership team to identify the metrics that matter most to them. This ensures your efforts are focused on areas that support company priorities and resonate with decision-makers. **2\. Showcase your team’s impact** Your team is creating a significant amount of content—make sure to demonstrate the tangible impact of that work. Highlight where your efforts align with company goals and where you’re driving meaningful results. This visibility is crucial for building trust and recognition for your team. **3\. Let data guide your priorities** Use data to identify what’s resonating and what isn’t, both externally and internally. If a program or piece of content isn’t delivering value, let the data justify deprioritizing it. Similarly, focus your time and resources on areas where you’re seeing the greatest impact. Data can be a powerful tool for streamlining efforts and maximizing results. **4\. Test and optimize low-performing content** Low-performing content isn’t a lost cause. Whether it’s a page on your website or a post on social media, revisit it with a critical eye. Update the title, refresh visuals, or adjust messaging, and then test it again. Repromoting content on social channels after some time can also breathe new life into it. Optimization is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done effort. **5\. Share wins with stakeholders** When content performs exceptionally well, don’t miss the chance to share the success. Let customers know their case study or video was a top performer—without asking for anything in return. Similarly, acknowledge the contributions of account teams and share these wins with their leadership. It’s a simple yet effective way to foster goodwill and reinforce partnerships. By following these steps, you’ll not only improve the effectiveness of your customer marketing but also strengthen relationships and demonstrate the critical role your team plays in driving business success. Data isn’t just about metrics—it’s about making informed decisions, celebrating wins, and continuously evolving your strategy. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Sara at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, San Francisco 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-september-2024/?wchannelid=o9a2iud0ir&wmediaid=xz9v3cwfue)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### Your guide to global community management URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/global-community-management/ Last updated: 2025-10-06T15:20:21.000Z Expanding into international markets has become a key growth strategy for modern businesses. Tapping into new regions not only increases customer reach but also diversifies revenue streams and attracts strategic partnerships. As more companies enter the global stage, [community managers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-non-negotiable-traits-to-find-when-hiring-a-community-manager/) encounter new opportunities and challenges within their online communities. From engaging diverse audiences to managing teams across multiple time zones, building authentic connections on a global scale requires careful planning and adaptability. My experience has shown that successful global [community management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) isn’t about reinventing strategies for every market but rather about creating adaptable frameworks that empower local engagement while ensuring global consistency. [What is engagement marketing?Engagement marketing is a customer marketer’s bread and butter. When employed by a customer marketer, It’s about connecting with your customer base and creating meaningful experiences that foster brand loyalty.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-228.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engement-marketing-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) ## Building a global vision with local impact One of the biggest misconceptions about global community growth is that you need separate strategies for every region. In reality, a program-based approach is often more effective than a region-based one. When it comes to scaling a community across multiple regions, it’s easy to think you need unique strategies for each area. But that’s rarely sustainable. Instead, I recommend focusing on a global strategy with localized execution. ### Avoid regional silos Rather than having a separate manager for each region, we shifted to a program-based approach at Toptal. **For example,** instead of having separate managers for Europe, North America, and Asia, we have one person overseeing mentorship programs globally and another managing events. This shift allowed us to launch three major community offerings in a single year. ### Standardize processes with flexibility We’ve also learned that you can create global event playbooks with flexible cost ranges. For instance, instead of a fixed event budget per person, we provide a cost range of approximately $20–$40per head, empowering local leaders to work within their realities while staying within global guidelines. ### Create scalable frameworks A program-based structure simplifies scaling. It prevents redundant work, ensures resource efficiency, and helps in maintaining consistent messaging across regions. Through centralizing operations, we’ve created a more cohesive global community experience. [How customer marketing supports community frameworksWith community frameworks, the relationship between you and your customer community is mutually beneficial, as these frameworks work toward your customer’s individual goals, which, in turn, gets you closer to your business goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-229.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/william-white-TZCppMjaOHU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-supports-your-business-community-framework/) ## Benefits of a program-based structure Now you may be asking, what are the benefits of a program-based structure? For one, it offers many advantages over a regional approach, centralizing leadership and reducing redundant work while ensuring consistency in community programs worldwide. This strategy has allowed Toptal to streamline communication, launch scalable initiatives, and better manage budgets across regions. ### Improved efficiency The shift to program-based management has significantly increased operational efficiency. It reduces overlap in responsibilities and helps us deploy global resources more effectively. ### Scalability and consistency By focusing on global programs rather than regional silos, we can maintain consistent quality and engagement levels across all regions. This approach allows us to offer uniform experiences regardless of geographic location. ### Empowering community leaders for local impact You don’t need a representative in every city to make a local impact. What you need are passionate community leaders who can represent your brand and engage members effectively. ### Selective onboarding At Toptal, we focus on either high-impact leaders with limited numbers or a broader reach with less stringent requirements, depending on [our goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) at the time. Regardless, we ensure these leaders are equipped with the resources they need. ### Let leaders drive localization We encourage leaders to tailor messaging slightly while maintaining core branding. Whether it’s adjusting communication for cultural preferences or localizing event promotions, the power of trusted leaders is essential for effective local engagement. ### Support through training and resources To ensure our leaders feel supported, we provide extensive onboarding, ongoing training, and resources like templates and communication guidelines. These efforts empower our leaders to drive impactful community engagement without constant oversight. ### Ambassador programs A well-structured ambassador program helps us extend our reach without needing full-time team members in every region. Ambassadors help host local events, create content, and act as brand advocates within their regions. [Interacting with different cultures and regions | Learning with LeadershipFlorian Engel, Director of EMEA Marketing & Global Customer Marketing at Aiven, shares some tips on interacting with different cultures and regions both within your internal culture, and externally when interacting with customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-230.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Learning_With_Leadership_Podcast_Asset_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/florian-engel-interacting-with-different-cultures-and-regions-both-internally-and-externally-learning-with-leadership/) ## Tools and platforms for global community engagement Having the right tools in place can make all the difference when managing a global community. ### Maximize existing tools We use Slack for our primary community communication and ensure we’re maximizing its features, such as automated workflows for member onboarding, event reminders, and ambassador notifications. Before switching tools, ensure you're fully leveraging the platform’s capabilities. ### Clear channel structure Clarity is critical. Our channels use clear naming conventions, such as “geo-” for regional channels and “event-” for events. This makes it easier for members to find relevant discussions and stay organized. ### Regular audits We conduct bi-annual audits to remove inactive channels and keep our platform organized. Typically, channels with minimal activity over a period get archived, ensuring the space remains clear and engaging for active users. ### Choosing the right platforms While Slack works for us, different platforms might work better for other communities. Discord, Circle, and Facebook Groups are also popular for global community management. The key is choosing a platform that fits your goals and audience preferences. [Tips for community marketing and customer marketing collaborationWhile customer marketing and community marketing are each rock-solid strategies in their own right, they can complement each other - like macaroni and cheese - both versatile and important in their own right, but even more brilliant together.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-400.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mario-purisic-jG1z5o7NCq4-unsplash--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) ## Best practices for managing cultural differences effectively Cultural nuances play a significant role in global community management. For example, while members in India and Pakistan may appreciate celebratory swag, those in North America tend to prioritize professional development and content value. ### Tailor communication styles Feedback styles also vary. North American participants may provide more direct feedback, while members in Asia might be less forthright. To accommodate this, we personalize how we ask for feedback based on the audience. ### Rely on local leaders for cultural insights Our leaders help us adapt messages and event structures to fit cultural expectations without deviating from the broader global strategy. ### Understanding regional engagement differences Cultural differences also affect engagement styles. Some regions may prefer social-driven events while others value skill-based workshops. Tailoring programming based on these preferences ensures higher participation rates. [![Become a CMA Insider: Access exclusive content and templates for free.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/10/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Data and growth considerations for global communities Scaling a global community means keeping a close eye on data. ### Compare engagement to member distribution If 80% of your members are from the US but most activity comes from South America, you may need to realign your strategy. Ensuring engagement matches member distribution helps balance global growth. ### Leverage super users Your most engaged members can offer valuable insights. Use their feedback to refine programs and test new initiatives before rolling them out on a wider scale. ### Consistent global standards We maintain a global “Code of Conduct” and ensure reimbursement processes are standardized, reducing complexity while keeping compliance across regions. ### Data-driven decision-making We regularly review metrics like event attendance, activity logs, and feedback surveys to ensure our strategies are effective. Data helps identify underperforming areas and guides our program adjustments. ## Measuring success and adjusting strategies Regular assessment is crucial for long-term success. We track metrics like event attendance, channel activity, and member feedback to continuously refine our strategies. These quarterly reviews help us stay aligned with our growth goals. ### Using feedback for continuous improvement We actively collect feedback through polls and Q&A sessions, ensuring our strategies evolve based on community needs. Broken down, it’s just straightforward, two-way communication that strengthens trust and participation. [Collecting the right kind of customer feedback: Everything you need to knowWhen it comes to marketing using the Voice of the Customer, the first step in creating such a program is collecting feedback and aggregating it across the channels where customers are giving it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-238.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_feedback-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) ## Final takeaways Managing a global community requires a balance of structure and flexibility. By focusing on a program-based structure, empowering local leaders, and respecting cultural differences, you can scale your community while keeping engagement meaningful and impactful. Here’s a clear action plan to move forward: 1. **Identify gaps:** Review your current community approach. Are you balancing global standards with local authenticity? 2. **Empower leaders:** Build or expand an ambassador program. Identify who in your community could represent your brand locally. 3. **Standardize processes:** Create adaptable templates for events, communication, and onboarding. 4. **Review tools:** Optimize platforms for global collaboration and automation. 5. **Data check-in:** Ensure your engagement metrics align with member distribution. Challenge yourself: Are you balancing global consistency with authentic local experiences? I’d also suggest you set a goal – within 30 days, try piloting one new strategy to strengthen your global community. Explore resources like *The Culture Map* by Erin Meyer or connect with global community managers for inspiration. Transformation starts with action. What will you do next? --- *This article is based on Margaux’s keynote presentation at our virtual Community-Led Summit in February 2024\. At the time of recording, Margaux served as Toptal’s Global Director of Community.* ### Strategic dexterity: Tools for success in single-product vs. multi-product environments URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-dexterity-tools-for-success-in-single-product-vs-multi-product-environments/ Last updated: 2025-01-15T10:22:30.000Z *This article was transcribed from Cate Vanasse’s talk at last year's Boston Customer Marketing Summit. If you have a membership, you can watch the full thing* [***here***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-boston-2024/?wchannelid=xmqgjffch9&wmediaid=aquxyq7tnl)*.* When I became the new Director of Global Customer Marketing at a growing SaaS company, I found myself reflecting on the road that brought me here - a road that twisted and turned through single-product and multi-product environments at companies like Expedia and Cisco. If there's one key lesson I've learned, it's the paramount importance of strategic dexterity for [customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/). Whether you're a [one-person team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/succeed-in-customer-experience-as-a-team-of-one/) marketing a single product or you're juggling an entire portfolio, the ability to nimbly shift strategies is make-or-break. And trust me, I've been at both ends of that spectrum (and everywhere in between!). So when the organizers of this customer marketing conference approached me to give a talk on maneuvering between single-product and multi-product environments, I knew I had to share my personal playbook for building strategic dexterity. # Pivoting to a multi-product world After COVID's disruption of the corporate travel industry, I joined Cisco Meraki in 2021 to build their customer marketing function from the ground up. Meraki felt like a return to my startup roots - a small, scrappy team within the larger Cisco empire. Except this time, instead of just one product, we were marketing Meraki's full cloud networking portfolio. Two years later, I was promoted to lead customer marketing for approximately **75%** of Cisco's product lines. Suddenly, I found myself going from that comfortable three-product Meraki world to the biggest challenge of my career - hundreds of SKUs across diverse product categories. That's when everything I had learned about strategic dexterity was put to the ultimate test. How could I bridge [product marketing's](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/) deep technical expertise with the customer intimacy of customer marketing? How could we unify discrete product strategies into cohesive customer-first campaigns at scale? As overwhelming as that shift was, I realized strategic dexterity really boils down to prioritization and relentless focus. When you're facing insurmountable options, you have to get ruthlessly selective about where to invest your limited time and money. # Segmentation: Mapping the ‘mountain’ of opportunity The first step, whether you're marketing one product or hundreds, is to step back and map out the total landscape. Who comprises your total addressable market? What are your benchmarks for success - [customer acquisitions](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-acquisition-all-you-need-to-know-2/), walletshare growth, etc.? From there, you need to analyze different ways to segment that market into targetable groups with shared needs. In B2B, some of the most common [segmentation criteria](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) include: - **Firmographics:** Company size, industry, geography - **Customer tiers:** Aligning pricing/packaging with realized value - **Behavioral:** Product usage, churn risk factors - **Key/Strategic accounts:** Specific high-value targets - **Buyer personas:** Decision-maker roles and influences The segmentation ‘recipes’ will look radically different for each product line. Maybe for Product A, you'll want to zero in on a specific industry like healthcare. For Product B, it could make more sense to prioritize by company size and maturity. There's no one-size-fits-all. To illustrate this, let's use the analogy of mapping out mountain biking trails. Your total addressable market is the entire mountain filled with trails. Segmentation is analyzing all of those trails and grouping them into "areas" with common attributes like difficulty levels and terrain. It creates an easy-to-follow trail map. [The STP customer segmentation model for successToday brands need to get smart about connecting with their ideal customers. One proven strategy? The STP model for customer segmentation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-352.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--11---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-the-basics-the-stp-customer-segmentation-model-for-competitive-advantage/) # Targeting: Picking the right trail Once you have that [mapped out](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/), the next step is homing in on which specific trail - or prioritized segment - you want to explore for a while. This could be the insanely technical downhills only experts should attempt, or the scenic paths perfect for cross-selling current customers. The key is being selective and focused, rather than bogging yourself down trying to cover every trail simultaneously. It's about identifying which [type of customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-types-of-consumers-to-market-for/) you're truly best positioned to attract and serve profitably. To use another analogy from my former life - when Marketo first pioneered lead scoring, it was a game-changer. Finally, we could intelligently target the ‘sweet spot’ where buyer interest and our own priority criteria overlapped. That's the same core challenge with targeting, whether for one product or multiple products. # Understanding the voice of the customer However, even with that critical prioritization in place, successfully navigating between single and multi-product environments requires another key capability - deeply understanding the nuances of customer sentiment. Time and again, I've seen companies put so much emphasis on analyzing products, features, and firmographics that they forget customers are human beings with vastly different tastes and needs. Just because a logo has a high NPS score doesn't automatically make them a great advocate for your full product portfolio. I learned this the hard way at Cisco Meraki. We were so excited to get this incredible, renowned CTO to present on behalf of our products. Despite multiple requests, she kept declining. It wasn't until we met with her in person that we realized her hesitation - while she loved part of our product set, she felt uncomfortable overtly promoting other parts. From that experience, I realized how important it is to not just [track customer sentiment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-customer-health-score-how-to-master-this-metric/) with a binary "yes/no" for advocacy. You need to understand the nuances - what specifically are they fans of? What do they dislike? Under what conditions might they feel uncomfortable being a [customer reference](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them-3/)? Because at the end of the day, your goal as a customer marketer is to showcase authentic customer success through programs like: - Case studies/success stories - Reference calls - Speaking engagements - Review generation - Co-marketing - User groups/advisory boards You can only accomplish that if you've built a true understanding of your customer as an individual beyond just a company name or score. Luckily, there are lots of ways to keep your finger on the voice of the customer pulse: - [Customer advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/) - Briefing centers that capture 1:1 feedback - [Social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) monitoring of your top accounts - Partnerships with [customer success teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/) - Continuously updating your reference management database # The bigger picture for strategic dexterity Of course, mastering [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/), targeting, and the [voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-understand-your-target-audience/) are just part of the strategic dexterity equation. You also need the ability to fluidly adjust your tactics and team based on the situation at hand. When I was a solo marketer handling everything from content to pipeline, my strategic dexterity was focused on getting maximum leverage out of that very limited scope. - What's the most impactful use of my single hour and dollar budget? - How can I drive the biggest return with zero budget whatsoever? In that scenario, deep focusing and prioritization weren't just nice-to-haves - they were essential for survival. On the flip side, when I was overseeing customer marketing for the bulk of Cisco's product portfolio, strategic dexterity looked very different. It was about constantly cross-pollinating between teams working on different products to identify those natural complementary stories. We had to become masters of: ## Aligning messaging across products One of the biggest challenges we faced was translating Cisco's strategic vision of offering tightly integrated solutions into cohesive [customer-facing messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/). Rather than operating in silos where each product told its own story, we needed an elevated narrative that conveyed the "better together" value across different offerings. To accomplish this, we leaned heavily on orchestrating consistent voice-of-customer programs like [advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/) and customer evidence capture. This gave us a continuous pulse on the topics and use cases that resonated across our portfolio. With that centralized messaging framework in place, customer marketers for each product had the strategic dexterity to customize execution based on the nuances of their target segment, market, and unique [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/). Storytelling on the product websites could zigzag between individual product benefits and the integrated solution's business impact. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-354.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Cross-functional alignment at scale Another major learning? A need for exceptional cross-functional partnerships to coordinate these interweaving multi-product initiatives. There's no way my team could have succeeded operating in a silo - we had to strategically lock arms with: - **Product marketing:** They lived and breathed the roadmaps, features, and positioning that fueled our content - **Portfolio/solutions marketing:** Their elevated vantage point shaped the master narrative we localized - **Customer success:** They surfaced ongoing voice-of-customer intel from the frontlines - **Executive field marketers:** Mobilizing that central messaging across regional go-to-market engines Rather than reinvent the wheel or overstep boundaries, we leveraged each group's core expertise through consistent processes: - A quarterly **"story hit list"** prioritizing the integrated use cases we needed customer evidence for (based on segmentation inputs) - Customer **marketing requests** managing the content creation workstreams - **Centrally-led customer marketing** planning to ensure global enablement This constant communication cadence ensured our single mission - giving customers a world-class experience at every stage of their journey. ## Diverse skills and staffing Coordinating all these interconnected moving parts also required strategically building my customer marketing team's versatility. In addition to skilled communicators who could translate technical depths into compelling stories, we needed: - **Voice-of-customer experts** able to [develop relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-build-a-strong-relationship-with-your-customers/) and mine true insights - **Data-driven analysts** comfortable with market segmentation models and measurement - **Project managers** to expertly choreograph our global content operations - **Strategic thinkers** who could be elevated from individual tactics to portfolio-level impacts And we had to be agile in how we structured that talent based on the escalating scope. When I first joined Cisco Meraki, we were just a handful of generalists supporting one product family. As our mandate rapidly expanded, we had to evolve into job-specific roles: - **Customer story creators** focused on just developing case studies and other evidence assets. They weren't accountable for the actual writing - we leaned on creative agency partners for that execution. - **Customer marketing campaigns managers** brought omnichannel expertise to activate our stories through the right channels for each segment. - **Customer reference managers** built rapport with advocates and maintained a rich centralized database of their permissions and preferences. At the core, my customer marketing leads served as the connective tissue between these functions and our [cross-functional counterparts](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/). **The through-line?** No matter how specialized we got, everyone had to maintain strategic dexterity as an individualist one day and a nerd the next. That's the very essence of customer marketing. ## Never stop learning and evolving If there's one constant in our profession, it's that the learning never stops. Just when I felt like I had finally achieved strategic dexterity, the ground would shift again with new reorgs, new products, and new strategies. That's why it's so invaluable to participate in professional events like this customer marketing conference. We're able to constantly exchange new ideas, case studies, and approaches for extending our strategic agility muscle. For example, I was inspired by one CMO's creative approach to mobilizing their distributed teams for unified customer storytelling. When I inevitably encounter similar growing pains in my next role, I'll be able to bring that example to the table. Or the team who has cracked the code on quantifying the business impact of their case studies and references. Having those benchmarks gives me a fresh way to position the value of customer marketing to my future executives. The questions I had walking in have been answered tenfold by the generous insights shared here. And in turn, I hope my own experiences have provided some helpful frameworks for any of you facing inflection points around strategic dexterity. My encouragement? Stay humble, keep evolving, and never lose sight of that fundamental prioritization principle that has grounded me throughout my career: If you only have one hour and one dollar...how are you going to invest it to drive maximum impact for your customers? As long as we relentlessly ask (and answer) that question, customer marketing will remain strong and strategically dexterous. --- **Want to hear more from Cate?* Chat with your peers on our* [*community *Slack channel**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)*. Or if you're more of an in-person kind of networker, have a peek of our *global event calendar*, marking out all our unmissable events this year.* [Book an event](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### The ultimate guide to customer marketing OKRs and KPIs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T14:51:01.000Z When done right, [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) builds [loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/) and [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/), driving long-term success for your business. But how can you tell if you're actually making an impact? That’s where **OKRs** (objectives and key results) and **KPIs** (key performance indicators) come in. These acronymic aids help you cut through the noise and focus on what matters most – making your customers feel valued, heard, and understood. In the wise words of **Avinash Kaushik, Chief Strategy Officer at Croud**: > “If you don’t actually know what you’re trying to achieve, it’s also hard to measure success. Try it, you’ll see what I mean.” In this guide, we're going to look at: - [Why OKRs and KPIs matter for customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#why-okrs-and-kpis-matter-for-customer-marketers) - [What an OKR is](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#what-is-an-okr) - [OKR examples in customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#example-okrs-for-customer-marketing) - [What a KPI is](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#what-is-a-kpi) - [Examples of customer marketing KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#examples-of-customer-marketing-kpis) - [If customer marketing teams are achieving their KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#are-customer-marketing-teams-achieving-their-kpis) - [Real-life KPI insights from top customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#real-life-kpi-insights-from-top-customer-marketers) - [The difference between OKRs and KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis) - [How to set effective OKRs and KPIs for your customer marketing team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#how-to-set-effective-okrs-and-kpis-for-your-customer-marketing-team) - [Best practices for OKR and KPI reporting](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/#best-practices-for-okr-and-kpi-reporting) ## Why OKRs and KPIs matter for customer marketers Customer marketing can be tricky to measure since it revolves around relationships and experiences rather than just numbers. Without clear goals and metrics, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. OKRs and KPIs help you: - **Clarify priorities:** Everyone stays on the same page about what success looks like. - **Measure impact:** See clearly how your efforts are making a difference. - **Stay focused:** Avoid distractions and work towards meaningful results. - **Prove value:** Show leadership the impact of customer marketing on retention and growth. - KPIs and OKRs are both **good indicators of success**. They provide key information about business processes, are monitored regularly, and are mapped to your program, project, or team. ## What is an OKR? OKRs are a simple but powerful goal-setting framework designed to help teams aim high and [track progress](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-the-vital-link-in-the-progress-chain/). Think of them as your business GPS, guiding you toward [ambitious goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) with clear checkpoints along the way. - **Objectives:** These are big, bold goals that set the direction for your efforts. They should be inspiring and challenging. - **Key results:** These are the specific, measurable milestones that tell you if you’re making progress toward your objective. OKRs focus on the process rather than the end result. John Doerr, the pioneer of the OKR, distilled their essence into a simple formula: > “I will \[blank\] as measured by \[blank\].” An OKR might look like this: > “I will \[improve advocate signup processes\] as measured by \[customer interviews and feedback\].” Most, if not all companies will use these to steer their progress. In customer marketing, they help bring method to the madness. OKRs have become indispensable because they: - Bridge the gap between strategic vision and daily activities - Align teams around [customer-centric](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/) priorities - Create accountability through [clear success metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-over-executives-with-customer-marketing-metrics/) - Enable agile responses to changing customer needs ## Example OKRs for customer marketing Here are some examples of common customer marketing goals we hear being used regularly and broadly speaking, they can be split into four pillars: ### Customer advocacy OKRs Focus on driving [customer referrals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/), [reviews](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards/), and building a base of [vocal advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-references-how-to-find-and-grow-invested-customer-advocates-2/). - Number of new advocate sign-ups - Increase in referral program participation - Number of [customer testimonials](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/) collected - Growth in positive [third-party reviews](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-manage-a-successful-customer-review-program/) (e.g., G2, Trustpilot) - Advocate-to-referral conversion rate To break this down even further, here are some tried-and-tested OKRs you can put to work tomorrow: 💡 ****Objective:** Build customer advocacy. \- ****KR1:** Increase customer referrals by 25%. \- ****KR2:** Publish 15 customer success stories by year-end. \- ****KR3:** Launch an ambassador program with 50 active participants. ### Customer retention and loyalty OKRs [Retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) is the backbone of customer marketing – these OKRs help measure long-term success. - Net promoter score (NPS) improvement - [Churn reduction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/) percentage - Increase in customer lifetime value (CLV) - [Expansion revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/) from existing customers - Participation rate in [retention campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/) (e.g., newsletters, webinars) 💡 ****Objective:** Strengthen customer relationships and retention. ****\- KR1:** Increase retention rate from 80% to 85% by Q3. ****\- KR2:** Launch a personalized loyalty program for the top 500 customers. \- ****KR3:** Reduce churn rate by 5% through targeted engagement campaigns. \- ****KR4:** Achieve a 20% increase in upsell and cross-sell revenue within the fiscal year. \- ****KR5:** Elevate NPS score from 45 to 60 in six months. ### Product adoption and engagement OKRs Encouraging customers to fully leverage your product’s value drives stickiness and satisfaction. - Increase in monthly active users (MAU) - Feature [adoption](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-product-adoption-where-customer-marketing-fits/) rate (e.g., % of users engaging with a specific tool) - Product training session attendance - Reduction in support ticket volume for key features - [Time-to-value reduction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-time-to-value-isnt-just-a-customer-success-metric-ttv-in-customer-marketing/) for new customers 💡 ****Objective:** Strengthen customer engagement with key product features. ****\- Key result 1:** Achieve a 20% increase in monthly active users for “Feature X” within Q1. ****\- Key result 2:** Boost upsell conversions from Feature X users by 10%. ### Customer education and enablement OKRs Empowering customers through knowledge helps build confidence and long-term retention. - Number of customers completing training or [certifications](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/courses) - [Content engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) metrics (e.g., guide downloads, webinar views) - Increase in self-service help center usage - [Customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) score on educational materials - Time spent engaging with [onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) content With this approach, you’ll not only celebrate wins that matter, but you’ll also ensure your [customer marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-marketing-strategy-by-prioritizing-customer-relationships/) directly contributes to long-term business success. [Meaningful metrics: Transform your customer programstransforming your customer program through metrics is a journey. It’s a journey that’s going to take time, effort, consistency, deep collaboration with internal teams, and resources to help you get over the finish line.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-160.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKevin Lau![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/eskay-lim-PK6NDtsYy00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) ### Defining your customer marketing goals When setting your customer marketing objectives, don’t fall into the trap of focusing on "feel-good" metrics like open rates or social shares. While these numbers might look impressive at first glance, they don’t always reflect the deeper impact you’re striving for—customer retention, loyalty, or growth. For instance: > If 80% of your customer emails get opened, but only 5% of those readers engage with your content, and even fewer upgrade or refer a friend, is that truly a win? Or just an illusion of success? Metrics that lack a clear connection to customer lifetime value or advocacy can leave your team answering a lot of awkward “But what’s the [ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/)?” questions from stakeholders. And let's be real – those conversations are no fun for anyone. So, how should you approach your customer marketing goals? Align them with measurable, customer-focused outcomes: - **Increase net promoter score (NPS):** Are more customers likely to recommend your product? - **Reduce churn rate:** Are your efforts keeping more customers around? - **Boost expansion revenue:** Are customers upgrading or adding more seats due to your campaigns? - **Drive customer advocacy:** How many new customers come from referrals? [Event strategy simplified: The right format for your goalsWith so many event formats and types, how do you determine the right approach? Today we’ll explore seven relationship-building event types for marketers. You’ll learn the distinct purpose and best practices for each one - from intimate interviews to large user conferences.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-161.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDave Hansen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/chuttersnap-Q_KdjKxntH8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/event-strategy-simplified-choose-the-right-format-for-your-goals/) ### Next steps Now these desired results have been set out, you and your team will have to prioritize certain actions that’ll help you achieve them. The actions taken may look something like this: **Retention rate actions:** - Implement a [customer feedback program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lets-hear-it-magnify-your-voice-of-the-customer-program-2/) to gather insights on pain points and areas for improvement. - Launch a personalized email marketing campaign targeting [at-risk customers ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/simple-strategies-for-reducing-customer-churn/)with tailored offers and content. - Enhance the [onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/) process to ensure customers are well-acquainted with our product's value. **NPS actions:** - Conduct in-depth NPS surveys to identify specific areas where we can enhance the [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-every-interaction-count-4-key-success-strategies-for-tailoring-customer-experience/). - Create a [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-advocacy-program-video/) to encourage satisfied customers to refer new clients. - Provide [additional training](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-education-is-a-saas-marketing-strategy/) and resources to our support team to improve customer interactions. **Churn rate actions:** - Analyze the reasons behind customer churn through exit surveys and [data analysis](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/). - Implement a dedicated [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) team to proactively address potential issues and provide personalized support. - Develop a comprehensive knowledge base and self-service resources to empower customers. **Cross-sell and upsell actions:** - Conduct a comprehensive audit of current product offerings to [identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/). - Train the sales and customer success teams to effectively identify and present these opportunities to customers. - Develop targeted marketing campaigns to [promote complementary products](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) or services to existing customers. Each of these steps will aim to get you to those key results and consequently achieve your overall goal of increased retention and loyalty. [How to measure the success of your customer advocacy programBeing able to successfully measure your programs is what’s going to help you unlock more headcount, resources, and budget and be seen as a trusted partner and resource across your organization![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-158.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_advocacy-1-2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-customer-advocacy-program/) ## What is a KPI? While OKRs help you aim for ambitious goals, **KPIs are more about monitoring ongoing performance.** > KPI literally stands for “key performance indicator.” on KPIs are the [data points](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) you track regularly to understand how well you’re doing in specific areas. - **Key:** [Customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-improve-retention-by-making-your-customers-your-growth-priority/) is a critical factor for long-term business success and profitability. - **Performance:** This KPI measures how well your customer marketing efforts are retaining existing customers over a specific period. - **Indicators:** It is indicated by the percentage of customers who continue to do business with your company compared to the total number of customers at the beginning of the period. A high retention rate indicates you have been successful in your customer marketing strategies, while a declining retention rate may signal the need for improvements in this area. [How to make and structure your marketing goals: Be flexibleGoal setting’s an important thing to do with your internal network for many reasons. When done correctly, goal setting can help streamline, optimize, and enthuse your working environment and processes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-166.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/gabriel-sanchez-_YQ199RNF48-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) ## Examples of customer marketing KPIs Now we've established what KPIs are, let's dive into how you can create KPIs based on the most central pillars of customer marketing. ### Activity KPIs Activity KPIs measure the consistency and volume of your customer marketing efforts over time: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/Activity-KPIs.jpg) - **New advocate sign-ups:** Number of new advocates added to your program each month. - **Sales references facilitated:** Number of customer references provided for sales enablement during a given period. - **Customer success stories published:** Number of case studies, testimonials, or success stories published monthly. - **Advocate outreach frequency:** Number of targeted customer campaigns run per month (e.g., newsletters, email campaigns). - **Marketing references secured:** Number of customers providing testimonials, video reviews, or public endorsements. ### Engagement KPIs You won't have revenue growth or advocacy without engaged customers. Measure how actively customers are participating in your programs and content by setting an engagement KPI: ![Customer engagement KPIs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/Engagement-KPIs-1.jpg) - **Webinar attendance rate:** Percentage of invited customers who attend webinars each month. - **Program participation rate:** Percentage of customers actively engaging in loyalty or advocacy programs monthly. - **Content engagement rate:** Percentage of content interactions (e.g., downloads, views, clicks) across campaigns. - **Advocate activity rate:** Number of advocates participating in activities (e.g., beta tests, surveys) compared to total advocate base. - **CSAT for content and events:** Average customer satisfaction score after events, webinars, or resource launches. ### Growth and revenue KPIs Increasing revenue is a significant responsibility in a customer marketer's role. Using growth and revenue as a KPI, you can track the direct business impact customer marketing strategies have on revenue generation. ![Growth and revenue KPIs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/Growth-and-revenue-KPIs.jpg) - **Expansion revenue:** Amount of revenue generated from upsells, cross-sells, and renewals each month. - **Influenced annual recurring revenue (ARR):** Total revenue influenced by customer advocacy efforts, including references and testimonials. - **Net revenue retention (NRR):** Percentage of retained revenue factoring in both churn and expansion revenue. - **Revenue influenced by advocacy:** Total closed-won revenue directly connected to customer advocates or reference activity. - **New logos supported by references:** Number of new deals closed with the help of customer references. ### Retention and loyalty KPIs Keeping tabs on how many customers you've retained is important to your overall business. By setting it as a KPI, you can measure how effectively your efforts are keeping customers engaged and loyal, all the while reducing churn. ![Retention and loyalty KPIs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/Retention-and-loyalty-KPIs.jpg) - **Churn rate:** Percentage of customers who stop doing business with you within a month. - **Customer retention rate:** Percentage of customers retained from the beginning to the end of the month. - **Net promoter score (NPS):** Monthly average score from customer surveys measuring likelihood to recommend. - **Repeat purchase rate:** Percentage of customers making repeat purchases or renewing subscriptions monthly. - **Time since last customer interaction:** Average time since a customer last engaged with a campaign or event. ### Customer education KPIs Evaluate how well educational resources are driving product understanding and reducing support reliance. ![Customer education KPIs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/Engagement-KPIs.jpg) - **Training completions:** Number of customers completing product training or certification programs monthly. - **Self-service help center usage:** Number of visits and article views within the help center each month. - **Support ticket reduction:** Percentage decrease in support tickets after the release of new educational materials. - **Content consumption rates:** Percentage of customers engaging with onboarding guides, webinars, or tutorials monthly. - **Time-to-certification completion:** Average time taken for customers to complete a training certification program. ## Are customer marketing teams achieving their KPIs? According to the [State of Customer Marketing 2024 Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/), when asked, "How well do you rate your team’s ability to meet KPIs?", customer marketing teams rated their success an average of 7.3 out of 10\. The most frequently reported scores were 8, chosen by 28.7% of respondents, and 7, selected by 22.7%. Here’s the full breakdown: [![The State of Customer Marketing 2024 Report](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-09-at-16.05.49.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) Source: The State of Customer Marketing 2024 Report These findings have remained consistent over the past few years, with the majority of customer marketers describing their teams as "somewhat successful" in reaching KPI goals. In 2023, for example, 65.2% identified as somewhat successful, while 11.6% felt neutral. The concentration of ratings around 7 and 8 indicates increasing confidence among customer marketing teams in their ability to meet performance targets. ## Real-life KPI insights from top customer marketers But what do [customer marketing leaders](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/) make of the current state of KPIs? **Crystal Anderson, Director of Customer Marketing at SheerID**, emphasizes the importance of KPI flexibility: > “Depending on your business goals, the most important KPI will change. I focus on three KPI pillars: engagement, activity, and growth. Under each, there are key metrics I monitor, with growth metrics often being the most crucial for proving business impact.” Similarly, **Vera Barile, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at AppDirect**, highlights the importance of KPI specificity: > “KPIs need to be specific to the goal. What does the metric measure? Customer satisfaction? Retention? The number of references? CSAT, webinar registrations, and case study analytics all play a role in how success is defined.” [![State of Customer Marketing 2024 Report](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/01/CMA_State_of_Customer_Marketing_Report_CTA_Banner.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) ## What is the difference between OKRs and KPIs? OKRs and KPIs tend to be easily confused. While both are important for measuring progress and success, they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. 💡 OKRs focus on ****where you want to go**, while KPIs measure ****how well you're doing along the way**. In fact, their purposes are such that they can work to complement each other when both are put into practice together. ### OKRs are... **Focused:** OKRs are more qualitative in origin and prioritize the act of goal setting. They’ll describe what you want to accomplish, but your chosen key results can include a quantitative benchmark to aim for as a way of measuring success. **Flexible**: OKRs are typically given a specific time frame but are set up in such a way as to allow you to adjust these aims depending on your circumstances. Not reaching a specific OKR can tell you just as much about your current work as achieving it. An ambitious goal can eke out the most important pain points in their first iteration, and can then be adjusted to focus on eliminating these pain points on the second go around. **Aligned**: OKRs are designed to align teams and individuals with the organization's overarching goals. Everyone's OKRs should weave into one another, and all exist to further the progress of achieving your company-wide goals. [Winning over executives with customer marketing metricsUse this framework to build a stellar customer marketing metrics program. Plan effectively, execute seamlessly, and drive actionable insights.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-162.png)Customer Marketing AllianceRobert Solby![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/headway-5QgIuuBxKwM-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-over-executives-with-customer-marketing-metrics/) ### KPIs are... **Specific**: KPIs are performance metrics used to measure specific parts of your work performance, often delving into the finer details rather than representing an "umbrella goal" for your team. They’re quantitative whereas OKRs are qualitative. They’ll be used to monitor ongoing activities and strategies, such as revenue, customer retention, upselling, or acts of advocacy. **Stable:** Where OKRs are flexible and prone to change and adjustments, KPIs are typically stable and remain the same throughout their use. Rather than being reviewed every quarter, or annually, KPIs should be regularly monitored, as often as week to week if needed, to ensure targets are met. **Isolated**: KPIs aren’t necessarily tied to specific objectives. While they can support broader goals, they do not provide the same level of high-level alignment as OKRs. **How do they work together?** In essence, KPIs are used continuously to help teams and leaders stay informed about the developing success of day-to-day work practices. OKRs can be brought in to improve a specific area of work over a set period of time. If a KPI has dropped over the month, an OKR may be introduced to help direct the work in a way that supports and improves this KPI again. | Aspect | OKRs | KPIs | | Purpose | Drive strategic change | Track ongoing performance | | ----------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------- | | ------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------- | | Focus | Ambitious goals | Performance health | | | | | | Timeframe | Fixed (quarterly or annually) | Continuous tracking | | | | | | Measurement | Outcomes | Metrics | | | | | It’s the intention behind setting these goals that’s most important, and then how you use them going forward. **Felipe Castro**, a bonafide OKR-obsessor, has [a brilliant analogy](https://medium.com/@meetfelipe/okr-vs-kpis-what-is-the-difference-ffa54673fcf1?ref=customermarketingalliance.com) to help understand the difference: > “If you’re going on a trip to somewhere you’ve never been before, you’ll need a map and navigation system to show you how to get there, and a working car to get you there without any trouble.” If your business is the car then: - OKRs are the navigation system, and - KPIs are the dashboard that monitors everything else going right with the car. ## How to set effective OKRs and KPIs for your customer marketing team Great OKRs strike a balance between ambition and clarity. Here’s how to create OKRs that work: - **Clear:** Keep objectives simple and direct. - **Measurable:** Use specific numbers to track progress. - **Time-bound:** Set deadlines for achieving results. - **Challenging but achievable:** Push yourself without setting unrealistic expectations. When creating your KPIs, you want to ensure they align with your OKRs; otherwise, your overall ambition KPIs can be measured using the [SMART framework](https://www.smartinsights.com/goal-setting-evaluation/goals-kpis/define-smart-marketing-objectives/): **🧠 S -** Is your objective specific? **🧠 M -** How will you measure your progress? **🧠 A -** Is the goal realistically attainable? **🧠 R -** How is the goal relevant to your organization? **🧠 T -** What is the timeframe to achieve this goal? It’s important to remember that KPIs are intended to be attainable, and are usually the product of an existing system or process. They’re also best when they use quantitative metrics for success and have a numbered goal. You want to be careful that you monitor your KPIs closely, as they can fall by the wayside or become so convoluted that it’s impossible to know what path to take with them. When neglected, you may find your original intention is lost without up-to-date key milestones to keep you in check. [Marketing inside out: Put your team firstThink marketing is all about your customers? According to Tim Parkin, marketing advisor to a portfolio of multimillion-dollar brands, you’re thinking about it all wrong. Instead, you need to be looking inwards and focusing on marketing internally to get everyone engaged, motivated, and on brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-188.png)Customer Marketing AllianceWill Whitham![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/leah-hetteberg-0pSsWN8uqAE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/marketing-inside-out-put-your-team-first/) ## Best practices for OKR and KPI reporting So, you’ve set your customer marketing OKRs? Nice one! Now it’s time to track, measure, and (most importantly) share the results. It's all well and good creating your bespoke OKRs and KPIs, but without proper tracking and communication, even the best-laid plans can fall flat. Don’t worry, this part doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Keeping it simple and consistent is key. Here are some tips for ensuring your reporting drives action and engagement: - **Create a dashboard:** Use a central space to track both OKRs and KPIs. - **Keep it simple:** Avoid overwhelming reports – focus on key insights. - **Update regularly:** Share results frequently to keep momentum. - **Celebrate wins:** Acknowledge progress, even small victories. ### Example KPI reporting table ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/02/CMA_Infographics_3--1-.png) ## What have you learned? OKRs and KPIs can be game-changers for customer marketing if used thoughtfully. They help you focus on what truly matters – keeping customers happy and loyal while proving your impact on the business. **Remember:** - Use **OKRs** for setting big-picture goals. - Use **KPIs** for tracking everyday progress. - Stay focused on metrics that truly reflect customer success. Get these right, and you’ll not only hit your goals but also build deeper, lasting relationships with your customers that fuel long-term growth. ## Where do you go from here? So, you’ve read about what customer marketing is and why it is important and you’re now looking to understand what goes into actually implementing it into your existing network. We've got just the thing for you – [**Customer Marketing Certified: Core**.](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) - 12 modules - 40+ chapters - 10+ hours - Templates and frameworks - 6 fireside chats - 100% self-paced Customer Marketing Certified: Core is the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth. [Level up ](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### Journey into scaled customer success and customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/journey-into-scaled-customer-success-and-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:18:33.000Z In January of 2018, I got a job at a well-known tech company as an Account Executive. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was more of a telemarketing job than a full-cycle sales role. Within six months, I was out and had landed my first Customer Success role. Customer Success was and is the perfect career path for me. I enjoyed it so much that I started writing about it in 2020\. I started a blog and became more active on LinkedIn. I would share my experiences as a CSM and share tips and hacks that I was learning along the way. This opened up a lot of opportunities for me and allowed me to grow my personal brand within the CS space. Fast forward to the end of 2024, I’ve now moved into a scaled CS role at my company which involves working directly with the marketing team on a lot of content initiatives. For me, this has been an amazing career transition since it combines my passion for CS and marketing. It also gives me the opportunity to manage clients in a different way than what I’ve been doing since 2018\. Let’s talk about that. I want to share with you what my role looks like compared to a traditional CS role and how I was able to make the transition. ## **CSM vs scaled CSM** So what exactly is the difference between CS and Scaled CS? First off, Scaled Customer Success is pretty new so I would assume most companies that are implementing it or have implemented it do it differently. That being said, Scaled CS is simply a more automated way to manage the journey of customers who don’t have an assigned CSM. Instead of a 1-to-1 approach, it’s a 1-to-many approach. And no, this doesn’t mean these customers don’t have any human interaction with your organization. It simply means that your org has created a more automated customer journey for these customers so that they can get maximum value from your product or service. ## **What I do as a scaled CSM** As a Scaled CSM, I’m currently creating a customer community. This community will be for all customers but will mainly benefit our 150-200 scaled customers since they won’t have an assigned CSM. This community will be the one-stop-shop for all customer resources such as: - FAQs - Webinars - How-To Guides - Product Trainings - Videos, Whitepapers, and other resources I also work closely with the marketing team by writing articles for the company website, helping craft LinkedIn posts, and ensuring marketing material is aligned with the current needs and pain points of our customers. One initiative that we just launched is a weekly newsletter that goes out to our customers. Each month, we have a different theme and the emails that go out that month go along with that theme. Each email is fairly short and usually features an article from our website, a podcast episode from the company podcast, and some announcements (like to be on the look out for our customer community.) Even though these emails go out to all of our customers, our scaled customers will most likely get the most value from them. Each email is also signed off with my name and image so they are familiar with me. ## **How I made the transition** As mentioned earlier, I started writing online in 2020\. June of 2023, I was laid off from my role. Once I realized the current tech job market wasn’t for the faint of heart, I decided to think of ways to earn money while looking for a new role. A friend of mine recommended I do copywriting since I had a writing background and could easily learn the skill. Long story short, I started a copywriting business and started writing for a few software companies that I was familiar with. This helped me realize that I truly enjoyed marketing and wanted to pursue a career path in it. April of 2024, I landed a CSM role at vCom Solutions. It didn’t take me long to build a relationship with the marketing team and start helping them with a few projects. This lead to my boss asking if I wanted to take on a new Scaled CS role that would involve working with the marketing team. I gladly accepted. ## **Advice to those wanting to move into scaled CS** Scaled CS involves a lot of moving pieces and a new mindset that traditional CS. The main mindset shift is a 1-to-many approach as opposed to a 1-to-1 approach. I highly recommend reading [Digital Customer Success: Why the Next Frontier of CS is Digital and How You Can Leverage it to Drive Durable Growth](https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Customer-Success-Frontier-Leverage/dp/1394205872/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=1FNGVAQU5L1KD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wtFe3v5uck60a7rk8caJ4u7u95VhZvZQVx3Tvt9O57XsoieTPjvVgO7Be1AmlTN0yBCKSxRKGSSOzMco0rjSStTMii%5F8K9XDzygXgOksnS1AbZqv1rS9j4X1jeDf9ezwCIjP3HiynYmox3Xl5ni32UMHpgnmwVSypQYxDsFoAlDjnmi0yUzXCSXv2oVLHisdt-oi6lzRXQIMxoLqo1gtrHgdbgvJOTsCa0uGDA8x9bA.FEqXvYgTE71sDuAzLe0aST22DG0%5FgToKvNzY8q--r8I&dib%5Ftag=se&keywords=digital+customer+success&qid=1732997743&sprefix=digital+customer+succes%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1) by Nick Mehta and Kellie Capote. This book is the gold standard for Scaled CS and will give you a good idea on how to implement it in your organization. From there, talk to your boss and other customer-facing professionals at your organization about ideas you have about how the customer journey can be automated with scaled/digital programs. If you have experience in marketing and community, or a passion for either of these, lean into that. Learn about the marketing initiatives your organization is prioritizing. Talk to people on the marketing team and ask how you can help. For community, if your organization doesn’t have one, explore the idea of implementing one with your boss and other CSMs. We’re building our community through [MeltingSpot](https://www.meltingspot.io/). If you do have a community in place, get active in it. Become friends with the community manager. Look for opportunities to improve it for your customers. And of course, be transparent about your desire to move into a new role. Show your desire by creating opportunities for yourself to showcase your skills that will directly help with Scaled CS initiatives. --- **Want to hear more from Jared Orr?* You can chat directly with Jared and other customer marketing and advocacy peers in our Customer Marketing Alliance* [*Slack community channel*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)*.* [Join the community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### 6 ways to remove touchpoint friction in customer advocacy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-ways-to-remove-touchpoint-friction-in-customer-advocacy/ Last updated: 2024-12-24T10:00:55.000Z When I hear the word *touchpoints*, I cringe a little. It feels clinical, transactional—not what [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-delighting-customers-at-scale/) should be about. Instead, I like to talk about *moments*. Moments are personal, memorable, and human. In my role as Customer Marketing Manager at 6sense, transforming these touchpoints into meaningful moments has been at the core of building effective **customer advocacy** programs. During my time at 6sense, I’ve realized that the key to scaling [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/) and creating experiences that last longer than eight seconds (spoiler: goldfish attention spans are fake news) starts with **reducing internal friction**. If we can streamline processes, personalize journeys, and focus on relationships, we’ll not only improve advocacy but also build connections that stick. Here are my six strategies for removing friction and transforming customer touchpoints into moments of real value. ### **1\. Simplify program enrollment for seamless customer advocacy** Let’s be honest: [managing advocacy programs ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/)manually can be exhausting. Think of spreadsheets, constant follow-ups, and disconnected systems. This was a major friction point for us at 6sense. We needed a way to scale our advocacy efforts without sacrificing human connection. Enter *Ditto*. We launched Ditto in May to streamline our advocacy program, and the results have been phenomenal. It allows us to: - Effortlessly enroll customers into advocacy programs, like reference calls or success stories. - Collect approved quotes, customer stories, and even video testimonials—all through a simple [onboarding process](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/). - Minimize customer “asks” while maximizing impact. The biggest win? **We doubled our customer story growth in one quarter.** For context, our team typically creates 30 customer stories annually. With Ditto, we achieved 15 stories in just three months. It’s proof that simplifying enrollment helps scale advocacy and makes life easier for both customers and teams. [Make your advocacy program actually effective | VideoBuilding an advocacy program from scratch is no small task. If you’re a solo customer marketing team of one then this is even more true. But Jessica Day, Community, Advocacy, and Customer Marketing Lead at Dropbox has been through all this before.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-85.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Summit-Series_Youtube_Thumbnail_Template_--12---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-advocacy-program-video/) ### **2\. Leverage intent data to personalize customer touchpoints** Intent data is often underutilized in customer marketing. We’re used to seeing it in pre-sale journeys, but it’s just as powerful post-sale for strengthening advocacy. At 6sense, we have the luxury of drinking our own champagne. Our platform helps us: - Segment customers based on their behavior and intent signals. - [Personalize messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) and content based on where customers are in their journey. - Identify competitor risks and prioritize outreach. For example, our tool **Conversational Email** allows us to scale personalization without losing the human touch. It sends bulk messages as specific personas—like our CRO—while enabling genuine two-way conversations. I lead our executive experience at customer events, and this tool has allowed me to step in, respond personally, and build trust at scale. It’s about using technology to enhance, not replace, those critical customer touchpoints. ### **3\. Make your mops team your best friend** If you’re in customer marketing, your **Marketing Operations (MOPS)** team is your secret weapon. They’re the wizards behind the curtain, and building a strong relationship with them can remove massive internal friction. At 6sense, MOPS helped us automate workflows that improved customer data flow. For example, when a customer contact moves to a new company, traditional systems create a new contact record—meaning all historical data gets lost. MOPS automated this for us so that customer data seamlessly moves with the person. We can now see: - Past advocacy participation, events attended, or gifts accepted. - Conversations they’ve had with our teams. This kind of automation ensures we don’t lose valuable context, allowing us to focus on nurturing relationships and building advocacy. ### **4\. Build impactful events and thriving communities** Events and communities are where customer advocacy comes alive. At 6sense, we’ve found creative ways to bring customers together, foster deeper relationships, and make every interaction count. #### **Events: Creating moments, not just meetings** Our events are all about creating a memorable oasis for customers amidst the chaos of conferences. For example: - At large industry events like Dreamforce, we host **Club Six**. It’s a branded, immersive space where customers can relax, get permanent jewelry, enjoy hair and makeup touch-ups, and connect with peers. No pitches, just moments. - At our annual customer conference *Breakthrough*, we created a Texas-inspired experience by bringing in a custom cowboy hat maker. Customers loved it, and it reinforced our commitment to tailoring experiences to the location. #### **Communities: Connecting beyond the product** Our customer community, **Rev City**, is home to nearly **10,000 members**. But we don’t stop there. We also sponsor industry-neutral communities like: - **BDR Leader Coffee Talk** - **CMO Coffee Talk** These pitch-free spaces allow people to connect, share challenges, and build relationships. Communities provide opportunities for advocacy to flourish naturally—without constantly talking about products. ### **5\. Listen to your customers with social listening tools** Social listening is one of the most underutilized tools in [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/). At 6sense, we use a tool called **Digimind** to gain a cohesive view of customer chatter across platforms. Here’s how it works: - If someone posts about earning a 6sense certification on LinkedIn, I get an alert and can personally congratulate them. A small gesture like this goes a long way. - Social listening helps us identify [potential advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-identify-and-mobilize-your-brand-ambassadors/) and monitor sentiment about our programs. Another tip? Put your sales cap on and leverage LinkedIn Sales Navigator to track key milestones: - Promotions, job changes, and company announcements. - Moments that matter for building one-to-one connections. Social listening isn’t just about gathering insights; it’s about engaging meaningfully and finding advocates where they already are. [How can social media listening revamp customer advocacy?What if we told you there’s a simple yet powerful way to transform even your unhappiest customers into your biggest brand champions? The answer lies in social media listening![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-86.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--6---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-social-media-listening-revamp-customer-advocacy/) ### **6\. Never underestimate the power of one-on-one connections** No matter how much technology or automation you use, **one-on-one connections** will always be irreplaceable. Human interaction is the foundation of great customer advocacy. By building the right processes and leveraging the right tools, we can scale these personal interactions without losing the magic. It’s about: - Taking the time to have real conversations. - Showing up for customers as people, not just accounts. - Balancing efficiency with authenticity. At the end of the day, our customers aren’t just logos or [revenue numbers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/). They’re people who want to feel seen, heard, and valued. The relationships we build one-on-one are what drive advocacy and loyalty in the long term. ### **Key takeaways for transforming customer touchpoints into advocacy moments** If you’re looking to reduce friction and turn touchpoints into meaningful moments, here’s what I’ve learned: 1. **Simplify internal processes.** Friction starts from within, so focus on streamlining program enrollment and workflows. 2. **Personalization at scale is possible.** Leverage intent data and tools to tailor customer touchpoints without losing the human element. 3. **MOPS is your MVP.** Work closely with your MOPS team to automate and optimize customer data flow. 4. **Create memorable events and communities.** Invest in experiences that build connections beyond the product. 5. **Listen and engage through social listening.** Meet customers where they are and celebrate their milestones. 6. **Human connections still matter most.** Use technology to enhance, not replace, the power of personal interactions. ### **Final thoughts** Creating memorable customer moments doesn’t happen overnight. At 6sense, we’ve spent years building and refining our advocacy programs, and we’re still learning every day. The key is to start small, reduce internal friction, and focus on building relationships that are human and authentic. Remember: **advocacy cannot be forced; it must be earned**. When you invest in simplifying processes, listening to customers, and creating experiences that matter, you’ll turn touchpoints into moments that last. And that’s where the magic happens. ### Post-event engagement plan template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/post-event-engagement-plan-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T08:57:15.000Z ## What is a post-event engagement plan template? A post-event engagement plan template is a structured way to keep attendees engaged after your event ends, instead of letting momentum drop off once the closing session wraps. It covers objectives, the metrics that show whether engagement is working, a week-by-week timeline, and tactics segmented by how engaged each attendee actually was. ## What's inside the template? The plan covers seven areas: 1. Objectives and key metrics to track 2. A four-week timeline with owners 3. Audience segmentation by engagement level 4. Engagement tactics across email, social, and personalized outreach 5. Feedback collection methods 6. Short-term and long-term next steps ## How to use the template Set your objectives and metrics first, then work through the timeline in order, assigning an owner to each activity so nothing falls through the cracks. Segment your audience before you send anything, since highly engaged attendees, moderately engaged attendees, and no-shows all need a different message. ## Download your post-event engagement plan template ![Post-event engagement plan template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Post-event-engagement-plan-template-ss.png) [Post-event engagement plan template (1)Post-event engagement plan template (1).pdf118 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Post-event-engagement-plan-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Post-event engagement plan template (2)Post-event engagement plan template (2).docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Post-event-engagement-plan-template--2-.docx "Download") [Post-event engagement plan templatePost-event engagement plan template Having a robust post-event engagement plan is essential for keeping the momentum going long after the event ends. This template helps you design and execute a structured strategy to maintain attendee interest, nurture relationships, and drive meaningful actio…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-529911f5-e5ea-46ed-a78b-64b98c206c90.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKJFq_VW3q96-qkHUMaqWyPPJQHOQcH8domp-JJybEkrFz_T3IOZw5NodxNIbdfVBfj8s0_53klGdzcDH1iCg_I4W85i0LB2VLLOtpSNZDvgViLalNQ-w1200-h630-p-08a3e172-9cb7-47be-ad10-3aabe643a136)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iDc%5FtovOFotQI2MnLvErkPS4Bnk1D-CkobwP5oSTWDw/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The future of customer marketing is here: Powered by AI URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-future-of-customer-marketing-is-here/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:54:49.000Z The future of customer marketing lies in the transformative power of generative AI. I’m Emi Wayner, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Google Cloud. Over my years at Google, working across Ads, YouTube, Maps, and Cloud, I’ve built up a deep understanding of how to connect with customers in meaningful ways. In this article, I’ll share my vision for scaling customer marketing using generative AI, exploring strategies, tools, and practical steps to enhance productivity, improve customer experiences, and drive organizational impact. ## The four pillars of customer marketing When I think about customer marketing, I see it anchored by four key pillars, each one playing a crucial role in shaping how we connect with and deliver value to our customers. ### 1\. Customer storytelling [Storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) is at the heart of what we do—it’s in our DNA as customer marketers. We uncover and amplify [customer stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/), empowering customers to share their successes alongside our own. These stories build credibility, inspire others, and highlight the mutual value of our partnerships. ### 2\. Customer engagement [Customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) can take many forms, depending on your organization. It could involve events, webinars, peer-to-peer networking, or even community-building initiatives. This pillar is an emerging field, offering endless possibilities for creativity. [Advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/), awards, recognition events, and incentive programs all fall under this umbrella. Your ability to innovate and scale engagement strategies will be key to success. ### 3\. Community building [Community building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) is where creativity and productivity shine. A well-crafted community fosters [collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/), [trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/), and a sense of belonging among your customers. Whether through forums, exclusive events, or shared learning opportunities, strong communities can transform transactional relationships into long-lasting partnerships. ### 4\. Voice of the customer The [voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research-2/) represents a massive opportunity for customer marketers. While some organizations have developed systematic approaches to capturing and acting on [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/), many are still exploring how to do this effectively. It’s an area ripe for innovation, offering a chance to brainstorm, collaborate, and share ideas to push the boundaries of what’s possible. ### Rising to leadership challenges Today’s leaders face greater challenges than ever. As customer marketers, we’re being asked to do more with less. We’re expected to demonstrate how our efforts contribute to broader [organizational goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) and back up our impact with tangible numbers. At the same time, we need to think about scalability—not just for today but for the future. How can we create systems, strategies, and tools that allow us to grow and adapt in an ever-changing landscape? These are the questions we must grapple with as we move forward. ## Embracing generative AI in customer marketing Recent data from [HubSpot’s 2024 Generative AI Report](https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/state-of-ai-sales) underscores this shift. According to the report, **74%** of marketers see themselves using AI regularly in the workplace by 2030, and **86%** say AI is already saving them more than an hour a day. While many marketers are using AI for tasks like content creation, fewer are leveraging its full potential for data analysis or strategic initiatives—a missed opportunity we can address. ### The value of AI: Productivity, efficiency, and impact The numbers tell a compelling story. [McKinsey reports](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai) that organizations adopting AI have already seen productivity gains of up to **40%**. Imagine automating **40%** of your manual tasks tomorrow—how would you use that extra time? You could focus on strategic initiatives, engage more deeply with customers, or drive creative projects that deliver meaningful impact. AI also brings measurable financial benefits. By increasing efficiency and reducing costs, AI can strengthen your case for greater investment from [leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/). Moreover, these productivity gains directly improve the customer experience, creating a virtuous cycle of growth and value. ### Exploring generative AI across key pillars Let’s brainstorm how [generative AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) can amplify your work as a marketer, focusing on key areas where it can make the most impact. **1\. Content creation and analysis** [Generative AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/) offers exciting possibilities for content creation. 💡 ****For example,** what if you could analyze competitive markets and customer feedback before developing new content? AI can help identify what resonates with your audience and pinpoint gaps in your messaging. Another opportunity lies in [maintaining brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-branding-the-1-key-to-next-level-customer-program-adoption/) and narrative consistency. Large organizations, in particular, face challenges in ensuring that thousands of team members align with a unified voice and style. Generative AI can assist by applying brand guidelines automatically, ensuring consistency across blogs, presentations, and other materials—saving time and maintaining quality. #### **2\. Data storytelling** [Data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) is only as powerful as the story it tells. While analysts and data scientists excel at gathering insights, they may struggle to weave those numbers into a compelling narrative. Generative AI can bridge this gap by providing context, highlighting trends, and crafting stories that resonate with leadership and stakeholders. #### **3\. Customer engagement program management** Generative AI also holds immense potential for managing customer engagement programs. Imagine using AI to analyze a customer’s earnings calls, blog posts, or strategic goals, then creating tailored marketing initiatives that align with their vision. This [personalized approach](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) not only saves time but also deepens your connection with customers by showing that you understand their unique needs. 💡 ****For example,** marketers have started using AI tools to draft strategic plans, speak the customer’s language, and present ideas that resonate. These tools can turn customer insights into actionable strategies, strengthening relationships and driving mutual success. ### A new era of marketing powered by AI The possibilities for generative AI in marketing are vast, but the real value lies in how we use it to improve productivity, enhance creativity, and strengthen customer relationships. By starting small—whether with [content creation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/), data insights, or engagement strategies—you can unlock its potential and lay the foundation for a more scalable and impactful future. The question isn’t whether to adopt AI but how to integrate it meaningfully into your work. ## Tools for leveraging generative AI in marketing Generative AI has opened the door to countless tools and features that can transform how we approach marketing. Let me share a few examples of the tools we use and how they can streamline processes, drive creativity, and save time. ### Content creation made easy One of the most accessible applications of AI is in content creation. Many third-party tools, powered by our technology, offer common yet powerful features. You start by defining what you’re trying to create—whether it’s for a [specific person](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-persona-first-problem/)[a](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-persona-first-problem/), campaign, or use case. Then, you can input target parameters, select or generate visuals, and create multiple assets simultaneously, all in seconds. AI also enables dynamic targeting, allowing you to tailor your assets based on campaign performance and audience behavior. **The result?** A faster, smarter way to create content that resonates with your audience. ### Segmentation and personalization [Segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) and personalization are other critical areas where AI excels. While tools like Google Ads have offered advanced targeting for years, the accessibility of generative AI has democratized these capabilities. Now, anyone can build [personalized campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) quickly, using tools available across various platforms. By leveraging AI-driven [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/), you can identify audience segments with precision, tailor messaging to specific needs, and create highly personalized experiences—all without the complexity or time investment traditionally required. ### Generative AI for data insights Data insights are a cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy, and generative AI makes extracting these insights easier than ever. Imagine your leadership team asking why a specific metric has jumped, what’s driving a trend, or where a particular data point originates. With generative AI, you can query the data directly and receive answers—or even visualizations like charts—almost instantly. This capability not only saves time but also empowers marketers to respond quickly and confidently to leadership inquiries, ensuring data becomes actionable and understandable. ### Strategic business and marketing planning One of my favorite applications of generative AI is in strategic planning. With the right tools, you can upload large volumes of information—such as customer earnings calls, press releases, or [market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/)—and quickly [analyze trends](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-business-strategies-around-market-trends/) and goals. AI can help identify where your customers are heading, giving you the insights needed to craft strategic marketing initiatives that align with their objectives. **Let me share an example.** We recently collaborated with a telecommunications company on a press release. Shortly after its release, a negative story emerged in the media, forcing us to pause and reevaluate. Using AI tools, we analyzed positive insights from the company’s earnings calls and other sources, pivoting our focus to the opportunities and strengths that would resonate most with their customers. This allowed us to regroup and move forward with a new, effective marketing plan in record time. Without generative AI, this process would have taken days, if not weeks—likely eating into weekends and personal time. With AI, it was a matter of minutes. The key is knowing what to explore and partnering with the right tools to get there efficiently. Generative AI tools aren’t just about saving time—they’re about enabling smarter, more impactful marketing. ## Finding your tools and fostering a culture of learning As I reflect on this journey through the launch and integration of generative AI, one key takeaway stands out: you need to find the tools that work for you. With an overwhelming number of AI tools entering the market, it’s easy to feel lost. My advice is to start small—identify two, three, or maybe five tools that suit your specific use cases and commit to using them regularly. There’s no perfect tool today, and perhaps there will never be. But by staying informed and continuously testing, you’ll discover which tools enhance your workflow and deliver meaningful results. ### For leaders: Creating a culture of curiosity For leaders, it’s crucial to foster a culture of learning and sharing within your teams. I’ve personally gained invaluable insights from peers who share tips, tools, and techniques they’ve found effective. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to cultivate an environment where curiosity thrives and team members feel empowered to explore and innovate. Encourage your teams to stay curious, experiment with new tools, and share their findings. This culture of continuous learning will not only keep your organization at the forefront of the AI revolution but also equip your team with the skills and confidence to tackle future challenges. ### A call to action: Start exploring I hope you’ve taken away some actionable insights from this discussion. I want to encourage you to try one or two AI tools you haven’t yet explored. Experiment, ask questions, and most importantly, stay curious. Curiosity is the key to unlocking the future of marketing, and it starts with small steps taken today. Let’s embrace this era of generative AI with an open mind and a commitment to growth—for ourselves, our teams, and our customers. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Emi at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, San Francisco 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-september-2024/?wchannelid=o9a2iud0ir&wmediaid=7j1ywrhf30)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### How to communicate value to your customers URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T15:29:21.000Z We hate to break it to you but customers don’t care what your product does. Instead, they’re more concerned about what they can achieve *with* it. Customers are driven by **solutions** that elevate their performance and simplify their challenges. The last thing they want is an extended list of technical features. They want a clear path to achieving their goals. They want bang for their buck. They want [**value**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-top-channels-for-customer-story-sharing-2/). In [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), you're not just targeting a monolithic demographic – you're speaking to individuals who have already invested in your product and want to maximize its potential. The real art lies in demonstrating how your solution doesn't just meet their needs, but actively propels them toward their most important objectives. To quantify and communicate customer value, customer marketers should focus on three core outcomes: 1. Deepening relationships 2. Driving [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), and 3. Amplifying [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/). Curious to know how you get there? Here’s how you can achieve this: - [Center your core messaging around outcomes](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/#center-messaging-around-outcomes) - [Tailor your content to each customer touchpoint](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/#tailor-content-to-the-customer-journey) - [Use customer data to quantify impact](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/#use-data-to-quantify-impact) - [Create advocates using value-based storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/#turn-customers-into-advocates-with-value-based-storytelling) - [Reflecting on your customer value communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/communicate-value-to-customers/#reflecting-on-your-customer-value-communication) [Effectively communicate your services to your customersOne of the significant challenges that customer marketers face is simply keeping track of everything. In this article, discover how you can utilize customer marketing tactics to increase customer loyalty, retention rates, and drive more sustainable growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-87.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAunalisa Arellano![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) ## Center messaging around outcomes The most compelling [marketing narratives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tell-a-story-they-cant-ignore-a-masterclass-in-narrative-design/) don't showcase a product's complexity, but reveal the tangible benefits – the value – it offers the customer. When [customer marketing managers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/) switch from [feature-centric](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) to outcome-oriented communication, organizations can create more resonant connections with their customers, demonstrating that they understand and are committed to solving real-world problems. ### Apple: A case study Apple doesn’t market the iPhone by focusing on its technical specifications like processor speed, RAM, or megapixels – although these features do exist. Instead of saying, “Our iPhone has a 48-megapixel camera,” Apple’s messaging focuses on capturing moments for budding videographers – "Hollywood in your pocket.” ![A close-up image of an Apple iPhone's three lens camera on the back of the phone with the text ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/12/Apple-ad-iPhone-13-Pro-low-light-video-hollywood-in-your-pocket.jpg) Source: [iDownload](https://www.idownloadblog.com/2021/12/27/apple-commercial-iphone-13-cinematic-mode-optical-zoom/) Apple showcases how the camera helps users take professional-grade photos of their family, adventures, or events, creating memories that matter. By focusing on what customers can *achieve* – creating memories, feeling secure, improving health, or enjoying a seamless digital experience – Apple shifts attention away from technical specifications to outcomes that [resonate emotionally](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) and functionally with its users. A stronger emotional connection leads to loyalty and preference. Let’s take a [B2B customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-quality-strategies-by-learning-differences-in-b2b-and-b2c-marketing/) example. Pretend you’re offering legal software and your user base is lawyers. While legal software might not sound like the most riveting product, with the power of customer marketing, you can move beyond the software’s mere functionality by demonstrating its transformative business impact. You can go further than this with [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/), illustrating how your solution empowers law firms to work smarter, not harder. Compelling testimonial examples could include: - "Reduced contract review time by 40% using automated workflows" - "Increased billable hours by 25% through enhanced productivity tools" - "Streamlined compliance tracking, eliminating 95% of manual documentation errors" 💡 ****Hot tip?** Go beyond the metrics. Show how your legal software reduces attorney stress, enables more strategic client work, and allows legal professionals to focus on high-value advisory services rather than administrative tasks ## Tailor content to the customer journey Producing tailored, or segmented, content for your customers is critical to **demonstrate ongoing value** and drive deeper engagement throughout the customer lifecycle. But why? Well, each [different stage of the customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) requires distinct approaches. At each touchpoint, existing customers will be asking themselves different questions as their relationship with your product evolves: 1. **Post-**[**onboarding**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/)**:** “How can I use this product effectively to achieve my goals?” 2. **Ongoing** [**adoption**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligning-on-product-adoption-get-ahead-of-churn-and-boost-revenue/)**:** “What else can this product do for me? Am I getting the full value?” 3. [**Advocacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-advocacy-program-video/) **stage:** “Why should I continue using this product, and is it worth sharing with others?” Tailored content helps businesses directly address these evolving questions by speaking *precisely* to the customer's current mindset. - A 30-second social media video can quickly spark initial interest - A 10-minute tutorial can comprehensively demonstrate product capabilities. - A 60-second customer testimonial can provide the social validation that ultimately drives conversion for upsells. [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-88.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) Strategic content mapping turns information into a powerful catalyst for customer engagement, turning each interaction into a precise opportunity to demonstrate value. Doing this, companies can: - Reduce cognitive friction during product adoption by providing clear, actionable guidance. - Build trust and loyalty through relevant, contextual communication that shows you understand their goals. - Accelerate customer mastery by helping users unlock deeper value and advanced functionalities. - Drive retention and advocacy by creating pathways for ongoing success and measurable outcomes. The goal isn't just to inform, but to make each piece of content feel like it was created specifically for the customer's unique moment of need – transforming generic messaging into a personalized value conversation. [Why customer marketing belongs in a customer onboarding strategyLet’s be clear: Customer onboarding isn’t just the responsibility of customer success. Yes, customer success teams are the main point of contact and are the ones who first and foremost guide a new customer through the process. But they’re not the only team with a stake in the game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-89.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/crm--3--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) ### 1\. Post-onboarding **Empower customers with tutorials** After onboarding, customers want to know how to extract maximum value from your product. This is where "how-to" and [tutorial videos](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-the-power-of-customer-videos/) become crucial. These targeted “how-to” videos help customers navigate features and transform initial interest into sustained engagement. Successful execution requires [cross-departmental collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) with [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/) and your [product management team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/clayton-prichard-how-can-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-best-work-together-customer-marketing-catch-up/) to help articulate the complexities of the product (product management) and ensure the most common customer usages and challenges are highlighted in the video (customer success and support). When starting out, it’s best to focus on simple, educational content that addresses common pain points. Think “best practices” videos or product walkthroughs that demystify complex processes. For instance, create YouTube content like "5 Tips to Maximize \[Feature X\]" or "How to Set Up Your Dashboard in 3 Minutes" – concise, actionable guides that immediately demonstrate your product's value and enhance the customer experience. These tutorials prove the product's ease of use while deepening your relationship with customers. By helping users unlock more value, you transform initial interest into ongoing engagement, ultimately encouraging customers to become advocates who naturally share their positive experiences with peers. [Harnessing the power of customer videosCreating impactful customer story videos is more than just hitting record—it’s about connecting with your audience on a deeper level. In this article, discover a framework for video success, focusing on authenticity, relevance, video length, and the power of episodic content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-90.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDan Gable![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-the-power-of-customer-videos/) ### 2\. Middle of the journey **Educate and upsell with explainer videos** At this stage, customers understand the product basics but are exploring deeper problem-solving potential. Explainer videos become your strategic tool to showcase underutilized features, integrations, and advanced functionalities. Informative customer education pieces of content like product videos and webinars can highlight how additional capabilities will enhance the user experience. At this point, the goal is to [increase product stickiness](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-product-adoption-where-customer-marketing-fits/) and create natural [upsell opportunities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/). 💡 ****Pro tip:** Use data-driven insights to identify which features customers are underusing and target your video content accordingly. ### 3\. Advocacy stage **Showcase customer success stories** When customers achieve significant results, they become your most powerful brand advocates. [Testimonial](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/) and success story videos can transform individual experiences into compelling narratives that attract potential customers. It’s good practice to keep these videos short, aspirational, and impactful – ideally 30-60 seconds. [Five steps to harnessing testimonials for customer marketingTestimonials are not just a one-and-done deal but should continue to evolve as your customer’s preferences change and grow. They’re powerful tools when produced and used correctly that harness both the Voice of the Customer and advocacy to support your team’s success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-91.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_testimonial.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/) **How to get case studies** Streamline your approach to collecting top-notch customer testimonials by setting up a recurring task for your customer success team. Use a tracking spreadsheet to log new testimonial leads, including reviews from platforms like Trustpilot. This system helps identify engaged customers who may be open to sharing their success stories after your product has made a positive impact on their work. To simplify the process of securing these valuable success stories, consider the following steps: 1. Create an email template tailored to each product to make outreach more efficient. 2. Include a Calendly link for scheduling a case study interview or a document link with targeted questions for customers who prefer not to be on camera. By organizing your efforts and providing multiple options for participation, you’ll increase your chances of capturing compelling stories that showcase your product’s value. Include specific feature results and pair testimonials with in-product visuals for a stronger connection. A powerful example might be: "How \[Customer X\] Increased Productivity by 25% with \[Your Product\]" – a narrative that speaks directly to potential customers' goals. ## Use data to quantify impact For customer marketers, [data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) is your one true ally when it comes to demonstrating value. While qualitative outcomes like improved [user satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/) and customer confidence matter, quantifiable results are what truly solidify your product’s impact. The key lies in identifying and communicating metrics that align with your [customer's business goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/). ### Identify the metrics that matter Start by asking: “What does success look like for our customers?” The answer to this question will vary based on their objectives. Let’s return to our hypothetical legal software product. Customer marketers whose product’s end users are lawyers will be mainly interested in this: - **Time savings:** “Reduced contract review time by 40% through automated workflows.” - **Increased efficiency:** “Eliminated 95% of manual errors with real-time compliance tracking.” - **Revenue growth:** “Boosted billable hours by 25% with productivity tools.” Beyond these hard metrics, quantify softer, often-overlooked areas of impact, such as: - **Stress reduction:** “Enabled legal teams to focus on high-value client work, reducing burnout and administrative fatigue.” - **Team empowerment:** “Improved team collaboration with shared dashboards and automated workflows.” **Show impact over time** Customers want to see continuous value, not just initial success. Implement [quarterly business reviews](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/qbrs-in-customer-success/) (QBRs), data-rich email updates, or personalized dashboards to share progress and growth over time. Highlight trends like: - Increased feature adoption rates - Enhanced efficiency metrics after implementing new tools - Measurable [ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) gains These insights must be routinely shared to ensure customers see the ongoing value of your product – and how it evolves to meet their needs. 💡 ****Life hack:** Work with customer success and product teams to align on value benchmarks that resonate across segments. This helps standardize success metrics for individual customers while enabling you to craft targeted messaging for specific use cases. ## Turn customers into advocates with value-based storytelling Your best marketers are often your most satisfied customers. Advocacy isn’t just about encouraging reviews or referrals. When companies chase new referrals and reviews, this reduces these meaningful moments to tactical transactions rather than the strategic partnerships they posit. it’s about amplifying customer success and transforming their wins into powerful stories. A customer success team can do this to a point; they provide the data and the introductions. Case studies are customer marketers' big moment, their opportunity to sing for their supper. When done right, storytelling creates an emotional connection and reminds customers why your product remains essential to their success. ### Breathe life into customer success Okay, maybe don’t let your [customer success manager](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-makes-a-good-customer-success-manager-great/) (CSM) colleague read this part of the article – we’re only teasing! But oftentimes, customer success teams don’t have the capacity or skillset to properly leverage these success stories. Storytelling can highlight how customers are using your product to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. Success stories (AKA case studies) shouldn’t just focus on results – they should emphasize the journey to those results: 1. **The challenge:** What specific problems or pain points were customers facing? 2. **The solution:** How did your product empower them to overcome these obstacles? 3. **The results:** What measurable and emotional outcomes did they achieve? **Example:** Instead of simply stating, “Our software increased productivity by 30%,” share a relatable story, something personal with sentiment to it. Cast your mind back to our legal hypothetical product: "For Smith & Co., juggling tight deadlines and extensive documentation was causing stress across the team. When they implemented automated workflows, they reduced administrative time by 40%, allowing attorneys to focus on strategic client work. The result? Happier clients, less stress, and 25% more billable hours.” ### Diversify your advocacy content Advocacy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Tailor your content formats to resonate across different channels and customer preferences: - **Short video testimonials**: 30–60 seconds to use on social media, highlighting specific outcomes paired with product visuals. - **In-depth case studies:** Rich narratives showcasing metrics, customer quotes, and clear before-and-after transformations. - **Customer interviews or panels:** Long-form webinars or live events where customers share their experiences in their own words. --- ## Reflecting on your customer value communication Are you still trapped in the feature-describing wilderness, or have you discovered the path to truly communicating value? Can you confidently articulate the tangible outcomes your customers achieve beyond mere technical specifications? ### Your next steps Over the next quarter: 1. Audit one piece of content this week, ruthlessly rewriting it to focus on customer outcomes. 2. Set up a call or task for your customer success manager to provide you with customer insights or case study leads. 3. Map your content to specific journey stages, and identify three metrics that demonstrate genuine customer value. This isn't just about tweaking language – it's about reimagining how you connect with your customers. Schedule a cross-team workshop and develop a compelling customer success story that transcends cold, hard numbers. The clock is ticking. Your first transformation starts now. What story will your customers be telling about you in 30 days? ### 5 top channels for customer story sharing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-top-channels-for-customer-story-sharing-2/ Last updated: 2024-12-13T00:30:38.000Z Customer stories have a well-documented history of helping companies thrive, whether used in advertising, feedback, strategies, or more. These stories bring the human to the front of usually faceless conglomerates, and doing so builds a level of trust not usually accessible when using traditional [advertising types](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactical-advertising-vs-tactical-branding/). But where do customer stories truly shine? In this article we’ll be going through the following five channels: - Social media - Websites and blogs - Email marketing - Events and webinars - Video platforms Let’s get going. --- ## Section 1: Social media ### Why it works Social media is a clear first choice for sharing [customer stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/). Why? Because it’s where your audience already hangs out, scrolling for content that catches their eye and resonates with their values. Whether it’s LinkedIn for the professional crowd, Instagram for visual interactions, or TikTok for the viral moments, social platforms allow you to meet your audience where they are and engage with them on their terms. The real magic of social media lies in its versatility. Want to showcase an in-depth customer success story? A polished [case study video](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-case-study-video-templates-you-can-start-using-today/) can grab attention in a feed. Snappy, relatable quotes from a happy customer, paired with eye-catching graphics, can do the trick. You can even invite customers to share their own stories directly—user-generated content campaigns are a goldmine for authenticity. Unlike other channels, social is a two-way street. When you share a customer story, you’re not just broadcasting it into the ether—you’re inviting comments, likes, and shares. [5 ways to resurrect your case studies using social mediaIf you want to avoid the problem of your case studies dying a slow, boring death in a dusty PDF folder, never to be seen again, then we’ve got some tips for you. In this article, we’re going through five ways to present and utilize your case studies to make the most of their content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-83.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--9---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-resurrect-your-case-study-content-using-social-media/) ### Best practices Now that we’ve established why social media works, let’s talk about how to get it right. 1. **Choose the right platform for your audience** (e.g., [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-marketing-alliance/) for B2B, [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/customermarketing.alliance/) for B2C) - Not all platforms are created equal, and the best one for your customer story depends on who you’re talking to. Like tailoring messaging for individual [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/), the same should be done when picking appropriate social platforms. 1. **Leverage visual elements** like videos, infographics, and carousel posts - Social media is inherently visual, so don’t rely on text alone. Pair your customer stories with compelling visuals that capture attention. Remember to optimize your visuals for the platform—vertical videos for [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@cm%5Falliance) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/customermarketing.alliance/), landscape for LinkedIn, etc. 1. **Encourage UGC** (user-generated content) and tagging - Sometimes, the best way to tell a customer story is to let the customer tell it themselves. So interact with your audience, encourage conversation, and reshare customer content. --- ## Section 2: Websites and blog ### Why it works If social media is the stage, then blogs and website content are the home base for your customer stories. This channel offers a level of depth and permanence that’s hard to beat. Having a single place to collate all your stories also works to support the validity and authority of your brand’s name on the internet. Through things like good SEO practices, your presence within search engines will bolster your credibility the more content your provide. Unlike social media posts, which have a short shelf life, blog and website content is evergreen (or at least semi-evergreen). Once published, your customer story can keep working for you—day or night, rain or shine—bringing in leads long after the initial launch. ### Best practices Now, let’s dive into some best practices to ensure your website hosted stories hit the mark. 1. **Use multimedia to bring stories to life** \- Our world is becoming increasingly visual, so long website pages of text-only content isn’t going to attract in the same way it did in the past. Pairing the text with media like videos, downloadable content, or infographics, will keep readers engaged and ensure they stay scrolling. 1. **Link stories to relevant product or service pages** \- Include hyperlinks within the story to relevant product or service pages, add clear CTAs, and multihome your stories to support landing pages. ****Tip:** Don’t forget to refresh and repurpose these stories. Keep updating your stories over time. Refresh older stories with updated metrics, new visuals, or additional outcomes. And repurpose stories into other formats, such as blog posts, email campaigns, or social media snippets. For example, turn a blog post into a LinkedIn carousel or an infographic. --- ## Section 3: Email marketing ### Why it works Email marketing might seem like the veteran in the [digital marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/identifying-and-resolving-customer-pain-points-for-optimal-digital-experiences/) game, but in fact, email remains one of the most effective channels for showcasing the real-world impact of your product or service. Here’s why: - **It’s personal and direct** \- Email lands directly in your audience’s inbox—arguably the most personal digital space they own. Unlike social media, where algorithms and distractions compete for attention, email creates a one-on-one connection with your reader. - **It builds trust over time** \- Consistency breeds trust, and [email marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-email-templates/) lets you stay top of mind. Regularly sharing customer stories builds a steady drumbeat of proof that your product or service delivers. - **It’s measurable and adaptable** \- Email is a data goldmine. Open rates, click-through rates, and engagement metrics let you know which customer stories resonate. Did a story about cutting costs outperform one about boosting revenue? Great! Use that insight to refine your next campaign. ### Best practices 1. **Integrate customer stories campaigns** \- Customer stories don’t have to be standalone emails—they’re perfect for blending into ongoing campaigns like [newsletters](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/subscribe-to-customer-marketing-dispatch/) or drip campaigns. 1. **Use concise storytelling -** Remember, email readers are skimmers—so keep your storytelling short, sweet, and impactful. Start strong, focus on the juicy details, and break it up with visuals. 1. **Optimize for mobile -** Most emails are opened on mobile devices, so ensure your stories shine on smaller screens. --- ## Section 4: Industry events and webinars ### Why it works If customer stories are powerful on paper, imagine the impact they have when told live and in real time. That’s the magic of events and webinars. These channels take storytelling to the next level by adding a human touch, sparking engagement, and creating memorable, interactive experiences. Hearing a story directly from a customer’s mouth is more impactful than any polished case study or testimonial. It gives your customers a platform to share their experiences in their own words, complete with the passion, personality, and nuances that make their journey unique. [Customer Marketing SummitsJoin the largest customer marketing community, as we bring together the most innovative minds in the industry to help elevate your career.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/-base64-iVBORw0KGgo-).style-620125d60d87e2f1eedd02e4-logo- { position: relative; display: block; display: block;position: relative;width: 25rem;height: 5.5rem;margin-right: 3rem;float: left;background-size: contain;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position-y: center;background-image: url('https://assetsacara.com/production/organizations/624dc01ac88d8fe300172c55/1722015600138-CMAFULLSECONDARYLOGOONWHITE.webp'); @media (max-width: 76.8em) { margin-right: 2rem;background-image: url('https://assetsacara.com/production/organizations/624dc01ac88d8fe300172c55/1722015600138-CMAFULLSECONDARYLOGOONWHITE.webp'); } @media (max-width: 37.5em) { display: none;background-image: url('https://assetsacara.com/production/organizations/624dc01ac88d8fe300172c55/1722015600138-CMAFULLSECONDARYLOGOONWHITE.webp'); } }![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/1731930635262-VS7l3FUY.webp)](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### Best practices 1. **Feature customers as speakers or panelists -** Put your customers in the spotlight, Invite customers to present their stories, either solo or as part of a fireside chat. Or organize panels with multiple customers from different industries or use cases. This not only diversifies perspectives but also shows the broad applicability of your product or service. 1. **Use Q&A sessions to dive deeper** Live Q&A sessions opens the floor for questions from attendees. This allows the audience to explore details that resonate most with their specific challenges or interests. 1. **Record and repurpose event content -** Don’t let the value of your event or webinar end when the session wraps. Repurpose the content to reach a broader audience with [OnDemand videos](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/), clips, written content, and more. 1. **Create an interactive experience -** Keep attendees engaged by making the session interactive. Use **polls** or a **live chat** for attendees to comment and share thoughts in real time, and encourage attendees to share their own experiences. --- ## Section 5: Video platforms and podcasts ### Why it works If you’re looking to deliver customer stories with maximum impact, videos and podcasts are a go-to choice. Why? - **They’re inherently engaging** \- Let’s face it—few things capture attention quite like a well-crafted video or podcast. These formats are probably the most popular mediums out there when consuming information. - Videos show—not just tell—the impact of your product, and podcasts create an intimate listening experience. A [customer’s voice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research-2/) telling their story directly can feel like a one-on-one conversation. - **They’re easy to consume on the go** \- People love content they can engage with while multitasking. Podcasts, in particular, are perfect for busy professionals who can listen while driving, working out, or running errands. - **They’re shareable and evergreen** \- A great video or podcast has long legs—it’s content that keeps on giving. These formats are highly shareable, making them perfect for social media, newsletters, and embedding on your website. ### Best practices Here are some tried-and-true best practices to help your customer stories shine: 1. **Keep it concise and engaging** \- Attention spans are short, so aim for storytelling that captivates quickly. Keep videos between 2-5 minutes for maximum engagement. Stick to 20-30 minutes for podcasts to hold listeners’ attention. For complex stories, break them into multiple episodes or segments. 1. **Add captions and transcripts for accessibility** \- Ensure your videos and podcasts are accessible to all audiences. Add captions or subtitles to all videos and provide full transcripts of your podcast episodes. Not only does this make your content accessible, but it also improves SEO and gives readers an alternative way to engage with the story. 1. **Highlight authenticity and real results** \- Authenticity is the cornerstone of a compelling customer story, and videos and podcasts offer the perfect medium to showcase it. 1. Use actual customers, share tangible results, and don’t just highlight the win—talk about the challenges, decision-making process, and lessons learned. [Authentic storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/support-your-advocacy-strategy-by-using-authentic-brand-storytelling/) is as much about the process as it is about the outcome. [Storytelling Certified | MastersMaster the art of story-selling. Understand the science behind marketing with stories.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/bc14804c664638e4cc6d9b7faf46c890-1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/366664ad744966a5ad62bf8269c35bd2.png)](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/storytelling-certified-masters) --- ## Conclusion Customer stories are the proof your audience craves to understand true, authentic value of your product. Whether shared through social media, blogs, emails, events, videos, or podcasts, each channel brings its own unique strengths to the storytelling table. The key is leveraging these platforms strategically, tailoring your approach to meet your audience where they are, and creating content that resonates on a personal level. So, whether it’s a quick social post, an in-depth case study, or a heartfelt customer interview, remember this: Every customer story is an opportunity to show your audience what’s possible. ### Customer Marketing Summit London 2024 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2024-ondemand/ Last updated: 2024-12-10T17:30:51.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to build and structure a powerhouse customer marketing team URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-and-structure-a-powerhouse-customer-marketing-team/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:56:07.000Z Building a powerhouse customer marketing team is both an art and a science. I’m Allison Johnson, Global Head of Customer Marketing at Okta. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working across organizations of all sizes, from tech giants like Cisco, Salesforce, and Okta to innovative startups like Zuora and MuleSoft. These experiences have shaped my understanding of what it takes to structure and lead customer marketing teams that drive real business impact. In this article, I’ll share strategies and insights—rooted in my own journey—that are essential for building and scaling a successful customer marketing team. [How to set up a customer marketing team | PlaybookThis playbook contains all the pieces and parts that comprise the first 30, 60, and 90 days of setting up and launching a customer marketing function at your company.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-82.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_First_30_60_and_90_Days_Meta-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-customer-marketing-in-30-60-and-90-day-playbook/) ## The pillars of customer marketing at Okta At Okta, we think about customer marketing using three main pillars: - Awareness - Engagement - Advocacy These pillars guide everything we do and form the foundation of our strategy. Customer marketing brings immense value to an organization. It drives [upsell opportunities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/?%5Fgl=1%2A1f19zqz%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjAyNDg3NjM4My4xNzMyODc3Mzg5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTczMjg3NzM4OC4xLjEuMTczMjg3NzM5Mi4wLjAuMA..), fosters loyalty, strengthens brand impact, and supports other teams like product marketing, product management, and demand generation. But with so many stakeholders relying on [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/), it can feel overwhelming to meet everyone’s expectations. **Here’s the reality:** everyone wants a piece of your time and resources. Whether it’s securing a customer logo for a high-visibility placement—like getting it up on the Las Vegas Sphere—or finding a customer reference for a niche $2 million deal with specific integration requirements, the requests are constant. So how do you make it all work with a small but mighty team? It starts with building a strong foundation and a cohesive team. ### Five tips for building a great customer marketing team I want to share five quick tips for building and structuring a powerhouse customer marketing team: 1. Focus on your business value 2. Harness your team’s superpowers 3. Make data-driven decisions 4. Scale your team with ongoing learning 5. Automate with the right tools These are lessons I’ve learned from balancing a range of demands and delivering results with a focused and driven group. ## 1\. Focus on your business value The first tip for building a powerhouse customer marketing team is simple: **always focus on your business value.** In customer marketing, the landscape is constantly shifting, and we see this reflected in how teams evolve. Over the past five years, I’ve witnessed a transformation in how companies structure and leverage their customer marketing organizations. Even within my two years at Okta, the changes have been significant. One of the biggest challenges we face in the tech world is being asked to do more with less. It’s a phrase that probably feels all too familiar (and maybe a little triggering). We’re tasked with driving year-over-year growth, meeting [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/), and hitting targets like the number of customer stories produced or advocates highlighted. But at the same time, our teams, tools, and business environments are constantly changing. The key to navigating this is hyperfocusing on your business value. Ask yourself: - Where is your company in its business cycle? - Is it the end of the year or the beginning? - Does your sales team need leads, or are they looking for help closing deals with strong customer references? Understanding these nuances allows your customer marketing team to adapt and deliver value where it’s most impactful. Align your goals with the broader company objectives, and don’t be afraid to rewrite those goals as the business shifts. A customer marketing organization thrives when it evolves alongside the business, always staying laser-focused on what matters most to the company at any given time. ## 2\. Harness your team’s superpowers The second tip: **focus on your team’s superpowers**. Every team member brings a unique set of strengths and work styles to the table, and as a leader, it’s crucial to recognize and celebrate that diversity. For me, I’ve embraced the fact that my superpower is being a big-picture thinker and a connector of dots. I thrive in strategy and vision, but when it comes to nitty-gritty details—like planning the exact timing of a customer advisory board meeting or managing logistics to the last minute—I lean on team members who are naturally detail-oriented. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received from a mentor is to hire for the gaps in your own skill set. By embracing different work personality types, you create a team that complements one another and operates as a cohesive unit. For example, if you’re more strategic like me, look for people who are meticulous, process-driven, and able to execute flawlessly. ### Understanding your team dynamics A great way to explore and harness the diversity within your team is by using tools like Facet5, Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, or Gallup’s StrengthsFinder. These tools offer valuable insights into how individuals approach their work, communicate, and collaborate. For example, my team recently did a Facet5 assessment with a facilitator, and it revealed a wide range of personality types and work styles. At times, these differences can lead to disagreements or competing points of view during team meetings, but that’s the beauty of it. When distinct strengths and perspectives come together, it creates a richer, more integrated program. For instance, within our three pillars of **awareness,** [**engagement**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/?%5Fgl=1%2A1f19zqz%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjAyNDg3NjM4My4xNzMyODc3Mzg5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTczMjg3NzM4OC4xLjEuMTczMjg3NzM5Mi4wLjAuMA..)**, and** [**advocacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/), each pillar is led by someone with a unique skill set, and their combined efforts create a seamless customer journey. Questions to ask when building your team: - What are your blind spots? - What skill sets are you hiring for? - How do you encourage collaboration and impact? - What does the future of your team look like? These questions can help you think strategically about team composition and ensure you’re not just hiring clones of yourself. A diversity of skills and viewpoints may be challenging to manage at times, but it leads to better problem-solving and innovation. ### Celebrate strengths and individuality One of my favorite things about our team is how aligned we are with our individual strengths. We’ve intentionally structured our team around what people are naturally great at, allowing everyone to be authentic and excel in their roles. If you’re looking for tools to help you get started, I highly recommend exploring Gallup’s StrengthsFinder for work-related insights or even experimenting with lighter tools like Enneagrams or, yes, even horoscopes. At the end of the day, it’s about creating a team where everyone’s unique superpowers shine. When people feel empowered to be their true selves, it shows in their work and leads to incredible results. ## 3\. Make data-driven decisions The third essential factor in building a strong customer marketing team is being data-driven. While relationships are at the heart of customer marketing, relying solely on anecdotal evidence or goodwill can lead others to undervalue the strategic impact of your work. Customer marketing often involves building and maintaining incredible relationships with advocates—those go-to champions who are always ready to step up. Maybe they’re like our very own John Heedley, who will hop on stage, take a reference call, or even pinch-hit for a sick speaker. Those relationships are vital, but they can also create the illusion that customer marketing is simple or “fluffy.” Here’s how you counter that misconception: bring the data. When you can show that a single customer advocate has completed 20 acts of advocacy, influenced $4.2 million in the pipeline, or helped close deals in just 25 days, it reframes the conversation. Suddenly, the value of your work becomes undeniable. You’re not just finding someone to "do a favor", you’re driving measurable business impact. ### Using data to focus your efforts Customer marketing needs to be deeply attuned to the business cycle. For example, the second half of the year (or Q3 and 4) can sometimes feel shaky. Deals might slow down after the hard hustle of Q1 and the pull-through in Q2\. So how do we drive the most value? This is where data becomes your guide. Instead of prioritizing net-new relationships, maybe you shift your focus to listening to the field and analyzing their data. Your dashboards, spreadsheets, and metrics become your best friends, helping you identify where to focus your energy for maximum impact. We’re constantly looking at key metrics like: - Deal close rates - Deal size - Deal influence - Acts of advocacy While some disciplines have established tools and metrics—like customer acquisition costs or lead conversion rates—we often don’t have access to the same granular data in customer marketing. That’s okay! Start with what you have. Draw a line in the sand, establish benchmarks, and focus on year-over-year growth. Consistency is more important than perfection. ### The importance of quantifying value Your team works incredibly hard—building relationships, securing advocates, and driving programs. But if you can’t quantify the value of their efforts, their contributions might not be seen as strategic. And that’s a huge missed opportunity. As a leader, it’s your job to make that value visible. Even if you’re working with imperfect data, show up with the numbers you do have. Consistency builds credibility, and over time, you can refine and improve your metrics. We’re all learning and evolving. If you feel like you’ve cracked the code on customer marketing metrics, let’s connect—I’d love to learn from you! Ultimately, being data-driven is about making sure your team’s incredible work is recognized and valued for the impact it truly delivers. ## 4\. Scale your team with ongoing learning The fourth key to building a strong customer marketing team is learning how to scale effectively. Scaling isn’t just about growing your team—it’s about evolving your processes, leveraging the expertise around you, and continuously improving based on feedback and learnings. ### Fail fast, learn quickly In customer marketing, you’re often juggling the expectations of multiple stakeholders. It’s impossible to make everyone happy, but what you can do is fail fast, learn quickly, and iterate. **For example,** last year, our reference program wasn’t delivering the results we needed. Leaders were frustrated with the lack of support, and our team was overwhelmed, fielding around 40 reference requests in a tight two-week window. The deals ranged from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, and we had no clear criteria to prioritize. Despite our best efforts, no one was satisfied. To fix it, we acted quickly. We conducted a listening tour, gathering feedback from some of the loudest voices in the room. What we learned was clear: we needed stricter guidelines. So, we rolled out a self-service tool for account executives (AEs) to find references independently. While this wasn’t initially well-received, we also introduced defined criteria to prioritize support for high-value deals that would move the needle for the business. By listening, learning, and acting decisively, we turned a struggling program into a more scalable and effective solution. ### Leverage your experts Scaling isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about recognizing that you don’t have to do everything yourself. You don’t need to be an expert in every tool or process, but you do need to know who to turn to. This is where your experts come in: - **MOPS teams:** They can help you create dashboards and pull critical data insights. - **Agencies:** Tap into their expertise to craft better customer stories. - **CSMs and AEs:** Their feedback can refine your customer story briefs and make your programs more relevant. Your job isn’t to have all the answers—it’s to bring the right people into the conversation. By involving experts, you can scale your team’s capacity without stretching yourself too thin. ### Give your team permission to fail One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that failure is part of the process. Sometimes programs don’t gain the traction you expected, or a well-intentioned initiative doesn’t meet stakeholders’ needs. When this happens, it’s tempting to take it personally, but the best thing you can do is pop the hood and ask: - What’s not working? - Why isn’t this program resonating? - How can we adjust? Giving your team the space to fail—and the permission to pull back when something isn’t working—is critical to maintaining morale and driving improvement. ### Learn to say no Scaling also means knowing when to say no. One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal is the ability to set boundaries. Whether it’s saying no to a low-priority request or deciding to sunset a program that’s not delivering value, a clear “no” can free up time and resources for what truly matters. As one of our leaders loves to say: > “Don’t be fooled by the smile—she’s the one who helps us say no.” Having someone on the team who can confidently draw the line is invaluable. Scaling isn’t just about growing—it’s about refining. By embracing feedback, leveraging expertise, and learning quickly from mistakes, your team can become more agile, resilient, and impactful over time. ## 5\. Automate with the right tools The fifth and final tip for building a powerhouse customer marketing team is to automate wherever possible. This might not be our strongest area just yet, but it’s one we’re actively working on—and one that can make a massive difference. If someone on your team is doing the same task more than once, there’s an opportunity to automate. Repetition is a signal that a system can be created to simplify and streamline the process. In customer marketing, where budgets and resources are often tight, automation is a critical way to tackle the challenge of doing more with less. ### Simplify the work To automate effectively, start by identifying the bottlenecks and obstacles slowing down your team. Ask questions like: - What’s taking too long? - Why is this process so complicated? - How can we simplify it? This is where leaders should spend time—not just overseeing tasks but digging into the challenges your team is facing. Often, teams are so focused on delivering results that they may not notice inefficiencies or have the bandwidth to address them. Staying curious and proactive can uncover these areas for improvement. ### Invest in the right tools The right tools can be game-changers. For instance, we’ve heard a lot of buzz about platforms like ReferenceEdge and have been exploring solutions that can help us organize and streamline our processes. The goal is to ensure that if someone is unavailable or leaves the company, we’re not scrambling to track down a spreadsheet or scattered information. Automation tools can also help measure impact. By tracking things like turnaround time or identifying what’s causing delays, you can focus your efforts on what’s working and eliminate what isn’t. ### Leverage internal resources Don’t forget the incredible resources already available to you within your organization. Your CSMs, PMMs, and even product management teams can play a key role. For example, our product management team has been running its own webinar series to drive product awareness and adoption. Collaborating with these internal teams not only reduces the workload for customer marketing but also ensures consistency and alignment across the company. ### Stay organized Whether it’s a sophisticated tool or a humble spreadsheet, staying organized is essential. Centralizing information makes it easier for your team to work efficiently, ensures continuity, and helps you track the progress and impact of your efforts. ## Final thoughts These five tips—focusing on business value, harnessing your team’s superpowers, making data-driven decisions, scaling through learnings, and automating with the right tools—offer a framework for building and structuring a high-performing customer marketing team. Building a great team is an ongoing journey. By staying curious, leveraging your resources, and continuously improving, you can create a team that delivers incredible value to your organization. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Allison at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, San Francisco 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-september-2024/)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### How to succeed in customer experience as a team of one URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/succeed-in-customer-experience-as-a-team-of-one/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:21:00.000Z Most companies agree that having a customer-focused mindset is key to reducing churn and increasing sales. Like with the basic formula for losing weight – consume less, expend more energy – there’s also an effective approach to keeping customers happy and [engaged](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/): deliver great customer service, keep them informed, and connect them to each other. But just like with losing weight, this isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. In a business climate of limited resources and [budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/), how can you see any real success with a small customer-focused team or in many cases, just a single professional responsible for creating and maintaining these customer-centric campaigns? ## **The art of being a scrappy go-getter who gets things done** As a small department, you’ll have to learn how to get things done with a finite number of resources, get creative with stretching that budget dollar, and become adept at making the most out of any situation. Before kicking off any project, it’s essential to establish a clear, practical timeline and set achievable expectations. This involves thorough research and drawing from past experiences to develop these goals. Inform your leadership team that if they want to successfully execute this initiative within a given timeframe and limited budget, here's what we can realistically achieve. Just like when planning a vacation, if you have only so much time and money, then you wouldn’t book a month-long stay at a 5-star beach resort. You don’t want to aim too high and make any false promises that could mark you as unreliable and incapable if those goals aren’t met. An important mantra for any small department is to make the most of everything. ****For example,** if a customer speaks on a webinar, don’t let that valuable content go to waste after just one use. Consider editing it into short social media posts or using soundbites for a sizzle reel that can be played at your tradeshow booth or during customer events. Find creative ways to repurpose that content to get the most value out of it. [Unleash the power of customer stories: Real advocate voicesHow a product or service positively impacted someone’s life or business always tugs at the heartstrings more than any stats or corporate speak. Customer stories bring that emotional connection and credibility that keeps us engaged.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-80.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTiffany Knight Raymond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/johannes-plenio-E-Zuyev2XWo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/) ## **Low-cost swag ideas** What if you don’t have a large swag budget or have customers who work for organizations with a no-gift policy? Funny or creative stickers are an easy swag item, but they’re also low-cost to mail out. As an extra bonus, they also promote and socialize your brand as many customers often put these stickers on their laptops or water bottles. Social rewards are another affordable solution – if a customer speaks at an event or contributes to a blog post, don’t forget to post it on LinkedIn and tag their account to increase their professional profile. Consider offering key customers LinkedIn recommendations written by someone on your executive or product teams to further promote their expertise in your product. And don’t forget the simple act of just sending a personal thank you email or better yet, an actual hand-written thank you card. Often, we forget just this extra human touch can create a more memorable experience versus sending out just a branded [swag](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/) item. ## **Promoting your wins** Being a scrappy go-getter can only get you so far especially if no one at your organization is aware of it. That’s why it’s imperative to always share your results with others. Showing [ROI to the leadership team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) will help justify your campaigns and increase the likelihood of future resources. If you can achieve strong results with a limited budget, then you can present the case that with additional resources, you achieve even better results. On the other hand, be clear that if resources remain the same, then growth beyond this current state might not be feasible. Also, promote your successes within your greater organization such as through an all-hands meeting or through your company’s [Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) or Teams channels. Become your own cheerleader and socialize your wins so that everyone can see what you’ve achieved. ## **Making friends and allies** A key to surviving as a small department is making friends and allies and actively creating bridges that connect departments together instead of working in silos. It’s important to take the time to get to know your co-workers and find common interests, but this can be especially hard with remote teams. I had a co-worker who would schedule her virtual meetings five minutes after the hour. Most people would log in a little early, and that short window before the meeting became the perfect opportunity to connect or do a quick catch-up. Practice empathy at the workplace – consider how you’d like to be treated by others. Avoid hoarding information and share what you’ve learned with others so everyone can be on the same page. Nothing is more frustrating than finding out about an activity only after it’s already happened. Sending a roadmap overview to departments, scheduling brief touch-base meetings, and sharing [customer data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) and stories all help to create an environment where others don’t feel like they’re an afterthought. These actions can encourage collaboration, offer opportunities to align efforts, and support each other’s departmental goals. Market yourself as a valuable addition to their team. ****For example,** let them know that you’re open to reviewing or providing feedback on campaigns and other activities – offer to proofread copy, test out a new landing page, or help brainstorm ideas. Investing time in these extra tasks can not only create goodwill and a positive quid pro quo relationship but promote a positive symbiotic working relationship, too. And don’t forget to give credit where credit is due. Let the leadership team know that working with this person or team was invaluable in meeting your goals and socializing your win as their win, too. People like to be thanked and recognized for their contributions, no matter how big or how small. While we might not all have the luxury of a world of unlimited budgets, resources, or staff, adopting a resourceful, scrappy mindset and collaborating with others will help you succeed, even as a team of one. --- **Want to talk to more peers like Arlene? Our Slack Community channel is just the place to do that.** [Connect with your peers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### 5 ways to resurrect your case study content using social media URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-resurrect-your-case-study-content-using-social-media/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T14:42:33.000Z Case studies are something most if not all marketers will have a hand it at some point in time. They’re known to be good uses for bringing in new customers through existing customer stories. But despite so many of us needing to do them, they’re very easy to get wrong. Putting up a case study in one form, in one place, and calling that a job well done just isn’t going to cut it anymore. If you want to avoid the problem of your case studies dying a slow, boring death in a dusty PDF folder, never to be seen again, then we’ve got some tips for you. In this article, we’re going through five ways to present and utilize your case studies to make the most of their content. ## **1\. Bite-sized success stat visuals: The social media snack pack** Capture your most impressive case study metric and transform it into a graphic that instantly captivates your audience. Highlight the stat that elevates your customers from ordinary to extraordinary—the one that makes viewers stop, stare, and crave more details. Create a visual that turns data into a compelling narrative of success. Imagine a sleek, bold graphic that screams: "Company X increased revenue by 247% in 6 months" with a design so clean it could pass for modern art. LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter - they'll all be your playground. **Pro tip:** Think Apple commercial meets business success story. If you saw Apple’s shot on an iPhone campaign a few years ago, this is exactly what we mean. A quick snippet of success and an easy-to-use hashtag can go a long way. ## **2\. Behind-the-scenes story reels** Time to pull back the curtain and show some real human drama. Authenticity is the name of the game when it comes to sharing customer voices. Making a post that works to humanize the people behind the story is an invaluable way to make that leftover footage work to your advantage. Why not go the extra mile and theme your case studies? Do they have a horror element? Are they shot like a late night show interview? How about a chicken shop date? Take this example from The Alliance, which shows a part of the human behind the job title. 👇 [The Alliance on LinkedIn: Coffee break dates ep.3 ☕Ep.3 of Coffee Break Dates is live! ☕ Tune in for a riveting convo about event chaos, community building, and who’s really in charge here. Will they discuss…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca)LinkedInFrank Sayles![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/1728284629152)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/allianceled%5Fcoffee-break-dates-ep3-activity-7248951455783522304-laez?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) Do the same for your case study participants to ensure people don’t have a reason to begin speculating that you’re just using actors or AI. Those case study numbers aren’t just digits - they're stories of triumph, struggle, and transformation. So use that to your advantage! Create short video reels that break down the customer's journey like a documentary: - 60 seconds. - One customer. - Pure storytelling gold. Show the challenge, the strategy, and the jaw-dropping results. Make your audience feel like they're watching a winning episode of "The Apprentice" - minus the corporate drama, plus actual business insights. ## **3\. Interactive crowdsourced problem-solving challenge** Buckle up for the most interactive case study experience since... well, ever. When you have a case study that showcases perfectly one of the easy (or not so easy) fixes your product solves, use that to your advantage and have customers work together to think about how you solve your customer's pain points that led them to become advocates for your brand. Transform your success story into a collaborative problem-solving challenge that turns your audience from passive readers to active participants. Perhaps you could post the original business challenge and invite your network to propose solutions. Offer prizes, recognition, and watch as your engagement skyrockets. The original customer or your team can provide feedback, turning this into a masterclass of collective intelligence. ## **4\. Drama reimaginings: Serial meets sales strategy** Who says case studies have to be boring? Channel your inner podcast producer and transform that customer success story into an audio narrative that would make the "Serial" podcast team proud. Complete with narrative arcs and interview snippets, make a lifeless case study into an experience. Or perhaps you want to have a go at working on a choose-your-own-adventure style interactive experience that lets followers explore the case study's problem-solving journey. Create a web-based or social media-embedded interactive story where users make decisions mirroring the original customer's challenges. At each decision point, reveal how the actual customer solved the problem and what the outcomes were. This gamification approach turns the case study into an engaging, educational experience that followers can play through, sharing their results and insights. ## **5\. Don’t knock the tried and true** With all of these unique and inventive ways of showcasing a case study, don’t forget that sometimes simple is best. What you want with case studies is reach. How can you get the story out to the most amount of people possible? So you’ll want to present this case study in as many digestible ways as possible too. So for every interactive post and behind the scenes video, don’t neglect a simple article post of LinkedIn carousel too! ## **The bottom line** Case studies are no longer static documents gathering digital dust. They're living, breathing content waiting to be unleashed across platforms, formats, and audience imaginations. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Take these ideas, experiment boldly, and watch as your case studies transform from corporate paperweights to content that captures, engages, and inspires. ***Want to chat to your peers about their case study ideas and initiatives? Customer Marketing Alliance's Slack is just the place for you.*** 👇 [Start a conversation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Revolutionizing storytelling through remote video capture URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/revolutionizing-storytelling-through-remote-video-capture/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T09:58:06.000Z Revolutionizing storytelling through video is about more than just crafting compelling content—it’s about connection, authenticity, and relevance. I’m Dan Gable, the Founder of ShoutOut, and my experience in video production and customer storytelling has given me a deep understanding of how to create videos that truly resonate. In this article, I’ll share insights and practical tips on using video as a [powerful storytelling tool](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/). From leveraging authenticity and relevance to embracing the power of formats, these strategies will help you create content that leaves a lasting impact. Let’s explore how to craft videos that engage, educate, and inspire audiences in meaningful ways. ## Why video is a powerful tool for storytelling Video holds a unique position in storytelling because it combines two critical elements: sight and sound. Video provides information in a way that's immediate and impactful. This dual-channel delivery makes it an unparalleled medium for communication. Beyond information, video connects us on a personal level. **Think about it:** when you watch a video of someone you've never met, you instinctively form opinions about them. That's the power of microexpressions and body language, which video captures so effectively. This capability makes video an extraordinary tool for scaling communication. It allows individuals and businesses to reach audiences far and wide while maintaining a sense of personal connection. Bookmark: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-case-study-video-templates-you-can-start-using-today/ ### The shift to discovery platforms We’re living in a fascinating time for video, particularly on social media. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are changing how content reaches audiences. These platforms are “discovery platforms,” meaning success is no longer dependent on having a massive follower count. Instead, it’s all about creating high-quality, relevant content. Your video can go viral and reach thousands—even millions—of people organically, purely based on its value or appeal. This shift has also transformed who influences us. It’s no longer just celebrities or social media stars; everyday people and subject matter experts are now shaping opinions and creating impactful content. This democratization of influence is something brands and individuals alike can harness. ### Leveraging video in new ways For brands, this new era of [video content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-the-power-of-customer-videos/) opens up exciting opportunities. UGC doesn’t just have to be about traditional customer stories; it can extend to empowering your advocates to build their personal brands on social media. Imagine your most passionate customers or employees creating authentic, branded content that not only promotes your organization but also enhances their own credibility and reach. This is where collaboration between [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/support-your-advocacy-strategy-by-using-authentic-brand-storytelling/) practitioners and social media teams is vital. Your social team is likely hungry for content, and as someone connected to your organization’s advocates, you hold the key to unlocking a trove of potential video creators. ## A framework for impactful content: ARSE As we explore how to maximize the potential of video [storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-power-up-your-brand-storytelling-with-the-heros-journey/), I want to share a simple framework that has guided my approach: **Authentic, Relevant, Short, Episodic (ARSE).** This framework applies to both UGC and traditional customer stories. In the sections to come, I’ll break down each element and share practical tips to help you create content that resonates, engages, and delivers value. Stay tuned! ## Authenticity Authenticity is a buzzword in content creation, especially in video. Everyone claims to make “authentic content,” but let’s be honest—constructed video is one of the least authentic mediums out there. Every element, from lighting to framing, is designed and orchestrated. It’s an illusion, albeit a carefully crafted one. Great films and Netflix shows, for example, aren’t authentic in the literal sense—they’re just made to look authentic. And achieving that illusion is no easy feat. For brands, this challenge is amplified because most of us aren’t working with Leonardo DiCaprio or Martin Scorsese. So, how can we create authentic-feeling videos? The key lies in the voice of the customer. Their genuine perspective adds a layer of authenticity that no amount of cinematic polish can replicate. ### Capturing the X factor Not all customer stories are created equal. Think about a singing competition like The X Factor. Several contestants might perform the same song, hitting every note perfectly, but only one truly moves you. That’s the X factor. It’s the intangible quality that makes a story memorable and impactful. When interviewing customers, your goal should be nothing less than capturing that spark. Here are some ways to get there: **Focus on presence, not the perfect message** Don’t get too hung up on aligning every word with your marketing message. Sometimes the most compelling moments come when customers speak from the heart, even if their phrasing isn’t perfect. The sincerity of their delivery often outweighs a meticulously crafted script. **Ditch the rigid interview questions** Traditional interview questions have limited use—if any at all. Instead of asking a question and hoping for a golden response, frame the answers you want. **For example,** rather than asking, “What do you like about our product?” prompt them by saying, “Tell me about a time when our product solved a big problem for you.” This change gives them clear direction while still leaving room for genuine responses. **Be present in the moment** If you’re conducting the interview yourself, the most important thing you can do is be with them. Make eye contact, stay fully engaged, and leave your notes aside. When you’re present, customers sense it, and they often relax and open up, sharing more authentic stories. If you’re working with an agency, focus entirely on the monitor during the shoot. Watching the screen closely is the best way to spot those X factor moments in real time. **Don’t shy away from humor** Authenticity often thrives in humor. It’s a sign of a close relationship and makes your content more relatable. If a lighthearted moment arises naturally, embrace it—it can make your video stand out in a sea of overly serious corporate content. ### Finding their passion One of the most effective ways to create authentic and engaging content is to connect with your customer’s passions. Here’s a quick example: I once worked on a customer story that seemed destined to be dull. The customer suggested filming against a white wall with a pull-up banner in the background—not exactly riveting. But right at the end of our planning call, they casually mentioned they couldn’t shoot on a certain day because they’d be cycling. That little comment changed everything. We scrapped the white-wall plan and instead built the video around their love of cycling, tying it back to the product’s key attributes—speed, agility, and freedom. It turned a low-budget shoot into something memorable and meaningful. 💡 ****The takeaway?** Always listen for those offhand remarks that reveal what truly excites your subject. ### Story first, production second No amount of production value can save a video with a weak story. While drone shots, shallow depth of field, and fancy edits can enhance a great narrative, they can’t replace it. Focus on getting the story right before you worry about aesthetics. Remember, your goal isn’t to create a showreel for your agency—it’s to tell a story that resonates. When you prioritize authenticity and storytelling, the rest will fall into place. ## Relevant Let’s get real—nobody cares about your video. Not your product, not your customer story, and certainly not your logo in the corner. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s also the best place to start when creating relevant content. To illustrate this, I like to compare customer stories to a school play. Parents pack the auditorium, thrilled to watch their kids perform. For them, it’s a captivating event, deserving of a standing ovation. But outside that room? No one else cares. That school play isn’t going to Broadway, no matter how enthusiastic the parents are. This dynamic often mirrors how we, as brands, feel about our own stories. We’re deeply invested in our products and customers, but if we fail to think about the value our content brings to the audience, we’re just shouting into the void. ### Start with value: Educate and entertain To make your video resonate, you need to offer something meaningful. The key is to educate and entertain. - Educating is relatively straightforward. Teach your audience something they didn’t know. Whether it’s an insight, a solution to a problem, or a new way to use your product, education adds tangible value. - Entertaining is more challenging, but it’s equally important. A dry video, no matter how informative, is unlikely to hold anyone’s attention. Inject personality, storytelling, or humor—whatever fits your brand voice—to keep your audience engaged. ### Think beyond the obvious Videos are a significant investment, so they need to do more than just sit on your website as a static showcase. Yes, customer testimonials are valuable, but if that’s the sole purpose of your video, you’re not reaching its full potential. Ask yourself: - What unique value does this story provide? - How does it educate, entertain, or inspire the audience? Write down your answers. If you can’t articulate the value, you risk creating content that amounts to little more than corporate name-dropping. ### Relevance as a foundation Ultimately, relevance is the cornerstone of any impactful video. When you prioritize your audience’s interests over your own agenda, you create content that not only engages but also builds trust and loyalty. 💡 ****Always remember:** the audience isn’t there to applaud you—they’re there to see what’s in it for them. Deliver that, and you’ll have their attention. ## Short We hear a lot about shrinking attention spans, but I don’t buy it. Think about it—if people truly couldn’t focus, shows like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones wouldn’t have captivated millions. Netflix wouldn’t commission eight-hour series like Ripley based on two-hour films. People still love long-form content when it’s compelling; the challenge is grabbing their attention in the first place. It’s not a decrease in attention spans, its an increase in demand for attention. Our world is now saturated with content, so it’s the competition for attention that you should be worrying about. This distinction is critical. It means your video doesn’t have to be short for the sake of being short. Instead, focus on making it engaging from the very beginning. If your audience is invested, they’ll stick around, whether it’s for a 30-second clip or a 15-minute deep dive. Don’t feel pressured to cut your video down to its bare bones. Instead, aim for the right length to serve the story. You can start with a concise “hero” video of two to three minutes, then repurpose the raw material for extended versions, like a 15-minute in-depth interview. A truly interested audience will appreciate having more to explore. 💡 ****The rule is simple:** make it as short as it needs to be, but no shorter. ### Making space for your audience A brilliant example of storytelling that engages the audience is the Barbie movie. It’s essentially a customer story but with a twist—the customer is the audience. The film invites you to step into the narrative and experience it through the eyes of others. That’s the genius of its storytelling: it makes space for you, the viewer, to see yourself in the story. This idea—leaving room for your audience—applies to any form of storytelling. Shakespeare mastered it, leaving his plays open to interpretation. Similarly, great customer stories don’t spell everything out; they invite viewers to project their own emotions, experiences, and interpretations onto the narrative. ### Evoking emotion by leaving space We all love those heartstring-tugging stories—think hospitals or other scenarios with inherent [emotional weight](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/). The secret isn’t in the story itself, though; it’s in the audience’s reaction to it. The emotions don’t live in the story—they live in the viewer’s connection to it. By leaving space in your narrative, you allow the audience to bring their own emotions to the experience. This isn’t limited to heavy, emotive topics. TV shows, for example, can make you care deeply about something as mundane as a broken photocopier. The key is creating space for the audience to get involved, to feel invested in resolving the tension or filling the gaps. ### Keeping it jagged: Rough edges invite engagement One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is to resist smoothing out all the rough edges in a video. Early in my career, I’d always notice that the moments I thought were most compelling were often flagged during sign-off as needing adjustment. It baffled me until I realized: those “jagged” moments are what make the story feel alive. They stick out, inviting the audience to lean in and engage. Videos shouldn’t be perfectly polished to the point where they’re “finished.” If a story feels complete, it leaves no room for curiosity. You want your audience to feel like there’s more to discover—to leave them with an itch they can’t quite scratch. This sense of incompletion is what drives them to take action, learn more, or engage with your brand. ### Embedding the call to action into the story A traditional call to action—“Visit our website” or “Learn more”—is fine, but the most powerful CTAs are woven into the narrative itself. The story should naturally lead viewers to want more. That might feel uncomfortable when reviewing a video. You might worry it seems unfinished. But that’s exactly the point—leaving your audience wanting more is what makes your story truly compelling. When you embrace the idea of leaving space and keeping things slightly rough around the edges, you create stories that don’t just communicate—they captivate. ## Episodic One of the most valuable lessons from television production is the power of formats. In TV, the first episode of a series sets the tone, structure, and style. Once that’s nailed down, producing subsequent episodes becomes significantly easier. Each one feels unique but still connected to the larger series. Think of the Kardashians: every episode is different, but they all belong to the same family. The same principle applies to customer stories. By developing a format—a consistent structure, visual style, and tone—you streamline the production process while creating a recognizable identity for your content. Your videos become part of a cohesive family, rather than standalone pieces that feel disconnected. ### Invest in the format upfront Take the time to refine your format at the beginning. Consider the elements that will tie your stories together, such as: - A consistent intro and outro - A recurring visual style or branding elements - A unified tone or narrative approach Once you’ve established these foundations, you’ll be able to produce multiple videos efficiently while maintaining a high-quality, branded look and feel. ### Why formats matter Formats save time, reduce costs, and ensure consistency. More importantly, they create familiarity for your audience. When viewers recognize your style, they’re more likely to engage with your content and associate it with your brand. Each new video reinforces the identity of your series and strengthens your storytelling impact. So, think of your customer stories like episodes in a series. Different stories, different customers—but all part of the same, unified family. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Dan at our* **Customer Marketing Summit, Boston 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-boston-2024/?wchannelid=xmqgjffch9&wmediaid=44jgb8qwgy)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### The persona first problem URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-persona-first-problem/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:22:49.000Z Personas are a core part of marketing strategies, almost a mantra. They’re where many of us begin when crafting campaigns or understanding our audiences. However, my experience at Spendesk, particularly working with some brilliant product managers, challenged me to rethink this approach. These product managers introduced me to the jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) framework, and it sparked a significant shift in my thinking. I began to ask myself: are we too obsessed with personas? Should personas really be the foundation of our marketing efforts, or is there a better way? In this article, I’ll explore some of the challenges that come with an overreliance on personas and introduce an alternative perspective rooted in the JTBD framework. Let’s rethink how we connect with our customers. ## The pitfalls of the persona-first approach To understand why we need to rethink the persona-first approach in marketing, let me share the four key issues I’ve observed. These challenges show that focusing too much on [personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) can limit us, and why a problem-oriented or JTBD framework might be a more effective alternative. ### 1\. You may be missing the market When you start with personas, it’s easy to overlook the actual problem you’re trying to solve, and this can lead to targeting the wrong market altogether. **A powerful example** comes from Custom Tobacco, a company selling cigars. Initially, they marketed to cigar smokers—it made sense on the surface. But the results weren’t great, and they discovered two critical insights. First, the few orders they received weren’t cigar smokers. Instead, they were from event planners and gift buyers purchasing cigars for others. Second, cigar smokers tend to be extremely brand-conscious and loyal, making them difficult to convert. The company realized their real opportunity lay with event planners and gift-givers. So, they shifted their marketing to target these groups, attending event-planning trade shows instead of cigar shows. As the founder aptly put: > “Not only were we not solving a problem for cigar smokers, but if a problem did exist, we would not be the solution.” ### 2\. Problem as the only shared trait Sometimes, the only thing connecting your customers is the problem they need to be solved. This insight comes from **Matt Hodges at Intercom**, a company that exemplifies the JTBD framework in their go-to-market strategies. As Hodges notes, customers often span industries, demographics, and profiles—but they’re united by the problem or the job they need to be done. **An example** that came to mind is my dad. He’s had the same haircut his whole life, managed by my grandmother at first and now by my mom. Despite our vastly different demographics, we both use hair ties—but for very different purposes. I use them for my hair, while he uses them to adjust the waistband of his wedding trousers (which he still insists fits, 35 years on). Our shared need for hair ties unites us, but trying to market to us based on demographics would likely fail. ### 3\. Problems help you expand When you rely on personas, your [growth](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/) is constrained by the size of the audience that matches those criteria. Tactics like lookalike audiences in paid social campaigns only take you so far; eventually, you hit a ceiling. And as you try to scale further, you encounter lower-intent customers, making acquisition more expensive. Focusing on problems, however, can unlock new markets entirely. Consider Splitwise, an app designed to help people split bills. Initially, they targeted flatmates, helping them share costs like rent or utilities. But when they thought about their customers’ problem—splitting bills—they realized this was relevant to other contexts too. **For example -** travelers splitting expenses during a group trip. By focusing on the problem rather than the persona, Splitwise expanded into the travel market, opening a completely new avenue for growth. ### 4\. Personas don’t think demographically One of my colleagues at Spendesk helped me realize this point. One of our key personas is a “budget owner”—anyone who manages a budget, big or small. When I mentioned to her that she fit this persona, she was surprised. “That sounds way too senior for me,” she said. But when I described the specific problems and jobs-to-be-done associated with this persona, she recognized herself immediately. This conversation made me realize how exclusionary personas can be. If we insist on calling someone a “budget owner,” we risk alienating the very people we’re trying to reach. And if you think about how people search for solutions, they rarely use persona labels. Nobody Googles “solution for budget owner.” Instead, they search for things like, “how to create a budget” or “how to track expenses.” People think in terms of their problems—not their demographic label. The key issues with the persona-first approach can be summarized as follows: 1. By focusing on personas and ignoring the problem, you risk targeting the wrong market. 2. The problem may be the only common thread among your audience, making it a better anchor for your messaging. 3. Personas limit market size, while problems can help you expand into new opportunities. 4. People don’t self-identify as personas—they think in terms of their problems and jobs-to-be-done. While there are additional nuances to consider, these four challenges illustrate why I believe it’s time to rethink the persona-first approach. ## A problem-first approach with the jobs-to-be-done framework If I’ve managed to persuade you of the limitations of the persona-first approach, you might now be wondering: what’s the alternative? How do we move beyond personas without losing sight of the customer? I believe the key lies in starting with the problem. Personas should still have a role in your strategy, but as a way to enrich it—not as the starting point. A problem-first approach grounded in the JTBD framework is a more effective way to craft meaningful and impactful marketing strategies. Here’s a high-level overview of how to shift your approach in four steps: 1. Identify the problem and the job to be done using the JTBD framework. 2. Define your personas based on the problem, rather than starting with personas. 3. Develop your go-to-market strategy around the problem or job to be done. 4. Leverage personas to execute and optimize your strategy. **For example,** identifying that your audience is more likely to be at event trade shows than cigar shows (like Custom Tobacco’s shift) flows naturally from focusing on the problem. Personas, in this context, enrich and implement the strategy, rather than defining it. ### Using the Jobs-to-be-Done framework: Three key steps The Jobs-to-be-Done framework breaks the process into three essential components: 1. The **job to be done** and the **job map** 2. The **desired outcome statement** 3. The **analysis of unmet needs** Let’s explore each of these. ## Understanding the job to be done The concept of the "jobs-to-be-done" might sound unfamiliar at first, but you’ve likely encountered its essence before. Consider this popular phrase: “Customers don’t need a drill; they need a hole in the wall.” This idea lies at the core of the framework: customers “hire” a product or service to accomplish a specific task or overcome a problem. To uncover these jobs, you rely heavily on user and customer interviews. Once identified, the job can be articulated using a clear and structured formula: - **Context:** What happens when the job arises? - **Job:** What task or problem is the customer trying to solve? - **Outcome:** What is the desired result of accomplishing the job? **Here’s an example:** Imagine I own a bike and want to protect it. My job-to-be-done statement might look like this: - **When I leave my bike unattended** (context), - **I want to ensure no one will steal it** (job), - **So that I can relax** (outcome). Notice what this statement does *not* include—it’s entirely solution-agnostic. It doesn’t specify how I want to protect the bike (e.g., using a lock, asking someone to watch it, or installing an alarm). This neutrality opens the door to innovation, allowing for creative solutions that meet the job in unexpected ways. Moreover, solution-agnostic statements remain valid over time. They focus on what the customer ultimately wants to achieve, rather than being constrained by a current solution or technology. ### Three types of outcomes The **outcome** part of the statement deserves special attention, as it comes in three varieties: 1. **Functional outcomes:** These focus on tangible results, such as reducing or improving something. - Example: “Reduce the likelihood of bike theft.” 2. **Emotional outcomes:** These focus on how the customer feels. - Example: “So I can relax and not worry about my bike.” 3. **Social outcomes:** These focus on how the customer wants to be perceived. - Example: “So others see me as a responsible and prepared cyclist.” As a marketer, I find this structure particularly exciting because it closely resembles the building blocks of a **value proposition**. By using the JTBD framework, we gain deep insight into what customers want to achieve, what matters to them, and the metrics they care about. This clarity helps us align our messaging and solutions to their needs. While the job-to-be-done statement gives us the big picture, the **job map** takes it to a more granular level by breaking the job into discrete steps. Every job involves a sequence of actions or components, and mapping these steps can reveal unmet needs. Returning to the bike example, protecting my bike involves several steps: 1. Traveling to my destination with the bike. 2. Finding a place to leave it. 3. Ensuring it’s securely locked or otherwise protected. 4. Returning to retrieve the bike. Each of these steps can be explored to identify pain points or opportunities. For instance, while there may be plenty of locks available, perhaps the process of finding a secure location to park the bike remains a challenge. By breaking the job into its components, we can identify areas where current solutions fall short and develop innovations to address those gaps. ### Why job maps matter In today’s market, solutions often exist for nearly every conceivable problem. However, by examining the granular steps in a job map, you might discover an overlooked aspect—a specific step where customer needs are not being fully met. This insight allows you to focus your efforts and create a value proposition that directly addresses these pain points. The job map helps marketers and product teams prioritize and tailor their solutions more effectively. By targeting the most pressing unmet needs within the customer’s job, we can offer something truly impactful, whether that’s a new product, service, or improvement to an existing one. The JTBD framework and the job map provide a structured way to move beyond personas and focus on what truly matters to your customers: solving their problems. This approach doesn’t just align your marketing efforts with customer needs—it also opens doors for innovation and differentiation in a competitive market. ## Crafting a desired outcome statement The desired outcome statement is the next critical step in the jobs-to-be-done framework. This statement serves as the customer’s success metric—the measurable, concrete result they hope to achieve by completing the job. It ensures clarity around what success looks like from the customer’s perspective and provides a benchmark for evaluating how well your solution meets their needs. To create a desired outcome statement, we follow a specific formula that ensures it is both actionable and measurable. The formula consists of four components: 1. **The direction of improvement:** What should happen: minimize, increase, improve, reduce, etc. 2. **Performance metric:** The specific aspect to be measured, such as time, likelihood, or number of occurrences. 3. **Outcome:** The ultimate result the customer wants to achieve. 4. **Context:** The situation or condition under which the outcome is desired. #### **Example: Protecting a bike** Let’s revisit the bike protection example. A desired outcome statement could look like this: - **Minimize** (direction of improvement) - **The number of items I have to carry around** (performance metric) - **To protect my bike** (outcome) - **When I leave it unattended** (context). This statement defines the customer’s desired outcome in a way that is both specific and measurable. It highlights not just the end goal but also the conditions under which the goal must be achieved. ### Desired outcome statements for each step of the job map The desired outcome statement can apply at two levels: 1. **The overall job to be done:** A high-level success metric for completing the entire job. 2. **Individual steps in the job map:** Specific metrics for each discrete step within the broader job. For example, in the bike protection scenario, you might identify desired outcomes for each step, such as: - **Finding a secure place to leave the bike:** Minimize the time it takes to locate a safe parking spot. - **Securing the bike:** Minimize the effort required to ensure the bike is protected. - **Returning to retrieve the bike:** Maximize the likelihood that the bike is still there upon return. By breaking the desired outcomes down in this way, you can pinpoint opportunities for improvement at every stage of the process. This level of detail allows you to design or position your solution to address specific pain points, creating a more comprehensive and compelling value proposition. ### Why desired outcome statements matter Desired outcome statements are essential because they keep the focus on the customer’s goals, ensuring your solution aligns with their priorities. They also provide clear, measurable benchmarks for evaluating success, making it easier to assess how well your product or service meets customer needs. As you move through the JTBD framework, desired outcome statements bridge the gap between understanding the problem and designing the solution, helping you craft a value proposition that is both relevant and impactful. ## Identifying unmet needs Once we have a clear picture of the job to be done, the job map, and the desired outcome statements, the final step is to identify where customer needs remain unmet. This step bridges understanding and action, allowing us to focus our efforts on areas that truly matter to the customer and where opportunities for innovation exist. To identify unmet needs, we consider two key questions: 1. **How important is this need to the customer?**This ensures that we focus on something that has significant value or priority for the customer. If the need isn’t important to them, investing resources in addressing it won’t yield meaningful results. 2. **How well is this need currently met?**This helps us determine where existing solutions fall short. If the customer is dissatisfied with the current options, it highlights an area of opportunity for improvement or innovation. ### Mapping unmet needs to opportunities By combining these two dimensions—**importance** and **satisfaction**—we can uncover unmet needs that represent actionable opportunities. For example: - **High importance, low satisfaction:** This is the sweet spot. Customers care deeply about this aspect of the job, but current solutions don’t meet their expectations. These gaps are ripe for innovation or differentiation. - **High importance, high satisfaction:** While important, this area may already have strong solutions in place. Competing here might be challenging unless you can offer a significant improvement. - **Low importance, low satisfaction:** Although there’s dissatisfaction, the lack of importance suggests this isn’t a priority for the customer, making it a lower-value target. - **Low importance, high satisfaction:** This area is best avoided—it’s not a priority for the customer, and existing solutions already work well. Returning to the bike example: If we identify that “minimizing the time it takes to find a secure parking spot” is both highly important and poorly addressed by current solutions, this signals a strong opportunity. We might then innovate by creating an app to locate safe bike parking spots or design a product that simplifies securing a bike in any location. Similarly, if we find that “ensuring the bike remains secure” is well-covered by existing locks, we might choose to focus on another aspect of the job map where customers experience more pain points. ### Why this matters This process not only helps us uncover pain points but also ensures that our efforts are strategically directed toward what matters most to the customer. It allows us to position our solutions in a way that clearly addresses gaps in the market, creating value where others haven’t yet delivered. By focusing on unmet needs, we can innovate with confidence, knowing our efforts will resonate with the customer and stand out in a crowded marketplace. ## Starting with the problem of better positioning and messaging There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to leveraging the jobs-to-be-done framework, but one company that stands out for doing this exceptionally well is **Coloplast**, which provides wound-healing solutions. Their story illustrates how focusing on the problem and unmet needs can lead to transformative results. Traditionally, competitors in the wound-care market emphasized speed in their messaging, promoting products that offered “fast healing” as their primary value proposition. Coloplast, however, used the JTBD framework to uncover a deeper insight. They realized that for nurses—the primary users of these products—speed wasn’t the key concern. What nurses truly cared about was **preventing healing complications**. This shift in focus informed Coloplast’s positioning and messaging. Instead of joining the competition in shouting about speed, they zeroed in on complication prevention. This resonated deeply with their audience and set them apart in the market. **The result?** Their revenue skyrocketed—enough to make them a prime example of the power of problem-first thinking. ### From problem to strategy As Coloplast demonstrates, starting with the problem, desired outcomes, and unmet needs forms the foundation of a strong **go-to-market strategy**. This approach helps you answer critical questions like: - **How should we position ourselves?**By focusing on complication prevention, Coloplast found their differentiator. - **What’s our key message?**Their messaging centered on what their audience—nurses—cared about most. - **How do we reach our audience?**Once the messaging was clear, Coloplast could focus on where and how to reach their target personas (e.g., marketing in hospitals, targeting specific times or forums where nurses were active). Notice that personas still play an essential role here—but they’re used after the problem is defined. In Coloplast’s case, understanding that nurses were the primary personas helped refine the strategy: identifying the right channels, timing, and context for communication. Personas are crucial for execution, but they come second to the deeper insights revealed by starting with the problem. ### The bottom line: Problem-first thinking drives success Starting with the problem allows us to focus on key positioning, messaging, and differentiation, ensuring that everything we do speaks directly to what matters most to our customers. By layering personas into this foundation, we can execute our strategies with precision. The example of Coloplast shows us what’s possible when we flip the traditional persona-first model on its head and prioritize problems, outcomes, and unmet needs. It’s a strategy that not only helps us stand out but also delivers real value to our customers. ### Customer advocacy program blueprint URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-program-blueprint-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T14:01:13.000Z ## What is a customer advocacy program blueprint? A customer advocacy program blueprint is a structured plan for turning satisfied customers into active brand advocates, covering how to identify them, engage them, and roll the whole program out on a set timeline. Most advocacy efforts stall because they skip straight to asking for referrals or reviews without ever defining who qualifies as an advocate or building a real relationship first. This blueprint fixes that by starting with identification and segmentation criteria before any outreach happens. ## What's inside the template? The blueprint covers three parts: 1. **Identifying advocates:** Engagement level, positive experiences, brand loyalty, influencer potential, and segmentation strategies 2. **Engagement strategies:** Personalized communication, exclusive offers, special events, feedback opportunities, and recognition and rewards 3. **Implementation roadmap:** A three-phase rollout across preparation, pilot, and full-scale launch ## How to use the template Work through identification and segmentation first; use CRM data, engagement analytics, and review sentiment to find customers who fit the criteria, then group them so your outreach isn't one-size-fits-all. Match each segment to the engagement strategies that fit them, rather than running every tactic on every advocate. Follow the implementation roadmap in order: plan for one to two months, pilot with a small group before rolling out further, then launch in full once the pilot's feedback has been folded in. ## Download your customer advocacy program blueprint ![Customer advocacy program blueprint](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/09/Customer-advocacy-program-blueprint.png) [Customer advocacy program blueprintCustomer advocacy program blueprint.pdf236 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/09/Customer-advocacy-program-blueprint.pdf "Download") [Customer advocacy program blueprintCustomer advocacy program blueprint.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/09/Customer-advocacy-program-blueprint.docx "Download") [Customer advocacy program blueprintCustomer advocacy program blueprint Welcome to the world of customer advocacy! This blueprint is crafted to help you harness the power of customer relationships, turning happy customers into your most enthusiastic supporters. So why focus on customer advocacy? It’s all about transforming satisfa…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-15820155-b4eb-4040-a4ab-70314bb9a96e.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLtVCMYGInD1gbDtGatZkIkWiMF9jFAkCnTkqBUO3gIPFZNTS4GqE0FZRHflsizURKLcxJHE0svgjCs8NgKXs26EwPaoamdaYX59LFinaUzbeWof6p2-w1200-h630-p-e8d2ec5d-bc28-442b-9ded-f13c8a082df4)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qFKS3WZQp9LEp1mxanBU8QIhpgBxA%5FRu93Vc-dk59mg/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to cross-sell (without ruining the customer experience) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-secure-cross-sell-upsell-strategies-without-ruining-customer-experience/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:48:27.000Z When working closely with customers, there can come times when your business demands seem at odds with [customer desires](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/). On the same day, you can have higher-ups wanting you to focus on growing sales figures and customers complaining about “too much sales talk”. So how does one balance these two needs? It’s often a difficult balance to meet especially if you’ve got priorities that seem at odds with one another. [Cross-selling and upselling ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/)it a vital part of customer marketing, and doing so well will ensure customer relationships remain strong. In this article we’ll be going through: - The psychology of sales, including the role of reciprocity and choice architecture - Steps to making cross-sell and upsell a good experience ## Understanding customer psychology in sales To understand how best to conduct sales without compromising customer trust and investment, you have to understand how customer brains work and what attracts and repels customers when money is involved. ### The role of reciprocity ****Reciprocity** refers to the human tendency to want to give something back when something is received. In psychology, it’s theorized this comes from the need to make sure the other doesn’t feel exploited or isolated from others. How does this translate in sales? When you offer things like free samples, community spaces, or offers, customers are more likely to want to make more purchases to reciprocate. More specifically this can be things like: 1. **Offering free samples or trials:** Providing a free trial or sample of your product can make customers feel indebted and more likely to buy. 2. **Giving gifts:** A small gift, like a pen or notepad, can be a cheap and effective way to open conversations with sales leads. 3. **Being an active listener:** Active listening can help create positive feelings of reciprocity. 4. **Showing empathy:** Demonstrate empathy and a willingness to help. When consumers receive something of value, they feel an implicit obligation to reciprocate, even if the initial gesture was unsolicited. This sense of obligation can drive them to make a purchase. Small initial commitments, like signing up for a newsletter, can lead to larger reciprocal actions, such as making a purchase, to maintain consistency with previous engagements. Specifically, things like timed discounts or seasonal offers combine both reciprocity and urgency. Leveraging scarcity and urgency can activate the reciprocity principle to make consumers act quickly to "repay" the seller for the opportunity. [Customer goals and the psychology behind themUnderstanding customer goals is super important for marketers because it helps you figure out how to talk to people in a way that really hits home.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-78.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_goals-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) ### The role of choice architecture Going hand in hand with reciprocity, choice architecture can make these acts more consistent and frequent. ****Choice architecture** is the deliberate act of crafting decision-making environments for customers. It's the discount stands and sale posters in your grocery store. Consumers tend to choose the "default" or easiest option, often what they're accustomed to buying. This minimizes the cognitive effort of choosing. Consumers also focus more on short-term benefits. This can be leveraged through: - Presenting the desired choice as the default - Reducing alternative options - Using special offers and encouragement for the [preferred choice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-consumer-choice-and-cloud-hyperscalers-have-changed-the-way-telus-brings-b2b-products-to-market/) - Advertising and campaigns to influence behavior - Modifying product packaging The key is designing the "choice architecture" to subtly nudge consumers towards certain options. ## Steps to a good cross/upsell experience So, when part of your aim is to keep customers with your company by offering complimentary and/or premium products, how do you do so without it feeling too sales-y or out of the blue? [Implement cross-sells and upsells into your customer marketing strategyCross-selling and upselling are becoming a more common KPI for customer marketing teams as customer marketers get more involved in how companies nurture an increase in growth and revenue. But where do you start?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-79.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_up_sell.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/) ### Create moments of genuine value **Build on Trust, Not Tactics** The days of aggressive, high-pressure sales tactics are over. Modern customers are savvier and more resistant to overt attempts to get them to buy more. Instead, focus on building genuine trust and rapport. Provide value upfront, understand their needs, and make relevant recommendations - don't just try to hit a quota. [Customer trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) is the foundation of successful cross-selling. The best way to do this is to understand why the customer has chosen your company in the first place. Is it the way you interact with them on social media? Is it the unique features your product offers? Is it the community of customers around you? People will choose to come to you and stay with you for different reasons and knowing what these are will give you a better understanding of what other products might suit them and their needs. ### The timing principle: when customers are most receptive **Time It Right -** Timing is critical. Identify the optimal moments when customers are most receptive to relevant offers. This could be after they've just had a positive interaction, when they're exploring new products, or when they're about to make a purchase. Avoid interrupting workflows or decision-making processes. Make the offer feel like a natural next step, not an unwanted intrusion. ### Frame offers as solutions rather than sales **Frame It as a Solution, Not a Sale** \- Rather than pitching an upsell as a way to spend more money, reframe it as a solution to a problem or a way to get more value. For example, instead of "Would you like to add our premium package?", try "Based on your usage, our premium package would give you X, Y, and Z benefits that I think you'd find really valuable." Focus on how the offer solves a need, not just the sale. ### Build trust through personalization and relevance **Personalize, Personalize, Personalize** \- Customers expect a personalized experience. Use data and past interactions to understand their preferences, behaviors, and pain points. Make cross-sell/upsell recommendations that are tailored to their individual needs. This not only increases the chances of conversion but also demonstrates that you truly understand the customer, further building trust. ## Conclusion To effectively leverage [cross-selling and upselling strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/) without compromising customer trust, businesses must focus on providing genuine value, building long-term relationships, and tailoring offers to individual customer needs. By understanding consumer psychology, implementing thoughtful choice architecture, and timing recommendations appropriately, companies can enhance the customer experience while driving incremental revenue. The key is to prioritize the customer's interests, not just short-term sales goals, to cultivate loyalty and sustainable growth. The one thing we can never truely know is what goes on in our customers' minds. But becoming a master of consumer psychology brings us very close. *With *Consumer Psychology Certified* you’ll have the support of a consumer psychology expert, and a ton of other resources to make you a connoisseur of customer psychology.* [Become a psychology master](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/consumer-psychology-masters) ### Build a customer-led marketing strategy: Lessons from our success journeys URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-customer-led-marketing-strategy-lessons-of-success/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:23:50.000Z Things like market research and competitive intelligence can clue you into features and capabilities that can be replicated into your own product plan - but customer relationships can't. As marketing leaders at On24 and Trust Radius, we've discovered that a customer-led marketing strategy isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential for sustainable growth and genuine market differentiation. We're Allyson Havener, CMO at TrustRadius, and Tessa Barron, ex-VP of Marketing at On24 and in this article, we’re going to go through: - Foundations of customer-led strategy - Shifting to a customer-centric focus - Integrating your customer team - Translating customer stories into revenue - Measuring success and ROI *(Since this talk, Tessa Barron has moved on to become CMO at Lumivero. Congratulations Tessa!)* --- *This article is a condensed overview of a talk from our New York 2022 Customer Marketing Summit. If you have a membership account, you can watch the talk in full* [*here*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2022-ondemand/?%5Fgl=1%2A95pnas%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMzI5NDA3MzgyLjE3MzE1MDg5NTY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTczMTUwODk1Ni4xLjEuMTczMTUwOTAyMS4wLjAuMA..&wchannelid=0u26asag20&wmediaid=dybilxm2cf)*.* --- ## The foundation of a customer-led marketing strategy At its core, a [customer-led marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/evolving-customer-marketing-strategies-insights-from-industry-experts/) puts your customers' success stories at the heart of everything you do. "Your competitors can build that feature, they'll look at what you're doing and they can build it. They can move that just as fast as you can," shares Allison from Trust Radius. "What is that competitive differentiator? It's really your customer voice and harvesting that." At On24, Tessa's team publishes at least 25 customer stories every quarter, demonstrating the scale and impact possible when you fully commit to a customer-first approach. But it's not just about quantity—it's about creating a systematic approach to gathering, sharing, and leveraging customer insights across your organization. ## From product-centric to customer-centric: a strategic shift “We're lucky at On24 in that we can tangibly see how our customers are using our product," Tessa explains. "In whatever way possible, that is the place to start—really get that deep knowledge of how your customers are leveraging your product, and use that to inform what your use cases are." This shift has led to unexpected opportunities. For instance, after COVID, On24 noticed their pharmaceutical customers started using their solutions to engage patients, not just doctors. "We had never thought we're traditionally B2B. We had never thought that our solutions were going to be leveraged in that more of a B2C manner," Tessa shares. "But by paying attention to our customers, we realized, wow, that's a whole other use case, a whole new opportunity." [Roadmap to creating a retention-centric cultureRetention is the unsung hero of your marketing strategy. Model customer-centric behaviors and reward retention-focused efforts, to transform the organizational mindset from acquisition-first to retention-driven.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-75.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mareks-steins-8arrLrW-sHg-unsplash--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/) ## Building an integrated customer marketing team Creating a successful customer-led marketing strategy requires more than just collecting testimonials—it demands a fully integrated approach across your organization. At On24, we've developed what we call a "SWAT team" approach, bringing together experts from [multiple departments ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/)to capture and leverage customer insights effectively. "Marketing plays the quarterback, but we are not the only group touching customers," Tessa explains. "There are so many different touch points that we all have with our customers, and we have to bring in all sides of the journey to ensure we're able to really get a holistic understanding of what's going on." Our team structure includes: - A dedicated community expert - A product marketing specialist focused on verticals and use cases - Customer insights team members analyzing survey data - Product team representatives - Platform success team members - Customer success team representatives [Enlightening facts about customer marketing teams structuredThis article is based on a survey of 2022 customer marketers. This will go through the main findings concerning team structures including size, position, cross-functional collaborations and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-76.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/caleb-angel-Hq32VUY0xMg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/) ## Turning customer stories into revenue We approach customer story collection like a marketing funnel, with both inbound and outbound strategies. "We always want to have channels that are open for our customers to come to us," Tessa shares. This includes award submissions and regular callouts during webinars and emails asking customers to share their stories. But we don't just wait for stories to come to us. We actively hunt for specific stories that align with our seven key verticals and use cases. We've created a comprehensive grid system that helps us target the exact types of stories we need: - Specific verticals (e.g., technology, pharmaceuticals) - Use cases within those verticals - Success metrics and [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) - Channel treatment tiers ## Making customer stories work for sales One of our most successful initiatives has been transforming customer stories into powerful sales enablement tools. "It's the best cold-calling strategy," Tessa notes. "When you start to have little pockets of success where a story can turn into a new opportunity at an account, that just allows for everyone to understand how important it is." We've seen this in action. Recently, one of our Account Executives landed a meeting with a VP at a pharmaceutical company because he could speak specifically about their needs using relevant customer stories. Despite not being a pharmaceutical industry expert, he could discuss scaling Key Opinion Leader (KOL) engagement credibly, earning trust, and moving the conversation forward. ## Creating a customer-centric culture Building a customer-led marketing strategy requires buy-in at every level of your organization. At On24, our CEO refers to our approach as a "go-to-customer strategy" rather than a "go-to-market strategy"—a subtle but important distinction that puts customers at the center of everything we do. For organizations looking to build this kind of culture, we recommend starting with your current customer base. "You might have a whole part of your customer base where you're seeing success that nobody even knows about," Tessa advises. "The only way that you're going to be able to recognize that pattern and enable the sales force to go and replicate it is by investing in stories and understanding how that particular industry is leveraging your product." [How to build a culture that values customer interaction in product-led growthIn product-led growth, giving your customers value is the number one driver of growth. So how do you prioritize customer satisfaction?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-77.png)Customer Marketing AllianceRebecca Madro![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/PLG-Customer-success.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-values-in-your-product-led-growth-business/) ## Measuring success and ROI When it comes to measuring the success of a customer-led marketing strategy, we look at it holistically rather than tracking individual stories. We monitor: - The uptick in conversion rates within specific verticals - Changes in sales velocity - Volume increases in targeted account cohorts - The overall impact on pipeline and closed deals For those planning long-term growth, there's another compelling reason to invest in customer stories. "When you go public, you have to have customer stories," Tessa emphasizes. "You can't make up for years worth of advocacy in the nine-month period that you have to go public." ## Conclusion A customer-led marketing strategy isn't just about collecting testimonials or case studies—it's about making your customers' success the driving force behind your entire go-to-market approach. As Tessa puts it, "Customer stories are the least expensive form of marketing, and it's something that your competitors will never have." By putting customers at the center of your strategy, systematically collecting and sharing their stories, and using these insights to drive product innovation and sales success, you create a sustainable competitive advantage that can't be replicated. In today's competitive landscape, that's more valuable than any feature or capability you could build. --- *Want to watch the full video uninterrupted, and get access to every other talk from out* [*Customer Marketing Summits*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) *to date? Then* [*our membership*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) *is the thing for you.* [Catch-up on our events](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### Top customer marketing conferences to attend in 2025 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/ Last updated: 2025-02-07T14:06:30.000Z Our events are packed with revolutionary insights from expert practitioners behind the customer marketing strategies at some of the world's leading companies. And the best part? There's something for everyone. We'll be flying across the globe to locations near you: think New York. San Francisco, and London! 🌍 The time has come to jot down some pretty important dates. Pens and paper at the ready, folks! ✍️ #### Choose a specific month ****👇** - [March](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/#march) - [August](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/#august) - [September](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/#september) - [November](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/#november) - [December](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/#december) ## March ### Customer Marketing Summit New York **When?** *March 11–12, 2025* **Where?** etc.venues, 360 Madison Avenue, New York, NY Join us for our first summit of 2024! Building on our successful 2024 events featuring speakers from Google, Salesforce, Adobe, Cisco, and Dropbox, we're bringing you an even more impressive lineup. With 15+ expert speakers and 100+ attendees, dive into topics including: - Voice of customer programs - Customer advisory boards (CABs) - Customer lifecycle optimization - Metrics tracking for retention and churn - Customer advocacy programs Simply turn your laptop on, enter the virtual conference room, and let the knowledge wash over you. [ Register now ](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/newyork) ### Chief Customer Officer Summit New York **When?** *March 12, 2025* **Where?** *etc.venues, 360 Madison Avenue, New York, NY* Join Fortune 500 CCOs in the heart of Manhattan for an executive forum on customer experience excellence. Exchange insights on driving customer-led growth, building world-class teams, and measuring customer impact at scale. Network with senior leaders who are transforming their organizations through customer-first strategies. [ Grab your pass ](https://events.customersuccesscollective.com/location/cconewyork) ## August ### Customer Marketing Summit Virtual **When?** *August 27th, 2025* **Where?** *From a screen near you* Ready to revolutionize your customer marketing strategy? We've got the perfect event for you – and it's completely free! Join us as leading customer marketing experts share their winning playbooks for turning customers into powerful brand advocates. Whether you're looking to build a head-turning advocacy program, master the art of customer storytelling, or create campaigns that truly resonate, our sessions are packed with actionable insights you can implement right away. The best part? You can join from anywhere in the world! Connect with fellow customer marketing professionals, learn game-changing strategies, and elevate your customer marketing to new heights. [ For more info, watch this space ](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) > "It's during these events that you feel part of a community. You walk away knowing more than you started with and, even better, trusting that there's a network of peers you can turn to again and again." **–** [**Sudhan Ramesh**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudhanramesh-sr/)**, Director of Product & Customer Marketing at Sovos** ## September ### Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco **When?** *September 10–11, 2025* **Where?** *San Francisco, TBC* Just as the iconic Golden Gate Bridge connects communities, our San Francisco summit brings together customer marketing professionals to build lasting connections and share winning strategies. This event is co-located with other conferences within The Alliance including: - [Product Marketing Summit](https://world.productmarketingalliance.com/location/sanfrancisco) - [Sales Enablement Summit](https://world.salesenablementcollective.com/location/sanfrancisco) - [Customer Success Summit](https://events.customersuccesscollective.com/location/sanfrancisco) Get ready for keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops covering: - Customer-driven feedback - The power of storytelling - Key customer marketing metrics - Engagement strategies [ Secure your ticket ](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/sanfrancisco) ## November ### Customer Marketing Summit London **When?** November 22-23 **Where?** *London, TBC* Join us in the heart of the UK for two days of royal treatment when it comes to customer marketing excellence. Bring your team together with industry experts and thought leaders to spark new ideas and elevate your strategies for delivering spectacular customer experiences. [ For more info, watch this space ](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) > "Customer Marketing Alliance is the catalyst to bring customer marketers together in one room so that we can connect, learn from each other, share best practices, and you don't find that too often." **–** [**Olivia Gracey**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviagracey/)**, Customer Marketing Manager at Classy** ## December ### Chief Customer Officer Summit London **When?** *December 3, 2025* **Where?** *London, TBC* Join elite CCOs and customer experience leaders in the heart of London. This intimate, executive-level summit brings together pioneering minds to tackle the evolving challenges of customer-centric leadership. Share battle-tested strategies, explore emerging trends, and connect with fellow C-suite leaders who are reshaping customer experience at the enterprise level. [ For more info, watch this space ](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ## Did you miss one of our customer marketing conferences? Fear not! With a CMA membership plan, you can catch up on all of our amazing events anytime, anywhere! That's right, you'll have full access to every single event – OnDemand, at your fingertips. Our membership plan includes both in-person and virtual events, meaning you can stay up-to-date with the latest insights and trends, no matter where you are in the world. With heightened access and more value for your investment, this is the perfect opportunity to level up your customer marketing expertise. Want a sneak peek of what's on offer? Check out some of our previous sessions from our member portal. ### 10 tips for developing scalable customer retention and lifecycle programs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-scalable-customer-retention-lifecycle-programs/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:40:00.000Z Retention is at the heart of sustainable growth. I'm Kevin Lau, and I’ve spent years building programs that turn first-time customers into long-term advocates. In roles at companies like Adobe, F5, and now Freshworks, I’ve seen how a structured, cross-functional approach to retention can transform customer relationships and drive significant business outcomes. In this article, I’ll walk you through my top 10 tips for developing scalable customer retention and lifecycle programs, covering everything from creating a foundational strategy to securing stakeholder buy-in and measuring results. ## Getting started with retention strategy When it comes to retention, the first step is to create a clear strategy. This includes obtaining alignment and engagement from key stakeholders. Retention begins the moment a customer starts using your product, so onboarding is essential. Developing a multichannel approach is also crucial, and you’ll need the right resources — so don’t be afraid to ask for additional headcount or funding if needed. At F5, we began building our customer engagement function around retention about a year ago, and I got to see first hand hand how impactful this focus can be. ### Developing a retention framework For any retention marketing strategy to succeed, I believe a framework or blueprint is essential. At a high level, a retention strategy should be cross-functional, involving teams from product, sales, and customer success to drive the program effectively. Here’s a basic structure to guide you: 1. **Learn** \- Start by understanding the essentials: What does your customer need? What are the technical requirements? Take inventory of what you know. 2. **Listen** \- Listen proactively to successful customers. Understand their experience and map out the path to success. 3. **Create and deliver content** \- Develop content that’s both peer-generated and tailored to the right channels. This could involve user-generated content, case studies, or best practices. 4. **Measure and optimize** \- Continuously track the success of your implementations. Evaluate what’s working and adjust as needed. ### Tailoring the retention strategy to customer stages and personas Retention isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; it must adapt to various customer stages and personas. For instance: - **Onboarding phase** \- When customers are new, focus on ensuring a smooth onboarding experience that clarifies the immediate steps they need to take. - **Familiarization phase** \- For customers who have been around for six months or so, reinforce their commitment by helping them derive continuous value. - **Advanced phase** \- Long-term customers (over a year) benefit from deeper engagement, like showcasing advanced use cases or new features. It’s also important to think about who you’re engaging: Is it the end-user, the decision-maker, or an executive? Tailor your retention strategy based on these personas to ensure it resonates effectively. ### 10 steps to build a retention marketing strategy Here are the ten steps that have consistently proven effective: 1. Learn and understand the requirements 2. Listen to customers and map the path to success 3. Create your charter and program strategy 4. Educate your stakeholder teams 5. Showcast what great programs can look like 6. Deliver a minimum viable program (MVP) 7. Measure the results and continuously optimize 8. Socialize your wins with stakeholders 9. Develop an expansion and future vision 10. Ask for what you need to accelerate results By using these steps as a foundation, you’ll have a robust, flexible approach to developing and scaling a customer retention program that not only retains customers but also nurtures them into advocates. Let’s look into each of these 10 steps in more detail. ## Tip 1: Learn and understand the requirements The first step is simple, but it’s often overlooked: Ask the most basic questions upfront. Gather your team in a room, facilitate a workshop, and get everyone aligned by discussing, “What are we ultimately trying to solve?” Define the jobs that need to be done and identify the most pressing pain points. Ask, “What incremental change would yield a significant impact for our customers?” Additionally, consider what can be realistically accomplished within a 90-day timeframe. Quarterly planning is common in most organizations, and defining achievable goals within this period helps keep efforts focused. At F5, when we entered our FY24 and FY25 planning cycles, we were thinking strategically about what measurable results we can demonstrate by the time the next QBR or executive leadership report rolls around. ### Identify and organize your requirements When I talk about “requirements,” I’m referring to four main areas: data, technology, stakeholder engagement, and customer access. Here’s a closer look at each: #### **Data and analytics** First, understand the data and technology available to you. Collaborate with your data and operations teams to determine which reports and analyses are accessible. For instance: - **Win/loss reports** or **churn analysis** data from sales ops - **Telemetry data** on product usage, which might highlight onboarding issues or low engagement points - **Survey data** like Net Promoter Scores (NPS), customer satisfaction (CSAT), or customer effort scores (CES) Having access to these metrics provides insights into customer behavior and helps pinpoint areas where improvement in retention could yield significant returns. #### **Inventory of your tech stack** Retention marketing is inherently multichannel. Take an inventory of your existing tools to understand which technologies can support your efforts at scale. Channels to consider include email, in-product messaging, webinars, and self-service options. What technologies are already in place, and which ones could be optimized or expanded to strengthen your retention strategy? #### **Stakeholder engagement** Retention is a team effort. Meeting with your key stakeholders to understand their current challenges and expectations is crucial. Retention involves departments across the organization, from customer success to product to marketing, so seek their support and input. Think of yourself as the quarterback — driving awareness and coordinating efforts while ensuring that each team understands their role in retention. #### **Self-service and educational resources** One way to empower customers is by making resources easily accessible. Educational assets can include: - Community forums - Knowledge bases - Video tutorials or product guides - Training academies or certifications - User-generated content from current customers These resources allow customers to find answers independently, reducing friction and building confidence in their use of your product. ### The value of direct customer access Direct access to customers is invaluable. Engage with a pool of advocates, top accounts, or participants in an executive sponsor program. Hearing directly from customers, whether through interviews, surveys, or feedback sessions, brings the retention strategy to life. This kind of customer input is the holy grail, making the program more dynamic and directly informed by customer needs and experiences. ## Tip 2: Listen to customers and map the path to success When it’s time to talk to your customers, there are several ways to do it: one-on-one, in small groups, or in larger group settings. Conversations can even take place asynchronously through recordings. 💡 ****For example,** if your customer success managers (CSMs) record onboarding sessions with new clients, those can offer a wealth of information. By listening to these interactions, you can gain insight into customers' main goals and challenges. The goal here is to identify their “hot buttons” — the core issues they’re trying to solve and the areas where improvements could enhance their experience. Moreover, explore how you can involve these customers in future initiatives. One of the most impactful approaches I’ve seen in my career was at Adobe, where we invited our most advanced customers — known as Marketo or Adobe Champions — to guide newer users. These champions not only excelled at using the technology but also provided peer-led education and shared experiences that enriched our customer community. ### Mapping customer friction points Direct customer engagement also allows you to map out common friction points. At a high level, some of these might include: - **Sales to CS handoff**: Ensuring that customers feel smoothly transitioned from sales to customer success without missing critical information. - **Onboarding and implementation**: Addressing any confusion or lack of clarity during initial setup and usage. - **Escalations and support**: Identifying whether customers can easily find the resources and support they need or if they encounter obstacles. - **Renewal, upsell, and cross-sell**: Determining if customers clearly understand the ongoing value of your solution and how it can evolve with their needs. These insights are vital for shaping retention programs that not only address these pain points but also guide customers toward realizing and expanding the value of your product. ## Tip 3: Create your charter and program strategy Building a successful retention program starts with creating a clear program charter. At its core, I believe in the concept of customer-led growth — a direction that many organizations and industries are increasingly adopting. Specifically, when we talk about customer-led growth within retention, we’re focusing on programmatic and lifecycle initiatives designed to foster adoption and loyalty throughout the entire customer journey. A well-defined charter serves as a one-page summary that outlines your program’s goals and initiatives, making it easy to communicate with stakeholders. When asked, “What does your program do?” this one-pager should encapsulate everything in a concise way. ### Developing a content strategy that supports retention Once your program’s charter is established, the next step is to dive into your content strategy. A strong content strategy does two things: it provides timely, targeted guidance, and it aligns the “how” and “why” of best practices for your customers. Here’s how to think about structuring this: 1. **Timely and targeted guidance** \- Delivering information exactly when customers need it makes a significant difference. Whether through in-product messaging, automated email nurtures, or self-service resources, each touchpoint should be scalable and tailored to the customer’s current needs. 2. **Showcase best practices** \- Content should be more than just instructions; it should offer insights into how customers can maximize the value of your product. Explain not only the steps to use certain features but also why these features matter in driving business success. ### Driving adoption and usage through strategic alignment Ultimately, the goal of your content and programmatic approach is to drive product adoption and encourage ongoing engagement. By aligning with product teams, you can ensure that your retention initiatives support feature usage and showcase the benefits of advanced capabilities. In this way, every message or touchpoint is an opportunity to reinforce your product’s value, encouraging customers to keep using and expanding their engagement over time ## Tip 4: Educate your stakeholder teams A crucial part of building a successful retention program is educating your stakeholders on its long-term vision. In my experience at Adobe, retention marketing started with a small team of about six or seven people at Marketo and grew to a robust organization of fifty to sixty over several years. This growth was a journey that required significant education and a gradual building of understanding around what a true center of excellence for retention could look like. Retention doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s part of the broader customer engagement landscape that includes advocacy, community involvement, and more. This vision shows that retention is fundamentally multichannel, meeting customers wherever they are and providing value through various touchpoints. ### Multichannel approaches for retention marketing In a comprehensive retention program, each channel offers a unique way to engage and guide customers: 1. **Webinars** \- Feature-focused webinars can help customers make the most of key product features, particularly those that drive “stickiness” or long-term engagement. 2. **In-product guidance** \- As customers log in, they can be supported with in-product tooltips and guides that offer real-time help, enhancing their journey while they’re actively using the solution. 3. **Community engagement** \- A well-managed community offers a central place for customers to discuss topics, ask questions, and share insights on product use, creating a shared learning environment. 4. **Workshops and live events** \- Regional events and large-scale conferences, like Adobe’s Summit, offer customers hands-on opportunities to dive deeper into the product alongside other users and experts. 5. **Email nurtures** \- A tailored email series, whether it’s three to five emails or a longer series, can be designed to align with specific stages in the customer journey, providing relevant tips and educational content. ### Building a phased roadmap for customer engagement When developing a roadmap, start small and scale as you gain traction. Begin with foundational elements — **for example**, a simple email nurture or a basic onboarding webinar. Then, as you build momentum, expand to include multichannel touchpoints. A strategic roadmap guides customers along a journey, providing key resources at relevant intervals. 💡 For instance, if they’re thirty days into their Marketo journey or sixty days into using F5, what are the primary concerns or needs at that point? Direct customer feedback is invaluable here, providing insights into the content types and engagement methods that would be most beneficial. ### Recognize the crawl, walk, run approach Building a sophisticated retention program is a phased process, typically beginning with foundational efforts and expanding in complexity over time. Early stages might involve overcoming technology limitations or upgrading existing tools. **For instance,** you might need to address tech debt or consider adding a Customer Data Platform (CDP) to enhance personalization and targeting. Start with a clear, straightforward journey and gradually evolve it, guiding customers to a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of how your product can meet their goals. ## Tip 5: Showcast what great programs can look like Demonstrating what great retention programs look like can inspire stakeholders and reinforce the value of the work. One effective approach I’ve used in the past is bringing in the most advanced customer advocates to become educators and voices for new customers. This peer-led learning has been highly successful, dating back to when we implemented it in 2017, and it remains a core part of Adobe’s strategy today. Customers often trust insights from their peers over promotional messaging from the company itself. By hearing directly from other users who actively work with the same tools and face similar challenges, new customers gain practical advice and a deeper understanding of how the product can deliver value. ### Leveraging peer advocacy at scale Adobe Summit is a great example of this peer-driven approach in action. Each year, it brings together seasoned customers to share their experiences, discuss use cases, and guide others in maximizing their investment in the product. We also explored similar methods at F5, recognizing the effectiveness of leveraging customer champions to educate and engage new users. This peer-led model doesn’t just drive trust and authenticity; it also helps scale retention efforts by creating a community-driven support network that benefits everyone involved. ## Tip 6: Deliver a minimum viable program (MVP) The idea behind a Minimal Viable Program (MVP) is to launch with something simple yet impactful, allowing you to start engaging customers without waiting for a fully developed program. An MVP could be as straightforward as an email nurture series — three to five emails covering essential information for new customers. **For example,** you might include a welcome email, followed by a series introducing them to the top ten things to know as they get started, or highlighting essential steps to succeed with your product. ### Simple and scalable content for an MVP MVP content doesn’t need to be elaborate. Here are some practical ways to get started: - **Email templates**: Using marketing tools like Marketo, HubSpot, or Eloqua, create an email template with basic information. Include placeholders for customer quotes, relevant video links, or resources that make it easy for customers to find value quickly. If you have a small team, collaborate with marketing operations to develop a flexible wireframe with instructions on what to include. - **Embedded content**: Consider embedding this content within community pages, product newsletters, or even onboarding pages. At Adobe, we used this approach in our Adobe Analytics community, where we included video content and customer stories from Adobe Experience Maker award winners. Showcasing real use cases from customer advocates provides additional insights and can later be repurposed for more in-depth content. The beauty of an MVP is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. The goal is to launch quickly, gather feedback, and improve over time. By getting content in front of customers sooner, you can assess which elements resonate best, whether it’s instructional videos, user-generated content, or practical tips. This iterative approach ensures that you’re consistently refining and enhancing your program to deliver more value as you go. ## Tip 7: Measure the results and continuously optimize A critical aspect of any retention program is measuring its effectiveness and optimizing based on the results. Retention metrics can vary, but they generally fall into a few categories: 1. **Email engagement metrics**: Start with basic email engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates. These give a quick indication of whether your content is capturing interest and driving action. 2. **In-product messaging engagement**: If you’re using in-product guides or tutorials, track guide completion rates to see how many customers are finishing essential onboarding or instructional sequences. You can also measure engagement with specific buttons, requests for help, or downloads of resources embedded within the product. Solutions like Gainsight PX and Pendo make it easy to track these types of interactions. 3. **Webinar and workshop participation**: For live events, track registration and attendance rates. These metrics show which topics or sessions resonate most with customers, helping you refine future offerings. 4. **Product adoption metrics**: This involves more advanced tracking and can be the most revealing for retention. Track core adoption metrics like Gross Retention Rate (GRR) and Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Additionally, monitor upsell and cross-sell rates to see how well your retention efforts support long-term revenue growth. These metrics take time to develop but offer insights into how your retention program impacts customer expansion and loyalty. By combining these metrics, you can begin to see how your retention efforts influence customer engagement and overall product adoption. Over time, track progression and look for patterns that indicate where your efforts are most effective. ## Tip 8: Socialize your wins with stakeholders Effectively communicating your program’s successes to stakeholders is key for ongoing support and expansion. At F5, we developed various dashboards to highlight our wins and demonstrate the impact of our retention efforts. **For example,** a dashboard might show engagement rates by region or compare the effectiveness of different channels, like email versus in-product messaging. ### Using dashboards to highlight key metrics Dashboards provide a clear visual representation of your progress, showing stakeholders how engagement varies across different mediums and regions. If email isn’t performing well, for instance, this insight might prompt a shift to more effective in-product messaging. By testing multiple channels, you can ensure that your message reaches customers in the most impactful way possible. In addition to engagement metrics, we track influencing metrics related to churn, showcasing how retention efforts help reduce customer turnover. Dashboards can also break down engagement by content type or customer segment, giving a more detailed look at what resonates most with specific audiences. ### Starting small and scaling data sophistication You don’t need an advanced setup from the start. Even basic Excel sheets can serve as a simple way to track key data points and trends. If you have access to a data team, they can help you build more robust dashboards over time, allowing you to progressively increase the sophistication of your tracking and reporting. ## Tip 9: Develop an expansion and future vision Step nine is about showcasing the potential of a fully developed retention strategy and identifying the gaps you’ll need to address along the way. Think of this as creating a flywheel of engagement throughout the customer journey — a cycle that moves from deployment to value realization, advocacy, and beyond to net recurring retention (NRR). This roadmap not only guides future initiatives but also sets a north star for your team and stakeholders, illustrating what’s achievable with a comprehensive approach. ### Building the retention flywheel: from deployment to advocacy A retention flywheel includes several key stages that drive continuous engagement and value realization: 1. **Deploy and onboard** \- Leverage telemetry data to coordinate a Customer Success (CS) onboarding program that supports users from day one. Here, customer engagement and marketing teams act as the marketing arm for post-sales teams, delivering a nurture plan that enhances the onboarding experience across channels. 2. **Use and realize value** \- Once customers begin using your product, guide them toward best practices that help them achieve their goals. Peer-led initiatives, like customer-led webinars, office hours with champions, and community forums with MVPs, can enhance this phase by sharing proven approaches from experienced users. 3. **Optimize and adopt** \- Identify customers who could be early adopters for new features or solutions, fostering a natural cross-sell or upsell path. Gather feedback through surveys and voice-of-customer (VOC) initiatives to deepen engagement. 4. **Renew and advocate** \- As customers reach the renewal stage, consider programs that foster advocacy, such as generating peer reviews, customer stories, and case studies. Customers who understand the full value of your solution are more likely to recommend it to others and explore additional solutions down the road. ### Highlighting best-in-class examples and industry benchmarks To inspire stakeholders and reinforce your vision, highlight examples of exceptional retention programs from within and outside your organization. Iconic brands like Cisco and Salesforce offer proven models for customer success, and showcasing these examples can help stakeholders see the possibilities for growth and improvement in your retention strategy. At F5, I brought in experienced team members from Adobe, like Katie and Connor, to share insights on how Adobe scaled its retention program over a three- to five-year period. These benchmarks set a north star for the team, helping to plant seeds of what’s achievable. ### Creating a long-term vision and prioritized roadmap For effective stakeholder buy-in, maintain a clear, prioritized roadmap for the next steps in your retention strategy. This roadmap might include: - **Short-term (3-6 months)**: Immediate initiatives like refining onboarding emails, introducing customer-led webinars, or optimizing in-product messaging. - **Mid-term (12 months)**: Expanding cross-functional programs, developing advanced analytics for customer insights, and enhancing community engagement. - **Long-term (24-36 months)**: Achieving a mature, fully integrated retention framework with advanced personalization, predictive analytics, and continuous cross-sell and upsell support. This forward-thinking approach demonstrates a clear understanding of how the retention program can evolve and sets you up to continuously deliver value to customers while aligning with your organization’s growth goals. ## Tip 10: Ask for what you need to accelerate results To make meaningful progress, it’s essential to communicate what resources you need — whether it’s additional headcount, budget, or new tools. Map out your ideal team structure, showing what a customer or retention marketing team might look like at different sizes. 💡 ****For example,** outline the impact a team of one to three can achieve versus a team of five to ten, and how each incremental increase enables you to scale programs, reach more customers, and drive measurable results. A useful approach for presenting budget requests is the “T-shirt sizing” method. Develop a one-pager or slide deck that includes different funding levels: small, medium, and large. For each level, detail what initiatives you could accomplish (e.g., a nurture campaign or an in-product messaging program), the potential impact, and the approximate time to value. **For instance,** if given a $200,000 budget, outline a small-scale initiative with clear outcomes. Show how a larger investment, say $600,000, could deliver accelerated results within six to twelve months, setting expectations that retention is a long-term strategy but with clear incremental benefits. ## Final thoughts Retention marketing is an evolving process. As you grow your program, start with one channel — perhaps email — and expand into in-product messaging, webinars, and community engagement over time. Iteration is key. Each new initiative builds on the last, creating a foundation that continuously grows in impact and sophistication. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Kevin at our virtual* **Customer Marketing Summit, February 2024** *.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-february-2024/?wchannelid=ye3uyguu7m&wmediaid=y795wlnci5)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account/)*.* ### A playbook for running customer advisory board (CAB) events URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fine-tuning-your-b2b-customer-advisory-boards-for-maximum-success/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:41:25.000Z Have you ever rushed to pull together a customer advisory board [event](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/event-strategy-simplified-choose-the-right-format-for-your-goals/), only to have it flop? Been there, *done that*! No customer marketer wants that. Instead, we should be providing customer experiences that give them something to talk about! In my career, I've planned, hosted, and followed up on countless in-person, and virtual, [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) (CAB) events... but I wish I'd had a clear, easy-to-follow playbook to ensure my CAB is impactful and runs like clockwork. I've not got to where I am today without a few missteps along the way. That's life! But what I *have* learned is how to create **memorable, impactful CAB experiences** that my customers simply couldn't stop raving about. ## Why customer advisory board events are valuable investments I won't pretend that planning CAB events is easy. It takes many months of preparation, late nights and weekends, and *a heck* of a lot of coffee! But the effort pays off in terms of [deeper customer connections ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/)and insights that directly inform our strategy. Here are a few of the key benefits we see: ### Validating plans and priorities Nothing beats getting [candid feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) directly from customers on what's working – and what's not. We shape our roadmap around our [customer needs and pain points](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/identifying-and-resolving-customer-pain-points-for-optimal-digital-experiences/). ### Increasing executive face-time I'll never forget the shock I felt reading a [Harvard Business Review study](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/) finding only **3-10%** of CEOs regularly engage with customers. Pretty shocking, right? Our customer advisory board events aim to help close that gap. When customers get 1:1 time with our executives, it makes them feel valued. Plus, it helps our leaders make better decisions based directly on customer perspectives always at. This kind of thinking is how we strive to maintain a [customer-centric culture](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/) in our org. [Roadmap to creating a retention-centric cultureRetention is the unsung hero of your marketing strategy. Model customer-centric behaviors and reward retention-focused efforts, to transform the organizational mindset from acquisition-first to retention-driven.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-69.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mareks-steins-8arrLrW-sHg-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/) ### Strengthening relationships One of my favorite customer advisory board moments was seeing two of our top customers, Princess Cruise Lines and Sleep Number, hit it off and explore the opportunity for a potential partnership on onboard amenities. That never would’ve happened without our CAB bringing them together! This strengthening of relationships is crucial because you're building advocates and about **80%** of your advocates will then increase their opportunities with you, whether that's an upsell or renewal. ### Reducing churn We also use our CABs to get ahead of potential [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/) risks. [Feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) might reveal a [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) gap we weren't aware of, and so, by being proactive, we've saved accounts that otherwise might have left. Clearly, CAB events deliver **tremendous strategic value**. But you have to lay the proper groundwork. Let me walk you through it. [Why partnering with customer success creates magicThe common ground between customer success and customer marketing is pretty vast. Both organizations are hyper-focused on existing customers and everything that working with them entails.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-68.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTaylor Page![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/edson-junior-YlgnX_ISPLo-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) ## Crafting a customer advisory board strategy that drives impact You might be tempted to jump straight into date-picking and swag-ordering. But slow down! Building the right CAB strategy is absolutely essential. Here are some of the key elements our team makes sure to address: ### Getting cross-department buy-in I make sure to sit down early with [sales](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/), [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/), [product marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/), and our CEO to understand their goals for the CAB. Where can it make the biggest difference? Getting their input and aligning your objectives upfront prevents conflicts down the road. ### Setting your budget First off, you need to decide the type of CAB you want to host: virtual or in-person. Then, figure out what types of activities or collateral you want. Deciding on these mediums first helps understand what budget is required. I typically map out costs early on and get approvals before going too far down the planning road. You don't want to have to pull the plug on your CAB meeting in NYC because your [Chief Financial Officer](https://www.financealliance.io/chief-revenue-officer-vs-chief-financial-officer/) hasn't signed off on your event. > [@cm\_alliance](https://www.tiktok.com/@cm%5Falliance?refer=embed "@cm_alliance") launching a CAB event? Slow down before you start ordering your swag! This is what you should focus on first. ☝️ [#MarketingConference](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/marketingconference?refer=embed "marketingconference") [#MarketingTok](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/marketingtok?refer=embed "marketingtok") [#BizTok](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/biztok?refer=embed "biztok") [#MarketingData](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/marketingdata?refer=embed "marketingdata") [#Marketing](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/marketing?refer=embed "marketing") #[#FYP](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed "fyp") [#ForYouPage](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed "foryoupage") [#CAB](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cab?refer=embed "cab") [#CustomerAdvisor](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/customeradvisor?refer=embed "customeradvisor") [#CustomerEvent](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/customerevent?refer=embed "customerevent") [#EventMarketing](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/eventmarketing?refer=embed "eventmarketing") [#EventPlanning](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/eventplanning?refer=embed "eventplanning") [#B2BEvents](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/b2bevents?refer=embed "b2bevents") [♬ original sound - Customer Marketing Alliance](https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7434939291204995895?refer=embed "♬ original sound - Customer Marketing Alliance") ### Defining guidelines What I've found helpful is to create a guidebook for your CABs that covers things like: - Target outcomes - Criteria for selecting members - Logistics methodology - Guiding principles It's a great reference as we build agendas and recruit advisors. ### Building your timeline CAB planning is not for the faint of heart! I tend to try to start six to nine months out. Key milestones include: - Recruiting - Nominating members - Sending invites - Completing prep work 💡 ****Word to the wise:** Make sure to move fast on the logistics that vendors require - things like securing venues and room blocks ### Picking your CAB location strategically Try to think ahead to really maximize the impact – both professionally and personally – of your CAB. For instance, there was this one time I hosted a CAB in Savannah and I made sure it aligned with the Savannah Jazz Festival that was coming up. This foresight meant we were able to give attendees something fun to do together after hours, on top of our agenda. 💡 ****Life hack:** Always, always, always have a Plan B location, or a back-up virtual option. I've had to make last-minute changes before that were **pretty* hairy in the moment, so make sure you’re able to pivot and adapt quickly! Okay, now you've got your **strategy** set, let's talk about **elevating** the experience. ## Best practices for planning a customer advisory board event You've put in the work to craft a solid CAB strategy and agenda. Time to focus on the details that take your event from good to extraordinary. Here are some of my top tips: ### 1\. Curation of your guest list I like to keep a running list of potential members all year and our account managers and CSMs nominate engaged, outspoken customers continuously.By always having a fresh roster of candidates, I don't have to scramble when planning season hits. ### 2\. Creative, personalized invitations Formal invites, I *love* this one, it's very hands-on on so you can be creative with it! We like to do "save the dates," direct mail packages, and we also like to put in swag that fits the theme. So for an event in Austin, we put a speaker in there, since Austin is all about the music, and we put earplugs in from one of our customers, Loop earplugs. We like to showcase brands that we work with, just to further emphasize the value of our customers to us. We also get our executives to make personal outreach calls to top prospects. It makes a huge difference when the CMO calls them directly! ### 3\. A customer-focused agenda We interview attendees in advance to understand their priorities and build the agenda around them, so they understand the value they’ll be getting by attending the event. We ask them what they want to learn about to ensure the agenda is customer-focused and so at least **80%** of content ends up coming from customers, not our internal team. [What is engagement marketing?Engagement marketing is a customer marketer’s bread and butter. When employed by a customer marketer, It’s about connecting with your customer base and creating meaningful experiences that foster brand loyalty.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-70.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engement-marketing.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) ### 3\. Facilitation that fosters engagement There’s a huge variety of facilitation techniques, ranging from breakout sessions to talks by external thought leaders, so you should make sure these choices are also customer-focused. Sessions should be engaging and interactive, where customers can solve problems together and outside perspectives are provided. ### 3\. A balanced mix of attendees I'm careful to limit internal staff and keep our employee-to-customer ratio around 20/80, you never want too many cooks in the kitchen! After all, we're all there to learn from the *customers*' wisdom, not our own. Okay, now you've got your plans and preparation in place. Here's how to flawlessly execute the big day. [Customer Advisory Boards: What they are and how to do themCustomer Advisory Board does more than just provide information, offering a direct link to your customers, provide direction and create champions for your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-71.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_CABS.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) ## Best practices for hosting a customer advisory board event After months of planning, it's finally CAB time! Here are some tactics I use to take our events to the next level: ### The "concierge" welcome experience If you don't have a dedicated travel agency, I would highly suggest creating a custom travel itinerary that includes the hotel and flights. I also like to put the weather in there too; it’s the simple touches that matter the most. I make sure to also confirm what networking events they're going to be at, their dietary restrictions, and even their T-shirt size, and when you send that out customers are always so thankful. ### Icebreaker opportunities I always organize a casual pre-event dinner or happy hour before things begin. Guests start connecting right away and they're much more comfortable collaborating the next day. ### Ongoing ways to socialize Add on activities. This could be anything from yoga in the morning or a run depending on how active your customers are! Another popular one is professional headshots. A lot of the executives I've found have out-of-date headshots because they just don't have time to take it. So have a photographer there and let them get hands-on! ### Dedicated handlers I assign each guest a "handler" who helps personalize their experience, answers questions, and introduces them around, making profile sheets to push strategic conversations. The real work takes place after the CAB wraps up though - follow-up is crucial! [Ask the right questions: Perfect the way you collect customer feedbackThis research involves talking to customers directly, conducting surveys, putting together focus groups, and more. Each type of data collection relies on you asking the right questions to get the information you need to know.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-72.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jon-tyson-vVSleEYPSGY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) ## Post customer advisory board event: Follow up After an amazing CAB experience, you have fresh momentum with engaged customers. Capture it through strategic follow-up: 1. **Thank you notes:** Right after the event, send quick appreciation emails. Handwritten notes delivered to their hotel rooms also go the extra mile. 2. **Document your learnings**: Within a week, I send recaps highlighting key takeaways, feedback, and ideas. These then guide our plans moving forward. 3. **Map product improvements**: I catalog feedback on where we should improve or enhance our products and share it with our development team, s we can create concrete roadmaps. 4. **Report back to CAB members:** A few months later, I host a webinar just for our CAB members where I recap insights gained and walk through action plans they directly influenced. ## Key takeaways After executing countless customer advisory boards, I've learned more than a few lessons about what works. Here are my top three tips: 1. **Listen and learn from customers**: CAB feedback is a gift. Use it to validate plans and meet customer needs better. 2. **Forge trusted partnerships:** Building relationships should be the priority. Revenue will follow. 3. **Stay nimble:** Expect that plans will change. Be ready to adapt quickly and creatively. The bottom line is *commitment*. When you invest wholeheartedly in your customer advisory board, it will pay dividends for your business and customer relationships. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Crystal at our *Customer Marketing Summit,* *Las Vegas 2023*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?%5Fgl=1%2A4eko0f%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTg1MTY2ODkzMC4xNzMxMDYzMzMy%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTczMTA2MzMzMS4xLjAuMTczMTA2MzMzMS4wLjAuMA..&wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=evye2mu6y2)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* --- ## Become certified in customer advisory boards Is the idea of setting up a CAB a little overwhelming? How do you begin? Which customers would be a good fit? How will the meetings run? What’s your overall aim? Beginning any project can come with a lot of questions, especially if involves working closely with your customers. Customer Advisory Board Masters course offers you the tools and resources you need, all in one place. ✅ Produce an **awesome** Customer Advisory Board. ✅ Get **key** customer insights. ✅ **Enhance** your product ✅ Keep consumers **happy** ✅ **Boost** your revenue. [Get CAB certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) ### 5 strategies for an anti-fragile approach to marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-strategies-for-an-anti-fragile-approach-to-marketing-what-your-cmo-should-know/ Last updated: 2026-01-16T14:36:37.000Z ## Why do you need an anti-fragile marketing approach? There's no denying it: uncertainty is the current state of affairs. We've seen it in budget cuts, headcount reductions, and hiring freezes. With all this change, marketing leaders, especially CMOs, are facing tough choices. They’re in the difficult position of determining where to make cuts, what to prioritize, and ultimately how to stay essential to growth. Our aim here is to help marketing teams, especially in customer marketing, navigate these challenges. We want to ensure you're not just seen as another cost center but as a vital element in your company's strategy. This anti-fragile mindset is about thriving during turbulence, not just surviving. And to support this shift, we’ll also provide data and insights that back up these approaches. I love the saying, "Trying to predict the future is hard, but preparing for every future is better." It captures our focus perfectly. While we may not know exactly where the economy is headed, we can adopt strategies to thrive no matter what. We need to go beyond mere survival tactics; it's time to strengthen our "immune systems" and prepare our organizations for lasting health and growth. As we dive into the core of our anti-fragile approach, we’re thrilled to introduce five key pillars that underpin a resilient customer marketing strategy. These pillars are the foundation for thriving in any market condition, allowing your marketing function to not only withstand pressure but to grow stronger through it. I'll give a quick overview of each: 1. **Focus on community** 2. **Champion authentic stories** 3. **Rally your employees** 4. **Mobilize your advocates** 5. **Level up customer marketing** These five areas are invaluable, each one plays a crucial role in strengthening and future-proofing your marketing strategy. Now, let’s turn to our first pillar: the power of community. ## 1\. Focus on community Fostering a community isn’t a "nice-to-have" anymore – it's a "must-have." Today, traditional one-way marketing is outdated. Simply pushing content out and hoping it resonates is not an effective strategy. Community is the bridge that transforms a passive audience into an engaged, thriving ecosystem, where relationships and shared knowledge drive both customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. In customer marketing, you want to deepen relationships not just between your brand and the customers, but among the customers themselves. A strong community provides customers with a space to share insights, solve each other's challenges, and strengthen their bond with the brand. This isn’t just beneficial for customer experience—it also alleviates pressure on internal teams, as customers often help each other find solutions without requiring brand intervention. For Qlik, Gillian’s company, this approach began with a renewed investment in community about four years ago. Since then, the community has grown into the "heartbeat" of Qlik, integrated across nearly every department. Support ticketing, ideation, advocacy platforms, event strategy—all these functions run through our community. By creating a space that serves as a centralized hub, Qlik has embedded customer-centricity into its entire business. ### The role of community as the heartbeat of your brand A powerful community does more than provide a support channel. It becomes the focal point for your brand's entire ecosystem. Qlik's community is the "heartbeat" of the company. When a community is functioning well, it becomes the heart of your customer marketing strategy, pumping engagement and loyalty throughout every function. This is why community shouldn’t be limited to support. Instead, it should serve as the nucleus for all customer interactions—where advocacy, ideation, and feedback flow freely. A truly effective community not only supports customers but gives them the chance to influence and shape the brand. ## 2\. Champion authentic stories With the foundation of community in place, the next step is to champion authentic stories. Authenticity is at the heart of successful customer marketing, it shapes both the leadership styles used in Quilk, and how Qlik interacts with its customers. As customer marketers, we aren't simply telling stories; we're amplifying real customer experiences and sending them into the spaces where critical business decisions are made. Our role is to "activate and expose" our customers, giving them a platform to share their genuine journeys with our products. **And here’s the key:** if those stories aren’t authentic, they’re not going to resonate, let alone spread. Authenticity allows for the inclusion of both triumphs and challenges in customer stories. By letting customers be honest about their experiences—whether that's with our technology or partner integrations—brands create a credibility that’s unmatched. These real stories, complete with ups and downs, carry far more weight and shareability than polished, scripted narratives. The truth is, no marketing team, however talented, can replicate the impact of a story told in a customer’s own voice. Authenticity isn't just a tactic; it’s a fundamental value that permeates every interaction and initiative at Qlik. For example, the customer marketing team at Quilk uses Influitive to gather customer-authored content, like "upshot stories," where customers write their own bylines. This format allows customers to share their personal experiences and insights, often making them far more relatable and shareable among peers. While traditional case studies have their place, customer-authored content often feels more genuine, resonating with audiences in ways scripted content might miss. ### Beyond storytelling: Authenticity across the entire customer journey Authenticity in customer marketing goes beyond simply collecting testimonials. It’s about fostering genuine involvement across the entire customer journey. This includes product feedback loops, a crucial component often overlooked. By creating straightforward channels for customers to give feedback—whether by voting on features or suggesting improvements—customers gain a sense of ownership over the product. This involvement not only deepens their connection with the brand but also creates allies within the organization. When customers feel they have a voice in shaping the product, their loyalty and engagement naturally grow. From a strategic perspective, embedding this type of authentic engagement makes customer marketing far more integral to the broader organization. When customer feedback is actively guiding product development, customer marketers are no longer just storytellers—they become valuable partners in product strategy, helping to steer the ship. Championing authentic stories and embracing customer feedback across the journey positions customer marketing as a truly strategic function, aligning closely with both product and customer success teams. This holistic approach to authenticity strengthens the brand’s relationship with its audience and bolsters the entire marketing organization. ## 3\. Rally around your employees Everyone wants to feel like they’re part of a winning team. There’s a natural human desire to associate with success, whether it’s in personal relationships or in our professional lives. When employees believe they’re contributing to something impactful, something that genuinely benefits customers, that energy resonates throughout the company. Customer success stories are powerful tools for building this sense of shared pride. However, the purpose of these stories isn’t solely to impress people outside the organization. It's just as important, if not more so, to inspire your own employees with these success stories. When employees feel connected to the real impact of the product or service, they’re far more likely to share this enthusiasm authentically. This organic excitement comes across in their social media, in conversations with others, and in their day-to-day work. We should aim for genuine engagement rather than turning employees into "an army of bots." At Qlik, the team focuses on ways to rally employees around customer success stories in a way that feels genuine. Partnering with communications and social media teams is part of the strategy, ensuring that employees are empowered to share in a natural, authentic way. The goal isn’t to prompt a uniform “check this out” response but to cultivate a sense of pride and excitement about the wins they’re helping customers achieve. ### The psychology of belonging to a winning team Especially in times of economic uncertainty, having employees who feel they’re contributing to a “winning” organization can make all the difference. This sense of pride keeps people focused on the positive impact they’re creating, which not only benefits morale but also strengthens resilience. When employees are internally motivated by the value the company brings to customers, they’re more engaged, more productive, and better equipped to handle external pressures. Feeling like you’re part of a winning team is powerful. It boosts morale, fosters a sense of ownership, and keeps people connected to the core purpose of the organization. When employees are authentically engaged in sharing success stories, they amplify the company’s message in a way that feels real—not as a copy-paste “like and share” initiative, but as genuine pride in the work they’re doing. ### Cultivating co-ownership of the brand’s voice The power of rallying employees lies in their ability to become co-owners of the brand’s voice. When employees genuinely feel part of the brand’s success, their enthusiasm becomes the “lubrication” that makes everything run smoother. This alignment strengthens every function, creating a unified and authentic brand voice that resonates across every platform and touchpoint. With employees co-owning the message, every team member becomes a brand advocate. The goal is to cultivate this shared ownership so that employees naturally amplify the brand’s values, achievements, and mission. This collective pride enhances the entire organization, creating a cohesive force that drives growth, engagement, and resilience. ## 4\. Mobilize your advocates Mobilizing advocates is about activating those customers who are deeply engaged with and enthusiastic about your brand—what we call "connected customers." While "advocates" is often the term used to describe these champions, I prefer simply to call them “customers.The goal is to take your most delighted, engaged customers and connect them to the market in a way that amplifies your values and the unique value of your products. It’s about harnessing their voices and letting them naturally influence other potential buyers and internal teams alike. These advocates play a significant role in nearly every revenue-generating function within your company. Their genuine enthusiasm impacts everything from new logo acquisition to account expansion within existing clients. However, mobilizing advocates requires more than just enthusiasm—it demands organization, clear KPIs, and dedicated resources. If you’re going to make advocate marketing a central part of your strategy, you’ll need to secure the budget and tools to do it effectively. It’s not a casual “go out and get people talking” approach; it’s a carefully structured program that must be supported by strategic planning. ### The importance of tools in scaling advocacy programs You can’t scale advocacy simply by adding headcount; you need technology to support the work. Like every other function in a growing organization, from demand generation to customer success, having the right tools is essential. However, tools alone don’t create impact. They need to be backed by a strong program strategy, a clear understanding of goals, and a commitment to maintaining the authenticity of your advocate relationships. A tool can help scale, but it’s not “magic pixie dust”—you’ll still need to work on the strategy and relationships. The tool simply allows you to extend the reach and depth of your efforts in a sustainable way. This takes us to our fifth and final pillar: leveling up your customer marketing. # 5\. Level up customer marketing Customer marketing can be the backbone of a successful marketing organization: “all roads lead through customer marketing.” We’ve seen firsthand how shifting budget and focus towards the install base yields tangible results. However, it often requires advocating for a “rebalancing” of resources and getting buy-in from leadership to make customer marketing a priority. For Qlik, focusing on customer marketing was essential. With a significant portion of revenue coming from existing customers, it made sense to invest in deepening relationships and enhancing the customer experience, rather than solely pursuing new logos. The journey to reallocate marketing dollars was one of gradual change, advocating consistently for a customer marketing budget that reflects the math: it costs much less to retain and grow an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Through a balanced approach that incorporates both customer and acquisition marketing, Qlik has created an environment where customer marketing coexists with other functions like brand, digital, and events. The goal isn’t to replace these efforts but to build an integrated strategy that supports the entire business. ### Having the hard but necessary conversations Leveling up customer marketing involves having strategic conversations with leadership to prioritize resources accordingly. This doesn’t mean these conversations are necessarily confrontational, but they are pivotal. When approaching leadership, bring data and insights that demonstrate the value of investing in customer marketing. This process of rebalancing may take time, but it establishes a roadmap for long-term growth. Programs will get better as you prove your value, and as that happens, you’ll have more leverage to advocate for larger budgets and resources. The key is to start laying this groundwork early, developing programs that showcase impact while building the case for further investment. ## Final thoughts Together, these five pillars—focusing on community, championing authentic stories, rallying employees, mobilizing advocates, and leveling up customer marketing—form a resilient marketing strategy. Each element is designed to create a deeper connection with customers, build loyalty, and drive sustainable growth. By making customer marketing central to your organization’s strategy, you can navigate uncertainty and emerge stronger. **Want to watch the full talk and others like it?** [Become a member](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup) ### Why time to value isn't just a customer success metric: TTV in customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-time-to-value-isnt-just-a-customer-success-metric-ttv-in-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-06-25T12:08:38.000Z In a world where customer expectations are higher than ever, time to value (TTV) has never been more important. Traditionally seen as a customer success metric, TTV measures the time it takes for a customer to experience the [value of a product after purchase](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/recognize-product-value/) or after completing onboarding. It helps CS teams understand how efficient their onboarding process is, identify pain points, and refine the [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/). However, TTV isn’t just a metric exclusive to CS teams; it has significant value in customer marketing as well. In customer marketing, where the focus lies in cultivating long-term engagement, loyalty, and advocacy, TTV can be a powerful indicator. It provides insights into how quickly customers perceive and realize value from a brand. By leveraging TTV, customer marketing teams can identify opportunities to engage customers at critical stages of their journey, enhancing retention, and driving deeper brand advocacy. In this article, we’ll explore why TTV matters in customer marketing, and how marketing teams can use it to optimize their campaigns, build stronger customer relationships, and support [sustainable growth](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/). ## What is time to value (TTV)? TTV refers to the period from a customer’s initial engagement with a product to the point when they experience the promised value. It’s the duration between the customer saying “yes” to the product, and their first “aha” moment when they see the benefits they were promised during the sales process. TTV is a critical measure of how effectively and efficiently a product can deliver results to its user. A short TTV means customers are realizing value quickly, which can foster satisfaction in their purchase decision, and boosts their confidence in their chosen brand. [Customer marketing metrics and how to chose your ownMeasuring customer marketing performance using quantifiable metrics is tricky due to the relationship-based nature of the role. That being said, there’re a variety of metrics to choose from and the ones you go for will depend on your organization and how you run your team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/09/william-warby-WahfNoqbYnM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) ### Traditional use in customer success In customer success, TTV is a foundational [metric](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/8-growth-metrics-community-managers-should-track/), providing insights into how well the [onboarding process](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) aligns with customer needs and expectations. CS teams use TTV to gauge how quickly they can help customers navigate the initial setup, learn the features they need, and achieve early wins. A shorter TTV often correlates with improved customer satisfaction and reduced churn, as customers who quickly experience value are more likely to stay engaged with the product. While TTV is important for CS, its applications in customer marketing are equally powerful. ## The role of TTV in customer marketing So, what are some of the ways that TTV can play a role in customer marketing? ### Beyond onboarding TTV is traditionally associated with onboarding, but its impact extends far beyond the first few days or weeks of a customer’s journey. TTV influences the entire customer experience, shaping how customers perceive the brand over time. When customers experience value quickly, it builds trust and sets a positive foundation for an ongoing relationship with the brand. This is important for customer marketing, where maintaining engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty over the long term are crucial. TTV helps marketers design campaigns that resonate with users at each stage of the customer journey, reinforcing the value they experience and strengthening their connection with the brand. ### Link between marketing and success To make the most of TTV in customer marketing, close alignment between [customer marketing and customer success teams](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/how-community-marketing-and-customer-success-teams-can-work-together/) is essential. When working together, these teams can track TTV more effectively and identify where customers might experience delays or pain points that impact the customer journey. CS teams can bring insights from onboarding and user behavior data that show where customers are meeting these challenges, while marketing can use this info to tailor messages, content, and campaigns that address those needs. This partnership allows both teams to deliver a seamless experience that not only gets customers to value faster, but also keeps them engaged with the relevant touch points along the way. For example, if CS identifies a common delay in feature adoption, marketing can create targeted educational content to proactively address this, and this collaboration ensures TTV isn’t just a on-time metric, but an ongoing measure that informs both teams in optimizing the overall customer experience. ### Why it matters The impact of TTV goes beyond individual customer satisfaction; it has a ripple effect on loyalty, [customer advocacy](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/heres-why-all-customer-marketers-should-be-building-a-holistic-customer-advocacy-community/), and word of mouth referrals. When customers realize the value of a product quickly, they’re more likely to stay engaged, renew a subscription, and make repeat purchases. This satisfaction creates loyalty, which is incredibly valuable to any business in a competitive marketplace, especially when you consider it costs far less to retain a customer than to acquire a new one. Customers who quickly see the benefits of a product are more likely to share positive feedback, driving referrals that attract new customers organically. For customer marketing teams, focusing on TTV means not only helping customers achieve early wins, but also empowering them to become advocates for the brand. The faster a customer sees value, the sooner they’re likely to champion the brand within their networks, contributing to engagement, advocacy, and organic growth. ## Key benefits of TTV in customer marketing Now we’ve seen how important TTV is, what are some of the benefits from a customer marketing perspective? ### Enhanced customer engagement One of the key benefits of TTV in customer marketing is the potential to drive more proactive and engaged customers. When customers experience value from a product sooner, they’re more likely to engage actively with brand communications, explore more features, and participate in campaigns. Reducing TTV means customers are quickly reminded of the product’s relevance, which helps them connect to the brand and feel positive about their investment. This heightened engagement boosts campaign effectiveness, as customers who’ve already experienced value are more receptive to upsell offers, feature announcements, and educational content, ultimately driving better results from marketing activities. ### Higher retention rates Faster TTV can directly influence [customer retention rates](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/). When customers achieve success and see tangible benefits from products right away, they’re more likely to stick with it, leading to lower churn rates. This is especially crucial in subscription-based models, where long-term retention is vital. When value is built early, customer marketing teams can help create a solid foundation for the customer relationship, making it more likely customers will remain loyal even when new competitors enter the market. Additionally, customers are likely to be more forgiving of minor issues they might encounter along the way, as their trust in the brand has already been established. ### Improved advocacy and brand loyalty Quick TTV doesn’t just foster loyalty, it creates brand advocates who can then spread the word. Customers experiencing the benefits of their products quickly are more inclined to share positive experiences with their network. This advocacy can take many forms such as word of mouth, social media endorsements, or positive reviews, but they all help amplify a brand’s message and attract new customers. Brand loyalty also deepens as customers continuously experience value, turning them into long-term supporters who are less likely to switch to a competitor. For customer marketing teams, focusing on TTV means not only enhancing immediate engagement and retention, but also nurturing customers who actively promote the brand, creating a powerful, self-sustaining cycle of loyalty and advocacy. [The power of customer events in building brand loyaltyOne of the most impactful things I’ve learned is the immense value of connecting customers directly with product teams. By facilitating this connection through engaging customer events, we gain invaluable insights, forge stronger relationships, and fuel customer-led growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_events.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/) ## Practical ways to use TTV in customer marketing So, now we’ve seen the benefits of TTV in customer marketing, what are some practical ways it can be used? ### Personalized campaigns based on TTV One of the most effective ways to leverage TTV in customer marketing is using the [metrics](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/the-community-management-metrics-you-need-to-know/) to [segment customers](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation/) and personalize marketing messages. Now all customers experience value at the same pace, and understanding these variations allows you to tailor your approach as a marketer. By identifying customers who are on track to experience value quickly vs those who may need more support, customer marketing teams can craft personalized campaigns accordingly with each group’s journey. For instance, new customers who haven’t yet reached their initial value milestone might receive onboarding resources, while those who have realized value could be targeted with cross-sell offers. Driving TTV segmentation means that customers receive relevant content based on their specific stage in the value journey. ### Content timing and value milestones Another practically use of TTV is aligning content delivery with key value milestones in the customer journey. Marketers can map out these milestones, such as onboarding completion, first feature usage, or successful outcomes, and ensure customers receive timely resources just as they reach each critical point. The result is the content feels relevant and well-timed, reinforcing the customer's sense of achievement and supporting their progress towards deeper value realization. For example, after a customer successfully completes onboarding, marketing might follow up with a “what’s next?” email that introduces more advanced features or suggestions for new ways to maximize their investment. Mile-stone driven content delivery not only guides customers through their journey but also fosters a sense of partnership, as the brand appears actively invested in their success. ### Advocacy campaigns based on quick wins Quick wins where customers experience the product’s value are great opportunities to encourage advocacy. When customers achieve initial successes, they’re often more enthusiastic and willing to share their positive experiences. Customer marketing teams can use that enthusiasm by identifying quick wins and creating advocacy campaigns around them. For example, after a customer reaches a milestone or completes a key task, marketing can prompt them to share a testimonial, leave a review, or participate in a case study. You could also invite these satisfied customers into advocacy programs, such as customer ambassador groups or referral programs, where they can actively promote the brand and connect with other customers. ## Measuring TTV in customer marketing ### Key metrics for TTV in marketing To effectively leverage TTV in customer marketing, you need to track specific metrics that provide insights into how quickly and efficiently customers experience value. Some relevant TTV metrics for marketing teams include: - **Engagement rate** Measures customer interaction with marketing content, such as email open rates, click-through rates, and social media engagement. Higher engagement typically indicates that customers are finding value and staying connected with the brand. - **Time to product adoption** Tracks how long it takes customers to start actively using core features of the product. A shorter time to adoption generally means effective onboarding and immediate value realization. - **Net promoter score (NPS) post-value realization** Capturing NPS after customers reach their first significant value milestone helps gauge their satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the product. Positive NPS suggests that customers are happy with the product’s value, while lower scores might indicate areas for improvement. - **Customer lifetime value (CLV)** CLV represents the total revenue a customer generates over their entire relationship with the brand. Connecting TTV improvements to increased CLV means marketers can quantify the impact of shorter TTV on long-term customer loyalty and revenue. ### MarTech Implementing TTV tracking across the customer journey requires the right mix of tools. Key platforms that can aid in tracking and reporting on TTV include: - **Customer relationship management (CRM) Systems** CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot allow you to track customer interactions, segment audiences, and monitor engagement. Integrating TTV tracking into CRMs allows marketing teams to see where customers are on their value journey and tailor outreach accordingly. - **Marketing automation platforms** Tools like Marketo and ActiveCampaign can automate personalized messaging, deliver milestone-specific content, and trigger advocacy campaigns. Marketing automation platforms are particularly useful for maintaining consistent communication as customers progress through different stages of value realization. - **Customer success and product analytics tools** Platforms like Gainsight and Pendo provide insights into how customers are using the product, highlighting when they reach value milestones and where they may encounter obstacles. These tools offer a detailed view of customer behavior. With the right tools, customer marketing teams can gain a clearer understanding of TTV, and this data-driven approach means they can fine-tune their strategies, ensure timely interventions, and continuously improve the overall customer experience. ## Overcoming challenges As with anything in marketing, TTV is not without its challenges. Let’s dive into some of the roadblocks you might encounter. ### Cross-functional alignment One of the key challenges for TTV in customer marketing is ensuring strong cross-functional alignment, particularly between marketing and customer success. While both teams play a vital role in the customer journey, their objectives and approaches can vary, potentially creating silos that hinder a cohesive TTV strategy. For example, CS might focus on onboarding efficiency while marketing emphasizes engagement and advocacy. Without alignment, it can be difficult to create a unified view of TTV that spans the whole customer journey. To bridge these silos, you must establish regular communication channels, shared goals, and collaborative initiatives between marketing and CS. Joint planning sessions, data-sharing practices, and integrated project management tools can help both teams maintain a clear, consistent understanding of TTV objectives. [Ways customer marketers can work with their organization.Customer marketers and product marketers will often make reference to the cross-functional nature of their role - it’s something that’s critical to ensure that the customer is at the beating heart of an organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_cross_functional_collaboration.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) ### Accurate TTV measurement Measuring TTV accurately is another common challenge. Different teams may have different interpretations of TTV, and without standardized metrics, it’s tricky to assess progress or pinpoint areas for improvement. For example, while CS might track TTV based on product activation, marketing might look at engagement or referral rates, leading to inconsistencies in how TTV is measured and reported. To address this, you should establish clear, standardized metrics that everyone can use to measure TTV across departments. Creating a shared TTV framework where each metric is defined and its relevance explained means that everyone evaluates progress against the same benchmarks. Also, implementing centralized data platforms or dashboards where all teams can access TTV data allows for real-time insights and a more unified approach to tracking customer milestones. ### Evolving TTV goals Customer expectations and product offerings change over time, making it necessary to revisit and refine TTV goals periodically. What customers view as “value” can evolve with new product features, industry standards, and competitor offerings. Additionally, as products become more complex or introduce new capabilities, the pathways to achieving value may shift, affecting TTV metrics and benchmarks. To keep up, teams should regularly assess TTV goals and adapt them as needed. This means conducting periodic reviews of customer feedback, engagement data, and industry trends to identify shifts in what customers find valuable. Flexible TTV benchmarks that adjust to these changing expectations allow teams to remain responsive and ensure that their strategies consistently reflect the current value landscape. With continuous improvement and iteration, you can ensure that TTV remains an accurate and relevant measure of success in customer marketing. ## Final thoughts As customer expectations continue to rise, TTV is a vital metric not just for CS but for customer marketing as well. Leveraging TTV allows your team to tailor campaigns to customers’ real-time needs, enhance engagement, and nurture advocacy. Focusing on TTV means you can guide your customers to experience value faster, creating a more fulfilling and supporting journey that turns satisfied customers into passionate advocates. ## Looking for more? Time to value is a golden metric for customer marketers. This concept is key to understanding the success and impact of your team’s efforts. If you want to continue your journey into Time Ti Value and it's relationship with customer marketing, we've got just the article for you. 👇 In this article, we cover: - A definition of time to value - Different types of time to value - Time to value strategies for customer marketers - How cross-collaboration can improve times to value [TTV for maximum impact](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-can-accelerate-time-to-value-for-maximum-impact/) ### This is how to create unrivaled client engagement strategies URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:43:45.000Z You've heard it time and time again – client, or [customer, engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) is the key ingredient to successful [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) programs. Whether you're running an [advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/), [customer advisory board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/), user [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/), or reference efforts, crafting an effective client engagement strategy is what brings all those tactics to life. At ICE Mortgage Technology, in the highly regulated real estate industry, we have the *slightly* unfair advantage of knowing *exactly* who our customers are. But this reality has shaped my philosophy that customer engagement, much like cooking, allows for flexibility and creativity based on what "ingredients" you have available. In this article, I explore: - [What is a client engagement strategy?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#what-is-a-client-engagement-strategy) - [My client engagement philosophy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#my-client-engagement-philosophy) - [How to lay the foundation for successful client engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#how-to-lay-the-foundation-for-successful-client-engagement) - [Your client engagement "ingredient list"](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#your-client-engagement-ingredient-list) - [How to maximize your client voices](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#how-to-maximize-your-client-voices) - [Why repurposing is your secret sauce](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#why-repurposing-is-your-secret-sauce) - [How to measure the success of your client engagement strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/#how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-client-engagement-strategy) ## What is a client engagement strategy? Okay first up – let's talk about what we, as customer marketers, are here for: advocacy. Advocacy truly is the real deal, and client engagement strategy is your one-way ticket to that customer marketing dream. A sustained, well-optimized client engagement strategy that punctuates the client's journey way beyond the point of purchase is key. I like to think of it as nurturing a good relationship – it takes consistent effort and a genuine vested interest in their success. In simple terms, client engagement is really just about keeping in touch with your customers and making sure they're happy and are using your product. It all ties into turning one-time buyers into loyal brand advocates who love your product so much they want to shout it from the rooftops. ## My client engagement philosophy When it comes to customer engagement strategies, I like to compare them to the difference between cooking and baking. Baking requires strict adherence to recipes and measurements – too much or too little of an ingredient can ruin the final product. Cooking, on the other hand, is more of an art, allowing you to be flexible based on your personal tastes and what's in your refrigerator. The same principles apply to [customer marketing programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/seven-proven-tactics-to-hit-home-runs-with-your-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-programs/) centered around engagement. We're all limited by different constraints - team resources, budget, executive buy-in, and more. Trying to force a rigid, one-size-fits-all recipe will likely fall flat. Instead, I encourage customer marketers to take a more flexible "cooking" approach. Get creative based on the ingredients (i.e. resources, customers, goals) that you have access to. With the right techniques and mindset, you can cook up an effective engagement strategy no matter how big or small your kitchen. [Increase customer engagement: Universal tips for businessesEngaged customers are the holy grail of any business. After all, they don’t stop at simply buying your product or services — they sign up for events take part in customer surveys, as well as promoting your business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AlliancePaulina Gajewska![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/10/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-hero-header-1536x848.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-universal-tips-for-any-business/) ## How to lay the foundation for successful client engagement Of course, even the most free-flowing cooking requires some basic foundation work. The first step is getting organizational [alignment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/be-the-voice-of-your-customer-and-drive-company-alignment/) and support for your customer engagement efforts. At my company, we use slides mapping out how engagement impacts each stage of the buying cycle and showing its influence across our various marketing pillars. Having these visuals helps explain why customer engagement matters to the entire revenue team. We also have a customer marketing "demand approach" that lays out the role of engagement alongside other core areas like awareness, industry leadership, and growth marketing. Documenting the objectives and past or future plans for our major engagement programs gives stakeholders a clear bird's eye view. If you're struggling to capture leadership's attention, remember to always tie customer engagement back to hard metrics that matter to them – sales impact, ROI, or retention rates. Sharing stats on the benefits of engagement can go a *long way* in unlocking resources, and having an internal foundation paves the way for adding customized programs and engagement "flavors." By grounding client engagement in these broader business goals, it's easier to align resources and support for tailored B2B client engagement strategies. ## Your client engagement "ingredient list" We're all familiar with the typical customer engagement program options - [advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/), user groups, online communities, references, and more. But the real work lies in selecting the engagement strategies that best align with your organizational goals and client demographics. Here we evaluate potential programs across a few criteria: - **Level** of marketing team effort required - **Degree** of customer involvement and work - **Reach** or amplification potential of the program Your client engagement strategy template should guide the selection of engagement programs based on team resources, client involvement, and potential reach. For example, an advisory board requires high team effort (coordination, travel, etc.) and customer involvement but has relatively low reach beyond the participants themselves. Whereas something like customer awards could have medium-to-high effort levels depending on the program structure, but offer high potential reach if you maximize the promotion of the winners. [Find the right passion topics to engage customer interestsIn our first episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Jeni Asaba, Senior Manager, Community Engagement & Advocacy at Jamf, about the importance of finding your customers’ passion topics to inform engagement and internal processes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/Learning_With_Leadership_Podcast_Asset_--3---1--1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-how-to-find-the-right-customer-passion-topics-to-engage-customer-interests-leadership-accelerator-program/) ## How to maximize your client voices Once you have your foundational engagement programs in place, it's time to kick things up a notch. But what does true customer engagement look like? It goes far beyond just participating in a survey or webinar. Here are a couple of examples of highly engaged customers for us include: ****Patrick:** ⭐️ Attended our annual user conference ⭐️ He referred five peers to attend ⭐️ Participated in a regional user group ⭐️ Donated to a fundraiser we promoted ⭐️ Is an active community member. ****Laura:** ⭐️ Serves on our executive advisory board ⭐️ Brings 10+ teammates to our conference yearly ⭐️ Participates in our reference program ⭐️ Speaks at our events ⭐️ Appears on our podcasts. These examples illustrate the full spectrum of engagement - with the customer advocating for your brand, providing input and direction, and helping generate content that attracts new buyers. When we have customers willing to go the extra mile, we make sure to milk every opportunity for their involvement. For instance, if a customer agrees to participate in an award process, we'll pursue: 🎥 **Video testimonials** at the award ceremony 🎤 **Podcasts** or webinar speaking opportunities 📝 **Case study** or blog content 📱 **Social media** video snippets and quotes 📣 **Including their story** in nurture email campaigns The key is leveraging that single engagement for as many potential marketing and sales assets as possible. That's why having a talented content crew is so valuable - they can repackage the raw customer interactions into fresh deliverables. [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) ## Why repurposing is your secret sauce This brings me to the real secret sauce of my customer engagement efforts - ruthlessly repurposing and amplifying every asset developed from customer interactions. We never just let a single webinar recording, testimonial quote, or case study go uncelebrated Take our customer, Margie, for instance. A regional award winner, we maximized her participation by: - Creating **website testimonial banners** and in-product ads with her story - Turning her award submission into a **blog post** celebrating mortgage professionals - Having her **speak in a** **webinar** on industry trends - Featuring **video snippets** of her insights on social media At the end of the day, we're relentlessly squeezing every drop of value out of each piece of [engaged customer content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/). The same video clips get spliced for websites, campaigns, event promotions, and more, and customers' written submissions get repurposed into blogs, ebooks, and sales materials. It's an intense juggling act, but one that pays off immensely in stretching our overall content capabilities while showing customers their voices truly matter. ## How to measure the success of your client engagement strategy Of course, no recipe is complete without assessing whether your creation is a delicious success. For client engagement, we use a few different criteria to measure the temperature: 1. Monitor which specific customer accounts are **demonstrating the greatest, most consistent engagement** across our programs and content development. 2. Track the "shelf life" and freshness of customer-powered content and assets. We have a simple SharePoint database that logs the creation date of each piece and automatically flags anything older than 2 years for archival or updates. 3. Keep an eye on the "ripple effects" of engaged customers, which often extend far beyond our wildest ambitions. Many customers view working closely with us as an opportunity to elevate their personal and professional brand. While these endeavors are first and foremost about their own growth, we at ICE Mortgage Technology also benefit by associating with such respected voices. In the end, effectively measuring client engagement isn't just about hard metrics or filled campaign slots. It's about recognizing the multi-faceted ripples engaged customers send across your company, the industry sphere, and their own professional journeys. ## Final thoughts As I've laid out, there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for creating powerful client engagement strategies. Each organization needs to thoughtfully design a unique blend of programs, customers, and promotion tactics based on their specific goals, resources, and customer relationships. Most importantly, remember that customer engagement is more art than science. As marketers, we must constantly evaluate, experiment, and evolve our approaches to develop resonant experiences. Don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and initiate fresh, innovative customer engagement tactics. With the right combination of strategies, you’ll have everything needed to build engagement campaigns that resonate deeply with clients and drive measurable results. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Eileen at our *Customer Marketing Summit,* *Las Vegas 2023*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?%5Fgl=1%2A4eko0f%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTg1MTY2ODkzMC4xNzMxMDYzMzMy%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTczMTA2MzMzMS4xLjAuMTczMTA2MzMzMS4wLjAuMA..&wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=kfaj31f33a)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### Why customer marketing belongs in a customer onboarding strategy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/ Last updated: 2024-10-25T19:59:18.000Z Let's be clear: [Customer onboarding ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/)isn't just the responsibility of [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/). Yes, customer success teams are the main point of contact and are the ones who first and foremost guide a new customer through the process. But they're not the only team with a stake in the game. Truly [customer-centric](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-customer-led-coe-the-6-key-steps-to-success/) companies involve their [customer marketing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/), too. There are opportunities aplomb Here's how [customer marketing managers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/) can actively impact the onboarding process and why it’s pivotal to long-term success. ## What is customer onboarding? [Customer onboarding](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-onboarding/) is the structured process of guiding new customers from their initial purchase to successful [product adoption](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-product-adoption-where-customer-marketing-fits/), helping them understand, [implement](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-implementation-framework/), and [gain value](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/recognize-product-value/) from your solution In order for your business to be successful, your customers need to be set up with the right [support and knowledge](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-power-of-customer-education/). **Onboarding isn’t just an operational phase – it’s the launchpad for future** [**engagement**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) **and** [**advocacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/)**.** For customer marketing managers, a seamless and well-optimized onboarding process sets the tone for every interaction to follow, creating a foundation that can drive [loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/), reduce [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/), and spark genuine [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-advocacy-program-video/). ![The two purposes of customer onboarding: Create a seamless, engaging first experience; establish the foundation for long-term success and retention.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/10/onboarding.jpg) There’s no room for the old-age view that prioritizes sales at all costs. A well-thought-out customer onboarding plan can help organizations maintain their relationships with their customers, whilst helping the customers get maximum value from the product. > Good onboarding breeds satisfied customers, which, in turn, produces advocates who'll shout your brand's name from the rooftops. Customer onboarding is the systematic process of guiding new customers through your product's features, functionality, and value proposition. While it begins with the first interaction, effective onboarding is an ongoing journey into customer education and engagement that extends well beyond initial sign-up. ### Key elements of a successful customer onboarding process - Educational guidance on core features and functionality - Strategic introduction of advanced capabilities - Proactive support and friction reduction - Contextual tips and tutorials - Continuous value demonstration The key isn't just getting users started – it's empowering them to achieve their goals through your product. [What is customer relationship marketing?Customer relationship marketing is a marketing strategy that companies use to center their business and product marketing efforts around customer relationships, customer needs, and customer loyalty. The approach focuses on using customer feedback and data to optimize product marketing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/10/crm.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/) ## How customer onboarding can deepen engagement from day one Traditionally, [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/11-exclusive-customer-marketing-tips-from-thought-leaders/) has been seen as something that picks up *after* onboarding, with most people assuming that onboarding is solely the realm of customer success. But here’s the thing: [customer marketing and customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/) are two sides of the same coin. When customer marketers actively collaborate on onboarding, they set the foundation for everything that follows – engagement, retention, and advocacy. When customer marketers align from the start, they help craft an onboarding experience that resonates with customers, reinforces key product benefits, and turns new users into loyal advocates faster. This is more than just collaboration – it’s a *revolutionary* shift. Customer marketers aren’t just stepping in after onboarding; they’re there from the beginning, shaping the customer journey at every touchpoint and maximizing long-term value for both the customer and the company. [What is engagement marketing?Engagement marketing is a customer marketer’s bread and butter. When employed by a customer marketer, It’s about connecting with your customer base and creating meaningful experiences that foster brand loyalty.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/08/What-is-engement-marketing.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) ### Set the foundation for engagement campaigns Onboarding is the customer’s first real experience with the product, making it the perfect stage to establish a baseline of understanding and satisfaction. When customer marketing managers closely collaborate with their CS team, they gain insights into common onboarding pain points and successful touchpoints. This understanding enables customer marketing to shape ongoing engagement campaigns and future customer communication that address and reinforce key messages introduced in onboarding. For instance, if onboarding data shows that customers frequently overlook a key feature, customer marketing can develop targeted email nurture campaigns, videos, or content resources to highlight this feature. This adds a sense of continuity and increases customers’ confidence in using the product, ultimately setting up future engagement efforts for success. ### Use data-driven insights on your customer journeys Onboarding data is a goldmine for shaping lifecycle and [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) programs. Analyzing where customers encounter difficulties or experience smooth onboarding, allows customer marketing managers to develop [segmented](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/), [personalized communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/). For example: - Customers who encounter challenges might receive follow-up guides, targeted troubleshooting resources, or direct offers for support. - Customers who breeze through onboarding can be nudged toward advanced features, product certifications, or early access to advocacy programs. These tailored approaches lead to more relevant, meaningful interactions and increase the likelihood of engagement throughout the customer lifecycle. [SaaS education marketing requires solid customer profileGood marketing (just like good instructional design) requires a solid understanding of your audience (your learner). It’s time for us to get good at creating customer profiles.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceBill Cushard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/09/joe-shields-dLij9K4ObYY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/saas-customer-education-marketing-requires-solid-customer-profile/) ### Content collaboration and consistency While CSMs are the sole leads on onboarding communication, customer marketing managers can offer invaluable support by creating supplementary content that reinforces onboarding objectives. Onboarding is the time for customer marketers to let their educational side run riot by producing resources like webinars, self-service guides, and tips. This role ensures consistency in messaging, enhancing customer confidence without overwhelming them. ### Identify advocates early on "The early bird catches the worm" and all that. Tracking onboarding satisfaction and product adoption data must be a priority for customer marketers, as it's a handy way to identify early adopters or standout users who exhibit high engagement or rapid success. These customers can then be invited into advocacy programs or encouraged to participate in [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/), community forums, or peer-led initiatives. Identifying advocates at the onboarding stage, allows customer marketers to set the stage for a more organic growth of champions and customer-driven promotion efforts. Engaged advocates, in turn, contribute to word-of-mouth marketing and strengthen brand loyalty, reinforcing the value of a strong onboarding foundation. ### A feedback loop for continuous improvement For customer marketing managers, there's a treasure trove of customer onboarding insights for the taking. The data collected during onboarding can be instrumental in efforts to refine engagement and [retention strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-customer-retention/). The ticket here is to closely align with customer success to provide a constant [feedback loop](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/), allowing customer marketing to detect [trends](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-business-strategies-around-market-trends/), address content gaps, and introduce campaigns that tackle unmet needs. This holistic approach ensures that all stages of the customer journey – from onboarding through to engagement and advocacy – feel cohesive, interconnected, and, most importantly, [*customer-centric*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/). [Customer-centric strategies: Five lessons for successBuilding a marketing strategy without your customers in mind is like making a hamburger and not including a patty– it just doesn’t make sense. So, where to start? Here are five lessons learned and best practices from one Customer Marketer to another.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceVera Barile![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/07/emily-bernal-Z9CyRqzEGC8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/) ### Why optimizing customer onboarding is key to customer marketing success A well-designed onboarding process is essential for customer marketing success over the long term. Here’s why: - **Customer retention**: A smooth onboarding process drastically reduces the chances of [customers leaving early](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn/). Instead, it keeps them engaged with your product. - **Customer advocacy**: A positive onboarding experience builds [trust](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) and [satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), paving the way for future advocacy and [referral](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/) opportunities. - **Customer engagement**: Effective onboarding aligns customers with the value of a product from the start, making it much easier to engage them down the line with new features, advanced usage tips, and personalized communication. - **Efficient campaigns**: When onboarding pain points are addressed early on, customer marketing campaigns are more targeted and efficient, with a clear understanding of customer needs and a framework for nurturing ongoing success. ## Why is customer onboarding important? When customer marketing is properly adopted in organizations, it can have a real impact on revenue. In our [State of Customer Marketing 2024 report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/), **Louise Domeisen, Customer Marketing Manager (Advocacy)** at **Redgate Software**, gave some insights into the relationship between onboarding, revenue and customer marketing: > "As a subscription-based business, the impact my wider team has on customer onboarding and their journey to seeing value from their products is essential. > > "We all know the cost of bringing in new customers, so by keeping our existing customers happy and building that trust with us, not only do we combat churn, we open up opportunities to expand and cross-sell with that customer account. > > "Customer marketing, whether advocacy, onboarding, or education, has the most cost-effective ROI within a marketing division. Our outgoing costs are minimal, but the revenue impact is massive both for maintaining existing and attracting new customers.” ## Want to learn more? Customer marketing is and always will be a customer-centric role. A core part of your job is to value the voice of the customer and advocate for their wants, needs, and pain points. It’s your responsibility to make them feel heard. Therefore, customer marketing is an integral part of what you need to do to ensure that you’re staying true to this. [Customer Marketing Certified: Core](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) is a certification designed to give you invaluable, practical insights into streamlining your customer marketing approach so that you can ensure that: - Your customers are happy, - Your products are the best they truly can be, - Your brand reputation is consistently positive, and - That you bring in increased revenue for your organization. So what are you waiting for? [Enroll today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### Tools for success in single-product vs. multi-product environments URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tools-for-success-single-product-vs-multi-product-environments/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:45:46.000Z Mastering the complexities of marketing for multiple products is essential for driving business success. I’m Cate Vanasse, Director of Global Customer Marketing at Talkdesk (and formerly at Cisco), and throughout my career, I’ve developed a keen understanding of what it takes to succeed in both single-product and multi-product environments. Whether you're shifting from marketing one product to many or balancing diverse product lines, prioritization, and strategic dexterity are crucial. In this article, I’ll share the key strategies and tools that have helped me thrive, from segmentation and targeting to leveraging the voice of the customer and focusing on the entire customer experience. ## Defining customer marketing When I think about [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-framework/), I always categorize it into three main pillars: 1. **Voice of the** **Customer** – This includes initiatives like advisory boards, briefing centers, insights, and NPS (Net Promoter Score). 2. **Advocacy** – People often associate customer marketing with [advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/), such as case studies, testimonials, and references. But it goes far beyond that, encompassing the development of evidence to support the brand. 3. **Lifecycle management** – From onboarding, upsell, cross-sell, and renewals, lifecycle management ensures the customer’s journey is supported and optimized every step of the way. Depending on the role, your focus may vary—sometimes it's all three pillars, while in other cases, it may be just one or two. [Customer marketing frameworkFor each of the five fundamental stages: Lifecycle and governance, educate, engage, understand, and expand, we’ve unpacked each of the cogs to arm you all the info needed to boost your understanding of pivotal topics, as you and your team strive to create something truly memorable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/08/CMA_Meta_Images_Framework-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-framework/) ## Prioritization and focus When you’re faced with limited resources—whether it's one hour or one dollar—prioritization becomes crucial. The question is, how do you make the right decisions on where to invest that time and money? This is where we turn to tried and true marketing fundamentals to guide us. One of the key strategies in this process is [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/). While this is a complex topic that could easily fill an entire course of study, I'll touch on some high-level considerations to get you started. First, think about your total addressable market. Who are all the potential customers that might need your product? More importantly, do they have the means and ability to purchase it? This broad view helps you define your starting point before narrowing down your focus. ### Align on marketing goals Once you have a sense of your market, the next step is to be crystal clear about your marketing goals. Are you looking to grow your existing customers' wallet share, or are you aiming to generate new leads? I had an experience at Expedia Corporate Travel where this became critical. We were launching a campaign that was explicitly focused on increasing spend from our current clients. To me, it was clear this was about growing wallet share. But when I presented the strategy, one of the executive sponsors immediately asked, "Where are the new leads?" That moment highlighted the importance of alignment. Before you start any campaign, make sure everyone is on the same page about the objective. Being aligned on your goals not only directs how you spend your resources but also ensures that the entire team understands what success looks like. By focusing on these foundational elements—defining your total market and ensuring alignment on goals—you’ll be better equipped to make decisions on where to invest your time, money, and energy for the greatest impact. ## Segmentation criteria There are many ways to approach [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/), and it’s critical to choose the criteria that best align with your business and marketing goals. Throughout my career in B2B marketing, I’ve used several segmentation methods depending on the situation and product line. **Common segmentation approaches in B2B:** 1. **Firmographics**This is one of the most common methods in B2B marketing. You can segment based on criteria such as organizational size, geography, or industry. For example, a product may be more suited to mid-market companies in a specific region or an industry like healthcare or finance. 2. **Tiering**Another useful approach is tiering, where you categorize customers based on how closely they align with the overall value your business offers. This could involve focusing on high-value clients or those most likely to benefit from your solution. 3. **Behavioral**Behavioral segmentation looks at how your customers interact with your product or brand. This might include user status (e.g., new vs. returning customers), loyalty, or purchase history. It can help you focus on customers who are likely to generate repeat business or grow their engagement. 4. **Account-Based Marketing (ABM)**Many of us are familiar with [ABM](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/abm-and-customer-marketing-a-one-two-punch-for-the-recession-economy/), where the focus is on specific key accounts—targeting particular logos that you want to bring on board. This approach often involves tailored strategies for individual companies and decision-makers. 5. **Persona-based**It’s important to consider the specific personas involved in the buying decision. Whether it's C-level executives or mid-level managers, understanding who influences the purchase can help you tailor your messaging and approach accordingly. [Ultimate guide to customer segmentation.Customer segmentation is a tool used by businesses that sorts and categorizes your existing customers by certain characteristics. This tool has a multitude of benefits, which we’ll be going over in this comprehensive guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_segmentation_strategy.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) ### Mixing and matching segmentation criteria It's important to recognize that the right segmentation strategy for you may involve a mix of these criteria. You can—and should—combine firmographics, behavioral insights, and account-specific strategies to create a segmentation plan that works for your unique situation. Once you have defined your segments, it's time to put it all together and pressure test your strategy. This is where competitive and industry information can be invaluable, helping you build a comprehensive view of your market landscape. ### Personalization The importance of [personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) cannot be overstated. The temptation, especially with limited resources, is to apply the same approach across every product line. But it's vital to take the time to tailor your segmentation and strategy for each product, even if it means focusing only on the key product lines for a particular quarter or time period. In short, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Successful segmentation involves taking the time to understand your market and carefully selecting the criteria that will give you the best chance for success. ## Identifying the right customer focus Once you've laid the groundwork for [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/), the next step is to determine which type of customer to focus on. This is where you need to ask yourself some critical questions: - Whose needs can we best satisfy? - Who will be the most profitable customers? - Are we equipped to reach and serve them effectively? You need to evaluate whether the effort you're investing in a particular segment is truly worth it. In other words, is the juice worth the squeeze? It’s essential to assess whether the segments you’ve identified are sizable and profitable enough to warrant targeting. At the same time, consider if your company has the right resources—both in terms of tools and personnel—to effectively engage that market. ### Tailoring the approach for each product line This process can, and should, vary for each product line. Different products may serve different types of customers, so what works for one may not work for another. This is where collaboration with other teams becomes incredibly valuable. If you have access to a product marketing team, audience marketing team, or detailed personas, now is the time to pull in that data and expertise. By blending this information, you can get a more complete picture of who your ideal customer is for each product and how best to reach them. Through it all, keep these key questions and milestones as your North Star. Whether you're designing campaigns from a lifecycle perspective or engaging with customers for advocacy, knowing which customers to prioritize will guide your strategy. It’s important to remember that these answers will differ based on the specific product or service you’re promoting, so don't shy away from adapting your approach for each unique scenario. ## Bringing segmentation and targeting together We’ve discussed segmentation and targeting from a high-level perspective, but how do these two concepts work in harmony? Think of segmentation as the process of mapping out your entire landscape. It’s about understanding the market as a whole and breaking it into sections where there are common needs and characteristics. Let’s use a simple analogy. Imagine you’re looking at a mountain full of biking trails. By segmenting, you’re mapping out all the trails—some are longer, some are more challenging, and each has its unique characteristics. In marketing terms, this means you've divided your market based on common factors like customer needs, demographics, or behaviors. Now, when we think about targeting, this is where you zoom in on a specific trail—the one you decide to focus on. You’ve already mapped the mountain, and now you’re choosing which trail you’re going to explore. In marketing, targeting is the process of selecting which group or segment you will focus your efforts on, ensuring that you’re concentrating your resources on the most promising opportunities. By having a clear segmentation strategy, you can ensure that your targeting decisions are based on solid data and insight, ultimately leading to more effective marketing campaigns. ## Building strategic dexterity across product lines We’ve touched on segmentation and targeting, but how do you develop the strategic dexterity to do justice to all the different product lines you manage, across Voice of Customer, advocacy, and lifecycle? The key to this, like so many things in marketing, often comes back to Voice of the Customer. However, it's not enough to just passively listen to customer feedback. You need to dive deeper and understand the unique dynamics at play across different products and solutions. When identifying advocates, for example, don’t simply rely on a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) to assume someone is an ideal advocate. Advocacy is about real people, not just logos, and those individuals come with varied preferences, motivations, and experiences. ### Beyond the NPS score: Understanding customer nuances Too often, we make the mistake of treating customers as a monolithic group based on their NPS or other broad metrics. For example, it’s tempting to approach someone with a high NPS score and assume they’d be willing to advocate for your product. But as we all know, customers are complex. Just because they’re happy with one aspect of your offering doesn’t mean they want to be a spokesperson for the entire product line. A great example comes from my time at Cisco. We had a fantastic opportunity to engage a female CTO who was highly respected in the industry. Naturally, we wanted to feature her on stage to highlight her success with our products. But despite several attempts to involve her in various presentations, she repeatedly declined. This left us baffled—after all, she had such positive regard for the company! It wasn’t until we met in person and had a deeper conversation that we understood the real reason for her reluctance. She was a huge fan of one particular product line but wasn’t comfortable being a spokesperson for others she didn’t fully endorse. This was a valuable lesson in not assuming that a satisfied customer with a high NPS is ready to advocate across the board. ### Tailoring your advocacy approach This experience taught me the importance of digging deeper into the nuances of customer relationships. It's essential to work closely with your account teams and use your reference management tools wisely. Don't just categorize customers as advocates or non-advocates—get specific. Where are they advocates, and where aren’t they? What products or services do they feel strongly about, and which ones do they feel more neutral or even negative toward? By understanding these nuances, you can better tailor your outreach and ensure you're placing customers in advocacy roles that truly align with their passions. This creates more meaningful moments for them and allows you to showcase their success in a way that’s authentic, rather than forcing them into uncomfortable situations. In the end, it’s about being thoughtful in how you engage with customers and ensuring that their experiences are represented in a way that highlights their strengths while aligning with their genuine preferences. ## Keeping the whole customer experience in mind One final piece I want to emphasize is the importance of keeping the whole experience in mind. As marketers, it’s easy to get caught up in the details—we want to know every little aspect and often focus intensely on specific products or metrics. Whether you're responsible for marketing three products or three hundred, it’s essential to zoom out and consider the broader customer journey. **For example,** let’s say you're tasked with growing customer advocacy or increasing spend on a specific product, like mountain bike pedals. It’s tempting to dive deep into that one product and focus all your efforts there. But to truly connect with your customers, you need to take a step back and look at their entire experience with the bike. Ask yourself: - What motivated them to buy the bike in the first place? - How long have they owned it? - What are their future goals or aspirations as a cyclist? - How does riding the bike make them feel? Understanding these elements gives you a much richer picture of who your customer is and how your product fits into their broader experience. It’s a balance of focusing on the specific product you’re marketing while keeping the entire customer journey in view. The customer's relationship with your product doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s part of a larger ecosystem of experiences, emotions, and needs. By maintaining this holistic perspective, you can create more meaningful connections and ultimately build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with your customers. So, even when you need to zoom in, don’t forget to occasionally zoom out. This broader perspective will help ensure your marketing efforts are aligned not just with the immediate product, but with the full scope of your customer’s experience. ## Key strategies for managing multiple product lines When you find yourself in a situation where you’re learning new product lines or pivoting from managing a small portfolio to a much larger one—whether it’s from a few products to hundreds, as was my case at Cisco—there are a few critical points to keep in mind. ### 1\. Ruthless prioritization The first step is to adopt a mindset of ruthless prioritization. If you have just one hour and one dollar, where should you invest it? Where is your best bet? This is all about making the most of your limited time and resources by focusing on what will deliver the most impact. ### 2\. Map out your market This is where segmentation comes into play. We talked about mapping the mountain—identifying your total addressable market, defining your marketing goals, and determining your segmentation criteria. This process helps you understand where your opportunities lie. ### 3\. Zero in on the right target Once you’ve mapped out the landscape, the next step is to zero in on the right target. This is about focusing on the sweet spot that will yield the best results. When I think about this, it reminds me of when Marketo first launched lead scoring. For the first time, we could see both how interested customers were in us (behavioral insights) and how much we should care about them (demographics). This dual approach helped prioritize what should happen next and can still serve as a helpful model for finding the right audience for your product. ### 4\. Listen to the voice of the customer Be deeply curious about your customers' experiences. These are real people, not just logos. Customer sentiment is nuanced, so take the time to dig into their feedback and understand their perspectives. This insight will guide your strategies for advocacy and engagement. ### 5\. Keep the whole experience in view Even when you’re focused on specific products or solutions, don’t lose sight of the entire customer journey. Remember that each product fits into a broader context of their experience, and understanding that larger story will help you make smarter decisions about how to engage with them. ### Always be learning While these are the strategies that have worked for me, the truth is, none of us have all the answers. Marketing, especially in complex environments, is an ongoing process of learning and adapting. I’m always curious to hear what’s working for others and to learn from their experiences. Keep an open mind and stay eager to evolve your approach as you gain new insights. These foundational strategies will help you stay focused and efficient as you navigate the complexities of managing multiple product lines, ensuring that you're always investing your time and resources where they'll have the most impact. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Cate at our *Customer Marketing Summit, Boston 2024*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-boston-2024/?wchannelid=xmqgjffch9&wmediaid=aquxyq7tnl)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### What is customer relationship marketing? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:24:11.000Z Have you ever wondered how some companies [keep their customers coming](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/) back time and time again? The answer often lies in **customer relationship marketing**, a powerful strategy that goes beyond single transactions and focuses on cultivating [long-term customer loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/). When you emphasize [personalized interactions](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-values-in-your-product-led-growth-business/) and ongoing [engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) transform, you transforms one-time buyers into [loyal customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/) and even brand [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-identify-and-mobilize-your-brand-ambassadors/). Let’s explore how this holistic strategy can revolutionize your business by building enduring connections with your customers. ### What Is customer relationship marketing? You've heard of [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/). You'll undoubtedly be familiar with [customer relationship *management*](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/crm/what-is-crm/)*.* But what is customer relationship marketing? At its core, customer relationship marketing is about creating meaningful, lasting relationships with customers. Unlike traditional marketing, which often aims for immediate sales, relationship marketing focuses on the long-term value of the customer relationship. The goal is not just to make a sale, but to keep customers engaged, satisfied, and coming back. Relationship marketing strategies emphasize: - Understanding customer needs and preferences - Personalizing every interaction - Prioritizing customer satisfaction - Focusing on long-term customer retention Through creating ongoing conversations and meaningful experiences, relationship marketing shifts the focus from short-term transactions to fostering customer loyalty and retention over time. [What is customer marketing and why is it so important?So, let’s dive in - what exactly is customer marketing? The truth of the matter is, is that it really looks quite different depending on an organization, and its internal structure and goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/ivana-cajina-dQejX2ucPBs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) ## The difference between customer marketing and customer *relationship* marketing? These two strategies sound near-identical and are often used interchangeably, but you'll find they actually have distinct focuses: ### Customer marketing definition When we refer to customer marketing, we're talking about any marketing activity or campaign aimed at your **existing customer base**. The primary goal of customer marketing is to deepen customer relationships, drive repeat purchases, and promote [upsell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) or [cross-sell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) opportunities. It often involves strategic marketing techniques such as personalized recommendations, [tailored communications](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/), and [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-engagement-channels-for-advocacy-and-retention/). ### Customer relationship marketing definition Now customer *relationship* marketing is built around a long-term strategy for producing long-term relationships with customers. It typically focuses on the customer's needs, loyalty, and ultimate satisfaction. This strategy uses customer feedback and data to improve products and services, ensuring continuous long-term engagement and loyalty rather than just immediate sales. | Aspect | Customer marketing | Customer relationship marketing | | Focus | Transactional, revenue-driven | Relational, trust, and loyalty-driven | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | ----- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Objective | Upselling, cross-selling, and repeat purchases | Building long-term, personalized relationships | | | | | | Time frame | Medium to long-term | Long-term | | | | | | Approach | Campaign-focused marketing efforts | Data-driven, lifecycle management | | | | | | Customer interaction | More transactional | Encourages an emotional connection and loyalty | | | | | | Metrics | CLV, repeat purchases | Customer satisfaction, NPS | | | | | ### Customer relationship marketing vs. customer relationship management Although customer relationship *marketing* and customer relationship management have the same acronyms (CRM), there is an important distinction: - Customer relationship **marketing** is the strategy aimed at building long-term relationships with customers. - Customer relationship **management** refers to the technology and systems used to manage, track, and optimize customer interactions. In essence, relationship marketing is the game plan for cultivating loyalty, while relationship management (the tool) provides the infrastructure to execute and monitor that strategy. Together, they form a powerful approach to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business growth. [What is engagement marketing?Engagement marketing is a customer marketer’s bread and butter. When employed by a customer marketer, It’s about connecting with your customer base and creating meaningful experiences that foster brand loyalty.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/08/What-is-engement-marketing.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) ## Benefits of customer relationship marketing Implementing relationship marketing strategies offers significant advantages for businesses of all sizes. These include: ### Lower acquisition costs Think of it as the difference between keeping a plant alive versus constantly replanting. Nurturing existing customer relationships is often more cost-effective than the constant hunt for new ones. Your loyal customers already know and trust your brand, making them more receptive to your offers. ### Improved customer retention When you start to focus on relationship-building, you lay the foundations of a "sticky" business. Loyal customers are like good neighbors – they tend to stick around for the long haul. This translates to a steady stream of [recurring revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/), providing stability and predictability to your business. ### Higher ROI Relationship marketing truly is the gift that keeps on giving. When you build long-term relationships, your marketing dollars stretch further. Instead of one-and-done transactions, you're cultivating customers who return again and again, maximizing your return on investment over time. ### Increased sales Happy customers aren't just repeat customers – they often become your biggest spenders. As their trust in your brand grows, so does their willingness to try new products or upgrade to premium offerings. ### Enhanced brand awareness In the age of social media, word-of-mouth is more powerful than ever. Satisfied customers often transform into enthusiastic brand advocates, spreading the good word about your business. It's a bit like having a marketing team you don't have to pay – they bring in new customers simply because they love what you do. ### Optimized customer lifetime value (CLV) Think of CLV as the long game of business. When you nurture lasting relationships, you're not just making a sale – you're cultivating a customer who will bring value to your business for years to come. This approach leads to higher profits and greater stability, allowing you to weather market fluctuations with greater ease. ## The stages of customer relationship marketing Customer relationship marketing is not a one-time effort; it's a journey that evolves as your relationship with customers deepens. There are four key stages to this journey: ### 1\. Customer acquisition This stage involves attracting new customers by highlighting your brand’s unique value proposition. You'll find effective acquisition strategies can be creating engaging experiences, producing relevant content, and offering solutions that resonate with your target audience. ### 2\. Customer retention So, once you’ve acquired a customer, your focus needs to quickly shift to keep them satisfied. This stage emphasizes delivering excellent customer service, personalizing interactions, and potentially offering loyalty programs to show appreciation and maintain engagement. ### 3\. Customer expansion As your relationship with the customer grows, you can start to look for opportunities to increase the value your product provides. Now, this might include upselling (offering premium versions of products) or cross-selling (recommending complementary products or services) to meet more of the customer’s needs. However, this should be backed by data and not taken lightly. Relationship marketing needs to make sure the upsell or cross-sell initiative is well-timed and won't spook the customer, spoiling the nature of the relationship. ### 4\. Customer reactivation Sure, some customers may disengage or stop purchasing over time. "For everything, there is a season" et cetera. However, the trick is to have a plan to re-engage them. You can re-engage dormant customers through personalized communication, special offers, or new product releases to reignite their interest. ## Key strategies for effective customer relationship marketing To build quality, lasting bonds with your customers, consider implementing these proven strategies: ### Personalize customer experiences Data is a customer relationship marketer's best friend. The sky's the limit to the intel you can learn from your customer. Use customer data to tailor your communications and upselling offers based on individual customer preferences. Remember **lesson #1 of marketing**: Personalized experiences create stronger emotional connections and enhance customer satisfaction. Don't be sloppy with your targeting, read into the data and create a holistic view of your customer that maps out their pain points, behavior, and intentions with your product. ### Deliver valuable content Consistently provide high-quality, insightful content (such as blogs, newsletters, and social media posts) that addresses customer needs and positions your brand as a trusted resource. ### Establish loyalty programs Reward customers for their loyalty through well-designed loyalty programs that offer perks such as discounts, exclusive access, and rewards. This encourages repeat business and deepens customer engagement. ### Listen to customer feedback The power of customer feedback should never be underestimated. It's a goldmine of possible strategies to re-engage customers and improve your services. Any customer relationship marketing strategy worth its salt, should be regularly gathering and acting on customer feedback through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Don't be shy! Show your customers that you value their input and making changes based on their suggestions strengthens trust and loyalty. ### Automate, but keep it personal AI should be your new bestie but one you sanity check and infuse with your own personality too. You should try to automate communications where appropriate, such as email marketing or customer reminders. However, don't learn the hard way and send an ultra-robotic email to someone called "Hey \_FN\_". (For legal reasons, we're not speaking from experience.) Always strive to maintain a personal touch when using artificial intelligence. Automation can handle the logistics with no problem, but personalizing your messaging keeps the relationship feeling genuine. --- ## What have we learned? Customer relationship marketing is a powerful approach to transforming how businesses interact with their customers. Focus on personalized, long-term engagement rather than short-term sales, and you'll build strong, lasting relationships that drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat business. Whether you’re acquiring new customers, retaining existing ones, or reactivating lapsed clients, with a focus on the *relationship* element of customer marketing, you'll be able to keep customers engaged throughout their entire journey with your brand. [Customer Advocacy Certified | MastersCreate game-changing customer experiences for your most valuable customers that drive business growth and career momentum.![](https://lwfiles.mycourse.app/658048af40b082a5eec3f650-public/bc14804c664638e4cc6d9b7faf46c890.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://lwfiles.mycourse.app/658048af40b082a5eec3f650-public/93a773e2cac6c1a4b8ff2e478e104a77.png)](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advocacy-certified-masters) ## Give your customer relationships the investments they deserve Every business wishes they had they key to life-long customer relationships. The good'uns that last decades long. We'll let you in on a secret: our **Customer Advocacy** course will provide you with the perfect resources, mentor, and development needed to keep up with and excel during this change. It'll take you through the foundational skills and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advocacy-certified-masters) ### Make your advocacy program actually effective | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-advocacy-program-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-18T12:14:15.000Z ## Want to learn more about advocacy? [Unique advocacy tips to perfect your customer experienceIn this article, I’ll share the key lessons and strategies that have helped me successfully build and manage customer advocacy programs, from the importance of personal connection to thinking outside the box and being authentic.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJennifer Susinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/09/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--3---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/) [Advocates and employees: The solution to economic uncertainty | VideoAri Hoffman and Gillian Farquhar, VP of Global Customer Marketing, continue their conversation about customer marketing stability during times of economic uncertainty. In this episode, they discuss involving advocates and employees to support bottom-line success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/10/CMA_Summit-Series_Youtube_Thumbnail_Template_--9-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocates-and-employees-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/) [Irrational advocacy: What are the drivers of brand loyalty?Irrational advocacy, a term that might seem contradictory, refers to the unparalleled devotion customers exhibit towards a brand, often surpassing logical reasoning.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDaniel Brian Cobb![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/09/What-is-engagement-marketing--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) ### How can Customer Marketers and Product Marketing Managers best work together? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-work-together/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:48:38.000Z *This article is based on Clayton's appearance on the* [*Customer Marketing Catch-Up podcast*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/)*.* --- Building effective collaboration between product marketing and customer marketing is essential for driving success in any organization. I'm Clayton Prichard, with over 11 years of marketing experience across various tech companies, including roles in product marketing and customer marketing. Throughout my career, I’ve seen how closely these two teams must work together to ensure a seamless customer experience. In this article, I’ll share insights on the distinct yet complementary roles of product and customer marketers, the importance of cross-team collaboration, and practical advice on how both teams can align to drive adoption, renewals, and long-term customer success. ## Differences between Product Marketing Managers and Customer Marketing Managers The distinction between [product marketing managers](https://www.productledalliance.com/understanding-product-marketers/) and customer marketing managers is largely defined by their names. ### Product marketers Product marketers focus primarily on the product itself. They work to deeply understand our ideal customer profile (ICP) and ensure that the product is being built in alignment with customer needs and market demands. Their role involves gathering insights from the market and customers, then feeding that information back to the product teams to ensure we're building the right things in the right way. Another key responsibility of product marketers is planning the go-to-market strategy. This is often overlooked during product development, but it's crucial. Product marketers spend a lot of time thinking about how they introduce the product to the market. This is where the collaboration with [customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) begins, as they provide invaluable customer data. Since customer marketers maintain close relationships with some of our biggest customers—often through case studies—they can offer unique insights that influence both product development and go-to-market strategies. ### Customer marketers Customer marketers, on the other hand, are focused on specific [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/). Depending on the company's size, they may start with a broad focus but eventually specialize in targeting specific [ICPs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/). They run campaigns tailored to these personas, ensuring that the messaging resonates with particular customer groups. Additionally, customer marketers work closely on creating case studies and other content that often requires one-on-one interactions with customers. In essence, product marketers are centered around product development—what we're building, how we're building it, and how we're taking it to market—while customer marketers concentrate on nurturing relationships with existing customers and executing campaigns targeted at specific personas. ### How customer marketing feeds into product marketing There is a strong interplay between the two teams. Product marketing is often seen as more "pre-purchase," focusing on getting things off the ground, whereas customer marketing provides feedback from existing customers that informs future go-to-market strategies. One of the main differences is that while product marketers concentrate on launching new products or features, customer marketers think about the entire customer lifecycle. Their focus spans from when a customer first becomes a solid lead to their eventual renewal or upsell. Customer marketers ensure we are consistently engaging with customers, driving adoption, and securing renewals. Often, they do this by highlighting features that may have already been launched, ensuring customers are making the most of the product. In short, product marketers work on the next big launch, while customer marketers are focused on maintaining and growing the relationship with customers over the long term. Both roles are critical, and their collaboration ensures that we're not only building the right product but also sustaining strong, ongoing relationships with our customers. ## Building a marketing team from scratch: How product and customer marketing fit in When you're building a marketing team from the ground up, like I did at Momentum as Head of Marketing, the approach to product marketing and customer marketing is largely determined by the stage of the company. Early on, we didn’t have someone dedicated to customer marketing because we were still in the early stages. The founders, customer success managers, and sales team had close relationships with all of our customers, so there wasn’t an immediate need for a scaled approach. Customer marketing usually becomes essential when you have a larger customer base and need to start scaling outreach—setting up email campaigns, managing case studies, and handling the onboarding process. The key signal for me that it’s time to bring in a customer marketer is when the customer success team can no longer manage everything on their own, or when product marketers are spending too much time handling customer success tasks instead of focusing on core product marketing functions. Product marketing tends to be a more strategic role and usually comes later in the hiring process. It's vital for defining our messaging, positioning, and go-to-market strategy. However, before that, I prioritize roles like content marketing, community marketing, and demand generation. Product marketing, while critical, usually scales with the organization alongside the product management team. ### Marketing teams emerge during periods of growth Typically, both product and customer marketing roles are introduced during periods of company growth, especially as customer bases expand. Product marketers, for example, scale as the product management team grows. If the founders or a small team are handling product management, it might not make sense to bring in product marketers until there are enough product managers for them to collaborate with. > Once the product management team grows, it becomes essential to scale the product marketing team in tandem to ensure alignment between product development and go-to-market strategies. ### How customer marketing supports growth Customer marketers are crucial once you have a sizable customer base because their primary goal is to ensure that customers are successfully adopting the product. If customers aren’t using the product effectively, they’re unlikely to renew, and without strong usage, it’s much harder to drive upsells. Customer marketing helps ensure that customers get the most value from the product, increasing their likelihood of renewal and making it easier to upsell additional product lines or add-ons. As the company expands, there are often new product lines or add-ons available for existing customers. Customer marketers play a key role in communicating the value of these new offerings and how they fit into the customer’s goals. This alignment drives revenue growth through both renewals and upsells. ### Personalization and customer experience Customer marketers work closely with the [customer success team](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) to ensure that marketing efforts are personalized and tailored to different customer segments. This collaboration is crucial because customer success managers have the deepest understanding of individual customer needs. The data they collect is used to run scaled campaigns, personalized for specific segments, ensuring that customers feel the product is tailored to their specific use cases. There are also situations where scaled campaigns aren’t appropriate for certain customers. In those cases, customer marketers enable the customer success team to handle more personalized, one-on-one outreach. Whether it’s through individual emails or phone calls, these touchpoints help maintain adoption and create long-term value for each customer. Customer marketers drive both personalization and customer experience, ensuring that every customer interaction is meaningful and aligned with the customer’s needs and goals. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also impacts revenue by increasing renewals and upsells. ## The role of product and customer marketing in website design for customer experience In my experience, product marketing plays a crucial role when it comes to shaping how a company presents itself through its website. The website is often the first interaction a prospective customer has with your brand, so it must reflect the right positioning, messaging, and pricing. For product marketers, this is a key area of focus because it's where we can control how the product is perceived before a customer even makes a purchase. Typically, product marketing either takes the lead on the website or collaborates closely with a web design and development team, depending on the size of the company. Regardless of who leads, the goal is to ensure that the branding, messaging, and experience customers get from the website align with what they’ll experience once they start using the product. This continuity is especially important for SaaS and internet-based companies, where the handoff between the marketing site and the actual product experience needs to be seamless. If a customer visits a website and then enters the product environment, and it feels disjointed—whether that’s because of a visual mismatch or a stark change in messaging—it creates a disconnect. The experience should feel cohesive, with the website flowing naturally into the product. To ensure this, the design and development teams that work on the product and the website should either be the same or collaborate closely, sharing style guides and design principles. Often, I prefer for the product itself to drive the overall brand aesthetic, with the website and other marketing materials following that lead. This way, the feeling customers get while using the product is consistent with what they see on the website, creating a unified brand experience. The handoff from product marketing to customer marketing is just as important, ensuring that after customers engage with the product, customer marketers can build on that experience and continue the brand narrative. This smooth transition is critical to maintaining a consistent customer journey, from first touch to continued engagement. ## The importance of collaboration between product marketing, customer marketing, and other teams Collaboration between product marketing and customer marketing is essential. These teams rely on each other to do their jobs effectively. Both roles are inherently collaborative, but product marketing tends to work with a broader range of teams, including product, engineering, and sales, whereas customer marketing typically focuses on customer-facing efforts. However, customer marketing should still have a good line of communication with product marketing to stay aligned on what’s being built and how it’s being marketed. Customer marketing doesn’t need to work directly with product and engineering as much—that’s where product marketing comes in as the intermediary. Product marketing understands what’s being developed and ensures that customer marketing has the information they need to communicate effectively with customers. This approach prevents silos and ensures that both teams are working together seamlessly. Beyond product and customer marketing, collaboration with [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/) is incredibly important. Customer success teams have the most direct relationships with customers post-sale, so they are key to helping customer marketers understand what customers need and where they may be struggling. Sales, while less directly involved post-purchase, is still important, especially for product marketing. Having strong relationships with sales helps both product marketing and customer marketing better align their strategies. Effective collaboration isn’t just about making requests from other teams—it's about understanding each team’s goals, challenges, and incentives. By taking the time to understand what other teams are trying to achieve, we can create a more cooperative environment where everyone is working toward shared objectives. This mutual understanding helps remove barriers and challenges, and fosters a culture where everyone is asking, “How can I help you?” instead of just focusing on their own needs. It’s similar to how we approach customers: understanding their challenges and goals is key to helping them succeed. The same principle applies internally. ## Advice for customer marketers on collaborating with product marketing As a product marketer, one of the best pieces of advice I can give to customer marketers is to focus on how you can add value to the product marketing team. Much like how product marketers build relationships with product managers by bringing in market insights and customer feedback, customer marketers should think about what they can contribute to the product marketing function. For product marketers, we’re constantly looking for insights from customers that help us ensure we're building the right products, and those insights are incredibly valuable. Customer marketers have a unique advantage here, as they have direct relationships with customers and can provide both qualitative and quantitative data. Understanding what customers are enjoying about the product, what they're struggling with, and what they need next is crucial information that customer marketers can bring to the table. Another way customer marketers can add value is during the go-to-market phase. Helping ensure that customers are adopting the product or feature is key, and this is where customer marketing can have a big impact. What’s especially helpful is when customer marketers aren’t just taking direction but instead are actively pushing back or providing input on go-to-market strategies. If a customer marketer has insights on what messaging works better based on past experiences, they should share that and suggest adjustments to improve adoption rates. Rather than simply executing an email campaign, it’s beneficial for customer marketers to be strategic partners, collaborating on how best to drive customer success. ### Leveraging customer marketers’ deep understanding of customers Customer marketers have a closer connection to customers than product marketers typically do. They’re often on the front lines, hearing feedback directly through campaigns or customer success teams. That makes their role vital in providing insights that product marketing needs to shape both product development and messaging strategies. Customer marketers should focus on sharing these insights with product marketing regularly. They know better what resonates with customers, both at an individual level and across segments, and that knowledge helps inform everything from product decisions to how we communicate about those products. For instance, customer marketing can help uncover why a particular feature isn’t being adopted as expected—whether it's a product issue, a positioning problem, or something else entirely. The qualitative data customer marketers gather through direct interactions or through customer success teams fills in gaps that product marketers can’t always access, even if we have strong data on product usage. Understanding the "why" behind the data is just as important as the data itself, and that’s where customer marketers are invaluable. They can help product marketers refine messaging, adjust strategies, or even suggest product improvements based on what they’re hearing from customers. ### A collaborative, two-way relationship Ultimately, the relationship between product marketing and customer marketing needs to be collaborative and two-way. Both teams have a shared goal: ensuring that the product resonates with customers and drives long-term success. By working together, sharing insights, and being strategic partners, both teams will be more successful in their efforts—and the company as a whole will benefit. ## **Unlock your customer marketing potential** You've learned why customer marketing is critical; now it's time to master the "how." With [**Customer Marketing Certified: Core**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core), you’ll dive deep into 12 expert-led modules, **40+ chapters** of actionable content, and **10+ hours** of hands-on learning. 💼🌟 This course offers a fully immersive experience with exclusive resources, expert insights, and **6 fireside chats** that make theory practical. Become the driving force behind customer retention, loyalty, and growth in your organization. 🚀 Elevate your skills today—your certification is the next step toward becoming a **customer marketing expert**. **Enroll now** and take control of your future success! 🎯 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/10/How-can-Customer-Marketers-and-Product-Marketing-Managers-best-work-together-.png) ### Post-purchase follow-up strategy template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/post-purchase-follow-up-strategy-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T12:02:14.000Z ## What is a post-purchase follow-up strategy template? A post-purchase follow-up strategy template is a structured plan for what you communicate to customers after they buy, and when. It covers your strategy goals, how to segment customers by purchase behavior, a full email sequence timeline, tailored [content for each stage](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content-for-each-stage-of-the-buyers-journey-template-framework/), and the KPIs that tell you whether it's working. The period right after a purchase is where [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-advocacy-beats-retention-as-a-growth-engine/) is won or lost. This template turns that window into a deliberate five-email sequence instead of a single thank-you note. ## What's inside the template? The plan covers five areas: 1. Strategy goals 2. Customer segmentation 3. Post-purchase email sequence timeline 4. Content recommendations for each stage 5. Performance tracking and KPIs ## How to use the template Set your goals and segments first, since they determine which version of the email sequence each customer should get – a first-time buyer needs a different message than a churned customer you're trying to win back. Then follow the timeline in order, using the content recommendations to keep each email focused on a single goal rather than cramming in everything at once. ## Download your post-purchase follow-up strategy template ![Post-purchase follow-up strategy template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Post-purchase-follow-up-strategy-template.png) [Post-purchase follow-up strategy templatePost-purchase follow-up strategy template.pdf100 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Post-purchase-follow-up-strategy-template.pdf "Download") [Post-purchase follow-up strategy templatePost-purchase follow-up strategy template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Post-purchase-follow-up-strategy-template.docx "Download") [Post-purchase follow-up strategy templatePost-purchase follow-up strategy template Having a stellar post-purchase follow-up strategy is a sure-fire way to ensure those new customers don’t churn. This template helps to plan and execute a well-structured post-purchase follow-up strategy to keep customers engaged, build loyalty, and encou…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-03e42a6c-f74d-4e25-910c-2e320e37b88b.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKB896-J3DjcBEmkyIk-keoOuX4EXz8prSxG2qtnHp_Uze2MA1lzJb04ASjvtjRWwGjOAnf4lnGMMTbWlxvKXTxWq6K4ExrbYQ3KwOvUKdwRS3tc9E-w1200-h630-p-71f88b27-aa17-44db-9458-386570349d0d)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u8xbNnoGuDIsl4yri-Jd8uCU9xEzFVehLhxuVCVqyWk/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The master guide to brand storytelling URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-master-guide-to-brand-storytelling/ Last updated: 2024-10-10T23:14:05.000Z Brand storytelling is the act of crafting stories that connect emotionally, fostering brand loyalty and deeper connections. In this guide, you’ll find our current resources from articles, ebooks, and courses to help you become a master storyteller for your brand. Specifically, we’ll be looking at: - What brand storytelling is - Why it’s important - Why you should use brand storytelling - How brand storytelling impacts brand image - How to use brand avatars and the hero’s journey - The impact of emotional storytelling - How storytelling works to support advocacy - Some examples of great brand storytelling ## What is brand storytelling? Brand storytelling (as noted in our comprehensive [customer marketing glossary](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-elements-of-customer-marketing-key-strategies-and-tactics-glossary/?%5Fgl=1%2Acdj2lt%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTk1OTEwNDE0NS4xNzI4NTUyMjMx%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjIzMS4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjIzMS4wLjAuMA..)) is the use of a brand's values, purpose, and identity to create compelling narratives that captivate the target audience. It involves crafting stories that connect emotionally, fostering brand loyalty and deeper connections. These narratives typically follow a structure with a beginning, middle, and end, organizing elements like plot, characters, and conflicts. Brand stories can explore ideas, beliefs, experiences, and events, often featuring a change that concludes positively or negatively. These stories can be delivered through various means, including spoken word, written text, visuals, or multimedia. ## Why is brand storytelling important? From the perspective of the customer, your brand storytelling should show them the result of their investment in your brand. Sometimes it can be easy to get lost in new metrics, platforms, and ways to perform marketing, but in the end, marketing is all about influencing someone to do something. Stories are the most influential way of conveying the value your brand has, and building a story with a relatable ‘hero’ is a fantastic way to get your customers to buy into your product. **Charlotte Lilley, Head of Global Customer Marketing at Coupa** noted that: > *“At Coupa, we focus on telling stories that showcase our customers and how they're using our products and services to achieve their goals. Here we are strategic with how we go about this and we have specific people on the team working on specific segments.”* [The power of narrative design in customer marketingIn this article, I want to share my insights on how to use data, brand storytelling, and narrative design to create content that resonates with customers, builds brand loyalty, and ultimately drives business growth. So let’s dive in!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-67.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCharlotte Lilley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/camille-brodard-kOAU9SG0VX8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/) So, in what context should stories be used? Generally speaking, there are a few common reasons why storytelling is used: - \- Promote a product - \- Entertain your audience - \- Showcase an achievement or landmark - \- Educate the market or existing customers about a new product, feature or service Each of these reasons will be showcased differently depending on who you’re targeting. Things that’ll impact the type of story you tell are things like: - Customer segments - Customer journey touchpoints - Product and/or feature uses - Customer lifetime value ### Questions to ask for story choices Your brand story must be clear about who it wants to connect with, otherwise, the effort put into making an emotional connection becomes useless. A customer isn’t going to want to hear about stories that don’t matter to them. So, to make sure you’re on the right track ask yourself these questions: - **Who is this story for?** Who will be most receptive to it and why? - **What is the story’s purpose?** Is it to educate? About what? (product, release, feature) - **What is the key message of the story** \- can it be distilled in one concise sentence? - **What action do we want the audience to take?** Upgrade membership, share a post, or book a demo? - **Which medium will be the best to showcase the story?** Also, think about how you want it presented. Will it be in traditional advertising form, a case study experience, or something else? Getting customers involved themselves is often a strong way to make immediate connections between current and potential customers, and supports other [aspects of the customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/?%5Fgl=1%2Aht9u00%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjYwODI0NTM2LjE3Mjg1NTI0MTY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjQxNi4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjQxNi4wLjAuMA) process to boot! ## Why use brand storytelling? So why use storytelling specifically? Why not use other tools for customer outreach like reference, advocacy, swag etc.? While those have their place, storytelling is a practice that is innately human and has been done for centuries. As **Gastón Tourn, CMO of Curio** says: > *“Some principles have been true for thousands of years, and there's so much we can learn – not just marketers, but anyone in business. Storytelling is a critical skill for fundraising, presenting to boards of investors, and negotiating a promotion too.”* Gaston goes on to explain that while you can do the basics of showing how your product works, that’s never going to be enough. In today’s marking landscape that’s not just the bare minimum, it won’t even get you noticed. Hundreds of other companies will be selling similar products and experiences, so storytelling (and creating a solid and identifiable brand image) is the only way to get your noticed and distinguishable from your competitors: > *“Marketing stories cannot just illustrate what the product does; they need to elevate the product experience. A marketing advert that just illustrates in very practical terms what a product does is going to have some effectiveness, but it’s not going to tell a compelling story about the brand and so it’s not going to build the brand.* > *If you just show the product and how it works, your advert is going to be quite dull, but if you defamiliarize it and you show that experience, it captures people's imagination and creates a much stronger emotional connection with the product.”* Want to read the whole interview? Take a look below. [The heart of marketing: What’s the goal of brand storytelling?Stories are at the very heart of marketing. We’re taking a look at what should be two of the main goals of your storytelling: defamiliarizing your audience (ostranenie), and maintaining a consistent story they can engage with (willing suspension of disbelief).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-66.png)Customer Marketing AllianceWill Whitham![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/dollar-gill-0V7_N62zZcU-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/magic-of-marketing-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling/) ## How brand storytelling impacts brand image Brand storytelling is a powerful vehicle for communicating brand values and personality, helping customers develop a clearer understanding of what your brand represents. Stories also build your company up as genuine and trustworthy which goes a long way into building - and becoming worthy of - lasting consumer advocacy. And, as we’ve mentioned before, unique brand stories act as differentiators within the crowded market, ensuring you stand out from your competitors. Brand storytelling changes the way customers perceive and interact with your company, turning a simple transaction into a meaningful experience and enhancing your overall brand image. [Build up your brand image using effective brand storytellingStorytelling in marketing is a great way to connect with audiences and make something memorable out of your brand that’ll stick in the minds of your customers. We’ve put together an introduction to brand storytelling to set you up on the right track.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-65.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/etienne-girardet-EP6_VZhzXM8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) ## Brand avatars and the hero’s journey [Brand avatars](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ideal-customer-avatar-understanding-your-brand-story-hero/?%5Fgl=1%2Apxtkcq%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTQwNTIwNjg0Ni4xNzI4NTUyMjc5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjI3OS4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjI3OS4wLjAuMA), also known as an Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) is a detailed character profile that illuminates the core benefits of your product or service. Storytelling must invite customers to envision an improved version of their own story. The ICA is the ‘protagonist’ in the hero’s journey. But to craft this narrative effectively, marketers must first deeply understand the current state of their audience's lives, challenges, and unfulfilled aspirations. As marketers, you are both the guide and narrator, to your ICA. Your storytelling will showcase the wisdom and tools necessary for your ICA's personal development story. ### The Hero’s journey There are a ton of different kinds of plots you can use to implement into your own storytelling, but the most classic story arc is known as The Hero’s Journey. Once you know about it, you’ll see it everywhere: The Lion King, Star Wars, The Fellowship of the Ring, and more. The Hero’s journey has eleven plot beats: - 1 - The Ordinary World - 2 - The Call to Adventure - 3 - Refusal of the Call - 4 - Meeting with the Mentor - 5 - Crossing the First Threshold - 6 - Tests, Allies, and Enemies - 7 - Approach to the Innermost Cave - 8 - The Ordeal - 9 - The Reward - 10 - The Road Back - 11 - The Ressurection - 12 - Return with the Elixir *This stuff is just the tip of the narrative design iceberg, so don’t just leave your understanding here where our *Narrative Design: Masters* is ready to make you the next Shakespeare of marketing stories.* [Narrative Design Certified | MastersTell a story they can’t ignore. Get certified in Narrative Design today.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/bc14804c664638e4cc6d9b7faf46c890.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/3d14edf69608ba6199db98f11baa6408.jpg)](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/narrative-design-masters) Now these may not mean a lot on their own, so we’ve got an example for you from The Lion King. The plot beats go as follows: 1. **The Ordinary World:** Simba is the heir to the throne of Pride Lands. 2. **The Call to Adventure:** Scar kills Mufasa and tells Simba to leave Pride Lands. 3. **Refusal of the Call:** Simba, scared and alone, retreats to the desert. 4. **Meeting with the Mentor:** Timon and Pumbaa introduce Simba to life in the jungle. 5. **Crossing the First Threshold:** Simba embraces the “hakuna matata” lifestyle. 6. **Tests, Allies, and Enemies:** Nala finds Simba and they fall in love. 7. **Approach to the Innermost Cave:** Nala asks Simba to save the Pride Lands and reclaim the throne. 8. **The Ordeal:** Simba must decide between his life in the jungle and his duty to the Pride Lands. 9. **The Reward:** Mufasa’s ghost tells Simba to return. 10. **The Road Back:** Simba goes with Nala and faces off against Scar. 11. **The Ressurection:** Simba learns Scar killed his father and he throws Scar from Pride Rock. 12. **Return with the Elixir:** Simba ascends Pride Rock and reclaims his throne. Lots of stories have similar protagonists, similar journeys, and similar obstacles, but are still unique in their own right. The Lion Kings itself is well known to be a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but you wouldn’t see people arguing Simba and Hamlet are the same character. So even with this most basic structure, you’ll be able to build a host of customer stories upon it. *We also go through more nuanced story structures, including the six basic plots in this article:* [How to power up your brand storytelling with the hero’s journeyStorytelling is a massive subject and can turn into a lifelong journey of studying stories, especially in marketing. Stories are in everything. Not just advertising and brand storytelling especially is a science that anyone can utilize; anyone can do it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-64.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/ricardo-cruz-DCqvWkXF74Q-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-power-up-your-brand-storytelling-with-the-heros-journey) ## Emotional storytelling As we’ve established throughout this guide, storytelling has the goal of persuasion but must be able to connect to the individual interacting with it, usually through [emotional storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/?%5Fgl=1%2Ahzzt6x%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjEzMTM5NDE1LjE3Mjg1NTIyMTU.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjIxNC4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjIxNC4wLjAuMA). ****Note:** Emotional storytelling isn’t exclusively pulling on the heartstrings. It can emotionally connect through, humour, joy, anger, and more! Here are some tips on engaging in emotional storytelling. ### Leverage powerful sensory details Senses include smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. Some of these can be more ticky to convery through a traditional medium, but perfum advertisers have been doing it for decades. The main key is to pick a sense that you want to focu on, and engage the imagination of the customer through vidual or auditory storytelling. By engaging multiple senses, you can make narratives more vivid and emotionally impactful. But how do you apply this? Here are some examples: 1. **A coffee company:** A coffee brand could weave rich sensory details into their narrative about their sourcing and roasting process. They might describe the misty mountains where their beans are grown, the earthy aroma that fills the air during roasting, or the smooth, velvety texture of the final brew. 2. **A luxury car manufacturer's promotional campaign:** A high-end car brand could use sensory storytelling to convey the experience of driving their latest model. They might detail the touch of hand-stitched leather, the satisfying click of precision-engineered controls, or the purr of the engine as it comes to life. By incorporating such vivid sensory details, marketers can create more engaging and persuasive brand stories that stick in customers' minds and evoke emotional responses. This approach helps to differentiate the brand and create a more immersive, memorable customer experience. layer in emotional punches through subtle symbolism, character actions, visual metaphors – all manner of showing rather than telling. ### Build towards an emotional catharsis Make sure to build towards an emotional catharsis or release for the audience. Arouse feelings scene by scene, then resolve them in a culminating way that leaves people feeling cleansed and satisfied, even if tinged with lingering sentiments. An abrupt non-ending is deeply unsatisfying. ****Remember:** Emotional storytelling is a journey, not a jump-scare. Here are two examples of what we mean: #### A fitness app This ad can tell of a working mother struggling with self-image and health issues. The narrative would detail her frustrations, self-doubt, and failed attempts at getting fit. As she discovers the app, the story would follow her journey - the early morning workouts, moments of wanting to give up, and small victories. The emotional tension builds as she faces her biggest challenge: a local 5K race she's always dreamed of completing. The catharsis comes when she crosses the finish line, tears streaming down her face, realizing she's not only achieved her fitness goal but also rediscovered her strength and confidence. This emotional peak allows customers to experience the triumph vicariously through the character, associating those feelings with the brand. ### A sustainable fashion brand's ethical awakening story The brand could narrate the journey of its founder, who started in the fast fashion industry. The story would describe their growing unease with the industry's wasteful practices and exploitation. Tension builds as the founder grapples with ethical dilemmas, risking their career to speak out against harmful practices. The cathartic moment arrives when the founder decides to leave their high-paying job to start an ethical, sustainable fashion line. This decision, though difficult, brings a sense of relief and purpose. The story culminates in the brand's creation, offering customers a way to participate in this ethical transformation and experience the emotional release of aligning their values with their fashion choices. ### Avoid performative activism One key area where brands often struggle with ethos is around social and political issues like LGBTQ+ rights or racial equality. Don’t cut corners by engaging in "performative" support that’s shallow or misaligned with your brand's actual practices. A lot of brands get this wrong. You see it all the time during Black History Month and Pride Month. Many brands do performative support during those moments, but it's not going to get them very far. People spot it very quickly when that support is purely performative and there's no real commitment to standing for those values. As [**Erin McLean**, CMO at eSentire, puts it](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-your/?%5Fgl=1%2Aht9u00%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjYwODI0NTM2LjE3Mjg1NTI0MTY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjQxNi4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjQxNi4wLjAuMA..): > *“You have to give people an opportunity to connect and understand the people behind those messages - we all live in would have been connection. Understanding, connection, awareness, engagement, and all those key buzzwords help you move through a funnel, and make you understand that you are resonating with your target audience.”* ## How brand storytelling supports advocacy All of the points we’ve already talked about go a long way to helping connect with your audience. But with advocacy specifically, we want to hit on the two following points. ### 1 - Be consistent and authentic This may seem like a moot point, but you’ll be surprised how tempting it can be to drop consistency and authenticity when big dollar signs are flashing at you. There may be tempting to over-promise to a potential client, or make unique changes to cater toward specific deal, but this never works in the long run. Cracks will start to show very quickly, and the relationship will be ruined before it’s ever even truly begun. As we mentioned with performative action, customers don’t like false promises or pretty works - they’re not stupid, they’ll see through the ruse quicker than your think! So make sure you’re starting your customer relationships the right way from the very first ad that comes across their ‘for you’ page. Deliver exactly what you know they’ll get when buying from you. ### 2 - Make your advocates the heroes With what we’ve said in this guide so far, we’ve stuck to a very brand-first outlook. Brand storytelling connects with customers mainly for the support of your business. While this remains true, one of the best ways to ensure advocacy is to make your customer the ‘main character’. Whether this is in a fictional customer journey or a real-life case study, the main aim is to put your customer in the spotlight - in turn, it'll naturally put attention onto your brand as well. As **Miri Rodriguez**, in the book, "Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story", describes it: > *“The brand takes on the role of sidekick in its own story, commissioning the customer to prosper with its help \[…\] when the customer understands that your brand exists to make them better in one way or another and that you are positioning them to win, they become especially interested in winning. And when they win, you win.”* [Support your advocacy strategy with brand storytellingprioritizing certain elements within brand storytelling can convert current customers into supportive advocates: Consistency and authenticity, Knowing your audience, Communicate the problem you solve, and Connect with your community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-63.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/priscilla-du-preez-CNf31ObmoCs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/support-your-advocacy-strategy-by-using-authentic-brand-storytelling) Many of the concepts we’ve spoken about naturally encourage brand loyalty and advocacy, but none of these can be done well without actually connecting with your audience. Placing your customers as the ‘Batman’ in your brand story does no good if the narrative goes somewhere your audiences don't connect with. Listen to criticism, make it a habit to conduct case studies and form focus groups. Offer the right kinds of incentives by asking your audience what they want from the narrative. All of this information can go towards forming the most authentic and satisfying narrative for your brand. Consider where the story might go next by identifying the causes, features, or upgrades your customers are most curious about - don’t be afraid to highlight these changes too. Make a sequel to your original story! ## How to build a brand story So, where do you begin with this kind of detailed project? Liz Greer and Jazmyne Todd, suggest the following three steps: ***P.s.** **you can read their* [**full discussion here*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-your-brand-through-customer-storytelling/?%5Fgl=1%2A1ybltu7%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTczMjY5MDgxNC4xNzI4NTUyMzQ5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjM0OS4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjM0OS4wLjAuMA..)**.* ### Step one: Drive internal alignment Begin with you! The first step in building a brand story according to Liz and Jazmyne is to understand your marketing priorities and drive alignment across teams to select the most strategic customer stories. Consider your overall marketing strategy, company narratives, and important marketing moments for the year. They also urge to work with other teams for picking customer stories and have them nominate their own favourites. ### Step two: Strategize on how and where to share customers' stories The next step is to partner across your business to create a cohesive co-marketing journey across all of your content and channels. They suggest (if you haven’t got one already) forming a single marketing contact for the customer to ensure a unified approach and the best customer experience. Develop the co-marketing journey and make sure to pinpoint the customer's goals and priorities to position your storytelling opportunities in a way that’ll excite and delight them. ### Step three: Scale and promote content across channels Know where to show your stories! Provides platforms to share authentic stories through various means, such as filmed demos, executive interviews, and films. Scale your story to reach your customers through multiple channels and formats. Make sure to develop internal communication strategies as wel as social media to expand the reach of the marketing story to new audiences. *Is this guide just not enough? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This eBook explores the *fundamentals of compelling product storytelling* so you don’t miss a beat:* [Exploring the fundamentals of compelling product storytellingDownload your copy of ‘A long story short: Exploring the fundamentals of compelling product storytelling’, and tell a story your audience can’t ignore.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-62.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Storytelling_eBook_DocSend_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/fundamentals-of-product-storytelling-ebook/) ## Examples of great brand storytelling We’ve already got a pretty [comprehensive article](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/?%5Fgl=1%2A1912mns%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTAxODU5NzU0My4xNzI4NTUyMzk4%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjM5Ny4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjM5Ny4wLjAuMA..) on five notable examples of brand storytelling, so we’ll try not to repeat ourselves too much. Here’s the article below: [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-61.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) But if you want a speedy overview of some of the examples, you’re in the right place! First is the **Always' "Like a Girl" campaign from 2014**, which challenged the negative connotations of the phrase "like a girl." This campaign created an emotional connection with viewers and sparked social media engagement, aligning with the brand's values of empowering women and girls. Next is **Nike's "Find Your Greatness" campaign from 2012**, which inspired everyday athletes to pursue their goals. It featured an overweight runner running at dawn. This simple story (made with no dialogue) not only directly challenged stereotypes on exercise, but also reinforced Nike's "Just do it" slogan and core values. The third example is **M&M's use of their red and yellow M&M's characters**. These memorable mascots have been used in long-running campaigns, creating humorous scenarios to keep the brand in the public consciousness and allowing for versatile storytelling across various advertisements. The use of bright colors and personalities makes the brand instantly identifiable by these fictional characters. All of these campaigns effectively use storytelling to connect with their target audiences, reflect brand values, and create memorable, emotionally resonant content. *If you want to truly understand the science behind fantastic stories like the ones above, our *Storytelling: Masters* and its tutor, Eliot Raynar, are just what you’re looking for.* *By the end of the course, you'll be able to:* - *Construct an actionable storytelling framework.* - *Tailor your story like a pro.* - *Authentically connect with your customers through a story.* - *Communicate to your audience with confidence and passion* - *Use your purpose to ensure your story remains consistent.* - *Have an impactful change on your approach to story and success*. [Become the Shakespeare of brand stories](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A15s35o9%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTQ1NjI0NDAwMi4xNzI4NTUyNDY3%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODU1MjQ2Ni4xLjAuMTcyODU1MjQ2Ni4wLjAuMA..) ### Why customer references are important, and how best to use them URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them-3/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:49:22.000Z Customer references are a powerful tool for driving business success. I'm Collette Johnson, a seasoned marketing consultant with over 20 years of experience helping companies connect with their customers. Throughout my career, I've seen the transformative impact that well-used customer references can have. In this article, I'll share insights into why customer references are so crucial, how to gather and use them effectively, and the strategies that will ensure your business becomes truly customer-centric. ## The importance of customer references in marketing References are an essential part of building strong relationships between marketing teams and customers. At the core of any reference is the "[voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-understand-your-target-audience/)," which begins as we engage with them to understand how they use our products, what they like, and where improvements can be made. This is the foundation of building customer advocacy. When a customer is willing to put their name to a product and provide a reference, it's the start of something powerful—an endorsement that can lead to long-term advocacy. It's a step toward establishing trust and credibility, both with the customer providing the reference and with potential new customers. Unfortunately, I think some teams undervalue this process. They may not fully appreciate that references are not just a one-off asset; they represent the beginning of a deeper relationship. [Customer references](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/) allow us to showcase real-world use cases, making it easier for potential customers to see the value in our products. Whether it's providing case studies for marketing collateral or facilitating introductions between satisfied customers and new prospects, these references are invaluable. They play a critical role in nurturing leads, expanding customer relationships, and driving long-term advocacy. ### How customer references help build advocacy I often compare [customer references](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-deliver-customer-references-to-close-deals-faster/) to planting seeds. When you collect references, you're essentially scattering those seeds and nurturing them over time. Some will grow into advocates who refer others to your product. These [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-references-how-to-find-and-grow-invested-customer-advocates-2/), in turn, help expand your brand’s reach. References are particularly useful in niche areas or when customers are using specific features of your product that others may find relevant. The key is to build a bank of these references, especially for campaigns targeting specific customer needs like cross-selling or upselling. While we all love high-level, game-changing references that demonstrate massive ROI, it's equally important to gather a wide range of references that speak to various aspects of your product. This diversity helps create a robust [advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/), providing different entry points for potential customers to relate to your offerings. ### The role of references for existing customers While we often think of references as tools to win new customers, they're just as important for existing customers. We sometimes underestimate the role references play in the post-purchase phase. Existing customers still need support and inspiration to continue their journey with your product or service. They may be considering expanding their use of your solutions, or they might want to see how other customers have implemented different features. In these cases, references serve as a guide to help them understand the potential of your product beyond their initial purchase. Many companies sell more than one product, and references can help cross-sell or upsell additional solutions by showing customers how others have successfully expanded their usage. Even after a customer has bought into your brand, they often need internal buy-in to expand their investment. This is where references can help demonstrate the value of additional products or features. 💡 Many customers only use about 40% of a product’s functionality when they first purchase it. References can help them discover how to use more of what they’ve bought and unlock further value. This is critical in the [customer success journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) and helps embed the customer deeper into your brand. ### Maximizing the use of references I encourage marketing teams to take a closer look at their existing references. While we tend to think of references in a pre-purchase context, many can be just as effective post-purchase. These references can help customers explore different product functionalities, understand how others are using additional features, or learn about new ways to integrate your solution into their processes. Ultimately, references are versatile assets that can help customers at every stage of their journey with your brand. By strategically using them in both pre- and post-purchase scenarios, you can foster stronger relationships, increase customer satisfaction, and drive long-term success for your business. ## How to ask customers for references Asking for references can be approached in different ways, depending on the relationship you have with your customers. If you have a strong connection with them, it’s usually as simple as reaching out and asking. However, it becomes more challenging when you're dealing with customers you haven’t engaged with much or at all. Cold outreach can be difficult, and simply emailing someone asking for a reference might not yield the best results. A great example I’ve seen comes from a former colleague of mine, Rosanna, who ran an excellent campaign centered around the idea of “My Favorite Feature.” Customers were invited to talk about a product feature they liked and how they used it. This campaign was subtle yet powerful because it encouraged customers to share their experiences naturally, without the pressure of a formal reference request. Plus, she added a little incentive by offering branded merchandise like T-shirts and hoodies. By doing this, she ended up gathering around 60 new references within just a few weeks. Not only did this lead to more post-purchase engagement, but it also resulted in significant cross-sell and upsell opportunities. Customers who participated in the campaign were more likely to explore additional products or features they hadn’t used before. This initiative also strengthened relationships with customers who previously hadn’t been as engaged, setting the stage for future advocacy. Another campaign she ran successfully involved [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/peer-insights/home). Customers were asked to leave feedback on an objective platform, and from there, those comments were used as references. This approach encouraged honest, unbiased feedback, which is critical because objectivity is essential when gathering references. ### Ensuring objectivity in customer references When you're collecting references, it's important to maintain a sense of objectivity. Offering rewards like a gift card in exchange for a reference can cast doubt on the authenticity of the feedback, both from the customer’s perspective and from the point of view of third parties reading the reference. You want the reference to reflect genuine customer experiences, so it's better to create opportunities for feedback that feel natural and unbiased. There are many ways to gather these objective references. For example, running social media campaigns that ask customers to share their favorite product feature or experience can generate valuable feedback. At events, you could even use simple methods like asking attendees to fill in cards or post their comments in a box. I’ve seen Slido campaigns work well too, where attendees can submit their thoughts digitally. The key is to create an environment where customers feel comfortable sharing their experiences without any pressure or incentive that could undermine the credibility of the feedback. [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-16.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) ### Permissions and credibility When running reference campaigns, always ensure you have explicit permission from customers to use their names, job titles, and organizations. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you have to pull references because you didn’t get proper sign-off. Additionally, when creating references, it’s important to include enough detail to make them credible. For instance, just listing a customer’s name and job title—without any information about their company or industry—doesn’t provide enough context for potential readers to see the value in the reference. It’s all about ensuring the reference is meaningful for the reader. They need to see a connection between their own challenges and the solutions provided by your product. Think about whether the reference helps them move to new technology, grow in their market, or better understand your product’s capabilities. ### Organizing references for maximum impact One of the strategies I find most effective is organizing references into categories that align with different sectors, use cases, and company sizes. **For example,** I break down references into categories like healthcare, data privacy, SMEs, and enterprise solutions. This way, when different teams—whether it's sales, marketing, or renewals—need references, I can quickly provide them with the most relevant examples. This kind of organization makes it easier to use references effectively across different campaigns and customer interactions. In the end, collecting and managing references is about making sure they serve a purpose. They should help potential and existing customers see the value in your product, relate to similar use cases, and feel confident in their decision to invest further in your brand. [Why customer reference programs are vital to B2B marketingThe reemergence of customer reference programs is being driven by two camps of marketing. There are the folks who are trying to earn attention with influencer relations, content marketing, and events. Then there are the folks who are trying to buy attention through performance marketing and ads.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-17.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJeff Hardison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/airfocus-TQwW-3EynK4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-a-customer-reference-program-is-todays-most-important-b2b-marketing-initiative/) ## Common pitfalls in collecting customer references There are several common pitfalls that companies often fall into when collecting [customer references](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-and-scaling-up-your-customer-reference-program-to-support-business-growth/), and it’s important to be aware of them to avoid undermining the value of the reference. One of the biggest mistakes I've seen is when a company writes a reference for the customer and asks them to sign off on it. Please don’t do that. It may seem like an easy shortcut, but it’s very obvious when a reference is not authentic, and it reflects poorly on both your brand and the customer. It’s crucial that references come directly from the customer, in their own words. Another issue is that even your most engaged customers will have questions about what you're asking for. They’ll want to know how long the reference needs to be, how it will be used, and who will see it. Depending on where the reference will be featured, your customer may need to get approval from different levels within their company, which can slow down the process. Being clear about the intended use of the reference from the start is essential. Also, once a reference goes live, make sure to inform the customer, ensuring they feel represented well and that their words haven’t been altered or misrepresented. It’s also important to manage expectations around the content of the references. Some customers may send you a single sentence, while others might provide a detailed essay. It’s tempting to cut references down for brevity, but be cautious. If you’re going to trim content, ask yourself whether you’re cutting out meaningful feedback. Sometimes companies avoid including neutral or slightly negative feedback, but there’s nothing wrong with a balanced reference. In fact, including constructive criticism can make the reference more credible. A reference that says, "This product is great, but it’s not ideal for SMEs," could be extremely valuable for prospective SME customers who are seeking that honest insight. ### Managing permissions and traceability Another pitfall is failing to properly manage permissions and traceability. It’s essential to get explicit permission from the customer to use their name, job title, and company, especially if you’re going to feature the reference on public platforms like your website. Always keep a record of these permissions. I’ve worked with companies that have lost track of their references—no one knew where they came from, whether they had proper permissions, or even if they were still relevant. This can become a legal and reputational issue if, for example, a company later asks you to remove their reference and you can’t locate all the places where it has been used. When you collect a reference, make sure the customer’s approval is in writing, preferably via email. A verbal agreement over the phone isn’t sufficient. You also need to keep in mind that companies and roles change—people move on, and you may need to update or remove references over time. Always ensure you have a clear trail of where each reference is used. If you lose track, you might face challenges later when customers request updates or retractions. [Scaling up your customer reference program to support growthHow do you build a customer reference program that benefits your organization? Customer references help establish the credibility of your brand. It’s incredibly beneficial to associate your brand with other successful brands and show they trust you and your services or products.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-18.png)Customer Marketing AllianceNathalie Bar![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/nuno-silva-Rcsa_Rg77Tc-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-and-scaling-up-your-customer-reference-program-to-support-business-growth/) ### Ensuring relevance and usability Another thing to think about is how you manage the references within your company. **For example,** while a written quote might be enough for your website, some potential customers might want to speak directly with a reference. In enterprise-level sales, it’s common for customers to request conversations with existing clients to get a firsthand account of their experiences with your product. You need to know who within your customer base is available for such calls, and ensure they’re prepared to speak as a reference. If a customer isn’t willing to engage in a reference call, you should know that in advance. Some customers may be happy to provide a written case study but don’t have the time or inclination to talk directly to other customers. Being clear about how far a customer is willing to go with their reference—whether it’s a simple quote or a full testimonial conversation—is important for maintaining trust and managing expectations. ### Reflecting on brand reputation Collecting references is not just about showing your product in a good light—it’s also a reflection of your company’s brand and values. How you handle the process says a lot about your professionalism and respect for the customer’s time and input. When you manage references properly, with clear [communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/), permission, and traceability, you reinforce your company’s credibility and build stronger relationships with both existing and potential customers. ## Using customer references beyond external marketing While customer references are traditionally seen as tools to promote products in external campaigns—showcasing how your product has helped others—there are so many other ways to utilize them, both internally and externally. In fact, references can have a profound impact within your own company, educating teams, shaping strategy, and reinforcing customer-centric values. One powerful way to use references internally is in sales enablement. By sharing references, you help your sales team understand how customers talk about your product and the specific benefits they experience. This can be particularly useful when entering a new market segment. **For example,** when I worked in healthcare, I organized a [voice-of-the-customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-incorporate-the-voice-of-the-customer-into-your-product-marketing-strategy-2/) session with our sales, marketing, and product teams. We brought in live references from medical professionals and patients, and it helped everyone truly understand the customer’s needs. These kinds of sessions can really bring the customer to life and help align teams on how best to approach new markets or products. Another impactful use of references is for internal education and training. You can run workshops or presentations where you share real customer stories, either through live sessions or video presentations. This helps teams understand the real-world applications of your products. For instance, I attended a session recently where a company used a customer reference about accessibility in tech. They simulated what it’s like for someone who is hard of hearing by starting the session with no sound. It was a powerful way to make the message hit home, directly linked to how their product could address that challenge. Internally, you can also leverage references to build [advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/). If you’re presenting to a product team or trying to influence brand strategy, bringing in customer feedback—both positive and constructive—can be key. It gives the feedback more weight when it’s coming from the voice of the customer. [The ultimate guide to Voice of the Customer (VoC)This is an in-depth guide on the many different areas of VoC and how it can be used to improve your business. There are many more areas to learn about and how to implement VoC in your business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-19.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/neil-godding-NMbZ7QM3XWM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/) ### Driving internal alignment and customer-centric culture References can also help push your company to become more customer-centric. 💡 ****For example,** in internal meetings, instead of saying, “We do this,” or “Our product does that,” you can flip the script and say, “Our customers are saying this,” or “This is what our customers think.” It shifts the focus onto what really matters: the customer’s perspective. This approach can transform a business, making it more responsive to customer needs and more willing to innovate based on real feedback. I always integrate customer references into presentations, whether I'm addressing internal teams or pitching for more marketing budget. If customer feedback suggests we need to change our strategy for the next quarter, we use those references to support that pivot. In fact, a colleague successfully did this by using customer feedback to shift the marketing focus for an entire quarter, demonstrating the power of references in driving agile and intelligent marketing decisions. ### Keeping references fresh and relevant A major pitfall I often see is when companies let their references go stale. I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep references fresh and relevant. Seeing the same quotes on a website for two years sends the wrong message—it makes your company look like it’s out of touch with its customers. Regularly updating references ensures that they reflect the most current experiences and challenges your customers are facing. Another aspect to consider is the format in which you present references. Written testimonials are great, but mixing in video testimonials, case studies, and even roundtable discussions can bring more depth and variety to how you use customer voices. Additionally, you need to ensure your references are adaptable to different campaigns, whether it’s for cross-selling, upselling, or targeting a new market. ### The cyclical nature of customer references Customer references are not a one-time effort; they are part of a continuous cycle. You should always be collecting, refreshing, and updating them. This not only keeps your marketing content dynamic but also helps you stay attuned to subtle shifts in customer sentiment. I see this process as part of the daily routine. By integrating it into your workflow, you avoid the overwhelming task of trying to refresh everything all at once. This approach also ensures that you maintain a strong connection with your customer base, keeping your ear to the ground and noticing any changes in their needs or expectations. Ultimately, using references in this cyclical way ensures that your company is always aligned with the customer, both externally and internally, which is the key to long-term success. [Get internal support and buy-in for VOC technologyWho hasn’t had a hard time purchasing technology to support your work and the data you use? One of the biggest struggles at the moment is that you can’t get everyone to align on what the actual value of your team is, and what the business impact is going to be.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-20.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/neil-thomas-SIU1Glk6v5k-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-get-internal-support-and-buy-in-for-voc-technology/) ## A favorite customer reference success story One of my all-time favorite stories about using customer references comes from a few years ago, when I was working on a major competitor displacement project. The product we were dealing with was around 16 years old, and we were up against a tough competitor in the enterprise space. This was a serious piece of work, and I was collaborating with my brilliant colleague, Anna—she was a key player in this effort, and we worked together incredibly well. As we began gathering customer references, we realized that our usual mix of video and quotes wasn't strong enough for this particular challenge. We were trying to move fast in the enterprise space, which is notoriously difficult. So, we decided to try something new: Lunch and Learn sessions. In these sessions, we brought our customer references together with key potential clients, allowing them to ask questions and have real conversations about the product. Importantly, we didn’t allow anyone from our business, including the sales team, to join in. The sales team wasn’t thrilled about that—they were quite nervous—but we wanted these conversations to be completely open and honest. These sessions included both pre-purchase and post-purchase customers, and we let the references lead the discussion. We didn’t prep them with talking points or direct them in any way. We told them to talk about the product as honestly as possible, even if that meant mentioning negative aspects. We wanted to foster trust and transparency. **The results were incredible.** In one session, we had seven potential customers around the table, and four of them converted within three weeks. These were major enterprise clients, and during the Lunch and Learn, the references didn’t just sing our praises—they discussed everything, from the good to the bad, and even the ugly. They shared their experiences of implementing the product, comparing it to competitors, and outlining both their concerns and successes. This approach was so successful that we ran these Lunch and Learn sessions for six months, across different product areas, customer sizes, and industries. We made sure the references matched the audience, so if the group was from financial services, the reference would be from the same sector. And all it cost us was an hour and a half of our time and lunch from Uber Eats. The impact was phenomenal. These sessions generated six-figure deals, and the customers who converted often cited the Lunch and Learn as the reason they made their decision. It truly highlighted the value of customer references when used in the right way, with the right people, and in the right format. If you’ve never tried this method, I highly recommend it. All it takes is some good coffee, a croissant, and the voice of a satisfied customer. The real magic happens when potential clients hear from someone like themselves, talking candidly about their experience. Some of the references we used weren’t even long-term advocates—they were just customers we had identified through our referencing program, but their authenticity made all the difference. --- *Tired of navigating the customer marketing maze alone? We've got your back! Our*[***Slack community***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/?%5Fgl=1%2A6vgm9z%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjY3MjIzNzUwLjE3MjgzNzk3Nzg.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODM3OTc3OC4xLjAuMTcyODM3OTc3OC4wLjAuMA..) *is your daily go-to hub for peer-to-peer collaboration, spirited debates, and skill development.* *Imagine having *3,400+ experts* just a click away, ready to support you on your learning and career journey.* [Join the community today](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/?%5Fgl=1%2A6vgm9z%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjY3MjIzNzUwLjE3MjgzNzk3Nzg.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyODM3OTc3OC4xLjAuMTcyODM3OTc3OC4wLjAuMA..) ### Battlecard template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/battlecard-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T10:18:52.000Z ## What is a battlecard template? A battlecard template is a one-page reference that arms your sales team with everything they need to compete against a specific rival: what the competitor sells, how they're priced, where they're strong, where they're weak, and how to respond to the claims they make in a deal. ## What's inside the template? The template covers the competitor itself, then arms you to respond to them directly: - Company overview, product, pricing, and integrations - Competitor's claims and how to address each one - Competitor's key strengths and how to address them - Competitor's weaknesses and how your product solves them - The cost of not buying from you ## How to use the template Fill in the factual sections first so every rep is working from the same accurate picture of the competitor. Then build out the claims and strengths sections with your sharpest, most specific responses, since a vague rebuttal is barely better than no rebuttal at all. Keep it living rather than static: update it whenever a competitor changes pricing, ships a new feature, or a rep hears a new claim in the field. ## Download your battlecard template ![Battlecard template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/0b/af0be61a-605a-42ee-a863-ad9ed41cd9ed/content/images/2024/08/battle-card.png) [Battle card template![](https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/spreadsheets/spreadsheets_2023q4.ico)Google Docs![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docs/AHkbwyJd-Zx9CqNQzeDDljmTIOXa1oqxLaGDxul1xKSKGUetMhzQgelciLoyLB9pUe-dQwsvNnPMWIyJgWHj_6PZieRLn8Rv06hGxAY2QZRxogUg5djPaIZU=w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NtoFfiEwoMszuzYka7%5FCmB3J%5FZOmMcPA0f9wZ-XUgJA/edit?usp=sharing) [Battle card template - Sheet1Battle card template - Sheet1.pdf68 KBdownload-circle](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/content/files/2024/08/Battle-card-template---Sheet1.pdf "Download") [Battle card templateBattle card template.xlsx31 KBdownload-circle](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/content/files/2024/08/Battle-card-template.xlsx "Download") _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Building a successful customer marketing program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-successful-customer-marketing-program/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:50:59.000Z Building a successful customer marketing program is no small feat. I'm Gillian Farquhar, and I've had the privilege of learning what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to customer marketing. Now, as I take on the challenge of establishing customer marketing at Infor, I’ve realized that each build is unique. In this article, I’ll share my journey, the lessons I’ve learned, and the strategies I’m using to create a high-impact, cost-efficient customer marketing program that drives value across the business. ## My philosophy for building a customer marketing program None of what I’m about to share is absolute; it's just my perspective. I think of advocacy as an outcome, not a title. In fact, I don’t like the word "advocate" at all. I don’t like being called an advocate, nor do I want to be thought of as one. To me, the term needs a rebrand. When people ask me, "Well, what do you call them, then?" I simply say, "I call them customers." I’ve been saying this for about 10 years now, and I still stand by it. As a customer myself, I think about how I want to be treated by the brands and products I care about. Being labeled as an advocate doesn’t resonate with me. I don’t see the value in it, and that bias is reflected in most of my work. Now that I’m in a new organization, I’m constantly educating others—and being educated myself—on what customer marketing is and the value it brings. ### Living in the post-sale Recently, I had to present my perspective to the executive leadership team, which was a little nerve-wracking. My pitch was simple: "Customer marketing lives in the post-sale." That’s where we pick up the baton. But our work doesn’t just stop there—we influence demand generation, the sales funnel, and the pipeline. Now, I’m in a company that’s heavily focused on demand generation and net new business, which I completely understand. But as I often say, you have to pick your battles. Right now, I’m figuring out where customer marketing fits into that [framework](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-framework/). While my team operates in the post-sale, we influence everything that comes before and after it. If we’re doing our job right, demand gen should get easier, and the sales funnel should open up. ### Building and nurturing communities One of my core beliefs is that our primary remit is to find, build, or nurture communities of users. These users are then activated and reintroduced into the market in a way that benefits everyone, including the demand gen team. They're not just reference points; they are an integral part of the ecosystem. And let me be clear: I don’t just mean end users. Partners are also a part of this. I don’t differentiate between them because, in my view, they’re both customers. These groups—users and partners alike—are our best salespeople, our most influential product experts, and our most resourceful problem solvers. They’re the best moderators in community forums, which means you don’t need to hire an army of [community managers](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/top-tips-for-effective-online-community-management/). If you empower your top users with the tools they need, they will scale your efforts for you. ### Customer marketing’s role in a revenue-driven world What I’m talking about here might sound like customer marketing 101, but it’s not always obvious in organizations that are hyper-focused on revenue generation in a formulaic way. It’s been a shift for the company I’m now building within. My goal is to prove that customer marketing adds value across the entire organization, even though it’s often seen as a secondary or supporting function. In reality, it plays a vital role in driving sustainable growth and long-term success. [Executing your customer marketing function: The first 60 daysThe first 60 days are dedicated to developing your strategy for the year: Outline goals for increasing the number of valuable advocates, Utilize adoption and the customer journey, Outline your events and programs, Develop a communication plan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-14.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--5---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/executing-your-customer-marketing-function-the-first-60-days/) ## Lessons learned in my first 90 days at Infor Everything I thought I was going to accomplish in my first 90 days at Infor is not what I’ve ended up doing. One of the main reasons for that is [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/)—at least in the way I define it or see its value—isn’t well understood in the organization. A large part of my day is spent on calls, educating colleagues, and helping them understand the vision I’m trying to build. I'm often in meetings where I’m not directly contributing to my actual remit, but I’m building relationships that’ll be valuable later. This is a huge part of leading by influence rather than by organizational authority, especially when you don’t have a team. ### Rediscovering humility One thing that has been front and center for me in this new role is humility. I’ve rediscovered it in a way I wasn’t expecting. Coming into Infor, I thought I knew how to build a customer marketing function. After all, I had built one of the best in the business at Qlik—or at least, that’s what I told myself. But in reality, that doesn’t matter. No one really cares about what you’ve done before. It’s a humbling realization, but one that I now live with every day. In a way, it’s been great not having a team right now, because I’m relearning things I’d forgotten—like what tools I really need and how to make smaller, strategic investments without setting off alarms in the finance department. I’m approaching the build differently, under the radar, figuring out how to get things done before scaling. ### Transformation is hard This might sound obvious, but transformation is hard—really hard. Especially in a company like Infor, which has been around for 25 years and has over 18,000 employees. There’s a lot of history and processes that came before me, and they’re all valuable. In comparison, my earlier build at Qlik seems almost easy now. Back then, I had no fear—everything I did was exciting, and I wasn’t worried about what could go wrong. Here, it’s different. There are more eyes on me because the company has invested in leadership for this function. That means expectations are high, and people are watching to see how things unfold. It’s a very different dynamic, but it's also a reminder of where I am and the stakes of this new role. I wanted to share this with you to give a sense of where I’m coming from and the journey I’m on right now. It’s challenging, but it’s also rewarding in ways I hadn’t expected. [How to get your customers to recognize your product’s value in 6 stepsLet us tell you, it ain’t easy holding on to customers under a subscription model. The best way to keep your customers happy and on board is to showcase the value of your product fast, and more importantly, to get your customers to realize it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-15.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--4-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/recognize-product-value/) ## Challenges and opportunities My earlier build at Qlik was quite easy compared to what I’m facing now. It’s like building on top of ancient Troy: every time I dig, I find something buried that needs to be uncovered, understood, or navigated like a trap. And I say this with love because I now realize that what I lacked in my career before was humility. I needed this experience to see what I didn’t know, and it has been incredibly humbling. This new role has kept me grounded, and I’ve learned so much already. I’m genuinely enjoying the process and am eager to learn more from others. I’m not sure I can teach much at the moment, but I could definitely talk your ear off about what I’ve been through so far. ### Starting from scratch To put it simply, this is a ground-zero moment for me in terms of building customer marketing at Infor. The company has very little in the way of what I would define as customer marketing. There’s no deeply embedded post-sale experience in place yet—but we’ll get there. The bright spot is that Infor does have a really robust reference function. In fact, a past colleague of mine, who’s here today, used to run that team, and it's a large and well-established group. However, it sits within customer success, not under the umbrella of customer marketing. What I’ve found fascinating is that there are thousands of highly engaged customers out there who aren’t yet part of what I call the “Infor Nation.” Yes, I used the same naming playbook at Qlik, calling it “Qlik Nation.” It’s a simple concept, but it works. ### Tapping into the untapped Before I took this role, I asked myself, "Does this company have what I need to be successful?" I didn’t have a clear answer until I started digging into the business. I’ve discovered that there are thousands of Infor customers who are self-organizing into user groups independently of the company. Imagine having that kind of customer engagement and not yet being connected to it! But I believe we can bring that community into the fold in a more organic way, and when we do, it’s going to be incredibly powerful. Not everyone at Infor believes me when I say this. People often respond with, “We need a case study first.” But trust me—it’s going to work. ### The content paradox One of the strangest opportunities I’ve come across is what I call a “content paradox.” There’s an abundance of customer content available, yet people still say we don’t have enough references or stories. It’s like being surrounded by water and still feeling thirsty. There’s no shortage of content, but somehow, there’s a gap in how it’s being used or activated. This is a massive opportunity to streamline and leverage the content we already have to build stronger stories and references. ### A cloud-first future Another big focus at Infor is cloud-based solutions. We’re transitioning more toward a B2B SaaS model, which is something I understand well from my past experiences. I’ve worked extensively on standing up account-based marketing (ABM), customer experience, and traditional customer marketing programs, including executive councils and reference programs. So, I'm excited that the company is moving in this direction, and I feel well-equipped to help build that foundation. There’s a lot of work ahead, but the opportunities are enormous, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this transformation. ## Five dimensions of principle-based management These five dimensions of PBM have completely shifted how I approach building the customer marketing function. They may seem obvious, but they’ve been a game-changer in prioritizing what to focus on first. ### 1\. Vision The first dimension focuses on understanding the company’s vision. Infor has a lot of legacy customers—many using on-prem solutions—but the company’s vision is tied to moving toward a cloud-first, eventually cloud-only, model. That’s a big shift when two-thirds of your customers are still using the old model. I needed to understand this vision at a high level to make the right decisions for customer marketing. It didn’t matter if I didn’t know all the product names yet; what mattered was understanding where the business was headed. I also want to emphasize the importance of coaching. Throughout my career, I’ve had great coaches—both paid and unpaid—and they’ve helped me get to where I am today. I’ve been fortunate to be mentored by women who’ve climbed the ranks in marketing and tech, and their guidance has been crucial in helping me navigate this new role. It’s been all about understanding the broader business goals and aligning my decisions with that vision. ### 2\. Virtues and talents With no open RECs for a team of 10, I’ve had to be strategic about hiring. In the next 60 days, I’ll be making two critical hires—people who have specific skills that are essential to our success this year. I’m also thinking about what I already have in place. I’ve inherited some talented teammates, so it’s about identifying what additional skills I need to complement the team and fill any gaps. ### 3\. Knowledge Data is essential, and coming from a data-driven company like Qlik, I know how powerful it can be. But here at Infor, if I ask about Net Revenue Retention (NRR) for a particular product, it’s not an easy answer. I need a source of truth for customer data, and with hundreds of products at this company, that’s no small task. I need someone who can help me get a handle on the data—someone who understands how our customers use our technology. ### 4\. Comparative advantage Comparative advantage is all about understanding your strengths and weaknesses. It sounds simple, but it’s vital. I’ve had to be honest with myself about what I’m not good at. Operations, for example, is not my strength. I’m great with vision—I can quickly picture what I want to build—but the operational side isn’t my comparative advantage. Where I excel is in creativity and customer centricity. Knowing this, I’m not afraid to bring in people who are better at operations, so they can fill in the gaps and help me build something more complete. It’s about putting together a team where everyone is playing to their strengths. ### 5\. Motivation The last dimension, which is very personal, is about staying motivated. What drives me is the desire to add value to the organization. My goal is to make sure every decision I make is aligned with this, whether it’s about hiring the right talent, choosing the right tools, or determining how to best use the resources I have. This mindset informs everything from my budget investments to the culture I’m working to build within the team. This framework has helped me approach things differently and forced me to rethink how I build this customer marketing function at Infor. It’s been an eye-opener, and while it’s early days, I feel confident that these principles will help guide me through the challenges ahead. ## Why customer marketing matters I think we all know why customer marketing matters, but it’s worth reiterating. Customer marketing is one of the lowest-cost functions, yet it brings incredibly high value when done right. The impact is rapid, and you can scale it up or down quickly with minimal investment. If someone ever tells you that customer marketing is too expensive, they simply don’t understand it. In fact, I’ve done a lot of ROI work around this, and I can show you—though not today—all the data that proves the value of customer marketing. It’s not just about post-sale; customer marketing influences net-new acquisition as well. Even in an organization like mine, which is heavily focused on net-new business, customer marketing still plays a critical role in affecting every stage of the funnel. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Gillian at our *Customer Marketing Summit, Boston 2024*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-boston-2024/?wchannelid=xmqgjffch9&wmediaid=tlp44xvfhh)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### Advocates and employees: The solution to economic uncertainty | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocates-and-employees-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:03:04.000Z ## Looking for more on advocacy and economy? [ABM and Customer Marketing: a one-two punch for the recession economyCustomer marketing is the fastest growing marketing discipline. As Base CEO Gal Biran highlighted in his keynote at Obsession 2022, it was the third fastest growing open position amongst all LinkedIn jobs posted over the past five years. And for a good reason.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-30.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEran Livneh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/absolutvision-uCMKx2H1Y38-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/abm-and-customer-marketing-a-one-two-punch-for-the-recession-economy/) [Irrational advocacy: What are the drivers of brand loyalty?Irrational advocacy, a term that might seem contradictory, refers to the unparalleled devotion customers exhibit towards a brand, often surpassing logical reasoning.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-32.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDaniel Brian Cobb![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engagement-marketing--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/irrational-advocacy-what-are-the-drivers-of-brand-loyalty/) [Customer advocacy and its positive impact and influence on revenueIn an increasingly crowded marketplace, a good customer advocacy program can put you head and shoulders above your competitors by ensuring that your customers’ needs always come first. But how can we build a customer advocacy program, and how can we show its value?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-33.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDavid Oragui![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/jungwoo-hong-cYUMaCqMYvI-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/) ### Segment sentiment audit checklist URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/segment-sentiment-audit-checklist-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T09:37:44.000Z ## What is a segment sentiment audit checklist? A segment sentiment audit checklist is a tool designed to help you assess how different customer segments perceive your brand, content, and overall experience. By breaking down sentiment at key stages like acquisition, onboarding, engagement, and retention, this checklist enables you to pinpoint areas where your messaging resonates, and where it falls flat. ## How to use the template Using the segment sentiment audit checklist is simple: 1. **Map out the key stages:** Identify the core touchpoints in your customer journey, from acquisition to retention. 2. **Evaluate relevance:** For each segment, assess whether your messaging is highly relevant, somewhat relevant, or generic to different audiences. 3. **Analyze sentiment:** Look at how customers are responding at each stage and note patterns of positive, neutral, or negative sentiment. 4. **Identify gaps:** Spot inconsistencies, friction points, or areas where your messaging needs refinement. 5. **Implement recommendations:** Use the checklist insights to refine your content strategy, sales materials, and customer engagement tactics. ## Download your segment sentiment audit checklist ![Segment sentiment audit checklist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/2026/08/Segment-sentiment-audit-checklist.png) [Segment sentiment audit checklistSegment sentiment audit checklist.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/files/2026/08/Segment-sentiment-audit-checklist.docx "Download") [Segment sentiment audit checklistSegment sentiment audit checklist.pdf160 KBdownload-circle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/files/2026/08/Segment-sentiment-audit-checklist.pdf "Download") [Segment sentiment audit checklistSegment sentiment audit checklist Score how relevant each stage of the experience actually is for one segment at a time Most experiences are built once and shown to everyone, even though different segments care about completely different things. A B2B buyer sourcing raw chemicals cares about saf…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-e0bf1ee9-96e6-4ceb-8530-7b734e585dc9.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKn8nQIsrmGX-G52YpvTUYfgkswpGvIWd0KHWXCnbPP2JIVvdeG0qgbvLwovrocvoMdQUDGm__pZytHfNmyOiPjG6kXCdrZ1wlcvYJhZ16d-YX4dbPu-w1200-h630-p-7c13c132-b023-4494-9377-9f0ba0be1785)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1%5FQ%5FMXQvTU%5FxmeADxaLPLVzkxNdsHg3MqsQE2Oea5tM0/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Executing your customer marketing function: The first 60 days URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/executing-your-customer-marketing-function-the-first-60-days/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:49:48.000Z As a follow-up to our "[*Set up a customer marketing function: The first 30 days*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/)*"* article, we're here to talk about the second month of your customer marketing plan. The first 60 days are dedicated to actually developing the marketing strategy for the year. In this article, we're going to go through the following steps: - **Stage 1:** Outline goals for increasing valuable advocates - **Stage 2:** Utilize adoption and the customer journey - **Stage 3:** Outline your events and programs - **Stage 4:** Develop a communication plan ## Stage one: Outline goals for increasing the number of valuable advocates As with most things customer marketing related, it all comes down to talking with your customers. Begin this process by setting up interviews with your current base of advocates to build a rapport with them. A good process to begin is to collaborate with customer success and develop an advocate nomination process to streamline your team's intentions and values when it comes to picking advocates. Another way of doing this is to develop a submission process which’ll allow other teams to nominate compelling candidates for customer case studies. For example, you might develop a questionnaire or template that highlights how customers align with your key vision and messaging. Also, do one that explores customer challenges and pain points to allow for valuable collaboration. ### What your goals should contain There are four key elements that, no matter how you present your goal, should always be included. These components are vital for having a clear understanding of what you’re aiming for in your marketing campaigns, and how to get there. **These components are as follows:** - Brand awareness - Impact - Metrics for success - Timeframe for total completion - Support initiatives **Brand awareness** \- Your goals should align consistently with the company’s overall style, and tone. Be aware of the company’s presence on social media and how other marketing strategies have interacted with customers in the past. Having a consistent brand allows your business to grow and attract your ideal customers. **Impact** \- Make sure that your improvements are an act to improve, change, or amend your current processes. Understand clearly how and why making this goal will improve your organization's current performance, and make sure that the people who’ll be working towards this goal understand that too. **Metrics for success** \- Clearly define how you will [measure](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/measuring-the-things-that-matter-choosing-the-right-metrics-to-measure-your-sellers/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com) your progress towards the goal. Make sure the metric you set is challenging but possible. Take into account your current resources and obstacles. **Time frame for completion** \- Establish a time frame to make your goals more concrete, and plan the actions you must take to achieve the goal so they don’t remain vague and undetermined. **Supporting initiatives** \- Supporting initiatives refers to the actions within your timeframe that engage your team into taking steps to achieve the goal. Establish the resources and support from other departments you’ll need. These’ll include the sales team, customer success, product marketing, and other marketing channels. ## How to structure your goals There are a variety of structures which you can use to set your marketing objectives, and the one you choose will depend on your organization, and your style of internal ecosystem. ### CLEAR template The CLEAR structure is one that identifies the areas in which you should be setting goals, from both a logical and an emotional perspective. The acronym helps you ensure that your goals, for whatever time period you are setting them for, actually cover every area of work that you need. **C - Collaborative** \- The goals you set should always bear in mind the importance of the collaborative aspect of your business. Internal goals should never clash, and should be made with the intention of streamlining and maintaining the momentum of your internal processes. **L - Limited** \- Your goals should be realistic in their time and scope. Goals that don’t have a time limit or topic limitation will end up hanging in the air for months and are far more likely to get abandoned. The people working toward these goals should believe that they can achieve them, and have a good understanding of how they can achieve them. **E - Emotional** \- When writing your goals, make sure that your team understands their significance. Choosing emotional beats to put into your goal can help your team connect with them more easily, making them more passionate about fulfilling the goal. **A - Appreciable** \- When your goals are large and ambitious, make sure to break them down into smaller, actionable steps for your team to address. **R - Refinable** \- This is the important part. Be willing to modify your goals in response to new findings as they come out. Keep an eye on what is and isn’t working. Is there a new competitor in the market? Has your market subject had any sudden or significant changes? Always be aware of trends and developing data so that you can adjust your aims and not be left behind. **An example** Implementing a CLEAR goal will look something like this: Say you have a project in mind for your team: - **Collaborative** \- As project manager, I will work with my project team to ensure the successful completion of this qualification project. - **Limited** \- We will complete this project in 6 months’ time. - **Emotional** \- We understand that the success of this project will help the company… (increase customer retention, improve sales, support the launching of new products, etc.) - **Appreciable** \- To achieve this, we’ll dedicate at least 30% of our time to it. We’ll complete at least 1 milestone every month to ensure we’ll successfully complete the project by the deadline. - **Refinable** \- Every week, we will come together to review our progress and resolve any roadblocks, so that we may achieve our milestone and timely completion of the qualification project. ### SMART template SMART goals are usually best used for when you begin breaking down larger, more ambitious goals into smaller, actionable steps. **S - Specific** \- Your goals need to be clearly defined and unambiguous so that you and your team understand what needs to be achieved and why. **M - Measurable** \- In order to measure progress, and monitor if you’re on track to achieve these goals, you need to have a quantifiable outcome of this goal. **A - Attainable** \- Take your current resources and team members into account, and make a goal that is challenging, yet possible for you to succeed at. **R - Relevant** \- Make sure your goals are relevant to your overall business values and targets. **T - Time-bound** \- Establish a start and end date for your goal, so that teams are constantly aware of the goal as they’re working. Giving your goals a time frame will also help avoid burnout and fatigue when it comes to the enthusiasm around achieving them. A goal without a time limit risks teams losing sight of the aim. If it doesn’t have an end date it isn't a goal, but a chore. **An example** Here’s an example of a SMART goal in action. Say you want to improve your team's results. Your SMART goal will look something like this: - **Specific** \- I will help my team get better sales leads, so they spend their time more efficiently by only selling to people who are actually likely to purchase. - **Measurable** \- The aim is to increase sales by 5%. - Achievable - The main reason our current leads don’t purchase is that they do not accurately match our buyer personas. By making sure our teams know who our targets are, and can match that to the leads we connect with, then our sales will more likely increase. - **Relevant** \- Our goal is to increase company sales by over 15% this year. - **Time-bound** \- We aim to meet our goals of increasing sales by 5% within the next 3 months. Then we will re-evaluate our strategy. ### OKR template Objectives and Key Results, or OKRs, are different from other goals, as how you use them is slightly different. OKRs are more challenging for your team and ambitious in nature but have measurable achievements. **O - Objective** \- This goal-setting type usually has one overarching objective. This is a simple but clear statement of what is to be achieved; no more, no less. The details of how you’ll reach this goal are detailed by the key results. **KR - Key results** \- The objective is supported by four to five key results. These are ways to benchmark the road to get to the objective. These should be specific, time-bound, and aggressive in order to meet the equally ambitious objective. Key results shouldn’t leave any room for ambiguity. Either you complete a key result or you don’t. That way, there is no gray area when it comes to reviewing your successes. **An example** Here’s an example of an OKR in action. Say you want to improve your overall company growth. This is an ambitious goal. You’ll set out your OKR like this: **Objective** \- Grow our business. **Key results** \- Our key results to mark the success of this objective are to: - Grow company revenue to $2M - Effectively launch our new product - Reduce churn to <5% annually through customer marketing OKRs often get confused with KPIs but are distinctly different. If you want to learn more about OKRs we have a more in-depth article here: [Indicators for success: Why the difference between OKRs and KPIs are important.Both Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Objective and Key Results (OKRs) are thrown around during conversation a lot, and knowing the difference between the two can be a little mystifying. In this article, we’ll help you understand the differences between the two and why they’re important.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-13.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/james-sutton-QqE158hev1I-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/%C2%A0) At this point, it would also be useful to track the revenue impact of a few closed deals that were influenced by customer references. Identify *why* they worked. ## Stage two: Utilize adoption and the customer journey Put into place a plan that can help accelerate communication with customers, and begin building a backlog of customer stories to help elevate your upcoming marketing strategies. Begin to outline your customer lifecycle plans. Make sure that your messaging is unique to each stage in the customer journey to ensure you and your customers continue learning through this relationship. First, let’s begin by demystifying the customer journey for you. **Brooke Wilson, Senior Customer Lifecycle Manager at AlphaSense,** describes it like this: > *“It’s really a visual representation of all of the touchpoints, all of the actions, the emotions, the feelings customers are going through that we can map on a visual scale to say, ‘yes, this is working’ or there are areas of opportunity, or maybe there are areas of redundancy.”* **The four biggest components of a successful customer journey map are:** - A seamless experience. - Supported by data-driven decision-making. - Set up for continuous improvement. - Prioritizes customer loyalty and advocacy. Implementing a comprehensive plan that accelerates communication with customers and cultivates a repository of customer stories is essential for enhancing upcoming marketing strategies, and is made even more sustainable when being supported by a well-defined customer journey map focusing on seamless experiences. ## Stage three: Outline your events and programs This is the stage in which you can begin planning larger pieces of content for your customers, such as workshops and events. One such workshop could be the Launch & Learn. This is a workshop-style event that’ll go hand-in-hand with product updates and new releases where customers get hands-on experience and advice on how to use your new product. Something like this would be good to collaborate with customer success to ensure it meets its best potential. Work with the other teams in your company to identify ‘white space’ in your target accounts. This means identifying customer goals, challenges, and initiatives that your business can help solve. You can also take advantage of automation and have email sequences that collect information from customers based on certain behavior patterns. ## Stage four: Develop a communication plan Here, customer segmentation makes itself known once again. One way to increase retention is to segment at-risk customers and send them value-based email campaigns to try to get them to stay with your brand. This is a good time to give them a voice and air their grievances to you. During your onboarding process, you should have identified certain milestones and benchmarks you want to aim for. Now is the time to actually map out how you’ll achieve them. Another thing to do is develop a regular survey cadence. Identify regular times to collect feedback from your customers. This might be good to do just before or after the milestones you’ve mapped out. [How to effectively communicate your features, products, and services to your customers | Customer Marketing Catch-up“Customer marketing is just going to continue growing... it’s just getting that growth and then taking root so that it’s a pillar in almost every marketing team.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-12.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/7-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/how-to-effectively-communicate-your-features-products-and-services-to-your-customers/%C2%A0) ## **The next 61-90 days** This article was just a short snippet from our comprehensive playbook taking you though the first 90 days of a customer marketing set up. We didn't reveal everything in this article, so go ahead and grab yourself a free copy to get all the unlimited tips and tricks! Here's a breakdown of the structure: | DAYS 0-30 | DAYS 31-60 | DAYS 61-90 | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | | Learn how to set clear objectives | Perfect you advocacy goals | Tailor your approach to your top customers | | Solve the balance of resources and personel | Become a master of the customer journey | Expand your reach across your whole customer base | | Get to know your platform and processes | Dive into the world of events and programs | Stabalise your bottom line with renewal and retention | | Build the four pillars of customer marketing | Develop a foolproof communication scheme | Track and celebrate your success! | **What are you waiting for?** Build your strategy with the most potent plans, methods, and approaches, to ensure maximum efficiency from day one. ### How to get your customers to recognize your product’s value in 6 steps URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/recognize-product-value/ Last updated: 2024-09-27T16:13:11.000Z Let us tell you, it ain’t easy holding on to customers under a subscription model. The best way to keep your customers happy and on board is to showcase the [value of your product](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-can-accelerate-time-to-value-for-maximum-impact/) fast, and more importantly, to get your customers to realize it. [Customer marketing teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/) can target their existing customer base to highlight and communicate the value of their products effectively. Marketing to prospects who’ve [not already purchased your product](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/) is one thing, but marketing to existing customers at a different stage in the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) requires a whole different approach. We’re all overwhelmed with choices and standing out requires businesses to not only demonstrate value but also ensure customers perceive it. ## 1\. Understand your customers’ needs and pain points You won’t get through to your customers and [connect with them](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/maria-braune-perfect-personalization-why-human-connection-is-vital-for-your-marketing-customer-marketing-catch-up/) without understanding two very important factors. To begin with, you need to first identify: a) their needs, and b) their pain points. But what does this mean? You need to have a clear understanding of what your customers *want* your product to achieve – their **needs**. How your existing customers are actually using your product? What [features](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) do they use most? What benefits are they currently deriving? Additionally, you need to identify their [**pain points**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/identifying-and-resolving-customer-pain-points-for-optimal-digital-experiences/). What problem is your product solving for your customer? What’s their big bug-bear? What issue can your product magic away and leave them satisfied? Once we've nailed these down, we can start thinking beyond basic value and really knock their socks off. [Identifying and resolving customer pain points for optimal digital experiencesTrust is the foundation of every successful customer relationship. In this article, discover the key elements of trust, the importance of empathy in customer interactions, and the strategies used at PayPal to ensure the brand remains trustworthy and aligned with customers’ needs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-7.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTiffany Knight Raymond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/identifying-and-resolving-customer-pain-points-for-optimal-digital-experiences/) ### Identifying additional value Let’s say your customers are satisfied with your product. That’s great, no one’s doubting that, but we’re not in this to meet expectations – we’re here to *exceed* them. When you’ve got them to realize value, you’re now in the home straight to really make your product and brand shine. You need to look for ways to make your product can provide even more value to your customers: 1. **Underutilized features**: Are there hidden gems in your product that could solve additional problems for your customers? 2. [**Customer success**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) **and growth**: How can your product help them level up? This might involve helping them use the product more effectively or introducing them to some of our more advanced features. 3. **Evolving needs**: Customer behavior is never static. Their needs may have changed since they first fell in love with your product. You need to stay on your A-game and keep up with their evolving requirements. The key here is lots and lots of confidence. You need to be sure you understand these factors inside and out. This means conducting ongoing [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/), digging into their usage data, and keeping those lines of communication with your customer base wide open. [Understand customer market research: What is it and how to do itCustomer research or consumer research is a vital component of customer marketing’s most fundamental role: to understand and market to your chosen target audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-8.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/ran-berkovich-kSLNVacFehs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) ## 2\. Customer research and segmentation Now that we've got a handle on your customers’ needs and pain points, it's time to get organized. In order to reach your customers in the most impactful way, you need to segment your customer base into groups that share similar interests, product usage history, and buying behavior. Here's how to do it: 1. **Conduct surveys**: Tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey are your new best friend here. They're great for gathering those all-important customer insights. 2. **Create** [**customer personas**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/): Let's develop detailed profiles that reflect different segments of your audience. These personas will be your guiding light when crafting targeted messages. 3. [**Customer journey mapping**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/): You need to visualize how our product fits into various stages of the customer journey. This will help you identify key touchpoints where you can reinforce value. Here's a quick example of how you might break down your key [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) and their primary pain points: | Customer segment | Pain point | Solution your product offers | | The "tech enthusiasts" | Fast product obsolescence | Regular product updates | | ------------------------ | ---------------------- | ---------------------------- | | ---------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------------- | | The "budget-enthusiasts" | High-price sensitivity | Affordable pricing plans | | | | | | The "eco-conscious" | Environmental impact | Sustainable product design | | | | | ### Listening to customer feedback While [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) might have the ear to the customer via client meetings, [engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) surveys, and monitoring their usage, you too can tap into customer insights. As a marketer, you have your own direct line to your customers: through the power of social listening. Here's what we should be doing: You can monitor your [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) for unfiltered customer thoughts and find out what they truly think of your product and brand. But we’ll warn you, they can be pretty brutal, but that's absolutely gold for you. Another way you can harness feedback is by regularly checking [review platforms](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-manage-a-successful-customer-review-program/) like Yelp and Google Reviews to understand customer sentiments. You can use these reviews to take the pulse of your customer base. [14 ways you need to know to engage customers with social mediaEngaging your audience on social media boosts brand awareness, increases loyalty, and encourages word-of-mouth marketing. It fuels business by building a community of informed fans of your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-9.png)Customer Marketing AllianceScott Joseph![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/engage-customers-with-social-media-image.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) ## 3\. Create value-based messaging At this stage, you should now know your customers inside out. It’s imperative you have a bank full of research and segments created before you can really get stuck in with messaging. If so, it's now time to craft your message. But here's the kicker most companies miss and one that can have catastrophic repercussions: you need to shift your focus from waxing lyrical about product *features* to shouting about your product’s *benefits*. ### Shifting from product features to benefits Your first exercise should be to establish what matters most to your customers using the [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-voc-fits-in-with-customer-and-market-research/) and [segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) groundwork you’ve already laid out. So, instead of prattling about a list of features that most customers won't care about, you need to hone in on the benefits that are tied to their specific needs. Be honest, have you ever been innocently browsing for a new cell phone in a store and got cornered by a salesperson who lists every brand-spanking new feature of the latest, most expensive model? It’s all “200GB of” this and “A15 Bionic chip” of that and means virtually nothing to you without the raw benefits to *you*, a person, who’s using this product daily. Here's a super quick example of what we mean: - **Feature:** Noise-canceling headphones - **Benefit:** Blocks out distractions for a more focused work or relaxation environment See the difference? With the second option, you’re not just telling them what your product does; you’re showing them how it improves their life. [Effectively communicate your services to your customersOne of the significant challenges that customer marketers face is simply keeping track of everything. In this article, discover how you can utilize customer marketing tactics to increase customer loyalty, retention rates, and drive more sustainable growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-10.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAunalisa Arellano![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Author_Highlight.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) ### Use clear and simple language Alrighty, when talking to your customers you need to [ditch the jargon and technical terms](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) – that’s never going to resonate with the majority of your customer base. They don't care about the fancy algorithms powering your product; they care about how it solves their problems. Let's look at some examples: | **Product-centric messaging** | **Customer-cenric messaging** | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | "Our AI-powered task management system utilizes LLM algorithms." | "Automate your workflow and save 10 hours per week." | | "Cloud-based SaaS solution with WebRTC integration." | "Collaborate in real-time, anywhere." | These messages speak directly to customer benefits without getting bogged down in technical details. ## 4\. Build trust with social proof Most people will admit they’re more likely to purchase something if it’s got the seal of approval of someone else – even better if they’ve been referred by someone they know. Customers trust other customers more than they trust a corporation, so use that to your advantage. ### Use customer testimonials and reviews If you want to make the most of the wealth of reviews you’re getting across various platforms, you ought to showcase real customer experiences. This could be through: - Written testimonials - Video reviews - User-generated content If you work for a B2B company, case studies will be your best friend. We suggest to focus on the measurable impact your product has had on other businesses. ### Influencer marketing Okay, okay, okay we know what you’re thinking but hear us out. Influencers conjure images of flashy brand partnerships and substanceless content way out of the remit of your organization, right? But actually, influencers can be a powerful tool in your arsenal, you just need to be smart about the way you approach these partnerships. Two clear ways we’d suggest is to: - Partner with micro-influencers, rather than celebrities, whose audience aligns with your brand. - Ensure authenticity by allowing influencers to share their honest experiences. Here's a quick comparison of micro-influencers vs. celebrity endorsements: | **Category** | **Micro-influencers** | **Celebrity influencers** | | **Cost** | More affordable | High budget required | | ----------------------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | -------- | --------------- | -------------------- | | **Audience engagement** | Higher engagement rates | Often more superficial | | | | | | **Trust** | Perceived as more authentic | May seem overly commercialized | | | | | [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-11.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) ## 5\. Educate and engage through content marketing They say content is king, but [value-focused content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) is *emperor*. Content for content’s sake only adds to the noise being jammed in your customer’s face every day. No one wants that, and it’s certainly not the way to get your customers to realize product value. So let's take a look into how you can harness content to showcase your product's value. ### Use educational content to showcase value If you’re going down the [educational content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-education-is-a-saas-marketing-strategy/) route, the first step is getting the proper resources for the task. You need to hire a team of excellent copywriters to create blog posts, tutorials, and guides that provide tips and demonstrate how your product adds value to the customer's life. Just spitballing ideas, you could create some blogs titled: - "5 Ways \[Product Name\] Simplifies Your Morning Routine" - "Why Choosing X Products Saves You Money in the Long Run" These types of [content pieces](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) not only educate your customers but also subtly reinforce the value of our product. ### Interactive content for engagement But let's take this one step even further and make the experience more interactive for your customers. Quizzes are a brilliant tool to help your customers decide which product fits their needs in an upsell campaign. You can also get real-time answers to questions and showcase product functionality with webinars and live demos. This kind of content doesn't just tell; it shows and involves the customer, making the value proposition much more tangible. ## 6\. Offer personalized and incentivized experiences You’ll hear this sentiment thrown around a lot but it’s true so we’re going to say it anyway: one-size-fits-all just doesn't cut it anymore. In order to create meaningful customer experiences, you need to get personal. ### Personalized recommendations Imagine you’re a software company that offers a project management tool. By analyzing customer usage data (from customer success teams or product analytics), you notice that a user has been primarily using your software to manage small, internal projects but hasn’t yet tapped into your advanced collaboration features. Instead of sending a generic “upgrade to premium” email, here’s how you could make it more personal and relevant: ✉️ ****Subject:** “Boost your team’s productivity with these hidden gems.” ****Email content:** **"Hi \[Customer Name\], we noticed you've been efficiently managing your internal projects with our tool—great job! Did you know that by using our* **\[X\] feature, you could save an average of 20% time on cross-department projects? It’s designed to help teams like yours streamline communication and task delegation, even across larger teams.* **“Based on your usage, we think this feature would be a game-changer for your workflow. Here’s how to get started with it in under 5 minutes \[link to tutorial\]. Plus, for a limited time, we’re offering a* ***10% discount** *on upgrading to premium to unlock even more powerful tools!"* You can see that this approach makes the recommendation feel personally tailored to the customer’s specific use case, creating a more bespoke experience. You’re not just pushing an [upsell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) in a heavy-handed kind of way, you’re demonstrating a clear, personalized benefit based on how they’re already using your product. ### Provide incentives for early adopters and referrals We all love a good deal, right? It’s uncommon to find someone who’d prefer to pay more than necessary for something. This is something you can tap into with your customers by offering exclusive discounts or early access to [loyal customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/). Additionally, you could implement a [referral program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/) where customers can earn rewards for recommending the product. Some ideas for incentivizing referrals: - Offer percentage discounts for successful referrals - Provide points or loyalty rewards - Feature top referrers on social media ## Value realized in a nutshell Look, we're not gonna sugarcoat it – getting customers to truly recognize your product's value can feel like an uphill battle. Not everyone hits it, that’s why we have churn rates. But don’t feel discouraged because it *can* be achieved. It’s the key to keeping them around in the long run. By really digging into what makes your customers tick, crafting messages that speak their language, and consistently showing up with value, you'll be well on your way to turning those subscribers into [die-hard fans](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/). It's not about shouting how great your product is from the rooftops; there’s a big difference between boasting and demonstrating value. It's about telling the customer, "I've got *exactly* what you need." --- ## Where do you go from here? So, you’ve read about what customer marketing is and why it’s important, and you’re now looking to understand what goes into actually implementing it into your existing network. We’ve just the thing for you with our [**Customer Marketing Certified: Core**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core). 👩🏼‍🏫 12 modules 📙 40+ chapters ⏰ 10+ hours 📝 Templates & frameworks 🔥 6 fireside chats 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced **Customer Marketing Certified: Core's** the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth. [Enroll today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### Community and storytelling: The solution to economic uncertainty | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-and-storytelling-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:07:57.000Z ## Looking for more on community and storytelling? [How storytelling works to perfect customer marketingConstructing a narrative to communicate a message to an audience is one of the backbones of marketing. A gripping story can be used in all sorts of ways, by customer marketers, product marketers, sales, and everyone in between.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-34.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/joanna-kosinska-B6yDtYs2IgY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) [How to use emotional storytelling in marketingIn today’s society, emotional advertising has become increasingly popular and expected. People want to feel emotionally engaged with our brand messaging and content. To evoke those feelings, I advise balancing pathos with logos – the rational, logical side of your argument.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-35.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGastón Tourn![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Stock--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/) [Customer and community engagement are not the same | VideoCustomer and community engagement are not the same thing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-36.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Template-2--2---1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-community-engagement-are-not-the-same-video/) ### Transforming customer reviews into enterprise-wide battle cards URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:53:48.000Z Transforming customer feedback into actionable insights is a game-changer for any business. I’m Luis González, Head of Global Customer Advocacy at Alteryx, and my journey across customer success and advocacy roles has given me a deep understanding of how to leverage customer reviews to drive enterprise-wide impact. At Alteryx, we’ve moved beyond traditional review metrics, focusing instead on the meaningful insights that customer feedback provides—insights that power our sales strategies and inform executive decision-making. In this article, I’ll explore the tools, tactics, and strategies we use to turn customer reviews into enterprise-wide battle cards, enabling faster ROI, higher adoption rates, and stronger customer relationships. ## The power of verified reviews in B2B Did you know that **86%** of businesses consider verified reviews either important or very important? Let’s think about that for a second. B2B buyers behave very similarly to B2C buyers. The difference is that B2B buyers don’t have the luxury of making impulse purchases like I do when I’m shopping at my local J. Crew, but they still go through the same decision-making process. We need to market to them in a way that aligns with how they engage with their favorite brands in their daily lives. When you’re about to buy something, whether it’s a product, choosing a restaurant, or deciding what movie to watch, what’s the first thing you do? You check the reviews. The B2B buyers follow the same pattern. They’re constantly checking reviews to see what’s relevant, what others are saying, and how the product or service has been received by people like them. The nature of reviews is evolving. It’s no longer just about looking at a star rating—“Oh, this has four out of five stars”—people are now diving deep into the actual content of reviews. Think about the last time you made a significant purchase or booked a trip. Chances are, you didn’t just glance at the star rating. You likely scrolled through multiple reviews, looking for detailed, in-depth feedback. ### The changing nature of reviews Now, consider this from the B2B perspective. When making any significant investment, businesses go through the same process. They look beyond the stars and into what people are saying about the product or service. The presence of qualitative commentary is now king. Buyers want to see what others have actually experienced. Following closely behind is the distribution of numeric ratings—how many five-star, four-star, and three-star reviews does a product have? And finally, review recency—how recent are these reviews? Were they posted six months ago or last week? Buyers want the most up-to-date information to ensure they’re making a sound investment. Do these factors resonate with your own behavior as a consumer? I bet they do. When you're evaluating a restaurant or a new product, you check what people are saying, how the ratings are distributed, and how recent the reviews are. These are the same key metrics that B2B buyers use when evaluating offerings. ### The human element in B2B buying At the end of the day, the B2B buyer is still a human being, not just a persona or a job title. They engage with products and services just like anyone else, relying on a combination of reviews, ratings, and visuals to guide their decision-making. In fact, numeric ratings, review recency, and the presence of screenshots or videos are tightly clustered at the top of what buyers are looking for. Another factor that's gaining importance is common review themes—these provide insight into recurring customer feedback, which I'll talk more about later. Ultimately, if you want to succeed in the B2B space, you need a review strategy that highlights what your product does best. By focusing on these key elements, you'll be able to provide potential buyers with the information they need to make informed decisions. ## No gimmick review sourcing: Authenticity matters This brings me to one of the most critical aspects of driving meaningful reviews: no gimmick review sourcing. Here’s why avoiding gimmick review sourcing is so important. The picture below shows me with our G2 on-site rep at our conference last year, celebrating hitting 100 reviews. [![Review generating tactics](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcMurm2Et3tXJr4vKdXg4CNqdQHmEFRLNasiQo7KY4eL5TClj7cRAOSz-sG6gEUOuUMcgc6Eyx451mmSYQHm4X0Is8NwNyERKqoexj2CJsgUh5lPkDpx0tyMoM9QRkKgpXD3sQlBdSU_aCme9Rur-N3ZSJr?key=gRi66IJgTh5KPnc7HmixwA)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards) While it was a fun moment, the excitement can’t end there. If I had gone back to my business and said, “Great, we hit 100 reviews, mission accomplished,” and left it at that, I wouldn’t have gotten the budget to do it again this year. This is where many review-driving strategies fall short. I’ve attended plenty of customer marketing conferences where someone proudly shares how they generated hundreds of reviews in a short amount of time, but then the strategy ends there. It’s not a sustainable approach. If you rely on a big push for reviews once or twice a year, you miss out on key insights and consistent themes that build over time. Instead, it’s far more effective to maintain a steady, consistent flow of reviews throughout the year. ### The Alteryx approach to review sourcing At Alteryx, we’ve developed a more consistent approach. One of the things that’s worked well for us is involving our online community and user groups in the review process. This engagement allows us to drive reviews year-round, without needing to resort to one-time gimmicks. In 2023, we took a unique approach by creating a custom UTM link and engaging with our key accounts as part of our Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy. We even coined the term Advocacy Account-Based Marketing (AABM) to describe this approach. It’s a process that has proven immensely valuable for us. By engaging our top accounts through targeted [advocacy efforts](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/), we not only drove more reviews but also deepened relationships with our most important customers. ### Leveraging advocacy platforms for consistency Do you have an advocacy platform? If so, use it as an always-on faucet for reviews. As advocates join the program and go through [onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/), they are naturally funneled into providing feedback. This method ensures a steady flow of reviews—around 10 to 15 per month for us—rather than the large spikes you get from one-time campaigns. This consistency allows us to track trends and recurring themes in customer feedback, which according to Gartner’s research, is crucial for long-term success. ### Maximizing events for review collection Another tactic that’s worked for us is bringing our review vendors to our largest user conferences. If you’ve got the budget and time, this can create a lot of excitement and lead to a noticeable spike in reviews. But the key is that it complements the consistent review generation we maintain throughout the year. A big push at a user conference works well when it’s part of a broader, ongoing strategy—not a one-off event. By focusing on authentic, no gimmick review sourcing, we’ve been able to build a review strategy that goes beyond quick wins. Our advocates are real customers who are deeply engaged with our products, and their feedback helps us maintain a strong pulse on how we’re performing. This steady stream of reviews ensures we capture genuine insights that resonate across the entire enterprise, creating a solid foundation for our enterprise-wide battle cards. ## Overview of review vendors and their powerful tools Let’s talk about the two main review vendors we leverage: **G2** and **TrustRadius**. Both platforms offer user-friendly portals where you can easily track, approve, and respond to reviews, as well as create UTM links for new review campaigns. This functionality is fairly standard, but where they both stand out is in their buyer intent data. G2 recently updated their buyer intent data capabilities, allowing you to see which stage a potential buyer is in, whether it’s awareness or decision-making. This is based on how often they visit your product page—a powerful indicator of mid-to-late funnel activity. On the other hand, TrustRadius offers a unique integration that triggers alerts to our Account Executives (AEs) when someone from one of their accounts is comparing or reviewing Alteryx against other products. It provides a crucial clue to help our sales team engage at the right time. ### Where G2 and TrustRadius differ While both platforms offer fantastic features, they do have some key differences: - **G2’s asset creation service:** G2 really shines when it comes to creating custom assets like GIFs, social media graphics, and infographics that align with your brand messaging. These assets have been invaluable to our marketing efforts, and I'll showcase an example later. - **TrustRadius’ Chrome extension:** This tool has been a game-changer for us. The extension allows you to quickly grab TrustRadius customer quotes and insert them into a presentation or email at the click of a button. This capability helped empower over 1,600 reps globally last year. Within just two weeks, we drove $200,000 in sales-accepted opportunities. It’s always available in your browser, making it easy for your teams to leverage real customer quotes in their communication. ### Badges, qualitative reviews, and reports When it comes to badges, G2 leads the way with a wide variety of options. They even offer regional badges, which allows you to share the love with your global teams. This kind of recognition is great for social media and internal motivation. However, TrustRadius has a stronger focus on qualitative reviews, which is critical since, as we saw earlier, over **52%** of buyers focus on the quality of what people are saying in their reviews. Both platforms offer robust reporting capabilities, but in slightly different ways: - G2’s reports are powerful for tracking performance and understanding how your brand stacks up against competitors. - TrustRadius’ smart review taxonomy allows you to quickly deploy a website widget that helps customers find product-specific reviews with just a few clicks. This can be particularly valuable when helping prospects or existing customers navigate their buying decisions. [![G2 and TrustRadius](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdeUxbMvyZiJVpSBWF2jGYDu5UGXVbizyaqma-rbCSudBclL_aO9qV80fCxjCGiz71WitBawd0uUVtRKVhUKpn6o9tQn2BQuy94Kv0zKzriAeO0rZjILX5ZPsSTX_bULd2H9JVAnrqjp8RAnMtMBk7ZdbCZ?key=gRi66IJgTh5KPnc7HmixwA)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards) ### Persona-based battle cards Now, let’s get into G2’s coolest tools and how they’ve helped us create enterprise-wide battle cards. One of my favorite features is G2’s ability to create persona-based reports. For example, we developed a report specifically for the Office of Finance persona, which includes: - Optimized content for demos and lead generation - Quotes from actual customers in that persona - Relevant reviews, use cases, and performance badges - Reports showing how we’re outperforming the competition in this category We’ve built these persona-based reports for five different groups, and they’ve become a vital part of our sales process. By sending these customized URLs to specific [personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/an-introduction-to-personas/), we provide tailored content that resonates with the exact audience we’re targeting. ### Infographics and reports Another great tool from G2 is the ability to work with their team to create infographics. These are designed with strong customer sentiment in mind, powered by data from their algorithm, and backed by the voice of the customer. The infographic to the right in my slides is an example of this—concise, visually appealing, and data-driven. You can also see a sample G2 report in the bottom left corner. [![G2 tools](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfd_T0x1hM-qM7w5WSC-mC7Bm2JRhhuyF8CLZXAeAZcELYUZcmakqA0zhLntmID1SyPct7FqawDATd8pYe1bqthBXPvEutAUMDk9RPs4asFgilu_E5CvVowE06iKNlDqtS8vXVH7_llbkJqfajFeJ_-GX0?key=gRi66IJgTh5KPnc7HmixwA)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards) The real magic happens when we take these reports and dig deep into what our customers are saying. Instead of just reporting the number of reviews or shiny badges, we focus on giving our sales teams real, actionable insights that resonate with their audience. By focusing on both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of reviews, we can provide our sales teams with the tools they need to engage with prospects more effectively. And at the end of the day, it’s about giving them something real, impactful, and relevant—because that’s what truly resonates with your audience. ## Crafting a compelling message for our sellers: From reviews to ROI Let me walk you through how we’ve taken customer reviews and insights to craft a powerful narrative for our sales teams. [![Alteryx achievements](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfZKz1IDKMOQWrPPKvmK39HHOIk5CcrNtVUpqxYUC0ChuHC27eVD9T3VNlU-_9-OtGsD4uKgmbv2K30shCUKfbuVXUciWlw_gBHYRCODWiF_pSuXmxOxqPVz5UvIGPyY765DK6NWRA0vWWbD8qq0PTNfk4?key=gRi66IJgTh5KPnc7HmixwA)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards) What you're looking at here is the opener slide from the pitch decks used by our sellers globally. But we don’t stop there. We back this up with customer-driven data, such as the fact that our customers report seeing a 3.5x faster ROI than our competitors, with **85%** faster implementation and a **51%** faster user adoption rate. These stats, directly derived from our customer reviews and G2 reports, have become the cornerstone of the message we’re delivering to the market. Here’s how we’ve crafted this narrative: ### Time to value Time to value is the spark that ignites business ROI. To reduce time to value, companies need a platform that’s easy and fast to implement. According to our customers, Alteryx ranks number one in implementation for enterprise analytics, with an average time to go live of just over three and a half months. Compare that to the industry average of over four and a half months—we’re **85%** faster than our competitors. ### High usability and adoption rate One of the biggest cost drivers for most SaaS offerings is underutilized licenses. Our customers ranked us number one in usability, with an adoption rate 51% higher than the average data and analytics platform (40%). ### Relationship score and customer satisfaction Once customers are up and running, the story doesn’t end there. Our customers rank us 10% higher than the average at 92%. This shows that our customers find us easy to do business with. ### Equipping our sellers with customer-driven data All of these insights and stats have been carefully crafted into golden pitch decks for our sellers worldwide. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve built, combining real customer feedback from our reports with a sprinkle of creativity to help our teams communicate the true value of Alteryx. These slides are no longer just about numbers; they’re about telling a story—one that resonates deeply with potential customers by highlighting real-world results powered by our platform. ## Leveraging customer insights at the C-suite level Our approach to using customer-driven data doesn’t stop with the sales team—it’s now making an impact at the C-suite level as well. Let me share two real examples from recent blog posts written by key leaders at Alteryx: our President and CRO, Paula Hansen, and our CMO, Keith Pierce. These examples highlight how the insights we've gathered from customer reviews are being used to communicate our value proposition across the entire organization, right up to the executive level. [![GTM battle cards](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe9aA-GOpd30z-LkGh4x7feW6nAgXZmf6H3a_-hvumc8wwT1LjlNlEls-MOwgN1IHpB_p1kEVvJnVXxEB4U-7GYLw7KyNUuwdY34k1CzLsGBytMqXzoUuYM9wWtLyUrAqBwjsu3KR1FEMEIQ47caqkbgfrq?key=gRi66IJgTh5KPnc7HmixwA)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards) If you take a closer look at these blog posts, you'll notice that they’re not just marketing fluff. They’re based on the real data points we’ve uncovered, and they’re being used to reinforce our message to the market. For example, in a post by Paula Hansen titled "From Economic Crisis to Opportunity: Accelerating ROI on Tech Investments," she calls out the 3.5x faster ROI stat that our advocacy team discovered through customer reviews. This message is crucial, especially considering the economic challenges we faced in 2023\. Paula uses this data to communicate how Alteryx helps companies accelerate ROI on their tech investments, even in tough times. What’s particularly powerful here is that these insights aren’t just residing in the minds of our sellers—they’re being adopted by our executives to communicate with the market at large. This ensures that the value we deliver, as expressed through real customer feedback, is showcased consistently across the entire organization. By integrating these customer-driven insights into C-suite communications, we’re empowering the entire enterprise. Whether it's our sellers on the front lines or our executives making high-level strategic decisions, everyone is armed with data that demonstrates Alteryx’s differentiation and ability to deliver tangible business results. The impact of this approach is significant. It creates a unified message that resonates with both customers and the market, showing that Alteryx is not just another tech provider—we're a partner that helps companies achieve faster ROI and navigate challenging times with confidence, all backed by real customer experiences. ## TrustRadius tools: Unlocking the power of customer reviews Let’s shift over to TrustRadius and the cool tools they offer. One of the standout features is their review taxonomy, which allows us to tag reviews in alignment with our business needs and customer feedback. What's remarkable is how TrustRadius seamlessly integrates these tagged reviews into their Chrome extension, making it incredibly easy for us to access relevant customer quotes on demand. ### TrustRadius Chrome extension The Chrome extension lives in your browser bar, always ready to use. At any time, I can open it, filter reviews by industry, persona, or other segmentation criteria, and it instantly provides me with the right Trust Quote—a snippet from a full review based on the tags we’ve set up in the backend. This tool also enabled us to deploy TrustRadius’ Trust Quote Widget on our product website pages, a move that proved especially useful in promoting one of our niche products, Intelligence Suite. This product specializes in natural language processing and predictive analytics, and finding the right customer feedback to highlight on the product pages was critical. Instead of manually sifting through hundreds of reviews, I used specific tags like "natural language processing" and TrustRadius instantly surfaced the most relevant feedback. Their review taxonomy deserves a lot of credit for that efficiency. ### Supporting sales with trust quotes Let me give you an example of how the TrustRadius Chrome extension works in practice. [![Qualitative reviews](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfqZoDDu9VBlyz4OvrTU4lElLgPO6b-90ga2P-Weg04xq9-uG9nLNBRJFh45qQeuTdDj2U-mxky_WVAU5aDdbRHW0v0nrE4AUe6G9lwEh8redInHENJbx5JmfUSU6CVWdFuIWTbcrBcRrs3TuoH95w-ibPF?key=gRi66IJgTh5KPnc7HmixwA)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/transforming-customer-reviews-into-enterprise-wide-battle-cards) You can see Trust Quotes pulled from the Chrome extension above. One quote highlights our strategic partnership with Snowflake, another is focused on competitive scenarios (such as competing with Tableau Prep), and there’s also a quote offering a high-level executive vision of how our solutions are perceived. This tool has been invaluable for our SDRs (Sales Development Representatives), especially when they need to align their messaging with specific personas. For instance, they can easily filter Trust Quotes by industry—say, consumer packaged goods or supply chain—and instantly produce relevant quotes to support their claims. Instead of simply telling a prospect what Alteryx can do, our SDRs can now back it up with real customer feedback. Here’s an example: - Persona: Office of the CFO - Need: Automation - Trust Quote: "Alteryx automates the office of the CFO." This gives the SDR the ability to showcase customer success stories in real-time, making the conversation much more credible and engaging. The extension even helps tackle tough personas like the CIO, providing quotes that speak to governance and control over access to data. ### Internal success and case study results To demonstrate the value of this tool, we ran a campaign with our global SDRs. We provided them with solutions blueprints, and they used the Chrome extension to pull Trust Quotes that aligned with their prospects' personas and industries. We incentivized the team with a fun spiff: they had to prove that they used the Chrome extension in their follow-up with prospects. The results were impressive. In just two weeks, over 1,600 reps were using the tool, which directly resulted in three sales-accepted opportunities worth over $200,000\. This quick success was even showcased in a TrustRadius case study, highlighting how the deployment of the Chrome extension led to real business outcomes in a very short time frame. The TrustRadius Chrome extension has become a game-changer for us. It allows our teams to pull real customer reviews and quotes at the click of a button, making our pitches far more powerful. ## Key takeaways: Focus on impact, not just numbers Let me leave you with a few important takeaways. You may have noticed that I didn’t mention NPS (Net Promoter Score) or renewals—and yes, that’s intentional. These are often seen as critical metrics, but reviews tied to these moments in time are exactly that—just moments. They can be influenced by specific circumstances, both good and bad. For example, even a renewal can be a negative experience. I’ve seen it happen: the negotiation goes badly, but the client renews anyway because our platform is so ingrained in their business processes. Salesforce might just show that "X client renewed," and there might be a process in place to request a review after that renewal, but the context behind it could be far from ideal. ### Moving away from "cookie cutter" review strategies That’s why I’m not a fan of cookie-cutter review requests tied to specific events like renewals. Instead, I prefer to think of review sourcing as a steady leaky faucet—one that drips reviews throughout the year. This method ensures a constant flow of reviews, creating consistent messaging over time. As I mentioned earlier, according to Gartner’s data, buyers look for consistent themes in reviews, not just isolated positive moments. If your review strategy is non-seasonal and not tied to a specific point in time, you’ll start to see those recurring themes emerge. At Alteryx, we engage advocates year-round, prompting them to provide reviews steadily. This approach is even part of their onboarding into our advocacy programs. And when we win awards from review vendors, we always close the loop with our advocates, letting them know their reviews made a difference. ### The impact of reviews You probably noticed that I didn’t focus on the number of badges we’ve earned or how many reviews we’ve received. Except for the one instance at our conference where we hit 100 reviews in a few hours, I’ve been more focused on the impact those reviews have driven. It’s the incredible stats derived from customer feedback that have helped our business. These are the stats that are now part of our global pitch decks and being leveraged by our CRO and CMO. It’s not the volume of reviews that matters as much as the quality of the insights they provide and how those insights can be applied across the organization. So, my advice is this: focus on the impact, not just the activity or output. It’s the insights from these reviews that will continue to help your cause, secure more budget, and elevate your function within the organization. Reviews should be seen as a strategic asset that drives real business outcomes, not just a box to tick. That’s how you’ll make a lasting impact and continue to grow your review strategy into something that benefits the entire enterprise. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Luis at ourvirtual *Customer Marketing Summit, February 2024*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-february-2024/?wchannelid=ye3uyguu7m&wmediaid=aab40x3tjc)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### Customer and product adoption: Where customer marketing fits URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-product-adoption-where-customer-marketing-fits/ Last updated: 2024-09-19T14:49:51.000Z When we talk about customer marketing, it’s often emphasized that customer marketers should focus on existing customers, converting these customers into loyal advocates. Their main responsibilities involve [cross-selling and upselling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) existing products to customers. But does this mean customer marketers are responsible for customer adoption or product adoption practices? To answer this question simply: Yes. In this article, we’ll break down the relationship between customer marketing and customer adoption, and how these two concepts interact. Specifically, we’ll cover: - Customer adoption and product adoption definition - Difference between customer adoption and product adoption - Stages of adoption - Where customer marketing interacts with customer and product adoption Let’s get going. ## Customer adoption and product adoption definition ## Customer adoption definition Put simply, Customer adoption is the process by which new customers discover, consider, and purchase from your company, including how quickly these new customers adopt and purchase your products. It encompasses the [journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-expectations-for-customers-throughout-the-journey/) from initial awareness and interest to consistent, proficient usage of the offering. While product adoption and customer adoption are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between these two concepts, namely in how broad their concept is. ### Product adoption definition Product adoption is the process of launching a new product or feature, driving awareness of that feature, and integrating it into the customer’s workflow. Like customer adoption, product adoption is also the rate at which current customers adopt or purchase [new products, features, or services](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/how-to-effectively-communicate-your-features-products-and-services-to-your-customers/), and how quickly customers accept, integrate, and fully utilize a product or service within their operations or lifestyle. ## Stages of adoption As with the process of adopting new customers into your organization, the adoption of new products or features goes through the same five stages. ### 1) Awareness Perhaps the simplest stage to understand, but not necessarily the simplest to execute, is awareness. If a new or existing customer is going to purchase a product or service, they first have to know it exists. This means working on internal communication through things like [personalized](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) email campaigns, monthly newsletters, community announcements, and more. For external communication, that'll be working on things like brand awareness and narrative design, social media campaigns, and traditional advertising. The main priority for this stage is to clearly communicate: 1. What the product does. 2. The problem the product is solving. 3. How the product can integrate into a customer's existing workflow. [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) ### 2) Interest In the interest stage, now both potential and existing customers are aware of the product or feature, you’ve got to give them as much information about it as possible. It’ll be a more in-depth view of the things already communicated at the awareness stage. Some ways to do this would be: - Presenting a webinar demonstrating the product use. - Offering step-by-step guides. - Showing an in-depth customer use-case story. Also, be sure to have easily accessible peer reviews and outreach. Make customer reviews easily accessible for potential customers to find. Perhaps introduce a new channel within your community space for existing customers to talk to each other about the product and its benefits. ### 3) Evaluation This stage can blend quite a lot with the previous stage of interest, only now the customers will be interacting with these resources while seriously considering making such a purchase. They’ll likely interact more in a webinar, asking specific concerns or questions for their unique use case. Maybe they’ll be seen more regularly on your social media, or if they’re and existing customer they might reach out to a customer marketer, customer success manager, or customer service professional for one-to-one help. ### 4) Trial The trial period will be the most likely time when you’ll see potential and existing customers reach out to you directly. If you have the option of a free trial, this is when the customer will take advantage of it. If you have a product that has a money-back guarantee, you might find customers making an initial purchase to trial it for 30 days and compare it with the other options they’re considering before truly settling on your product. ### 5) Adoption The final stage is when customers make the purchase and adoption occurs. New customer adoption will also introduce new customers to the beginning of the customer journey in the form of customer adoption. For existing customers, this’ll likely fall under [cross-selling or up-selling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/) opportunities, perhaps even moving them further into the customer journey to [customer loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/) or advocacy. ## Customer marketing and adoption strategies While customer marketing is said to mainly involve working with existing customers, customer marketers do have responsibilities around customer acquisition too. Specifically, customer marketers are involved in: - **Onboarding** \- By creating and delivering materials to guide new customers through initial product use. - **Education** \- When developing ongoing learning resources like webinars, tutorials, and knowledge bases. When dealing with existing customers and their adoption or new products or features, customer marketers are involved in: - **Engagement campaigns** \- When designing targeted communications during the awareness and interest stage to encourage feature adoption and product usage. - **Cross-sell and upsell -** To identify opportunities along the customer journey to initiate adoption and introduce attractive products or features based on each customer’s purchase history and usage. - **Customer success stories -** To help with showcasing examples of successful adoption to inspire and guide other customers. Customer marketers are usually responsible for the outreach and presentation of these stories. - **Feedback collection** \- Once significant adoption or a new product has occurred, gathering and analyzing customer input is vital to improve adoption processes in the future. - **Adoption tracking** \- For either individual customers, different customer segments, or customers in different stages of the customer journey, monitoring metrics to measure and report on adoption progress is a key responsibility to improve adoption pathways and product features in the future. [Strategic branding: The #1 key to customer program adoptionEver pour your heart into a customer program only for it to flop? Discover the key tenets for driving program adoption.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDeanna Carrillo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_adoption.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-branding-the-1-key-to-next-level-customer-program-adoption/) ## Best practices for handling adoption responsibilities ### Existing customer or product adoption Adoption when it comes to cross-selling and upselling to existing customers will always go down best when you **personalize your approach**. Whether this is on a one-to-one case, or based on customer segments, industries, or use cases, a clear awareness of your customers and their history with your company will do wonders. The more information you have on a client, the better your argument can be for the value of this new product or feature. Make sure to take advantage of **cross-functional relationships** and work closely with product, sales, and customer success teams to align adoption efforts. If a customer has been with your company for a while and is consistent in their purchasing, be it renewing a subscription or buying an add-on or completely new product, it’s worth celebrating. **Milestone celebrations** where you recognize and reward customers for reaching adoption milestones go a long way to thanking your customers for their loyalty and make them more likely to want to continue purchasing your products in the future. ### New customer or product adoption Regardless of if your targeting new or existing customers, a **multi-channel approach** is invaluable. If you’re looking to get as many eyes on your new product, utilizing various communication channels (email, in-app messages, webinars) is a must-do. With new customers, data is your friend. You can use everything you know about your existing customers and market research to make **data-driven decisions** to help inform your marketing strategy. You can also use adoption metrics and customer feedback from your existing customers to continuously refine your strategies. To capture the interest of your target audience at the first stage of awareness, you’ve got to emphasize the benefits and [ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) of adopting specific features or products. Make sure you’re using **value-focused messaging** to get straight to the point of why your product is worth their time. ## Challenges of adoption With all parts of the role, there also come challenges. There’s a lot of ways to go about supporting customer and product adoption, which can lead to juggling a lot of different parts, not knowing what to prioritize. But we’ve got a few solutions in mind: ### Problem: Complexity management. Balancing the need to showcase advanced features while not overwhelming new users can lead to slower adoption rates if customers feel intimidated by the product. **Potential solution:** Implement a phased adoption approach, introducing features gradually as users become more proficient. ### Problem: Diverse customer needs Addressing varying adoption requirements across different customer segments or industries means that you might fall into the trap of producing generic adoption strategies fail to resonate with any specific customer groups. **Potential solution:** Develop clear persona-based adoption pathways tailored to different customer types. ### Problem: Measuring adoption accurately Defining and tracking meaningful adoption metrics that truly reflect customer success can be a challenge. This can lead to difficulty in demonstrating the ROI of adoption efforts and identifying areas for improvement. **Potential solution:** Collaborate with product and customer success teams to establish holistic adoption metrics that go beyond basic usage statistics. ### Problem: Maintaining long-term engagement Keeping customers engaged and advancing in their adoption journey over time, especially after initial onboarding is tricky. It’s a well know fact that getting first time buyers to purchase again is significantly less successful than catering to other types of existing customers. There’s a very easy risk of customer churn in these early days. **Potential solution:** Implement an ongoing nurture program that continually provides value and encourages deeper product adoption. --- ***So there you have it! Customer adoption, especially when it comes to new customers relies heavily on a consistent and recognizable brand narrative. Telling product stories becomes easy when you have an established narrative to build from.*** If you want a true in-depth learning path to narrative design success then look no further than our very own [**Narrative Design: Masters**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/narrative-design-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1wyzrrk%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjQ2NzI4MDk3LjE3MjY3NTcxMjk.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNjc1NzEyOS4xLjAuMTcyNjc1NzEyOS4wLjAuMA..). [Get certified today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/narrative-design-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1wyzrrk%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANjQ2NzI4MDk3LjE3MjY3NTcxMjk.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNjc1NzEyOS4xLjAuMTcyNjc1NzEyOS4wLjAuMA..) ### Economic uncertainty and getting customer marketing to thrive: An anti-fragile approach | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/economic-uncertainty-and-getting-customer-marketing-to-thrive-an-anti-fragile-approach-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:13:43.000Z ## Looking for more on customer marketing strategies? [Community: The solution to economic uncertainty | VideoHow do you keep your bottom line safe during times of economic uncertainty? For Ari Hoffman, VP of Customer Marketing and Gillian Farquhar, VP of Global Customer Marketing, the answer is customer storytelling and customer communities.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-37.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Summit-Series_Youtube_Thumbnail_Template_--7-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-and-storytelling-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/) [ABM and Customer Marketing: a one-two punch for the recession economyCustomer marketing is the fastest growing marketing discipline. As Base CEO Gal Biran highlighted in his keynote at Obsession 2022, it was the third fastest growing open position amongst all LinkedIn jobs posted over the past five years. And for a good reason.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-38.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEran Livneh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/absolutvision-uCMKx2H1Y38-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/abm-and-customer-marketing-a-one-two-punch-for-the-recession-economy/) [Advocates and employees: The solution to economic uncertainty | VideoAri Hoffman and Gillian Farquhar, VP of Global Customer Marketing, continue their conversation about customer marketing stability during times of economic uncertainty. In this episode, they discuss involving advocates and employees to support bottom-line success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-39.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Summit-Series_Youtube_Thumbnail_Template_--9-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocates-and-employees-the-solution-to-economic-uncertainty-video/) ### Unique customer advocacy tips to perfect your customer experience URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unique-advocacy-tips-to-perfect-your-customer-experience/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:00:35.000Z Advocacy is the heart of building lasting customer relationships. I’m Jennifer Susinski, a seasoned customer advocacy expert. My journey into customer advocacy has shaped how I view the essential role it plays in creating [genuine connections](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) between brands and customers. Over the years, I’ve learned that fostering these relationships is about more than just offering a product—it's about providing value, listening to feedback, and creating meaningful experiences that go beyond traditional marketing. In this article, I’ll share the key lessons and strategies that have helped me successfully build and manage customer advocacy programs, from the importance of personal connection to thinking outside the box and being authentic. *This article was transcribed from a past* [*Customer Marketing Catch-up*](https://media.thealliance.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/) *podcast episode. To listen to the episode instead, look below.* 👇 [Jennifer Susinski | Why customer advocacy can perfect customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-up“The first thing to understand is that all customers are looking for more than a product...” In this episode, we talk to Jennifer Susinski about her understanding of customer advocacy as a customer advocacy and experience manager for over seven years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJennifer Susinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/4.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/) ## Customer marketing vs advocacy In the simplest terms, [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/?%5Fgl=1%2Aaq13pw%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTMzNTM1NDI4MS4xNzI2NTgwNjA5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNjU4MDYwOC4xLjAuMTcyNjU4MDYwOC4wLjAuMA..) is about the value you bring to your customers beyond the product they pay for. It’s about fostering relationships, whether that’s between them and their peers or with your internal stakeholders. It’s also about giving them a true seat at the table to help drive your company's innovations and enhancements. After all, who better to learn from about where your product should go than the people actually using it? I’ve often found that this concept, which seems like a no-brainer to me, can be a real challenge for others to grasp. To bridge this gap, I like to organize "discovery sessions" where we can learn more about our customers. Historically, I’ve hosted customer days, where we spend four to five hours diving deep into their company’s history, what their team does, and where they want to be in the next one or two years. These sessions aren’t just about understanding their present needs, but also about helping them move forward—sometimes even helping them find their next job if it’s a good fit within my network. And let’s not forget to have fun with your customers! Building meaningful connections often means enjoying your time together and participating in activities like charitable events, whether virtual or in person. Now, when it comes to customer marketing, it’s all about what drives ROI back to your company. This can include [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/), [customer testimonials](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/), speaking engagements at events, or taking reference calls. These are the activities that directly support your company's growth. ## The continuous effort behind successful customer advocacy One of the biggest things I wish people knew is that advocacy starts at home. You have to be your [customers' advocate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/?%5Fgl=1%2Aaq13pw%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTMzNTM1NDI4MS4xNzI2NTgwNjA5%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNjU4MDYwOC4xLjAuMTcyNjU4MDYwOC4wLjAuMA..) first if you expect them to advocate for your program. It takes continuous effort; advocacy is far from a "set it and forget it" type of role. You’re never going to know everything about your customers, so there’s always room for more conversations, even if it’s just checking in to ask how their weekend was. These small moments can help you understand the person behind the customer, which can be invaluable when navigating future situations with them. Customers are looking for more than just a product—they genuinely want to form a connection with the brands they purchase from and use every day. So, it’s essential to continuously look for ways to improve their journey from start to finish. Another key point is that not everything you do will be in your job description. For example, I’m not on the support team, but if a customer reaches out to me saying they’re struggling with support, it’s my responsibility to raise that red flag internally. This can be the difference between a mildly frustrated customer and one who is extremely angry. Advocacy is a two-way street; if you treat it as one-sided, your customers will quickly drop out of your advocacy funnel. Lastly, it’s vital to respect the members of your advocacy community. Not everyone is going to advocate in the same way, and you have to honor their time and the "swim lanes" they’re comfortable in. Every customer has a different comfort level when it comes to advocacy, and you need to meet them where they are. ## Leveraging customer engagement to shape community growth When you're [building a community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) from scratch, it's actually quite simple because you can gather feedback right from the start. The challenge comes when you're stepping into an established community. At Talia, I had the opportunity to build a community from scratch, so I already knew my goals as a community manager. The next step was to sit down with stakeholders in the company to understand their goals and figure out how the community could help them achieve those. Then, I spoke with customers to discover what they wanted to collaborate on with us. With all that feedback in hand, I created a map for a realistic program. It’s important to set high goals and aim for excellence, but you need to ground those goals in the feedback you receive from everyone involved. On the flip side, when you inherit a community that needs an overhaul, it can be tricky but totally doable. You start by understanding your own goals, then work with the company to see how a better customer community can help meet overall objectives. From there, I talked to the customers—specifically, I pulled a list of the top 20 customers with the highest [engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/) points and asked if they were willing to hop on a 30-minute call. I got valuable feedback on how they felt about the community, where they wanted to see it go, and how I could assist them. I took that feedback and intertwined it into the community's redesign, making continuous improvements and asking if things were getting better along the way. This approach not only helped me shape a stronger community, but it also allowed me to build some incredible relationships. Back in 2017, after those initial calls, I formed lasting connections with several customers, and even recently, I’ve spoken with seven of them. Many have moved on to other companies, but the relationships we built have endured. That’s a powerful testament to how community building can transcend the boundaries of work—it can create genuine friendships, and those relationships can ultimately benefit both sides in the long run. [Jeni Asaba | Building relationships at scale: Vital tips to help you tie people to your community | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Jeni Asaba, Head of Community at Jamf, about some of her vital tips to help tie people to your community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-3.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--2-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## The biggest lessons from my career The first big lesson I’ve learned is that not everyone wants to see you succeed, and that can be a tough pill to swallow. It's hard when it happens to you, and it's hard to watch it happen to others, but it's important to recognize. When you’re working on something great, your instinct might be to share it with everyone, but sometimes you need to be more guarded. It’s a harsh reality, but learning how to navigate those situations will serve you well in the long run. The second lesson is: don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Push the envelope, try new things, and have fun while you’re doing it. At my last company, I had always wanted to do something charitable, but the timing was never right. Eventually, I convinced them to do a charitable match program. If our customers redeemed their points for charitable donations, we’d match those donations. It was such a rewarding experience—not only for the company but also for our customers. We even created an infographic showcasing the impact, and when one customer saw it, they were genuinely moved by what we’d achieved together. It’s one of those moments that makes you feel like you’ve made a real difference, no matter how small it might seem. Finally, the third lesson is to just be yourself. This advice came to me from an SVP at a time when I was really nervous about a meeting with high-level executives. I was six levels below everyone else, and it was intimidating. He simply told me, “Jen, just be yourself. You’re going to knock it out of the park.” At the time, it didn’t feel super helpful, but six months down the road, I realized how right he was. We all bring different skill sets, backgrounds, and education levels to the table, but if you’re authentic and true to yourself, you can create something amazing together. ***Looking for a more in depth way to learn about customer advocacy? We've got an entire course on the topic.*** *Create game-changing customer experiences for your most valuable customers that drive business growth and career momentum and get certified today.* [Get certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1czocqg%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTU4OTA1NTU1MC4xNzI2NTg2MjEz%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNjU4NjIxMy4xLjEuMTcyNjU4NjIyMi4wLjAuMA..) ### Customer persona template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-persona-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T16:37:04.000Z ## What is a customer persona template? A customer persona template is a structured way to turn research about your real customers into a single, usable reference: who they are, what they need, and what gets in their way. Most persona exercises skip straight to the card and end up as a nice-looking PDF nobody opens again. This version puts the research and validation steps first, so the card at the end reflects real customers rather than assumptions, and comes with a clear objective for how your team should use it. ## What's inside the template? The worksheet has five parts, plus the persona card itself: 1. Narrow your scope 2. Gather the voice of the customer 3. Brainstorm with your cross-functional team 4. Validate with one-to-one interviews 5. Put it to work ### How to use the template Decide which customers actually matter most to your business before you gather any research, so you're not trying to build one persona that represents everyone. Pull together what you already know, then get your cross-functional team in a room to agree on what this persona is actually for. Once the card is filled in, share the objective it was built for alongside the card itself, and revisit it whenever your product or customer base shifts enough that the persona no longer reflects reality. ## Download your customer persona template ![Customer persona template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Customer-persona-template.png) [Customer persona template (1)Customer persona template (1).pdf125 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-persona-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Customer persona templateCustomer persona template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-persona-template.docx "Download") [Customer persona templateCustomer persona template A research-backed worksheet for building a persona your team will actually use, not one that sits in a shared drive Customer personas are fictional representations of your real customers, built from research rather than assumptions. Done well, they help you identify your…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-f2ec613c-7ba3-4bbd-b405-0d296361be08.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJO8VKufDaHJAe1sm9efX2N9yDgNGwjC4mKXmEejmJxH7yfhLyujtCu0GKi9mjVky6CrwfB5dEAxKIAUS__6aNUVNn4TNry_MNWEhz4ptOeJpp7t9w-w1200-h630-p-74d03e3d-055d-4290-b07a-7a58f05e6d65)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d%5FgCP2BXTWc20vRymmrIFT0sHKTZ6jTrowiyDf3WtRI/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The role of generative AI in consumer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:50:15.000Z Generative AI has become far more commonplace over the last year with the introduction of tools like ChatGPT, which has become accessible to the everyday layman. But how does it work for roles like customer marketing and its associated professions? This article will go through: - Understanding generative AI - Inventive applications for AI in customer marketing - Some customer marketing AI prompt examples Let’s explore. ## Understanding Generative AI Generative AI are the artificial intelligence systems that can produce content, ideas, or data based on existing information. They use algorithms that are typically based on: | Large Language Models (LLMs): | Neural networks: | | AI models trained on text data that learn language patterns, allowing them to understand and generate human-like text. | These computing systems consist of interconnected nodes (that work like neurons in the human brain) organized in layers. This type of AI can learn to recognize patterns in data and make decisions or predictions. | | ----------------------------- | ---------------- | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | This type of generative AI can be presented in a multitude of forms, like: - **Web-based platforms.** - **APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)**, which allow integration with existing software and systems. - **Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions,** including cloud-based tools with specific marketing functionalities. - **Integrated marketing platforms.** - **Mobile applications.** - **Low-Code/No-Code platforms,** which allow marketers to create AI-powered applications without extensive coding, often in the form of drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built components. - **Custom enterprise solutions,** including tailored AI systems developed for specific company needs. ## Key Applications in Customer Marketing Now, AI is a tool that many already know can help with things like email automation, chatbots, social media content, and more. But what about the more unique uses of generative AI that can help in other areas of customer marketing? Here are our top picks for some of the more interesting ways in which AI and boost marketing output. ## Dynamic Micro-Moment Marketing Take the opportunity to personalize down to the finest grain and generate real-time, context-aware content outreach based on the customer's immediate situation. This’ll include things like location, weather, and current events. This is relevant if you want to create instant, personalized offers when a customer browses your website. ### AI-Powered Customer Personas Build detailed, fictional customer profiles based on data trends in an instant. Feed the AI the data that is relevant to your different customer segmentations and watch the data form into coherent and understandable personas to work with. Personas are already going to be valuable for creating more empathetic and targeted marketing ideas. ### Predictive Customer Journey Mapping Use historical data and generative AI to help you identify potential future customer journeys. Whether a new product is launched or a new feature brings in a different customer segment, being able to predict the unique touchpoints in these customer journeys and create tailored content is invaluable. ### AI Influencer Creation This one may seem a little out there, but companies have already tried using virtual influencers to target specific market segments. Just look at Samsung's virtual assistant/influencer, Sam, who launched [Samsung’s A24 phone in January 2024](https://www.clickanalytic.com/samsungs-virtual-influencer-to-launch-galaxy-s24/). Whether this will remain a brief gimmick or a genuine avenue for advertising remains to be seen, but no one can say it wouldn’t draw attention to your brand. ### Interactive Product Demonstrations Generative AI can even create customized, interactive product demos based on individual customer interests. It’ll rely on presenting 3D imaging using virtual reality or augmented reality experiences, so it's safe to say this use will take a lot more time, data, and AI training to get right. ### Cultural Adaptation of Marketing Materials AI will be able to automatically adapt marketing content for different cultures and regions. This’ll mean the AI can take into account local language, customs, and holidays to present your content at the right time and in the right way. That being said, AI is not a language expert, and it may use localized idioms and cultural references in the wrong way, so this use-type will benefit from human consultants who will make sure the AI isn’t saying the wrong thing. ### AI-Driven Event Planning Whether just to suggest ideas or build out a whole event itinerary, AI can generate customized event concepts based on past attendee data and feedback. If an attendee can only attend half a day of the event, the AI can produce a personalized agenda for them. ### Adaptive Survey Generation Wading through hundreds of survey responses can be one of the most daunting tasks when it comes to data gathering and analysis. If you’re juggling repetitive questions and answers on top of that, it can spell disaster. AI is a great tool for creating personalized survey questions based on previous responses. If a customer takes several of your feedback surveys, the AI can cut out any repeated questions, allowing the customer to answer only the most important stuff. On top of that, AI can also generate follow-up questions in real-time during these surveys so that customers can elaborate on already established answers. All this being said, AI is still a growing tool, with many teething problems still needing to be ironed out. AI is still at risk of spreading misinformation because its learning tools build on the prompts imputed in the past. We talk more about the ethics of AI in the article below: [AI and customer service: Where do you draw the line?Positions like customer marketing, customer success, and other customer-facing roles, rely a lot on face-to-face interaction with customers to maintain meaningful relationships and improve overall customer lifetime value. But does the presence of AI impact this?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/possessed-photography-JjGXjESMxOY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) ## Customer Marketing AI Prompts Examples If you’re only just getting into AI, and are struggling with how to make the AI tool actually produce what you want from it, we’ve put some AI prompt examples below to help you get started. Here are ten different AI prompts that customer marketers can use, covering the topics you specified: ### Personalized email subject lines > "Generate 5 engaging email opening lines for a \[product type\] promotion, targeting \[customer segment\]. Include the customer's first name and reference their recent purchase history." > "Create 3 urgency-driven subject lines for a flash sale email, personalized for customers who haven't made a purchase in the last 6 months. Include the customer's loyalty tier status." ### Customer service chatbot responses > "Compose a friendly chatbot response to a customer asking about our return policy. The customer has been with us for 2 years and this is their first return request." > "Generate an empathetic chatbot message for a customer reporting a delayed shipment. Provide a solution and incorporate our company's tone of voice guidelines." ### Social media post ideas > "Create 5 Instagram post concepts that showcase our new \[product name\] while highlighting its eco-friendly features. Include relevant hashtags and a call-to-action.m Keep the tone of the posts informal." > "Develop a series of 3 interconnected Twitter posts that tell a story about a customer's success with our \[service name\]. Include appropriate emojis and a branded hashtag. Please pick out relevant quotes from the customer story provided below." ### Customer feedback summary generation > "Summarize the key themes from this month's customer feedback data. Highlight the top 3 positive and negative points, and suggest areas for improvement." > "Analyze the sentiment of customer reviews for our \[product name\] from the past quarter. Generate a concise report with percentages of positive, neutral, and negative feedback, along with standout quotes. Do not make the quotes up, please use only the existing reviews provided." ## Conclusion And there you have it folks! We’ve looked at what generative AI is and some of its more unique uses for customer marketers and provided a few key prompts to help you begin to use AI for your role. All this being said though, please remember to fact check anything that generative AI produced for you. This tool is still in its early stages and its information can be wrong and misleading. While AI is improving every single day, it will not compare to direct one-to-one contact with your customers, so don’t use it as a replacement for customer relationships. --- ***If you're looking to improve your human facing skills and want to build customer loyalty into customer advocacy, then our*** [***Customer Advocacy: Masters***](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1nigyrv%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNjE0NDQ2Mi4xMjAyLjAuMTcyNjE0NDQ2Mi42MC4wLjA.) ***may just be the thing for you.*** --- ### Customer Marketing Summit | San Francisco, September 2024 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-san-francisco-september-2024/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:36:55.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco 2024. Discover best practices and take away proven tactics from experts at Google Cloud, JPMorgan, Sage & more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Valerio Battelli | Key steps to managing a flagship customer program | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/valerio-bateli-key-steps-to-managing-a-flagship-customer-program-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-09-13T09:56:22.000Z In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Valerio Battelli, Voice of Customer and Insights at Taboola, takes us through his steps to managing, and succeeding at, a flagship customer program. Varleio Battelli spoke about this topic in his full-length talk at our Customer Marketing Summit in London, 2023\. You can get access to the full recorded talk using one of our [membership plans](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/). *If you want a look at our upcoming event calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)*.* ## Key takeaways - The key characteristics to get from the stakeholders for a customer program - The most important touchpoints to prioritize when capturing potential advocates - How to maintain current advocates - One key tip to maintain advocate relationships [Watch episode now](https://youtu.be/X8pdK9svTSE) ## About the guest Valerio Battelli, Voice of Customer and Insights at Taboola, has 12 years experience in customer marketing & advocacy. He is passionate about making customers and people successful and demonstrating the impact of the voice of the customer. His favourite life quote: > "Concentrate on what you have to do. Fix your eyes on it. Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being; remind yourself what nature demands of people. Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it. But with kindness. With humility. Without hypocrisy." - Marcus Aurelius ## Join the conversation What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### How to use emotional storytelling in marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-emotional-storytelling-in-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:30:07.000Z I firmly believe that the emotional side of storytelling – *“pathos*” – is incredibly important for connecting with audiences on a human level. Even back in elementary school, you probably noticed that the kids who got the best grades weren't necessarily the ones that studied the most, but the ones who were most persuasive in their speech. It's not always the content that we pay attention to; it's the way that it's delivered and the emotions that are conveyed through any message. In today's society, emotional advertising has become increasingly popular and expected. People want to feel emotionally engaged with our brand messaging and content. To evoke those feelings, I advise balancing pathos with logos – the rational, logical side of your argument. [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) For me, storytelling doesn't just mean emotions. Storytelling means persuasion, but in order to be persuasive, you need to have a solid argument – logos – and that starts with making sure that your argument doesn't have any holes in it. In other words, if you're promising something, your product needs to deliver it. Consider the case of Theranos – they did an incredible job with emotional storytelling around saving the world with just a drop of blood. However, from a logical standpoint, the product didn't deliver, so it was destined to fail. The emotional and the rational need to go in parallel. ## Building customer trust through Ethos Beyond pathos and logos, ethos – the moral philosophy and credibility behind your brand – is critical for building audience trust. I emphasize that overpromising and underdelivering is one of the fastest ways to destroy a [brand's ethos](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). You don't want to be the next Theranos. You don't want to be the next FTX. All those cases are related to brands that didn't look into the rational foundation of what they were promising. Ethos extends beyond just words into action and behavior. Brands must ensure their values align with their habits and decisions across the entire organization. Ethos is all about making sure that your brand personality has clear moral values and, most importantly, making sure that set of values is communicated through your habits, attitude, and behavior. It's not just about words; it's about what you do. ### Avoiding performative activism One key area where brands often struggle with ethos is around social and political issues like LGBTQ+ rights or racial equality. [I warn against "performative" support](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-we-need-to-amplify-diverse-voices-in-marketing/) that’s shallow or misaligned with a brand's actual practices. A lot of brands get this wrong. You see it all the time during Black History Month and Pride Month. Many brands do performative support during those moments, but it's not going to get them very far. People spot it very quickly when that support is purely performative and there's no real commitment to standing for those values. A recent example was brands sponsoring the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite Qatar's human rights violations against the LGBTQ+ community. Especially now with social media, it's easy for audiences to see any disconnect between a brand's words and actions. ## Cathartic storytelling payoff Finally, I emphasize the importance of providing a satisfying catharsis – an emotional payoff or resolution – at the climax of your [brand storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/). Catharsis is important because in most brand communications you're using emotions to connect with your audience. You need to know how to relieve that; otherwise, it can become too intense. People can go through sadness and happiness, but at some point, they need that moment of relief to go back to their everyday lives. Without that emotional release, audiences can be left feeling unsatisfied, frustrated, or disconnected from the story. Crafting a cathartic ending is key to leaving a lasting emotional impact. No one watches a movie that has a bad ending twice. Endings are how you create an emotional connection with a film. When you're walking out of the theater, you talk about how amazing the ending was. By balancing pathos, ethos, logos, and catharsis, brands can tell resonant, emotionally engaging stories that build real audience connections. As I advise, great creativity always tries to break some rules, but don't break all of them at once because that's going to make it very hard for people to understand what you're doing. ## What’s an example of emotional brand storytelling? One excellent example of emotional storytelling is the [Spotify ad from Valentine's Day 2016](https://econsultancy.com/three-reasons-to-appreciate-spotify-s-latest-data-driven-ad-campaign/?ref=cmoalliance.com) that said "Dear person who played 'Sorry' 42 times on Valentine's Day, what did you do?" This ad brilliantly conveys emotion through implication and connects with the audience by allowing them to fill in the gaps. The ad doesn't explicitly state what happened, but it paints a vivid picture through the subtle emotional cue of someone listening to the song "Sorry" repeatedly on Valentine's Day. We can infer that this person likely did something to upset their partner. However, Spotify leaves the details to the viewer's imagination, engaging them in the storytelling process. The genius is in the execution – by only providing the emotional conclusion "Sorry" without the full premises, Spotify makes the viewer feel smart for connecting the dots themselves. As Aristotle taught, persuasion is most powerful when you state the conclusion and let the audience infer the argument. This taps into the emotional pathos by letting people empathize with the situation in their own personal way. Yet the ad still has a solid logical foundation (logos) by being based on actual listening data trends Spotify observed. So it balances emotional resonance with rational credibility. This ability to marry pathos and logos through ingenious implication is masterful emotional storytelling that any brand could learn from. ## What are the benefits of emotional marketing? A: The benefits of leaning into emotional storytelling and marketing are numerous from my perspective as a CMO. Fundamentally, human beings are emotional creatures – we don't just process information in a purely rational way. Emotions play a pivotal role in how we perceive messages and make decisions. While logical arguments and facts certainly have their place, emotional resonance allows you to truly captivate your audience on a deeper, more visceral level. As Aristotle taught, persuasion requires a balance of logos (logic) and pathos (emotion). Overly functional, dispassionate advertising is dry and forgettable. But marketing that artfully wields pathos connects with people's feelings in a way that rational messaging alone cannot. [The heart of marketing: What’s the goal of brand storytelling?Stories are at the very heart of marketing. We’re taking a look at what should be two of the main goals of your storytelling: defamiliarizing your audience (ostranenie), and maintaining a consistent story they can engage with (willing suspension of disbelief).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceWill Whitham![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/dollar-gill-0V7_N62zZcU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/magic-of-marketing-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling/) I often see the strongest impact when emotional beats harmonize with and reinforce a solid rational foundation. The logic makes the message credible – "this makes sense." But the emotional pathos is what makes it resonate – "I feel this on a gut level." Used judiciously, emotion exponentially heightens the persuasive power of your communications. There are also larger cultural forces at play here, particularly in Western markets. Emotional advertising that fosters human connections has become much more prominent and expected by modern consumers. They now anticipate being emotionally engaged by brand narratives and content. Fail to tap into those emotional drivers, and you risk appearing soulless and disconnected from your audience. Of course, emotion for emotion's sake is the path to bathos – overblown melodrama that becomes cringeworthy or unintentionally funny. The feelings must stem from an authentic truth about your brand's role and values. When executed with authenticity and balance, however, emotional storytelling allows you to create far richer, stickier connections that transcend transactions. So in summary, the benefits of emotional marketing are: Heightened persuasive impact, deeper audience resonance, meeting modern expectations, and forging more meaningful bonds with customers. Just take care to counterbalance rational logic and truth – because pathos without logos quickly devolves into pathetic pandering. ## How do you actually make a marketing story emotional? The key to infusing emotion into your marketing storytelling is tapping into the human element – creating narratives that resonate with people's visceral feelings and life experiences. As Aristotle taught, persuasion requires pathos alongside logos. Dry, purely rational messaging fails to captivate on an emotional level. One impactful technique is to leverage powerful sensory details and emotional cues that allow your audience to immerse themselves in the story beats through their own lenses. Don't spoon-feed the entire emotional arc – provide evocative premises that prompt people to fill in the rest using their imaginations and personal contexts. When they connect those dots themselves, there's a deeper sense of investment. The Spotify "Sorry" ad is a brilliant example of this. By implying an emotional scenario through subtle details like the repeated song choice, Spotify hooked viewers into vividly imagining the real human story behind it through their own eyes. That's far more powerful than bluntly stating the event details. You can layer in emotional punches through subtle symbolism, character actions, visual metaphors – all manner of showing rather than telling. But it must always stem from an authentic human truth about your brand's role and ethos. Random melodrama for its own sake just comes across as pandering or pathetic. Like any compelling narrative, there needs to be an underlying logical argument grounding the emotional resonance – Aristotle's logos balancing the pathos. The emotions provoke engagement, but the rationale lends credibility. Fashion a persuasive through-line of emotional beats that harmonize with your brand's real substance and values. Most importantly, build towards an emotional catharsis or release for the audience. Arouse feelings scene by scene, then resolve them in a culminating way that leaves people feeling cleansed and satisfied, even if tinged with lingering sentiments. An abrupt non-ending is deeply unsatisfying. Emotional storytelling is a journey, not a jump-scare. In essence, tap into the universal human experiences we all intuitively understand. Spark imagination through smart implication and authentic emotional truth. Then take your audience on a rhythmic, multi-sensory journey that earns its cathartic payoff. That's the recipe for storytelling that forges true heart connections. [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) ## Learning from Storytelling Masters To improve as storytellers, I recommend reading masterful works of fiction that showcase expert use of these storytelling techniques. A few books I love are: [Into The Woods by John Yorke](https://www.johnyorkestory.com/about/the-book/?ref=cmoalliance.com), a screenwriter, has some of the most useful advice I've read on storytelling structure and techniques. [One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/320.One%5FHundred%5FYears%5Fof%5FSolitude?ref=cmoalliance.com) is an amazing example of balancing logos and pathos through magical realism. The story goes to weird, fantastical places, but always remains grounded and believable. [Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/53413?ref=cmoalliance.com), my favorite Argentine author, is defined as "the anti-novel." It plays with and breaks conventions around sequential reading and narrative structure in brilliant ways. Reading great fiction is the best way for marketers to understand on a gut level how brilliant storytelling works. We can learn so much from the masters about creating emotional connections through our brand stories. --- **Looking for other ways to enhance your storytelling abilities?** [**Our Storytelling Certified: Masters**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Aafgz3g%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNTk4NDU4My4xMjAwLjEuMTcyNTk4NTIyNC42MC4wLjA.) **course is the perfect place to start.** --- **Do you have stories on being a marketing leader to share? Join a global network of CMs on the** [**CMA Alliance Community**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) **Slack channel.** ### What it means to have a high customer retention rate URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-it-means-to-have-a-high-customer-retention-rate-2/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:10:56.000Z When a company has a high customer retention rate, buyers return to purchase products or services on more than one occasion. If you provide an ongoing service and a client sticks with you for more than a single day, season, or purchase, then you’re retaining customers. There are a whole host of ways to achieve this, from loyalty cards to VIP programs, but the aim is always to have customers stay with your company for as long as possible. ## **Why is customer retention so important?** The modern market is volatile and competitive. As many businesses will testify, attracting new customers is extremely difficult. Comparatively, it's much easier to retain the prospects you’ve already managed to convert. To hone in on this point, financially, increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits from [25% to 95%](https://media.bain.com/Images/BB%5FPrescription%5Fcutting%5Fcosts.pdf). Retaining customers is significantly cheaper than finding new ones and your accountant will be glad of the consistent, often predictable income. It doesn’t just affect your bottom line though. **Customer retention has all kinds of benefits:** - Advocacy - Information - Cross-selling - **Advocacy:** If customers like your company, they’ll do the marketing for you. - **Information:** Engaged customers are more likely to leave feedback on how you can improve. - **Cross-selling:** An existing customer is more likely to explore the rest of a company that they trust. The problem is, it’s easy for upper management to concentrate on new customer growth and miss the big picture - which is why you need solid, quantifiable metrics. ## **How to calculate customer retention rate** There are a few different ways to calculate customer retention rate, but here’s one of the widely-used methods. ****((E-N)/S)) x 100** - E is the number of customers at the end of the period. - N is the number of new customers acquired during a period. - S is the number of customers at the start of the period. When calculating the customer retention rate, it’s important to establish a time period that makes sense. If a customer bought a house from a real estate agent on the Friday, and didn’t buy another the following Saturday, that’s understandable. If you're a SaaS company offering team deals, don't expect the same team to come back next month. If all you're looking for from your customers is quick purchases, then something has gone very wrong. Complete a deep dive into your sales data and use some common sense to establish a range of periods that work. When considering the range, you might want to be able to see how you’re doing in both the long and short term. [How to increase customer retention rate and boost customer loyaltyThe key to business success isn’t all about attracting new customers. No siree - you’ve got to give existing users a reason to stick around and make it impossible for them to slip through the cracks.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/nicola-fioravanti-W5OwUWIvMa8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-retention-rate-and-boost-customer-loyalty/) This method is one of the most common metrics, but there are others. Let’s cover a few of the most important: ### **Churn rate** When exploring customer retention, you can calculate the percentage of customers who you’re not retaining. These are known as ‘churn’. ****(Total customers + New customers - Lost customers) / Lost customers = Churn rate %** Again, you’ll have to pick a period to measure this in that makes sense - a month, two months, a year, and it makes more sense for subscription-based businesses like SaaS providers than it does for companies that sell physical products in stores. [Simple strategies for reducing customer churnWhile there’s no such thing as a business with an unblemished retention rate, there are strategies you can put in place to reduce churn and protect your business’s prospects.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/strategies-to-reduce-customer-churn--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/simple-strategies-for-reducing-customer-churn/) ### **Repeat purchase ratio** If you sell one-off products, a repeat purchase ratio is a suitable option for generating solid data on customer retention. There’s a caveat though: you need to be able to show whether one person has purchased from you more than once. That’s easy for online businesses, but can be challenging for companies selling physical items to retailers who then sell them to customers. Let’s take a look at the equation: ****Number of returning customers / Number of total customers** If you look at your data and see that of 10,000 customers 8,000 purchased more than once in a given period, you’ve got an 80% repeat purchase ratio. ### **Customer lifetime value** This is an easy method with serious value when it comes to balancing customer acquisition and the real value your customers bring. For new businesses, the cost to acquire customers (CAC) can be a ‘[startup killer](https://www.forentrepreneurs.com/startup-killer/)’ - you sink your money into glitzy product launches, an elite field sales team, and bountiful swag, but once you land a client they’re only paying a fraction of what you spent getting them in the door. So, just get the totals that every customer has spent together and calculate the median (don’t use the mean average- a few big fish customers could distort your numbers). If the average lifetime value is below your acquisition cost (the simple version: your sales and marketing budget divided by the total number of customers) then you have a customer retention problem. ### **Revenue churn rate** Revenue churn rate is great for exploring the intricacies of your sales and return numbers, so you’ll need to have access to a CRM or accounting system, or buy the company accountant a *big* coffee! Revenue churn rate measures how much revenue you’ve lost from customer churn in a given period. You can put together a simple revenue churn rate by multiplying the number of customers you lost in a given period by your Customer Lifetime Value: ‘we lost five clients last month and with a CLV of $5,000 that means $25,000 in lost revenue.’ A better version incorporates all the different variables in your business. For example, if your company sells subscription products or services (so you have monthly recurring revenue or MRR) and you also have upgrades or optional features then you could use: ****((MRR at the start of the period - MRR at the end of the period) - MRR from upgrades) / MRR at the start of the period** Companies with different business models will have to use different formulas, and you could use Excel to make intense formulae if you’ve got a head for figures. ### **Net promoter score** While NPS doesn’t explicitly focus on measuring customer retention, it’s so closely related that if you measure one you should measure the other, as NPS can give you valuable intel on why customers aren’t sticking around. NPS is a metric that shows how likely your existing customers are to recommend your company to others. It’s great for diagnosing customer retention problems because if you’re finding that retention is a problem then one of the likely culprits is that customers just aren’t satisfied with what you’re doing, and NPS will give you an insight into satisfaction problems. If you’ve low poor retention and a low NPS then you’re pretty obviously not delivering a good product or service. If your NPS is good but you’re not retaining customers then there’s something deeper wrong with your business model- it might be that customers are using your product for a while and moving on when they have no use for it, so you might have to add new products or educate your customers. ## **How to improve customer retention** ### **Establish the cause of churn** If you know why people are choosing an alternative product, you can do something about it. Ask former customers why they left and if possible, check reviews. You will find that one of the main reasons is [poor customer service](https://www.superoffice.com/blog/good-customer-service-yields-customer-loyalty/) and a perception that you don’t care about your customers, something that can be improved with a little retraining and some changes in policies. ### **Focus on service** Service with a smile and a chirpy ‘have a nice day now!’ doesn’t necessarily epitomize great customer service. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer: how easy is it to make an order? Can they get the technical support they need? Empower customer-facing staff to give small tokens of thanks or sorry easily and without having to call a manager to offer a refund or send a long-term client some cookies on their birthday. Little things like that go a long way. When you're looking to retain existing customers, begin with the ones who are ready to go onto the next stage of the customer journey. Think about introducing [customer loyalty programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/) that embed incentives into the lifeblood of your customer journey. Encourage customers to rave about the perks of your company and product online to reach other potential customers without sinking in extra costs for aquisition. Make sure throughout all of this to listen to your [customers expectations](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-expectations-for-customers-throughout-the-journey/). Is there a specific pain point that even your most loyal customers are struggling with? Focussing your service improvement by speaking to your customers is a no-brainer, but may of us forget to do so. If you take the time to sit down and understand your customers, then the service you provide will be tailored to your specific customer base and prevent you from losing customers unnecessarily. ### **Identify trends** It’s very rare for customers to jump ship immediately and there often warning signs to look out for that can help prevent future losses. If possible, invest in a good CRM system and log every interaction your customers have with your company and your product. If your churn rate dramatically increases, you can consult the data to find out the telltale markers of a soon-to-be-ex customer. They might call help desks more than usual, refuse or reschedule calls with a relationship manager or just start logging into your website less. Whatever it is, as soon as you start seeing patterns you can flag existing customers as ‘at-risk, allowing you to prioritize giving them the TLC it will take to keep them around. Things like customer support tickets or engagement rates are very important metrics to keep track of when monitoring retention and churn. If you want that Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) to remain strong, you've got to keep your customers engaged. The best way to do this is to invest your own attention on them. ### **Introduce VIP systems** Customers always want to feel special; if you’re making them feel wanted, they’ll stick around longer. Create and promote programs for long-term, high-value customers that’ll help them get more from you. This doesn’t need to be restricted to tiered discounts but can include priority support, dedicated account managers, even a party to celebrate your anniversary with the company. #### **Make Loyalty (and up-selling) easy** There are probably customers out there who would love to deepen and extend their relationship with your company if they only knew how. There’s a fine line between letting your customers know about other services that you can provide and badgering them about giving you more money, but the easy way is to have up-selling opportunities there when the customer is using your product. Freemium software providers often do this by having higher-level options on-screen but greyed out, with a link to purchase always nearby. ## **How to measure customer retention success** The first and most obvious way is to check in on your metrics regularly and see if lines are going up. Remember, having reasonable timescales is key - this is a marathon, not a sprint. Your efforts to retain customers will take time to kick in, and it will take time to see how much of an effect they have. For example, if you start a retention strategy in January and in February you see a 10% uptick in retention rates don’t start popping the champagne just yet - it could be that in March the bump will go down again since you’ve only managed to keep customers hanging on an extra month. That kind of slow-and-steady mentality might be anathema to a move-fast-and-break-things culture, but it’s also the only way you’ll set yourself up for long-term success. Introducing and solidifying your customer marketing strategy is also crucial in improving your customer retention. ## **How does a customer marketing strategy support customer retention?** A customer marketing strategy hinges on [customer segmentation](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-is-market-segmentation/), [engagement methods](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/12-top-customer-experience-engagement-tools-for-product-marketers/), and customer advocacy programs, and hones in on leveraging the experiences of existing customers, to improve both retention and growth. Here's how some customer marketers defined the process. 👇 > “The process of providing your audience with the types of communications and experiences they need, want, or like as they move from prospects to customers then, ideally, to advocates.” > “The mission of customer marketing is to turn customers into advocates who expand and renew their relationship with the business. CM plays a role in driving go-to-customer strategy.” > “Activities designed to drive retention, loyalty, advocacy, growth, and community participation for current customers. The strategy, which is different from marketing to acquire new customers, relies heavily on maximizing strong customer relationships.” ## **Benefits of customer marketing strategies** Irrespective of how you may define customer marketing strategies, it’s clear to see why many companies adhere to its key principles, with a string of benefits tied to the process: ### **Greater propensity to buy** We’ve all been in a position where we’ve experienced mediocre customer service. Similarly, we’ve also been made to feel like royalty by a company and been inclined to put our money into their pockets, instead of their competitors. This principle applies when marketing to existing customers; they’re [50% more likely](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/customer-acquisition-retention/) to try new products and spend 31% more compared to new customers. **Key takeaway?** Never underestimate the influence of great customer service; a positive initial experience with your product will boost the chances of a repeat purchase. ### **Get to know your customers** When customer marketers are trying to attract new customers, [buyer personas](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-create-buyer-personas/) are used to try and understand the target market. Sure, it’s effective, but it takes time. And time, as they say, is money. Rather than imagining who your customers are, customer marketing strategies help you to use real-life examples, through [use cases](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-use-cases-in-product-marketing/) and case studies, to develop personas. ### **Customer retention** Customer marketing strategies are pivotal in staving off churn and increasing retention rates. If a customer marketing strategy is executed well (i.e. your messaging hits the right spots, they’re engaged, and your relationship’s watertight), then why would they go anywhere else? The longer your customer uses your product, the more reluctant they’ll be to sever ties - and that’s only good news for your revenue chart. ### **Customer advocacy** Customer advocacy: it’s one of the most valuable ways of adding to your customer base. There’s every chance you could land additional business in the form of recommendations or referrals. When a customer sings your praises and tells every man and woman under the sun how good your product is, they effectively do the hard work for you, offering their respective networks authentic, [reliable feedback](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-what-why-and-how-of-customer-market-feedback/). Customer marketing epitomizes good practice. Break down the core elements of customer marketing, and the strategy is reflective of good practice - period. Customer marketing strategies maintain customer relationships, grow revenue, and assist teams in retaining customers. ***Looking to get more well versed in all things customer marketing? Take a look at our flagship course,*** [***Customer Marketing Certified: Core***](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core?%5Fgl=1%2Axup775%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyNTk4NDU4My4xMjAwLjEuMTcyNTk4ODIwMS42MC4wLjA.)***.*** ### Building an effective customer advocacy program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-an-effective-customer-advocacy-program/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:55:57.000Z Building a strong customer advocacy program is essential for driving brand awareness and revenue growth. I'm Meenakshi Lakhwani, Senior Customer Advocacy Manager at Workday, and I've had the privilege of overseeing the development of our customer advocacy initiatives. My experience at Workday has shown me how a well-structured advocacy program can transform satisfied customers into powerful brand advocates, creating a ripple effect that impacts every stage of the sales cycle. In this article, I'll walk you through the strategies and components that make up our customer advocacy program, from defining goals and understanding personas to aligning with sales and measuring success. ## The importance of aligning with revenue goals Everything revolves around numbers. It's essential for us, as customer marketers, to align ourselves with revenue generation. In a world where economic conditions are volatile, and every decision ties back to financial outcomes, we must be closely connected to sales numbers and the overall sales cycle. Knowing our revenue goals and pipeline targets is crucial. This understanding is directly linked to the success metrics I'll discuss later. Our role as customer marketers isn't just about promoting a product; it's about understanding how our efforts contribute to the bottom line. ## The power of customer trust and loyalty Customers hold the power to make or break a company's reputation with something as simple as an online review. Earning their trust and loyalty is more critical than ever. Regardless of whether we're engaged in product marketing, social media marketing, or customer marketing, our customers remain at the center of everything we do. ## Converting happy customers into brand advocates At Workday, our [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) program is strategically designed to turn satisfied and loyal customers into brand advocates. These advocates speak on our behalf, sharing their success stories with our products to a wider audience. However, the focus of these stories isn't on Workday but on the customers themselves. For instance, if a healthcare company uses Workday products, we emphasize the impact they're creating within their organization and their industry. Whether they're improving patient care or making strides in the healthcare sector at large, we highlight their success. This approach not only promotes Workday but also positions our customers as leaders in their fields, which, in turn, strengthens their loyalty to our brand. By centering our advocacy on the customer's achievements rather than our own, we build deeper connections and create a more authentic narrative. This priority ultimately helps us foster a community of passionate brand advocates. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Martech and customer marketing: Automating customer interactions URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/martech-and-customer-marketing-automating-customer-interactions-2/ Last updated: 2024-09-05T16:33:47.000Z Automation technology and customer marketing can sometimes feel at odds. With customer marketing being a customer-first role, often working with customers on a personal basis, the idea of ceding control of this relationship to automation could feel like a failure. But here’s the thing. No customer marketer can do it all. From our [State of Customer Marketing report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/), we know that the vast majority of customer marketers work in teams of one, from startups to enterprise-sized companies. Even managing 10 customers can be a lot without automating at least some of the processes. In this article, we’ll go through: - What Martech is - The importance of automating customer marketig - How Martech can be used to optimize and personalize the customer experience - How Martech proves its ROI and saves you time. ## Defining Martech in marketing As many of you may know, Martech, or marketing technology, is an umbrella term that refers to any software or tool marketers use to streamline, automate, and optimize various marketing processes and activities. In 2024, the use of martech in customer marketing is extremely common, particularly when considering the rapid development of [AI tools](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) over the last few years. Invoca found that [nearly 90% of marketers](https://www.invoca.com/uk/blog/marketers-ai-competitive-edge) are planning to increase their investment in AI, and an equal number said they will have a budget dedicated to AI-powered martech. So why has Martech become such an important staple for customer marketing teams? [Harness AI’s transformative potential in customer engagementAchieving and sustaining meaningful customer engagement is more about leveraging the immense power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized, data-driven, and emotionally resonant experiences that captivate and retain customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/brett-jordan-5L0R8ZqPZHk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) ## Importance of automating customer interactions in modern marketing The main three characteristics of modern marketing that make such a demand for this kind of technology are [scalability](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-scale-your-marketing-for-smbs-and-enterprises/), efficiency, and competition. ### Scalability The business market, like the technological one, has experienced massive growth over the past few years. As a result of consumer behavior changing to a more digital-first mindset, population growth, and globalization, the sheer volume of customers has increased exponentially. It’s no longer realistic to manage such a high volume of accounts without some level of automation. Automation enables more consistent, tailored interactions across all touchpoints. ### Efficiency Due to its increased scale, automation can help alleviate the pressure of certain tasks, specifically repetitive ones like email campaigns, [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) posting, and [customer segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/). Martech is a tool to free up marketing teams' workload so they can focus on more strategic, high-value activities. ### Competitive Advantage When it comes to navigating the fast-paced marketplace, a lot of ways to get ahead of competitors rely on keeping up with the demand. As automation becomes an industry standard, companies that fail to leverage these tools risk falling behind more tech-savvy competitors in attracting and retaining customers. In an era defined by heightened customer expectations and an explosion of marketing channels, automation has become essential for customer marketing teams to operate effectively and maximize the impact of their efforts. ## Optimizing the customer journey One of the main ways martech can help is in making the touchpoints of the customer journey as consistent and efficient as possible. ### Identify key touchpoints for automation To begin, it’s best to think about the best touchpoints you can hand over to automation. This’ll be points in the customer journey that are: 1. **Very repetitive** \- These will be the marketing activities that are frequently repeated and don't require any complex decision-making. 2. **High-volume interactions** \- Any touchpoints that involve all or a large number of customers (Like onboarding). 3. **Are easy impact and low effort** \- Prioritize touchpoints where automation can have the biggest impact on customer experience while also being low effort when it comes to implementation. Some common touchpoints that’ll make good candidates for automation will be things like: - Welcome emails - Abandoned cart reminders - Post-purchase follow-ups and feedback requests - Customer support chatbots for common queries - Lead nurturing email sequences ## Personalization at scale Martech doesn’t lose its usefulness when it comes to making more personalized experiences. But you should use data collection and analysis alongside automation in that case. ### Use customer data to enable personalized experiences This will begin with the usual data mapping, from data collection and analysis to segmentation and content planning. To begin with, the best understanding possible is to ensure you have a 360-degree view of your customers and their customer profiles. But once you understand your customer data, where do you choose to implement martech to support your [personalization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) efforts? 1. **Start with simple personalizations** like using the customer's name or referencing recent purchases, then gradually increase complexity as you become more comfortable with the technology you’ve chosen. 2. **Use machine learning algorithms** to predict the next best actions or offers, such as recommending purchases, picking upsell opportunities, or anticipating churn risks. 3. **Implement real-time personalization** on high-traffic channels based on things like page views, time on page, hover actions, or search queries. 4. **Personalize email campaigns** based on behavioral triggers and preferences. ## Improved efficiency and ROI So, how does this help in the long run when it comes to things like ROI? [How to build a customer marketing function and prove ROIHi, I’m Bree Bunzel, and I lead Customer Marketing for Dropbox. I’m delighted to share with you my experience in building customer marketing as a function and proving ROI.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceBree Bunzel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/05/randy-fath-ymf4_9Y9S_A-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) ### Time and cost savings from automating repetitive tasks When it comes to automation, time is the biggest saver. Customer marketing is a role that requires a lot of investment in customer relationships, and be it one-to-one, to customer advocates, or to engaged communities, each of these responsibilities requires time and attention. You’re going to struggle with prioritizing customer needs when you have hundreds of welcome emails looming over your head. Let’s have a quick look through some more specific examples and their benefits: - **Email Marketing Automation.** Email sequences can be triggered and sent based on user behavior. - ROI Impact: Consistent communication will encourage increased engagement rates from the customer while also reducing your own manual labor. - **Social Media Management.** Posts will be scheduled in advance, and automated responses will be programmed to answer common FAQs. - ROI Impact: Your brand presence online will remain consistent, and your response will be faster regardless of where your customers are in the world. - **Lead Scoring and Routing.** Maretch can automate the scoring of leads based on behavior and demographics. - ROI Impact: Faster lead qualification overall with improved efficiency for sales. ### Data-driven insights to optimize marketing efforts Automation implementation can require a lot of planning to build into your existing processes. Once a part of your daily workload, automation can also help set you up for success in future strategies. More specifically, martech technology can help with: - **Customer Journey Analysis.** Automated touchpoints can log data and offer insights into how customers interact across touchpoints. - ROI Impact: This data can pinpoint areas that need attending to, instantly identifying the issue and optimizing marketing spend. - **Attribution Modeling.** Automation helps youunderstand which marketing efforts drive conversions, especially when monitoring real-time customer interactions. - ROI Impact: This knowledge can help you identify certain copy, [messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/), and more attractive designs to customers. - **A/B Testing at Scale.** When deciding on new copy, you can use martech to establish automated testing of multiple variables in campaigns. - ROI Impact: This information can continuously improve overall campaign performance and attraction in current and future campaigns. - **Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Prediction.** Automation can help identify high-value customers and potential high-value prospects. - ROI Impact: This can help with retention and growth efforts across all customer sentiments, from [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligning-on-product-adoption-get-ahead-of-churn-and-boost-revenue/) risks to potential brand champions. ## Conclusion Marketing technology (Martech) can significantly enhance customer marketing efforts, particularly in the areas of personalization, automation, and data-driven decision-making. As artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities continue to advance, we can expect even more sophisticated personalization and predictive capabilities. However, it's important to remember that technology is an enabler, not a solution in itself. It should not replace true one-to-one customer interactions. Success with martech relies on you having a clear strategy from the get-go and a commitment to continuous learning and optimization. ### Solutions to the persona-first marketing problem | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/solutions-to-the-persona-first-marketing-problem-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:19:34.000Z ## Looking for more on personas? [Take your personas to the next level. Get persona certified.Personas have the power to make or break your customer marketing efforts. It affects everything from how you reach out, types of feedback gathering, and which products to focus on for cross-selling and upselling.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-42.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Meta_Images_Text--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/take-your-personas-to-the-next-level-get-persona-certified/) [Personalization: Why it matters to C-suite executivesPersonalization is the magic that turns your business from “just another option” to “the one and only” in your customer’s eyes. What better way to show your customers that their individual preferences and needs are your top priority?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-41.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_personalization.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) [Make effective use of personas by sharing with others in your organizationYour persona work is only as good as their uptake. You can spend months on end thoroughly researching your market, and fine-tuning your persona document, but if product marketing’s the only department that ends up using those persona documents, all your hard work’s barely scratching the surface.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-40.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/klara-kulikova-WcV2YkM3Dls-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-effective-use-of-personas-by-sharing-with-others-in-your-organization/) ### Leveraging Voice of Customer (VoC): Transforming market research and boosting customer advocacy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research-2/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:01:16.000Z As organizations increasingly recognize the power of customer advocacy in driving growth and deepening customer relationships, the [Voice of the Customer (VoC)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/) has emerged as a cornerstone of successful marketing strategies. To explore this critical aspect of customer engagement, I had the pleasure of hosting an enlightening conversation with two industry leaders who have been at the forefront of shaping customer advocacy: - Deena Zenyk, Co-Founder and Chief Client Officer at Captivate Collective - Liz Richardson, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer at Captivate Collective Through this article, you’ll discover how VoC can transform your approach to customer advocacy, the pitfalls to avoid, and the strategic shifts expected in the future. Join us as we unpack the critical components of VoC and customer advocacy, and learn how to harness these powerful tools to create stronger, more meaningful connections with your customers. **Want to listen to the episode instead?* Grab your headphones and head to the link below.* [The importance of VoC in your customer and market research“We’re really looking for the voice of the customer when it comes to feedback when it comes to their experience and their sentiment around your organization and how that impacts their willingness to collaborate with you on things that extend beyond just buying your products or services…”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research/) ## The journey to customer advocacy I asked my guests about their journey to their current roles. Liz Richardson shared that her entry into the field of [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/) wasn't a direct one. "Our origins are not just stepping into customer marketing or advocacy," Liz explained. "They’re more of a roundabout way." Her transition into technology was serendipitous. "I had a sister who was working at a tech startup, and I joined there," Liz recounted. Her first foray into marketing was managing Google Ads for the startup, despite having no prior experience. This experience sparked her interest in marketing, and she began exploring other areas, including social media for [B2B and community management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-non-negotiable-traits-to-find-when-hiring-a-community-manager/). The pivotal moment in her career came when she stumbled upon customer advocacy. "I heard this thing called advocacy and really stepped into it because I had a problem I was trying to solve—why is it so difficult to organize customers? Why are we using the same customers over and over again? This seemed disparate, unorganized." Liz found herself drawn to the one-on-one relationships with customers that advocacy involved, and this passion led her to work in the platform space and eventually co-found Captivate Collective with Deena, where she is now fully focused on advocacy strategy and methodology. Deena Zenyk's career path also took some unexpected turns. "My first career and degree were in journalism in the late 90s," Deena shared. However, by the time she finished her degree in the early 2000s, the media landscape had dramatically shifted. "The internet was really a thing, and people were now publishing blogs, and news media was changing." This led her to reconsider her career direction. Still passionate about journalism, Deena decided to specialize and pursued a graduate degree to gain deep expertise in a particular area. But when her funding ran out, she had to find a job, and the best opportunity at the time was as a copywriter for a technology firm. "I very quickly realized that copywriting was not creative writing. It was a lot of copying and pasting from messaging documents, and that didn’t really excite me." Instead of leaving, Deena was given a unique opportunity by the CEO of SMART Technologies. "She handed me a cardboard box with some file folders in it and asked me to pursue that information as a program, which became the SMART Showcase Schools program." This role led her to manage the full portfolio of customer advocacy offerings over the next decade. In 2015, after reaching her potential at SMART Technologies, Deena joined the first market advocacy software provider, a company led by Mark Organ. There, she headed up their center of excellence, focusing on methods, best practices, and consulting. Eventually, she partnered with Liz to co-found Captivate Collective, where she continues to focus on customer advocacy. ## Defining the VoC in relation to advocacy As we delve deeper into the topic of VoC and its connection to advocacy, it's important to first define what we mean by VoC, especially in the context of customer advocacy. ### What is VoC? Liz Richardson kicked off the discussion by referencing a common definition: "Voice of Customer, as defined by Qualtrics, is your customers' feedback about their experiences with and expectations for your products or services." However, she noted that in the field of customer advocacy, the perspective shifts slightly. "We're really looking for the voice of the customer when it comes to feedback on their experience and their sentiment around your organization, and how that impacts their willingness to collaborate with you on things that extend beyond just buying your products or services." In other words, in customer advocacy, VoC isn't just about understanding how customers feel about your products; it's about understanding how they perceive your entire organization and their readiness to engage more deeply with it. Liz emphasized that integrating VoC into building customer advocacy strategies is essential. "We believe strongly in infusing the voice of the customer into building these strategies." ### The importance of VoC in advocacy programs Liz highlighted a common pitfall she’s observed: many organizations launch customer programs with big ideas about how customer collaboration can drive sales, marketing, or even product improvements. Yet, surprisingly, these organizations often skip a crucial step—they don't infuse the voice of the customer into the ideation process itself. "It's almost like they see it as a standalone initiative," Liz said. "We don't approach it necessarily with the same rigor as we might with product ideation." She pointed out that customer advocacy is still a maturing practice, and as such, many in the field are still learning how to consistently integrate customer voice into the development of [advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/). "Maybe we think it’s a given, because these programs are all about customers, right? We're going to be talking to customers, interacting with customers—isn't that getting their voice?" Liz asked. However, she urged organizations to take a step back and consider how they are truly incorporating [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) into the creation of these programs. [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/05/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) ### Moving beyond personas Deena Zenyk agreed with Liz and shared an experience from their time working as customer advocacy consultants in 2015\. "Whenever we would start an engagement, we would want to know, you know, who's your audience? Who do you work with?" she recounted. The response was often, "Oh, we have persona documents. We'll get those over to you." But as Deena explained, these persona documents often didn't go far enough. "We would be reading through persona documents, going, okay, this is, you know, Henry, the head guy, and on the [persona](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) docs, and that didn’t even scratch the surface of what you really need to know about your customers when you're developing an advocacy program or strategy." Deena stressed that understanding your customers for advocacy purposes goes "far beyond those funny monikers in those persona docs." It requires digging deeper, beyond roles and titles, to truly grasp who your customers are as people. "The research is just—it's critical to scratch below the surface of how we typically think of the customer in the corporate world and really start to reframe them as not just a customer, but as a real person." ## The impact of properly executing VoC work As we continue exploring the importance of VoC in customer advocacy, it's crucial to understand the tangible impact of doing this work correctly. I asked Liz and Deena to share their experiences and insights on what happens when VoC is genuinely integrated into customer advocacy programs. ### Challenging assumptions about customers Liz Richardson began by acknowledging a common issue: organizations often operate on assumptions about their customers. "There's a lot of assumptions really about who customers are by organizations. And I get it—[scale](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/solo-customer-marketing-how-to-scale-impact-with-limited-resources/) is a real need. Scale is a thing, and so we use levers to make it easier to make decisions. And that's why we have things like personas," Liz explained. She was quick to clarify that personas are valuable. "We do not knock persona documentation; it is a great starting place." However, Liz emphasized the risk of relying solely on these tools without digging deeper. "When you don’t dig a little bit deeper, what we have found is that organizations often come to the table with a lot of assumptions about what will or will not resonate or work with their customer base." She provided an example to illustrate this point. "You might come to the plate and say, 'No, our customers are absolutely not incentivized or motivated by gifts.' While we think gifts should be used very judiciously, they can be tempting and useful when used correctly." Liz stressed the importance of validating these assumptions directly with customers. "Before you make big decisions that you're basing your whole program strategy on, why don’t we just go ask them? We can take a pause in what we are doing, and we can actually go ask the experts—your target audience—what should be involved in this program." [Make effective use of personas by sharing with others in your organizationYour persona work is only as good as their uptake. You can spend months on end thoroughly researching your market, and fine-tuning your persona document, but if product marketing’s the only department that ends up using those persona documents, all your hard work’s barely scratching the surface.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/klara-kulikova-WcV2YkM3Dls-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-effective-use-of-personas-by-sharing-with-others-in-your-organization/) ### Infusing VoC into program development Liz highlighted that this approach applies to all aspects of program development, from branding and tone to understanding what incentives might appeal to customers and identifying gaps in the current program that could be filled. Unfortunately, she noted that this step is often skipped. "People are so confident, or they just have this feeling that they really understand their customers already." While she acknowledged that [customer success teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) (CSMs) are valuable resources who often know customers well, Liz reiterated that "there’s really no substitute for going to the source and infusing that voice of customer just like you would with your product, into your customer advocacy program strategy." Deena Zenyk echoed Liz's sentiments and added that, for a long time, many programs were launched without sufficient collaboration with the target audience. "There was a long period of time where most programs were not being launched in collaboration with that target audience," Deena noted, highlighting the missed opportunities that arise from such an oversight. [Collecting the right kind of customer feedback: Everything you need to knowWhen it comes to marketing using the Voice of the Customer, the first step in creating such a program is collecting feedback and aggregating it across the channels where customers are giving it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_feedback.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) ## Getting started with VoC work When it comes to initiating VoC work, it’s crucial to lay a strong foundation. I asked Deena and Liz to share their insights on best practices for getting started and ensuring that VoC efforts are effective and aligned with organizational goals. ### Understanding your target audience Deena emphasized that the first step in VoC work is understanding who you need to reach. "Our starting point is always a little workshop to understand who it is that we need to reach to infuse that right voice into the program or advocacy strategy ideation process," she explained. This involves narrowing down the focus based on the goals and objectives of the program to ensure that the right voices are brought into the mix. From there, it’s about determining what you want to learn from these customers. Deena highlighted the importance of maintaining focus when designing surveys or other feedback mechanisms. "We had to whittle a survey down from many, many questions because we started to get into, 'Well, hey, if we’re deploying a survey, let’s tack on some other questions about the product.' But it’s about keeping the question set in scope, narrow enough and focused enough, so you get good finish rates on that survey." In addition to surveys, Deena also recommended conducting interviews with key customers. "Figure out who are the absolute Bullseye customers that you can talk to and have an open, honest, and direct conversation with." The goal is to gather deeper insights that a survey might not capture. She stressed the importance of finding customers who are willing to provide [genuine feedback ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/)rather than just telling you what they think you want to hear. ### Maintaining focus on your program’s north star Liz expanded on Deena’s points, particularly emphasizing the need to stay focused on the target audience. "It's very important that you have a strategy, a North Star," Liz explained. "What is the main reason you're launching this specific program?" She pointed out that while it might be tempting to broaden your audience or add extra elements to your program, doing so can dilute the effectiveness of your efforts. Liz advised against expanding the audience or program scope without a clear reason, noting that while it’s easy to get excited about broader feedback, it’s crucial to focus on the audience that will directly impact your program’s success. "You need to be able to pull out the responses and the data based on those people who are your target audience," she said. This helps avoid muddying the waters with data that, while interesting, might not be relevant to measuring the success of your specific program. ## Where advocacy programs often fall short In our discussion, Liz and Deena touched on potential pitfalls that can cause customer advocacy programs to fall short. ### The danger of busyness without purpose Liz began by highlighting a common issue in advocacy programs—what she referred to as "busy-ness." "You can generate a lot of busy-ness," Liz explained. "You can ask customers to engage in a lot of different things, put a lot of interaction types and content out there. But at the end of the day, how are you going to measure success in that program?" She warned against creating activities that generate noise but don’t align with the core objectives of the program or the [organization's broader goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/). Liz emphasized the importance of focusing on the actual metrics that truly impact the organization. "There’s a lot of good in those small things, but do you know for sure what success is in relation to your organization?" She cautioned against reporting on everything simply to make the program look robust without a clear understanding of what success looks like. ### Avoiding the echo chamber Deena Zenyk picked up on the idea of the "echo chamber" that Eve mentioned, where organizations might only engage with customers who are likely to provide positive feedback. "I’ve been grappling with that sentiment since I started in customer advocacy," Deena shared, noting that it can water down the impact and agency of customer feedback. Deena argued that skilled practitioners know how to peel back the layers of what customers are saying, whether through surveys or conversations, to get to deeper, more meaningful insights. "Even in survey design, you can design surveys to just elicit really good news from a happy audience, or you can design surveys that actually dig deeper." She acknowledged that while advocacy programs might sometimes focus on positive feedback, there’s value in ensuring that the feedback is genuine and not just an echo of what the organization wants to hear. ### Balancing value for the organization and the customer Liz added a forward-thinking point, noting that while organizations are increasingly aware of the need to provide value to customers in advocacy programs, there’s still a gap in measuring that value from the customer’s perspective. "We tend to focus all of the measurements of success on what the organization gets out of this program," Liz said. She pointed out that while organizations may set the value proposition based on what they think customers want, they often fail to measure whether customers feel they’ve received that value. Liz mentioned the concept of "customer performance indicators" as a potential area of growth in advocacy programs. This idea involves [measuring success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-customer-advocacy-program/) not just from the organization’s standpoint but from the customer’s perspective as well. "As our practice matures, we're going to want to look at measurements of success for the customer themselves," she predicted, suggesting that future advocacy programs will need to better balance the interests of both the organization and its customers. ## The future of customer advocacy As customer marketing and advocacy continue to evolve, many companies are still in the early stages of integrating these practices into their business strategies. I asked Deena and Liz to share their visions for the future of customer advocacy over the next five years. Their insights suggest that significant changes are on the horizon. ### Decentralization and ungated advocacy Deena began by highlighting a trend toward decentralizing customer advocacy, or as she referred to it, "ungating" the practice. "We see customer advocacy becoming more and more decentralized," Deena explained. This involves infusing advocacy at multiple points in the customer journey, sometimes even before a deal is closed. Rather than having a single, centralized advocacy program, organizations are moving towards a portfolio of programs that meet customers where they are in their journey. Deena emphasized the importance of nurturing relationships and gathering meaningful insights about customers as they progress through their journey with the business. "Using that data to nurture the relationship and move that customer along to the point of activation," she said, is crucial. Activation, in this context, is the stage where the impact of advocacy on the business can start to be measured. ### The science of advocacy Liz Richardson expanded on this by noting a shift from the "art" of customer advocacy to a more scientific approach. "We've seen a lot of art around the practice of customer advocacy. That's really kind of where it's sat," Liz observed. She pointed out that the field has traditionally been dominated by creative types who excel in relationship-building. However, there's now a growing emphasis on the science of advocacy—using tools and data to measure the effectiveness of these programs. Liz described a growing desire within organizations to gain a more holistic view of the customer. "The ability of an advocacy program manager to think through the flow of data between different departments, to get a more holistic view of the customer or the customer advocate, is becoming a great desire," she explained. Currently, customer advocates are often viewed separately from their overall customer journey, leading to disjointed strategies. ### Bridging the gap between advocacy and loyalty One point Liz raised was the need to rethink what advocacy truly means. "You might have someone who does a million reviews for you and is willing to do every speaking opportunity, but they’re only spending 10k a year with you," she said, contrasting this with customers who may not be publicly referenceable but increase their spend year after year. This raises the question: who is the greater advocate? Liz suggested that the lines between B2B advocacy and B2C loyalty are beginning to blur. While B2C loyalty often focuses on increasing spend over time, B2B advocacy has traditionally emphasized public references and relationships. However, she predicted that these pictures will begin to merge, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of customer loyalty and advocacy. ### Scaling up and down simultaneously Liz also noted an emerging trend where advocacy programs are both scaling up and down simultaneously. "You’re starting to see the technology and the science really reach for that large-scale engagement through technology, across the journey, across platforms," she explained. This "one-to-many" approach aims to infuse advocacy throughout the customer journey. At the same time, Liz observed a growing recognition of the need for "white glove" programs that provide targeted, personalized experiences. These one-on-one opportunities are crucial for building strong relationships and fostering deep connections with customers. "We’re starting to see programs scale downward and upward at the same time," Liz remarked, describing it as an interesting dynamic in the field. ## Final thoughts VoC is not just a feedback mechanism but a strategic tool that drives meaningful customer engagement and deepens relationships. By integrating VoC into the very foundation of customer advocacy programs, organizations can move beyond assumptions, challenge traditional personas, and create initiatives that resonate more authentically with their target audience. The future of customer advocacy will likely see a blend of art and science, with a more decentralized and holistic approach to customer relationships. ### How to build a customer-focused brand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-focused-brand/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:07:08.000Z When businesses say they care about their customers, it can conjure up a plethora of clichés. “The customer is always right.” “We're here for you 24/7.” “Treat every customer like they're your only customer.” More often than not, business executives talk the talk but very rarely walk the walk. Many businesses fail to look beyond their revenue projections to genuinely [put their customers front and center](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/). But hyper-focusing on cold, hard [data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) will only get you so far. It’ll catch up with you; your customers will feel like cash cows and, eventually, feel devalued. This article will guide you through the steps needed to create a genuine, [customer-focused brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-your-brand-through-customer-storytelling/), from understanding your customers to aligning your entire organization around their needs. Keep reading to learn: - [What customer-focused brand is](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-focused-brand/#what-is-a-customer-focused-brand) - [How customer focus is different from customer-centricity](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-focused-brand/#is-being-customer-centric-the-same-as-a-customer-focused-brand) - [Why a customer-focused brand is important](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-focused-brand/#why-is-being-customer-focused-important) - [How to be customer-focused as a customer marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-focused-brand/#how-to-be-customer-focused-as-a-customer-marketer) ## What is a customer-focused brand? When a business prioritizes its [customers’ experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) and satisfaction, putting it at the forefront of its branding and marketing efforts… *that’s* a customer-focused brand. Having a customer-focused culture emphasizes meeting customer needs, preferences and [expectations](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-expectations-for-customers-throughout-the-journey/) through delivering on its products and services. Customer focus typically revolves around the outward-facing elements of a business, like [marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-marketing-so-important-video/) and [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/). The crux of customer focus is this: it’s all in the way a company [communicates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) with its customers, the quality of its product and its features, and how it manages those critical [customer interactions](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-every-interaction-count-4-key-success-strategies-for-tailoring-customer-experience/). It’s often about appearing to be super-attentive and responsive to customers. If you want to ensure your [brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-hearts-and-minds/) is customer-focused, you need to make listening a major priority. [Listening](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/) to your customers and hearing what they respond to is business critical. [10 components to building a customer experience strategyCustomer experience, namely the way brands interact with their customers, is a broad topic that affects a lot of other processes within a company. Building a relationship with customers is vital for encouraging customer loyalty and advocacy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/08/tim-mossholder-GOMhuCj-O9w-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) ### Is being customer-centric the same as a customer-focused brand? You’d be forgiven for mixing up being customer-focused with [customer-centricity](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/). These two terms are often used interchangeably. While having a customer-focused brand is important, it doesn’t always mean that every aspect of your business is built around the customer. You’ll find [product-led](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-values-in-your-product-led-growth-business/) or sales-led businesses that can be classed as “customer-focused” but they’ll still prioritize their products or services. The difference is, that while they’re treating their product or revenue as their #1 priority, they won’t ignore [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) and experience. Being **customer-centric**, on the other hand, takes it one step further. A [customer-centric business](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) takes time and effort to put its customers at the heart of every action and decision made to give them the best possible experience. Every decision, from product development to marketing to customer service, revolves around the customer's needs and preferences. It’s about creating a seamless, positive experience for the customer at every touchpoint. Netflix, Amazon and Slack are companies that are consistently lauded for their customer-centricity because they constantly innovate and improve based on customer feedback and needs. [Mapping out the customer journey and finding your audienceAlthough often represented in linear form, the reality is that there are often cycles or skipping across the journey. It’s key to mention that each consumer will approach this journey differently - this is why customer personas are at the heart of customer journey work.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_journey_mapping.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) ## Why is being customer-focused important? It does sound like an overused cliché, but it’s true: we live in an ultra-competitive climate where everyone and their mother are trying to sell you something – and sell it *well*. No matter where you look – whether it’s a [commercial](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) on TV, an advert on Instagram, or an email in your inbox – companies are all vying for your attention and doing their utmost to make you feel like #1\. In 2018, Gladly produced its [Customer Service Experience Survey](https://www.gladly.com/blog/2018-customer-service-expectations-survey/) and discovered that “68% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for products and services from a brand known to offer good customer service experiences.” The benefits of having a customer-focused brand are too good to pass up, namely **increased customer** [**loyalty**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/)**, higher** [**retention**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) **rates,** and **stronger brand reputation.** A consistently engaged and retained customer base? You’ve just described a [CMO](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-building-a-creative-culture-as-a-cmo/)'s idea of heaven. Remember, as a customer marketer, it’s your job to help provide your existing customer base with exceptional experiences that reaffirm their loyalty and propel them toward advocacy. ## How to be customer-focused as a customer marketer ### Create customer personas [Segmenting](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) your customer base is the quickest way to provide targeted, [meaningful experiences](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) to your customers. You want every customer to feel like your [in-app messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-in-app-messaging/), email campaigns, content, and [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) posts to feel as if they’ve been crafted especially for them. To become more customer-focused and signal to your customers you’re invested in their success, consider implementing the following strategies: - Conduct [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) to develop detailed [customer personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/an-introduction-to-personas/) - Utilize [data analytics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) to understand [customer behavior](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) - [Personalize](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) communication across all channels - Offer tailored product recommendations - Continuously gather and act on customer feedback - Implement a robust [loyalty program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/) Suppose you’re serious about becoming more customer-focused. Unfortunately, it won’t happen overnight, however, we suggest you adopt these approaches. Over time, you’ll gradually demonstrate your commitment to understanding and meeting your customers' unique needs, ultimately fostering stronger relationships and driving long-term loyalty. [Customer segmentation: What is it and how does it help?Humans have alway loved categorizing things: people, animals, just about anything you can think of. And customers are no exception. Customer segmentation is a useful tactic to better align tools and strategies with your target customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/kaitlyn-chow-9mXSfVYPmlM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) ### Brand accessibility There’s nothing worse than a stuffy, disingenuous, or outdated brand image. It’s such a tell-tale sign of a lack of corporate self-awareness. Brands that don’t attempt to imagine how the customer thinks or showcase themselves as champions of said customers don’t stand a chance. As we mentioned earlier in this article, every business is trying to appeal to humans. People are sick of being marketed to. The days of insincere, aggressively sales-y techniques of the twentieth century are no longer fit for purpose. Customers want to *feel* something when they interact with a brand. They don’t want to part their hard-earned money for a money-grabbing monolith of a corporation; they want to feel seen and understood. Making your brand’s tone of voice accessible, relatable and inclusive is a must in today’s oversaturated market. Customers don’t want to feel like cattle. They don’t want to feel like a commodity. They seek authentic connections with brands that understand and value them as individuals. One way of tackling this accessibility problem is by incorporating an omnichannel customer experience strategy to provide customers with a multitude of ways to interact with your brand. Customers want the option to be able to engage with your brand outside of Monday-Friday, 9-5\. They want to know they can email your customer support and get a speedy response. They want to know your chatbot on your website is easy to navigate and talk to. They want your content and imagery to be branded in accessible fonts and colors for readability. It *all* matters and contributes to the customer's overall impression of your brand image. [Discover the power of the voice: Strategies for successful customer listeningI’m Cate Vanasse, and I want to show how you can optimize your customer listening strategy, unlocking the power of the voice of your customers!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCate Vanasse![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/05/MA_customer_listening.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/) ### Practice active listening via customer feedback This one is a biggie. Customer feedback is a marketer's bread and butter. To be able to truly deliver the value and experience a customer deserves, you need to first listen to them. What’s worked well and what hasn’t? Listening to their pain points through surveys, interviews, and social listening is a great way to tap into their unique insights and demonstrate the voice of the customer in your [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) strategy. ### Lean in on data analysis Now this may feel at odds with this article’s [human-first](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/adding-a-human-touch-to-customer-marketing/) ethos, but bear with us. Data analysis is a customer marketer’s ride-or-die. It doesn’t mean ignoring your customers and prioritizing numbers on a screen – far from it. Data analysis helps provide a holistic view of the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/) and offers a unique perspective on customer behavior, engagement and preferences. Your customer marketing data insights, whether that’s email open rate or pop-up click-through rate, can be shared with your customer success team to help identify unengaged at-risk customers and help pre-empt [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/). ### Map the customer journey Understanding where your customers have come from and what interactions they’ve had with your brand is non-negotiable. As a customer marketer, your goal is to nurture [customer relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-build-a-strong-relationship-with-your-customers/) and [drive engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/) and [satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/). You can’t do that without knowing every touchpoint. Whether that’s a [blog](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) on your website, an [email](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-email-templates/), a social post, or a conversation with a chatbot, each one of these interactions informs the DNA of the customer. You can map out the customer journey and identify potential pain points or areas for improvement, which can then enhance future customer experiences. Ultimately, you want your customer journeys to be as seamless and as possible as possible. [Annie Eissler | Customer journey mapping and the importance of customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Annie Eissler, VP of Customer, Partner & Expert Insights Marketing at AlphaSense talks to us about the importance of customer experience and how customer journey mapping can help align teams to support retention and growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/11/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--6---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Go beyond lip service Creating a customer-focused brand goes beyond just paying lip service and offering the odd customer discount. It requires a deep knowledge of your customer base, [active listening](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/), and a commitment to meeting their needs at every touchpoint. When you align your brand around the customer and continually refine your approach based on feedback, you can foster stronger relationships and drive long-term loyalty. Remember, a truly customer-focused brand doesn’t just promise great experiences – it delivers them consistently. --- ## Re-familiarize yourself with the essentials of customer marketing Looking for a well-rounded course that teaches the fundamental properties of customer marketing? Then look no further than [**Customer Marketing Certified: Core**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core). Accelerate your customer marketing career with the most cutting-edge and comprehensive curriculum around, and walk away with new knowledge, tried and tested strategies, and a competitive edge. ### By the end of the course, you'll: 🧠 Understand the full breadth of the customer marketing function. 💪 Be armed with all and only the most up-to-date and successful customer marketing tactics and trends. 📈 Up-skill yourself in every core competency required for your role, and prove your strategic value. 🏆 Tap into the proven strategies used at some of the world’s most innovative and established brands. 🔖 Earn an official certification to boost your resumé and accelerate your career. [Get certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### 3 essential tenets to improve your customer advocacy plan URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/three-essential-tenets-that-instantly-improve-your-customer-advocacy-plan/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T13:59:52.000Z Building strong customer advocacy is essential for driving long-term success in any organization. There's a misconception that [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) that it's all about the "soft" side of things – sending out swag and organizing fun events, with little real impact. While these activities can be a part of the role, the scope of customer advocacy is far broader and more strategic. In this article, I'll share insights into how you can develop impactful customer advocacy strategies, measure their success, and build the [cross-functional relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) necessary to elevate your efforts and drive meaningful results. ## Distinguishing customer marketing from customer advocacy I often see the terms "[customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/)" and "customer advocacy" used interchangeably, but in my experience, there's a clear distinction between the two, even though they're closely related. Different companies might approach this differently, but I like to think of customer marketing as a three-legged stool, with each leg representing a crucial focus area. The first leg is **customer adoption and value realization**. This is all about helping customers become well-adopted, mature users of your products or solutions. The goal here is to ensure that they see value in what you're offering, which encourages them to stay with you in the long term. [Effectively communicate your services to your customersOne of the significant challenges that customer marketers face is simply keeping track of everything. In this article, discover how you can utilize customer marketing tactics to increase customer loyalty, retention rates, and drive more sustainable growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAunalisa Arellano![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/08/CMA_Sharing_Article_Images_Author-Text--3---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/) The second leg is **community**. This includes both online forums and the broader concept of community, which involves peer-to-peer networking, learning, and education. It's about creating spaces where customers can connect, share experiences, and grow together. The third leg is **customer advocacy**. [Advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) is about turning your customers into raving fans of your products and solutions. However, I see it as a subset of the larger discipline of customer marketing, rather than a separate entity on the same level. Advocacy is one of the outcomes of effective customer marketing, but it's not the entirety of the discipline. This is how I view the ecosystem of customer marketing and advocacy and how they interconnect to support each other. ## The three pillars of customer advocacy Through my experiences and countless conversations with customers, I've identified three key pillars of [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/). These pillars are the core motivators that drive individuals to engage with your programs, regardless of the company, product, or service you're offering. Understanding these pillars can significantly enhance the success of your advocacy efforts. The first pillar is **personal branding opportunities**. Customers are often motivated by how your program can help them grow and elevate their careers. This includes opportunities for them to gain exposure, advance in their roles, and even earn promotions. Essentially, it's about how you can contribute to their professional development and success. The second pillar is **rewards and recognition**. While this might include tangible goods like swag, it's also about the intangible aspects, such as titles or awards that acknowledge their contributions and achievements. This recognition can be a powerful motivator, as it makes customers feel valued and appreciated. The third pillar, which I believe is at the heart of it all, is **peer-to-peer networking**. Customers value the chance to connect with others who are like-minded, share similar interests, and use the same solutions. These opportunities to "talk shop" and exchange insights are incredibly valuable. By facilitating these connections, you enable customers to learn from each other and build a sense of community. If you can develop programs and initiatives that align with these three pillars, you'll likely see significant success in your customer advocacy efforts. These pillars tap into the core motivations that drive individuals to engage and stay involved. [![Become a CMA Insider](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Insider--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Creating memorable experiences Swag is one of those areas that constantly evolves, but the items that leave a lasting impression are those that go beyond the typical branded merchandise. While everyone loves a good hoodie or jacket—and I probably have more water bottles than I can count—the swag that really stands out is the kind that offers a personalized and memorable experience. One example of a successful campaign we ran was allowing customers to customize their own Nike shoes. This initiative was incredibly well-received because it let participants personalize everything from the colors to the text on the back of the heel, making it a truly unique item that reflected their individual style. Another fun idea we executed involved creating customized Funko Pops, which are always a hit due to their collectible nature and the ability to tailor them to reflect the recipient’s persona. We also did something creative with magazine covers. We designed covers that featured the customer’s face along with some personal stats, mimicking the style of popular magazines like Sports Illustrated. This not only made for a great piece of memorabilia but also celebrated the customer in a way that felt special and noteworthy. The key takeaway here is that swag becomes much more impactful when it’s personalized and tied to an experience. It’s these thoughtful touches that make a lasting impression and truly resonate with customers. [![State of Customer Marketing 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Report.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) ## Measuring success in customer advocacy: Metrics that matter [Metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) have always been a challenge in the field of customer marketing, and it's something we've struggled with as an industry for as long as I've been involved. The difficulty often stems from what I mentioned earlier—the "squishiness" of focusing so much on relationships that it becomes harder to make data-driven decisions. This is one reason why demand generation teams often receive the lion's share of budgets and resources. They can directly show how their efforts impact the pipeline by driving new business and converting prospects into opportunities. When it comes to measuring the impact of customer marketing and advocacy, it's essential to take a broad view. You need to consider what you're ultimately trying to achieve—whether that's influencing new business or improving customer retention. These goals require different metrics and approaches. To start, it's helpful to measure individual programs within your customer marketing strategy, such as your reference program, peer reviews, or customer awards. But if you want to tell a more comprehensive story—an impact story—you need to look at how all your programs collectively influence customer retention and reduce churn. This is the North Star for [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/): demonstrating that your efforts are positively reducing churn over time. There are several ways to achieve this, particularly by integrating your data from various platforms like Salesforce, your CRM, and marketing automation tools. By bringing these together, you can build a dashboard or score that helps you track and illustrate the impact of your programs. Of course, if you're working with a small team, this can be challenging. We started small too, with just a few team members, and had to figure things out as we went along. The key is to prioritize what's most critical based on your business needs and decisions. Start with the basics, measure what you can, and build from there. [Customer advocacy and its development in 2024Customer advocacy is constantly evolving and is proving its value year after year when it comes to improving customer experiences and stabilizing the bottom line. In this article, we’ll also go through some newer features in customer advocacy programs that are beginning to grow.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-377.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/name_-gravity-_AdUs32i0jc-unsplash--2---1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/) ## Key lessons learned in customer advocacy Throughout my career, I've learned several important lessons that have shaped my approach to customer advocacy and marketing. One of the biggest lessons is the importance of developing strong cross-functional relationships within the organization. At a company like Adobe, with 30,000 employees, I often find myself spending more than **50%** of my time educating internal teams about the value our customer advocacy team brings. Building these relationships and ensuring that stakeholders understand how they can partner with you is crucial. It can't be overstated how vital it is to invest time in this area. Another significant lesson is related to metrics, which we discussed earlier. Developing and refining metrics can take years, but it's essential to start with the end in mind. Before you even develop and launch your programs, think about the impact you want to make and how you'll report on that impact. By having a clear vision from the outset, you'll set yourself up for greater success and make it easier to demonstrate the value of your efforts. Ultimately, these lessons not only help you achieve your immediate goals but also pave the way for future growth, including opportunities for promotions and career advancement. Understanding the importance of relationships and metrics can make all the difference in your journey in customer advocacy. --- ### Like what you read? Speak to professionals like Kevin 121 in our Slack community channel. [Begin your networking journey ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Why it's a mistake to have a persona-first approach | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-its-a-mistake-to-have-a-persona-first-approach-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:24:28.000Z ## Looking for more on personas? [Solutions to the persona-first marketing problem | VideoJoin Jana Frejova, a marketing expert from Spendesk, as she shares insights on why personas are no longer effective and alternative solutions to support your customer base and team. Learn from industry leaders and gain innovative strategies to optimize your consumer marketing efforts.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-43.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/solutions-to-the-persona-first-marketing-problem-video/) [Prioritize personas to build a detailed lifecycle frameworkKnowing your personas and continuously researching, interviewing, and validating your personas is essential to developing meaningful and relevant multi-channel content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-44.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAdria Fischer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/pine-watt-3_Xwxya43hE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/prioritizing-personas-as-an-investment-in-building-a-comprehensive-lifecycle-framework/) [An introduction to personasPersonas are a fundamental part of any marketing strategy. Whether you’re launching a new product or feature, revisiting a battle card, or building a product demo, they should be at the forefront of your mind throughout.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-45.png)Customer Marketing AllianceStephanie Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/j-balla-photography-lWHcpqbaoAk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/an-introduction-to-personas/) ### What is engagement marketing? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T10:08:49.000Z What is the point in marketing if you’re not engaging your [target audience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-understand-your-target-audience/)? It’s like mailing a letter without a stamp, or brushing your teeth without toothpaste – you just wouldn’t do it! Engagement marketing is a [customer marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-dna-of-a-customer-marketer/)’s bread and butter. When employed by a customer marketer, It’s about connecting with your customer base and creating meaningful experiences that foster [brand loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/). Did you know that 58% of customers say they [leave a brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn/) because they just don't feel valued anymore? So, all of that hard work that's gone into acquiring that customer is lost because they just don't feel valued. There's no engagement with them. Where’s the sense in that? That’s why [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) and engagement marketing go hand-in-hand: both are geared toward making exceptional experiences that translate into customer retention and advocacy. Throughout this guide, we’re going to delve into the inner workings of [engagement marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-should-improve-their-engagement-and-storytelling-for-2022/), and unpick the following to help you succeed in your customer marketing journey: - [The definition of engagement marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/#what-is-the-definition-of-engagement-marketing) - [The subtypes of engagement marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/#the-subtypes-of-engagement-marketing) - [Why engagement marketing matters](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/#why-engagement-marketing-matters) - [Key strategies in engagement marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/#key-strategies-in-engagement-marketing) - [Tools and technologies for engagement marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/engagement-marketing/#tools-and-technologies-for-engagement-marketing) ## What is the definition of engagement marketing? Sure, you could say, “But ALL marketing is engagement marketing, right?” Well, yes and no. Engagement marketing can sometimes be referred to as “experiential marketing,” seeking to create meaningful, emotion-filled interactions. It veers away from traditional marketing to provide sensory, cognitive, and more complex experiences. Did you know that [66% of consumers](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/state-of-customer-engagement) will abandon a brand if they don’t get a personalized experience? [Personalized](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/), engaged marketing cannot be slept on – it’s critical for the sustained success and repeated business of your customers. ## The subtypes of engagement marketing To make engagement a bit clearer, it's sometimes broken down into four subtypes: - Reactive engagement - Proactive engagement - Emotional engagement - Social engagement When it comes to engaging your audience, whether your existing customer base or members of a community, you’ll find that the techniques involved to *keep* them galvanized aren’t always the same. Understanding the [distinctions between customer engagement and community engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) is crucial for crafting effective strategies. While both share common ground in fostering relationships, they serve distinct purposes and require tailored approaches. [Customer vs. community engagement: Know the differenceNot all forms of engagement are created equal. Understanding the distinctions between customer engagement and community engagement is crucial.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_community.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) ### Customer engagement vs. community engagement - Customer engagement - Increases customer retention - Drives customer advocacy - Enhances customer experience - Boosts customer lifetime value - Community engagement - Empowers members - Promotes social inclusion - Facilitates problem-solving - Promotes resource sharing and collaboration - Builds trust and belonging Customer engagement focuses on the relationship between a business and its customers, aiming to enhance [satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), and [loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/) through [**personalized interactions**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/). Strategies like personalized content, excellent [customer service](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/), and loyalty programs are key in this area. On the other hand, [community engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/) centers around building relationships within a community – whether it's customers, users, or other stakeholders. It aims to create a sense of belonging and shared purpose, empowering members to participate in decision-making and problem-solving. Events, forums, and social media groups are common strategies used here. Understanding these differences helps in applying the right type of engagement strategy, whether you're focusing on deepening customer relationships or fostering a vibrant community. [A Guide to Customer and Community Engagement | PlaybookThe Alliance is proud to present an in-depth exploration of customer and community engagement in our latest playbook, a collaborative piece by Customer Marketing Alliance and Community-Led Alliance.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/08/CMA_GtCCE_Report_DocSend_2023--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) Now, let's explore the four subtypes of engagement marketing in detail, each playing a critical role in how you connect with your audience: **Reactive engagement:** [Reactive engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/) is where a customer reaches out to a company, and the company responds. In this instance, the customer is making the first move and the company is triggered by this engagement. Examples of this include reaching out to customer support via Twitter with a complaint, or by posting a review on TripAdvisor, Yelp, or Google Reviews and the company responding. Depending on how quickly you respond to a customer and how swiftly you resolve the issue, this type of engagement is key to sustaining a positive brand image and customer satisfaction. [The ultimate guide to customer reactivation marketingWant to re-engage lapsed customers and maximize lifetime value? This comprehensive ebook reveals all the strategies you need.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/CMA_Reactivation_Marketing_eBook_Meta_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfecting-the-art-of-market-research-the-essential-guide-ebook/) **Proactive engagement:** *Proactive* engagement, on the other hand, is when a brand reaches out to the customer without them making the first move. This type of engagement is ideal in cultivating strong relationships as it anticipates the customer’s needs before they’ve made contact. Spotify is excellent at this type of engagement, using AI to curate personalized playlists and recommendations based on users’ listening history. ![Spotify ad: Looking for the perfect song for your playlist?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/08/hq720.jpg) Source: Spotify **Emotional engagement:** Now this type of engagement is second to none. Eliciting genuine emotions from your target audience is the bedrock of marketing. Emotional engagement marketing tears up the rule book and transactional nature of business, building a deep, emotional bond between the customer and brand. The [World Wildlife Fund](https://www.worldwildlife.org/) ingeniously played on fear in their 2008 climate change campaign to increase awareness about the detrimental role humans are having on the environment. The billboard uses a grotesque image of a fish-humanoid mutant figure as a warning of reverse evolution, clearly signaling what might occur if sea levels continue to rise due to climate change. ![Stop climate change, before it changes you.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/08/fear.jpg) Source: WWF **Social engagement:** Online social interaction refers to the ways people connect and communicate on digital platforms. This includes exchanges on social media sites, like Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and discussions in online forums like community spaces. This engagement can be user-driven or prompted by brands, but primarily takes place in public online spaces. These interactions are key to building online communities and facilitating digital conversations. For example, Salesforce has built an extensive online community called the "Trailblazer Community," where existing customers can connect with each other, share experiences, ask questions, and attend virtual events. Salesforce actively engages with this community through social media platforms and its own forums, encouraging customers to participate in discussions, share success stories, and offer peer support. [14 ways you need to know to engage customers with social mediaEngaging your audience on social media boosts brand awareness, increases loyalty, and encourages word-of-mouth marketing. It fuels business by building a community of informed fans of your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceScott Joseph![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/engage-customers-with-social-media-image.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) ## Why engagement marketing matters The amount of organizations that completely mess up their engagement marketing is staggering. If you don’t attempt to try new ways to provide [positive experiences](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/), your customers will run for the hills! This is because modern consumers seek more than just products or services; they crave meaningful interactions and [relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/) with brands. This shift has transformed the marketing landscape, emphasizing the need for two-way [communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) and personalized experiences. Engagement marketing plays a vital role in building loyalty and trust by fostering emotional connections through regular, meaningful interactions. Transparent and responsive communication demonstrates to customers that they are valued, which in turn, strengthens their bond with the brand. This approach significantly improves [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/)marketing is rates, as engaged customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and less likely to switch to competitors. They often become brand advocates, further amplifying the company's reach. [Perfect customer marketing by prioritizing the customerA huge part of customer marketing is building lasting relationships with your customers and showing your appreciation for all that they do, but how can we do this in a meaningful way?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceChristie Vaughan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/marco-bianchetti-vzFTmxTl0DQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-marketing-strategy-by-prioritizing-customer-relationships/) ### Engagement leads to customer advocacy If you think engagement marketing is purely based on isolated interactions, you’re spectacularly wrong. Engagement marketing is all about [building lasting relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-marketing-strategy-by-prioritizing-customer-relationships/) with your customers and showing appreciation for their loyalty. A strong [customer advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) is a vital tool for achieving this. As **Sara Steffen, Senior Director of Customer Marketing at Nutanix,** explains, “[customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/) is powerful because it facilitates authentic, peer-to-peer conversations that resonate more deeply than traditional marketing efforts.” To sustain these valuable relationships, it’s crucial to engage customers meaningfully and avoid overwhelming them with too many requests. **Christie Vaughan, Customer Marketing Manager at Nutanix**, highlights that showing appreciation through personalized gestures, like handwritten thank-you notes or VIP experiences, can make advocates feel truly special and valued. When you integrate customer advocacy into your engagement strategies, you not only deepen customer loyalty but also create a network of passionate advocates who amplify your brand’s message. [Developing impactful advocacy programsWe catch up with Dave Hansen, Sinead O’Grada, Tim Newborn, and Josh Zerkel to talk about the best ways to develop an advocacy program that’ll actually make an impact.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceSinead O’Grada![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/02/jordan-mcdonald-vkx0kgKx9VA-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) ## Key strategies in engagement marketing When you’re planning out your engagement marketing strategies, it’s helpful to think of them in terms of channels. Think of engagement channels as the bridges between you and your target audience. They're the diverse platforms and tools you leverage to spark conversations, build relationships, and ultimately, turn casual observers into loyal brand advocates. From the tried-and-true methods of email marketing and social media to emerging technologies like AI-powered chatbots, the options are vast and ever-evolving. Let's break the traditional engagement marketing channels down: ### Email marketing Reining as the undefeated true workhorse of customer communication, [email](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-email-templates/) remains a powerhouse for personalized messaging. But beware of the crowded and spammy inbox – your customers will certainly not thank you for that! It’s ultra important to ensure targeted messaging in your email campaigns, particularly avoiding generic mass emails that could lead to customer disengagement and worse… brand irritation. Gross, right? **Reactivation marketing:** Email can be incredibly useful when it comes to [**reactivation marketing**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/)**.** When customers stop spending as much and their interaction with your brand begins to wain, you need to put your brand in front of them again. One of the most efficient ways to do that? By getting into their inbox! This is your chance to offer something special or simply ask, "Hey, what happened? We miss you!" Understanding why they stepped away is key to winning them back. Now, once you've got some answers, it's time to put on your problem-solving hat. Look for patterns in the feedback and consider what tweaks you can make to keep customers around longer. Keep these folks in the loop about any improvements you make. The goal is to stay on their radar when they think about products or services in your wheelhouse. [The ultimate guide to customer reactivation marketingThe realm of the existing customer is where customer marketers have the most impact. So when customers leave, a part of the customer marketers responsibilities is to try and get them back! This is where customer reactivation marketing comes in.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/08/dima-pechurin-JUbjYFvCv00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/) ### Social media It’s sometimes chaotic, sometimes unexpected, but social media channels like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook are a marketer’s playground for real-time interaction with your customers. These platforms are revolutionary, offering unprecedented reach beyond the usual remit. But a word to the wise, consistency is key in this fast-moving space. ### Events and webinars Nothing beats face-to-face interaction for building deep connections, and in the world of B2B marketing, this is even more relevant. It’s easy to get bogged down in work, particularly in an oversaturated, hyper-digital market, but it helps to cut through the noise with some well-needed human time. However, it’s worth noting that while [events](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/) do come with a lot of pros, they require significant time and resources to get them up and running. [The power of customer events in building brand loyaltyOne of the most impactful things I’ve learned is the immense value of connecting customers directly with product teams. By facilitating this connection through engaging customer events, we gain invaluable insights, forge stronger relationships, and fuel customer-led growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_events.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-customer-events-in-building-brand-loyalty/) ### Interactive campaigns When we talk about “engagement” marketing, we’re always referring to *meaningful* interactions that generate emotions. And what better way than an immersive, interactive medium? Quizzes, polls, and contests are excellent initiatives to cut through the mundanity and provide exciting, unique experiences to your customers. For example, the cosmetics giant, Maybelline, allows people to answer interactive quizzes and upload selfies to decide which products to purchase according to their needs. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/08/step-01-img-1300x1300--1-.jpg) Source: Maybelline ### Awards programs Celebrating your customers is not just a nice-to-have; it's a powerful strategy to enhance customer engagement and loyalty. Incorporating a well-executed [**awards program**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-zero-to-hero-leveling-up-our-awards-program-to-wow-customers/) into your engagement strategy can create memorable experiences for your customers, foster brand loyalty, and turn satisfied customers into enthusiastic advocates. **Cathy Jordan, Director of Global Customer Advocacy at Informatica,** shared her journey of transforming Informatica’s Innovation Awards from a small, under-the-radar event into a marquee part of their customer experience. Over six years, Cathy and her team gained executive buy-in, fostered cross-team collaboration, and created a program that thrilled customers and executives alike. - **Start small, think big:** Cathy began by elevating the Innovation Awards from a small pre-conference event to a main stage highlight at Informatica’s global conference. This gradual build-up allowed for momentum and buy-in over time. - **Persistence pays off:** It took years of persistence, strategic planning, and overcoming roadblocks to make the awards a key part of the company’s customer engagement strategy. - **Adaptability is key:** During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathy’s team pivoted to virtual awards, ensuring that customers were still recognized and celebrated despite the challenges of a virtual environment. - **Cross-functional collaboration:** Engaging stakeholders from various departments, including Product Marketing and Sales, was crucial to the success of the awards program. - **Impact beyond the event:** The success of the awards created long-lasting advocates for the brand, with honorees continuing to promote their awards and stay engaged with Informatica long after the event. *Want to learn more from Cathy? Why not* [*read her full article*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-zero-to-hero-leveling-up-our-awards-program-to-wow-customers/) *detailing her experience - you won’t regret it!* [From zero to hero: Leveling up our awards program to wow customersI’m excited to share my personal blueprint for creating customer celebrations that truly shine. You’ll discover how we gained executive buy-in, fostered cross-team collaboration, and created advocates for life.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCathy Jordan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/10/anh-henry-nguyen-_GvAHB59dkk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-zero-to-hero-leveling-up-our-awards-program-to-wow-customers/) ### Personalized content Personalized content is critical for fostering meaningful connections with your customers. But it goes way beyond simply addressing a customer by their first name – anyone can do that. If you're serious about personalization, it involves delivering relevant content, product recommendations, and experiences across various touchpoints. Some trusted aspects of personalized content include: - **Segmentation:** Try grouping your customers together based on shared characteristics like user behavior, geography and purchase history to deliver more targeted content that feels unique to them. - **Personalized recommendations:** Why not try your hat at suggesting relevant products or services based on the customer's browsing or purchase history? - **Personalized website experiences:** A tip we *love* is to adjust your website's content, product displays, and offers based on user behavior and preferences. - **Omnichannel personalization:** Consistency is key when it comes to customer marketing. Try to make sure you're always delivering a consistent personalized experience across all channels, including website, mobile app, email, and social media. But "How do I do that?" you ask. To execute this effectively, both [strategic and tactical marketing ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/examine-the-difference-between-strategic-and-tactical-marketing/)approaches are essential: **Strategic marketing approach:** Strategic marketing lays the foundation for long-term personalization efforts. For example, a customer marketer at an e-commerce company might use a strategic approach to [analyze customer data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) and [segment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) their audience, creating tailored recommendations based on purchase history and preferences. **Tactical marketing approach:** On the tactical side, marketers can implement specific campaigns, such as personalized email promotions or limited-time offers, to drive immediate engagement and conversions. [Key differences between strategic and tactical marketingIn the dynamic landscape of marketing, two essential components play a critical role in achieving business objectives: strategic marketing and tactical marketing. While both approaches are distinct in their focus and scope, they are intricately connected and work together to drive success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/05/arjan-de-jong-4jxcf0I3-Sw-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/examine-the-difference-between-strategic-and-tactical-marketing/) ### Community building A [community](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/what-is-community-led-growth/) is a group of people with a common interest – in this case, your brand. Improving the relationship with your existing customers via a dedicated community space can benefit your company in several ways: - You involve customers in the direction of your business - Amplify the voice of the customer - Reduce marketing costs **A case study of community engagement:** One successful initiative comes from [Product Marketing Alliance](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/) (PMA). Within their [free Slack community](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/join-slack/), over 40,000 Product Marketing Managers connect and support each other. One standout micro-community within this space is the PMA Book Club, where members vote on a book each month, read it, and then discuss their insights in a virtual meet-up. This initiative not only fosters deeper connections among members but also encourages continuous learning and engagement around a shared interest. [Case studies for community engagement: Engagement in actionCalling all, community builders! Ready for some inspiration? We’re exploring the concept of community engagement from two engaging case studies that’ll spark your creativity and leave you itching to level up your community game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/mike-tinnion-3ym6i13Y9LU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/) ### Customer education Customer education is a powerful yet often underutilized marketing strategy. According to **Bill Cushard**, ex-**General Manager, Partner and Commercial Success at Dragonboat,** customer education teams [should ideally report to marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-education-is-a-saas-marketing-strategy/). This is because customer education plays a crucial role in generating demand, increasing product use, and driving conversions from free to paid accounts. Bill’s of the opinion that by integrating education into marketing, businesses can bring marketing closer to the customer. Educational initiatives like live training, self-paced eLearning, and in-product content require a deep understanding of customer needs, which naturally aligns with marketing goals. Education creates markets by teaching potential customers the value of new and innovative products, much like traditional marketing does. Because let’s be real, despite how base it sounds, customer education is fundamentally about selling – selling features, the product’s purpose, and the brand itself. While education professionals might not see themselves as marketers, their work is intrinsically tied to the goals of customer marketing and subscription marketing, which focus on educating customers about the value they receive to ensure renewals and upsells. In fact, companies like HubSpot and Cloudera have already integrated education into their marketing functions with great success. HubSpot Academy, for instance, likely drives product sales by educating customers, while Cloudera made customer education a priority even before hiring a dedicated marketing team. Considering customer education as a core marketing function can help businesses better engage their audiences, drive product adoption, and create long-term customer loyalty. [Customer education is a SaaS marketing strategyCustomer education is a marketing strategy. If you know who your audience is you can educate them, and help them do their jobs with your product.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceBill Cushard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_product_value.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-education-is-a-saas-marketing-strategy/) ### Flexible engagement strategy When planning your engagement marketing strategies, it's essential to remember that customer engagement isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Much like cooking, it's about being flexible and creative with the resources you have. “Customer engagement is similar to cooking rather than baking,” according to **Eileen Linn, Director of Customer Marketing at ICE Mortgage Technology.** “While baking requires precise measurements, cooking allows for more creativity and adaptability,” she notes. In the same way, [your engagement strategies should be flexible](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-recipe-for-a-winning-customer-engagement-strategy/), allowing you to adapt based on your available resources, customer needs, and organizational goals. Rather than sticking to a rigid formula, consider evaluating your engagement programs like [advisory boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/), user groups, and online communities based on the level of effort required, the degree of customer involvement, and their potential reach. This adaptable approach ensures that your engagement strategies are effective, regardless of constraints like budget or team size. [AI and customer service: Where do you draw the line?Positions like customer marketing, customer success, and other customer-facing roles, rely a lot on face-to-face interaction with customers to maintain meaningful relationships and improve overall customer lifetime value. But does the presence of AI impact this?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/possessed-photography-JjGXjESMxOY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) ## Tools and technologies for engagement marketing AI is changing the game for customer engagement, and it's pretty exciting stuff. Think about it – you now have the power to understand our customers on a personal level, creating experiences that feel tailor-made just for them. But the thing is, AI isn't *just* about crunching numbers. It's a way to build real connections… just with a little artificial help. [Chatbots](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) and virtual assistants are a godsend to companies scaling their operations. There are personalization engines that analyze customer data and deliver content specific to that customer’s usage data and history. There are even tools that can read the mood of our customers by analyzing their comments and reviews. Predictive analytics forecast customer behavior, such as [churn risk](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/), purchase intent, and product preferences, enabling proactive customer engagement strategies. The bottom line? Embracing AI isn't just about keeping up with the tech trends (although it helps). It's about creating experiences that make our customers say "Wow, they really get me!" And *that* is how you build a brand that people love and stick with. --- ## Where do you go from here? So, you’ve read about what customer marketing is and why it’s important, and you’re now looking to understand what goes into actually implementing it into your existing network. We’ve just the thing for you with our [**Customer Marketing Certified: Core**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core). - 👩🏼‍🏫 12 modules - 📙 40+ chapters - ⏰ 10+ hours - 📝 Templates & frameworks - 🔥 6 fireside chats - 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced **Customer Marketing Certified: Core's** the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth. [Get certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core ) ### Harnessing the power of customer videos URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-the-power-of-customer-videos/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:57:22.000Z Creating impactful customer story videos is more than just hitting record—it's about connecting with your audience on a deeper level. I'm Dan Gable, founder of ShoutOut, an automated video creation platform, and Sprat, a traditional video production company. With nearly 40 years in the content creation industry, I’ve seen firsthand how the right approach to video can drive meaningful engagement. In this article, I'll share my personal framework for video success, focusing on authenticity, relevance, video length, and the power of episodic content. I'll guide you through strategies that turn ordinary videos into compelling narratives that truly connect with your audience. ## The power of video in customer stories The first question I often get is, "Why video?" It's a big question, and a good one. Sometimes, in customer story conversations, it feels like we start with the answer and then look for the question. But the reality is that video isn't always the solution. However, I believe [video](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-case-study-video-templates-you-can-start-using-today/) holds a unique importance when it comes to customer stories. Video allows you to form relationships with people easily, even with those you’ve never met in person. Think about all the people you feel like you know because you've seen them on video—you’ve likely developed opinions about them based solely on what you’ve seen and heard. That's the beauty of video. It combines both visual and auditory information simultaneously, allowing you to connect with others quickly. With video, you can really get a sense of who someone is. You can see their expressions, hear their tone of voice, and even gauge their authenticity—things that are much harder to discern through written communication alone. This makes video an incredibly powerful tool for building trust and understanding in a way that other mediums simply can't match. ## From influencers to experts There are many types of video content—live, traditional (what I call "constructed" videos), edited videos, and user-generated content. I want to focus on the shift we're seeing in constructed videos and user-generated content. A massive shift is happening in social media that everyone should be aware of. Social media algorithms are changing; it used to be that you could go viral based on the number of followers you had, which is where the idea of the "influencer" was born. But now, that’s changing. The concept of the influencer is actually fading away, replaced by the "content creator." Social platforms have realized that a large follower count doesn’t necessarily mean good content. If the content is poor, people won’t stay on the platform. These platforms are now favoring quality content over follower numbers. This is a hugely important shift that not enough people are talking about. Another interesting trend is the change in who holds influence. It used to be celebrities and famous influencers who drove trends. But now, the real power is shifting to subject matter experts and nano-influencers—people like you and me. These changes aren’t just about creating traditional customer stories anymore. It’s also about the rise of bite-sized content, which is exploding thanks to platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These platforms are no longer just for kids; they’re for adults, too. The algorithms are designed to feed you content that’s relevant to you, which makes it an incredibly powerful tool for reaching specific audiences. The really exciting thing is that this shift opens up new possibilities for how you can use video. Instead of just focusing on telling your customers' stories, you can facilitate their stories. You can invite your customers to show up on social media and provide value to others. They’re all experts in their own right, and they have their own captive audiences. Whether this content is branded by you or simply facilitated by you, it’s an interesting opportunity to expand your reach and influence. One of the challenges with customer advocacy is that you can exhaust your advocates by constantly asking for customer stories. But now, with the changes in social algorithms, there’s a new way to build their brand by enabling them to create their own content. It’s probably the best ever time to do this. Your social team should be your best friends because they’re always looking for great content, and you’re in a perfect position to provide it. ## My framework for video success: Authenticity, relevance, short, and episodic I want to share my framework for video success. My framework is centered around four key principles: authenticity, relevance, short form, and episodic content. This applies to all video content, not just user-generated material. ### Authenticity I’ve never been a huge fan of the traditional one-and-a-half to two-minute customer [story video](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-your/). I’ve made tons of them, but they are incredibly difficult to produce well. The challenge lies in making them both compelling and authentic, which is why I lean more towards user-generated content and spontaneous advocacy. That’s what we focus on at ShoutOut. Just to give you an idea, in one week alone, I personally made about 250 videos of spontaneous advocacy. We were out there, capturing videos, and I absolutely loved it. There's something deeply human and authentic about spontaneous content. People often talk about creating "authentic" videos, but the irony is that videos are probably the least authentic medium I can think of—apart from maybe magic tricks, which are all about misdirection. Videos are constructed, edited, and often quite far from reality. You can't truly make a constructed video authentic; you can only make it appear authentic. And let’s be honest, not every customer story video is going to have Martin Scorsese directing it, and your customers probably aren’t going to be as talented as Leonardo DiCaprio. But there’s hope! You can still create that authentic magic. I like to compare it to shows like "The X Factor". You can have two people singing the same song, both in tune, but only one of them will truly move you. That’s the X factor—something intangible that makes one performance resonate while the other falls flat. When creating customer story videos, it’s easy to get too focused on the words being said, on making sure all the marketing messages are perfect. But what we often forget is that these videos are performances. They need to move people, to make them feel something. The power behind the words is just as important as the words themselves, and it’s easy to overlook that in the pursuit of the “perfect messaging”. My framework is about finding that balance—creating videos that are authentic, relevant, and capable of evoking genuine emotions. It’s not easy, but when done right, it can make all the difference. **Tips for creating authentic customer story videos** Here are some of my key tips for creating truly authentic and engaging customer story videos: - Focus on the customer's world, not just marketing messages Don't fixate on getting the marketing messages perfect. Instead, really immerse yourself in the world of your customer. It's crucial to understanding their perspective. When I first started making customer story videos, my experience in TV led me to realize that it’s not about asking a bunch of questions—it’s about finding the answers that matter. When you're conducting interviews for customer stories, it’s easy to get caught up in crafting the perfect questions. But what really matters is the answers you get. I don't just ask straightforward questions; instead, I frame the conversation in a way that guides the interviewee to the answers I’m looking for. Sometimes, I even take a more casual approach by playing the role of a "bumbling idiot," which often prompts the interviewee to help me out and leads to more genuine responses. - Build rapport and lead the conversation A few years ago, I studied hypnotherapy and counseling, which turned out to be the best training I ever had for conducting interviews. In counseling, you learn to build rapport, pace into the person's world, and then gently lead them. This approach is incredibly valuable when interviewing customers. You need to step into their world, understand their perspective, and then guide them to share their story in a way that resonates. - Show unconditional positive regard You need to show unconditional love or positive regard when someone is on camera. You have to be fully present with them, truly connected, to bring out their best. When they feel your genuine connection, they come alive on camera. Whether you're conducting the interview yourself or overseeing an agency doing it, your focus should be 100% on the screen. Nothing else matters but the connection you’re building with the person on camera. - The screen is all that matters When you're crafting these stories, remember that the screen is your world. Nothing else outside of that frame matters. Be meticulous in getting the best performance out of the people you're interviewing. This means paying close attention to every detail and being present to capture those authentic moments. - Take risks and use humor Don’t be afraid to take risks. Use humor and let the magic happen. Humor is a powerful tool, though it’s often underused in customer stories. Think about your closest relationships—they’re often defined by how you tease each other or share a laugh. This kind of humor can also work in customer stories because it shows a level of comfort and closeness. Don’t be afraid to inject a little humor into your videos; it can make them feel more relatable and authentic. **Discovering the customer's passion** One of the most important aspects of creating a compelling customer story video is finding the customer’s passion. Let me share an example that illustrates this perfectly. We were working on a customer story video that initially seemed like it was going to be a disaster. The office setting was uninspiring. It was one of those situations where you could already see the dull, run-of-the-mill video coming together, and it wasn’t looking good. But then, right at the end of our conversation, the client mentioned almost in passing that he cycled every day. He was really passionate about cycling. That was our breakthrough moment. We decided to build the entire video around his passion for cycling, linking it to the key value proposition of the tech solution we were showcasing. What could have been a boring, forgettable office-based customer story turned into something truly engaging and unique. The lesson here is to always dig for that passion. When you tap into what really excites your customer, they show up better on camera, and the story becomes much more interesting. This passion brings out a side of them that’s authentic and relatable, which is exactly what you want in a customer story video. That said, it’s important to remember that no amount of drone shots, fancy graphics, or blurry backgrounds can save a bad performance from the customer. You can’t "fix it in post" if the core of the video—the customer’s story and performance—isn’t compelling. The key is to get it right during the shoot. Make sure the customer is engaged, passionate, and telling a story that resonates. Don’t rely on a great agency to fix things in the edit, because by then, it might be too late. ### Relevance One of the most important things to remember when creating a customer story video is this: **Nobody cares about you or your video.** I know that might sound harsh, but it's a crucial mindset to adopt. If you approach every video with this understanding, you’re already on the right track. People don’t inherently care about your product, your company, or even your customer—what they care about is what’s relevant to them. To illustrate this, think about a school play. If you’ve ever attended one, you know the feeling—parents are a captive audience, giving standing ovations, filled with pride. But take that same play and put it on Broadway or in the West End, and it wouldn't receive the same reaction. Why? Because the audience at the school play is emotionally invested in their kids on stage; they’re part of the journey. The same goes for your customer story videos—just because you’re invested in your company, product, and customer, doesn’t mean others will be. So how do you make sure people care? It’s simple: Educate and entertain. These are the two pillars that should support every video you create. Entertaining is hard, but it’s what captures attention. Educating is easier, and it’s what keeps people engaged. Ideally, your video should do both. Before you even start, ask yourself: What does this video offer that a simple logo or quote on your website can't? If the answer is "not much," then save your money. There’s no point in producing a video that doesn’t add value beyond what a static image or text could provide. Your video should offer something unique—whether it's a story that resonates, insights that educate, or moments that entertain. A good practice is to write down the benefits of the video for both the audience and the customer. Consider what value the video will bring to them. This is especially important if you’re working with a big company, where the video might have a wider reach and offer significant benefits to the customer by leveraging the company’s brand. But you need to be clear about this value upfront. Remember, your goal isn’t to create a showreel for your agency or to showcase your ability to make a beautiful video. The video must provide real value, or it risks becoming little more than a name-drop exercise. You should never name-drop just for the sake of it. Always focus on delivering something meaningful and relevant to your audience. ### Short Let’s talk about video length. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think attention spans are getting shorter. The real challenge isn’t that people can’t focus—it’s that it’s harder to grab their attention in the first place. This is why shorter videos can be more effective, not because people are unwilling to watch longer content. The issue often lies in the ability to tell a compelling story, not in the viewer’s attention span. So, when it comes to creating customer story videos, don’t be afraid of making a longer video if the story warrants it. The key is to make the video as short as it can be to effectively convey the message, and no shorter. This means honing down the content, eliminating repetition, and avoiding unnecessary filler. For instance, those 5-6-7 second drone shots at the beginning of a video to establish the scene, like Netflix does, aren’t always ideal for a one-and-a-half-minute customer story video. Every second counts, so make sure every element of the video serves a purpose. That said, there are exceptions to the rule, and here’s one I think is a great example—though I might be in the minority here. The Barbie movie is, in my opinion, the best customer story video ever made. Now, I know it’s not technically a customer story video, but think about it: The customer is the audience, and the movie itself is the actualization of the product. The audience becomes the customer through their engagement with the story. The huge lesson from the Barbie movie is this: Always make room for the audience in the story. A lot of videos fail because the story is too complete, too closed off, leaving no space for the audience to insert themselves into it. If the audience can’t see themselves in the story, they won’t be truly engaged. This principle applies to customer story videos as well—leave some room for the audience to connect and engage with the content on a personal level. So, when you’re thinking about video length, remember: Keep it as short as necessary, but don’t shy away from a longer format if it serves the story. Just make sure there’s room for your audience to be a part of that story. ### Episodic The final piece of my video success framework is embracing episodic content. Formats are your friend, and my background in TV has shown me just how powerful this approach can be. In the world of television—and now with platforms like Netflix—episodic content is king because it's easier to manage and more engaging for audiences. Some TV production companies won’t even consider making one-off shows anymore because they’re too challenging to produce effectively. The same principle applies to your videos, whether they’re user-generated content, long-form pieces, or something else entirely. Spend time getting your format right. Nail it down so it works well, and then you can rinse and repeat. There are two main reasons why this is so valuable. First, it gives your audience something consistent and familiar to latch onto. If your customer story videos share a similar DNA—consistent branding, a similar feel—they become more versatile. You can repurpose them in various ways, whether that’s for hyper-short-form content or something more substantial. Think of it like creating your own TikTok feed; each video is part of a larger narrative. In many ways, episodic content mirrors how stories are structured in other formats. A feature film, for example, is just a series of scenes strung together to tell a cohesive story. Episodic content works similarly by breaking down a larger narrative into digestible, connected segments. So, keep your content episodic. Develop a format that resonates with your audience, and stick to it. This approach not only simplifies production but also enhances the viewer’s experience by providing a familiar and engaging structure that they can easily follow and enjoy. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Dan at our *Customer Marketing Summit, London 2023*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2023-2/?wchannelid=ui6yf6c9kf&wmediaid=mj53i6pqjh)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### Empathy map template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/empathy-map-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T15:04:44.000Z ## What is an empathy map template? An empathy map template is a one-page framework for capturing what a buyer sees, hears, does, thinks, fears, and stands to gain, so your messaging describes the customer your evidence shows rather than the one you assume exists. Most versions of this exercise share two flaws. They map a single persona, when the average B2B buying group runs to five or more people who don't share the same fears. And they leave out the thing that actually decides deals: roughly half of lost B2B deals aren't lost to a competitor at all; they end in no decision. This version fixes both. ## What's inside the template? Six sections, built from insights shared by speakers across our product marketing, revenue, and win/loss summits: 1. Map the buying group first 2. Where each box's evidence comes from 3. The empathy map 4. Getting to the emotional layer 5. Worked example 6. Turn the map into something that ships ## How to use the template Start with the buying group, not the map. Listing who's involved and what each of them personally risks tells you how many maps you actually need, and stops you writing one composite buyer who exists nowhere. Then work through the evidence table before filling in a single box, and use the laddering questions to reach the fears and personal exposure that buyers won't volunteer unprompted. If your finished map could be pasted into a competitor's file and still read as accurate, you've mapped the buyer rather than your own pitch, which is the whole point. ## Download your empathy map template ![Empathy map template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/0b/af0be61a-605a-42ee-a863-ad9ed41cd9ed/content/images/2026/08/Empathy-map-template.png) [Empathy map template (1)Empathy map template (1).docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/0b/af0be61a-605a-42ee-a863-ad9ed41cd9ed/content/files/2026/08/Empathy-map-template--1-.docx "Download") [Empathy map template (1)Empathy map template (1).pdf158 KBdownload-circle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/0b/af0be61a-605a-42ee-a863-ad9ed41cd9ed/content/files/2026/08/Empathy-map-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Empathy map templateEmpathy map template Map what your buyer sees, hears, fears, and risks, from evidence, not assumption An empathy map is a one-page picture of a buyer’s world. Used well, it stops your messaging describing the customer you assume exists and starts it describing the one your data shows. This versio…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/0b/af0be61a-605a-42ee-a863-ad9ed41cd9ed/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-e41925bd-c203-4ecf-aa0c-9ea7b8567d74.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/0b/af0be61a-605a-42ee-a863-ad9ed41cd9ed/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyL6SaIP6-vhYkv4OqD00OFOqZvw8Y8RSNuakvdUEy4EHx3Jpq85Fv61rfMkrugk8nQEiLi82fns-_bvQIrqRfk2_mDpqwCU4lZnU1RJM36w_in_EuNA-w1200-h630-p-4b2f6fb0-1562-4527-a5ff-1f7a6f4d958b)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NZJ5K3r3iUmY4UX9UBGVVeGjHERz1RnXe16i-JdqUKk/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The must-know differences between strategic and tactical marketing | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-must-know-differences-between-strategic-and-tactical-marketing-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T11:19:42.000Z ## Looking for more on customer marketing strategy? [Tactical advertising vs tactical brandingBoth tactical advertisements and tactical branding are part of a broader marketing strategy and can complement each other to achieve both short-term goals and longer-term brand building.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-21.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engagement-marketing--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactical-advertising-vs-tactical-branding/) [Strategic branding: The #1 key to customer program adoptionEver pour your heart into a customer program only for it to flop? Discover the key tenets for driving program adoption.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-23.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDeanna Carrillo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_adoption.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-branding-the-1-key-to-next-level-customer-program-adoption/) [Key differences between strategic and tactical marketingIn the dynamic landscape of marketing, two essential components play a critical role in achieving business objectives: strategic marketing and tactical marketing. While both approaches are distinct in their focus and scope, they are intricately connected and work together to drive success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-22.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/What-is-engement-marketing--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/examine-the-difference-between-strategic-and-tactical-marketing/) ### How to effectively communicate your features, products, and services to your customers URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effectively-communicate-your-services-to-your-customers/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T10:15:41.000Z *This article is based on a podcast episode from when Aunalisa Arellano was Senior Manager of Content and Customer Marketing at Filevine. You can listen to the full episode* [*here*](https://alliance.ghost.io/podcast/cma-customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=b5vwhsjw59&wmediaid=mh6bl5fegf)*.* --- Retaining customers is just as crucial as acquiring new ones, making customer marketing an essential focus for organizations. With growing recognition of the power of existing customers and advocacy, business leaders are realizing that nurturing these relationships is key to sustainable success. In this article, discover how you can utilize customer marketing tactics to increase [customer loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/), [retention rates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/), and drive more sustainable growth. ## Communicating new features and products At Filevine, my team is just myself and an associate customer marketer. Despite our size, we handle a wide scope of responsibilities. This includes community management, customer storytelling and [advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/), the [client advisory board (CAB)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/), and support for the user conference. In my role, the responsibility for communicating new features and products primarily falls under product marketing. We have a fantastic demand generation team that handles the execution of the communications, while the product managers (PMs) drive the content creation. Although customer marketing isn't directly responsible for these communications, I do contribute by sharing information within our community and helping with copy editing when necessary. However, this aspect isn't owned by customer marketing in our organization. ### Challenges in communicating new features One of the significant challenges that customer marketers face is simply keeping track of everything. In our organization, for example, we have three pillar brands, each with a variety of new features being released weekly or pushed to beta. I rely heavily on the respective product marketing manager (PMM) or product owner to keep me informed, and I attend as many update meetings as possible. Another interesting challenge in communicating new features arises within our community. We have people participating in various beta programs, and sometimes they'll discuss a beta they're involved in that others aren't. This can lead to confusion or frustration, as some may wonder why they're not part of a particular beta. It's important to educate everyone on how we gradually open up betas to avoid overwhelming our "insiders," which is what we call our beta testers, with potential issues. Continuous education and [clear communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) are crucial in managing these situations. ## Best practices for ensuring customers are aware of everything a brand offers There are several best practices I follow to make sure customers are aware of the full range of features and services our brand offers. **Lifecycle marketing and account manager enablement** Lifecycle marketing is a key strategy, which includes enabling our account managers to effectively communicate with customers. By analyzing data from tools like Pendo or Appcues, we can understand how much customers are using our products and identify opportunities to introduce them to new features. If customers are only using one part of our platform, we send announcements and emails, and we create workflows for account managers to reach out and encourage them to explore other areas of the product. **Community engagement** I rely heavily on our community to announce new features and remind users of existing ones that they might not be aware of. For example, we have a document e-signature tool with a Spanish language version that had been available for a while. However, a couple of our long-standing customers, who are also big [advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-engagement-channels-for-advocacy-and-retention/), asked if we had a Spanish version. This was a humbling moment that made me realize the need to step back and assess what information our customers might be missing. If our top advocates were unaware of a simple feature, it was clear that we needed to create content around it, share it with the community, and ensure everyone was informed. It's important to regularly circle back and remind customers of everything we offer. --- *We have a whole playbook on customer and community engagement. You can get your own free copy right here:* Download the playbook --- **In-app guides and announcements** Utilizing in-app guides and announcements directly within the product is incredibly valuable. Tools like Pendo and Appcues allow us to create in-app guides or announcements that help users discover and understand new features. This approach ensures that customers receive information in real time and within the context of their product usage, making it more likely they'll engage with the new features and services. By implementing these best practices, we can enhance customer awareness and ensure they get the most value from our products. ## Strategies for engaging with top advocates When it comes to marketing to our top advocates, my approach shifts significantly compared to other customer segments. I view my advocates as partners because, in many ways, they truly are. They are out there, sharing stories about how our products or services have transformed their work, and we receive a lot of new customer referrals from them. Because of this unique relationship, I avoid coming to them with overly sales-focused pitches. Instead, I focus on creating a mutual value exchange. For example, if I need assistance with a guest spot on a webinar, I frame it as an opportunity for them: "Let me help you get your voice out there through this channel, discussing a topic where you're a thought leader." This way, they can build their reputation while also helping us find new customers or build a demand pipeline. Treating our advocates as partners and focusing on mutual benefits means we foster a stronger relationship and encourage them to continue supporting our brand. This not only helps us engage our advocates effectively but also enhances the overall success of our marketing efforts. ## Strategies for upselling and cross-selling When it comes to [upselling and cross-selling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/), I focus on positioning these opportunities as value-adds for our customers. This approach helps ensure that our efforts are seen as beneficial rather than just additional sales pitches. ### Cross-selling through thought leadership I find that using a [thought leadership](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/11-exclusive-customer-marketing-tips-from-thought-leaders/) lens is an effective strategy for cross-selling. Our target audience, primarily attorneys who are managing partners or founders, are also entrepreneurs. This allows us to share best practices from other entrepreneurs and show how they are revolutionizing their business or their area of law. By presenting these insights, we can demonstrate the value of our additional products or services in a way that resonates with our customers' goals and challenges. ### Upselling through product usage insights Upselling requires a slightly different approach, but it still centers around providing value. For instance, if we notice a customer using a tool to its full potential, it's an opportunity to discuss how they might benefit from new users or add-on features that could optimize their usage even further. Additionally, if an advocate is using our product in an innovative way that isn’t typical for their role or target persona, we can share this information with them. There might be someone else in their organization who could leverage the tool similarly but hasn’t yet realized its potential. By highlighting these opportunities, we can help our customers get more value out of our products and foster deeper engagement. The key is to ensure that upselling and cross-selling efforts are framed as opportunities for customers to enhance their experience and achieve their goals, rather than as mere sales tactics. This approach helps build trust and strengthens our relationship with existing customers. [Cross-selling and upselling: An introduction and best practicesYou’re at the checkout process on a website, a message comes into view ‘have you forgotten this?’ or ‘customers also purchased x y or z’. This is a tried and tested cross-selling strategy - it encourages customers to buy additional, or ‘’add-on’ purchases.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_cross_sell.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) ## Integrating thought leadership into customer marketing Thought leadership is becoming increasingly prominent across various brands and industries, and for us, it's an integral part of our customer marketing strategy. We aim to weave thought leadership into our communication and content in several key ways. ### Customer-generated blog posts One of our primary strategies is to have customers write blog posts for us. This allows us to showcase their expertise and experiences, providing authentic and valuable insights for our audience. Once these posts are written, we share them through our community channels, amplifying the reach and impact of our customers' voices. ### Webinar series We also run a regular webinar series where we invite customers as guests to discuss how they utilize our tools. These sessions are not sales pitches or product demos; instead, they are conversations that highlight our customers' achievements and innovative uses of our products. An internal moderator guides the discussion, ensuring it remains focused on the customer's story and insights. This approach helps us position our brand as a leader in the industry while also providing value to our audience through real-world examples and thought-provoking discussions. ## The role of customer feedback in strategy As the first customer marketing person at my organization, I've had the unique opportunity to build many programs from the ground up. While there were existing initiatives like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) program and market research conducted by our product team, I've focused on gathering and utilizing customer feedback to inform our strategy. I'm deeply involved in collecting customer feedback, particularly within our community. I surface this feedback to other departments as needed and conduct ad hoc research when necessary. For example, when we were planning to launch our community platform, I conducted qualitative research to gather insights from our customers. Initially, our community was on Facebook, but based on the feedback and research, we're transitioning to Vanilla Forums. This input guided not only our platform selection but also our rollout strategy, ensuring that it aligns with our customers' preferences and needs. By actively engaging with our customers and incorporating their feedback, we can tailor our strategies to better meet their expectations and enhance their overall experience with our brand. ## Building the customer marketing function from the ground up Building the customer marketing function from the ground up has been an exciting and challenging journey. Overall, I believe I've done a good job of establishing the importance of customer marketing within my organization. However, there have been some blocks along the way that I've had to navigate. One of the main challenges is that customer marketing is not yet seen as important as demand generation, which focuses on filling the sales pipeline, or even product marketing. At my organization, customer marketing is often considered third in line. This can make it difficult to secure resources and support. To overcome these resource challenges, I've had to find creative solutions to get things done in-house. For example, instead of purchasing expensive tools like Point of Reference or ReferenceEdge, I've utilized Salesforce to track customer references and acts of advocacy. With the help of some colleagues from our sales operations team, I was able to build a custom solution within Salesforce that meets our needs. Finding innovative ways to work within our existing resources means we've been able to develop a customer marketing function that supports our goals and demonstrates its value to the organization. This journey has reinforced the importance of flexibility, creativity, and collaboration in building a successful customer marketing program from the ground up. ## The future of customer marketing As customer marketing continues to take root in various organizations, it's becoming increasingly recognized for the power it has in leveraging existing customers and advocacy. So, what does the future hold for customer marketing? Here are my predictions for later this year and beyond: ### Continued growth and integration I believe customer marketing is only going to continue growing. According to some recent research from LinkedIn, customer marketing is one of the fastest-growing positions right now. I expect this trend to persist as organizations realize the value of focusing on existing customers and their potential to drive growth. As customer marketing becomes more established, I anticipate it will become a pillar in almost every marketing team. While it's not yet a core component in all organizations, I see it moving in that direction. Eventually, I hope to see customer marketing, demand generation, and product marketing viewed as equally important functions within a marketing team. ### The importance of customer marketing I've always advocated that customer marketing is one of the most critical functions, especially when considering customer lifetime value and retention. Current customers are often the easiest to sell to, and nurturing these relationships can lead to significant long-term benefits. By prioritizing customer marketing, organizations can enhance customer loyalty, increase retention rates, and drive more sustainable growth. As customer marketing continues to gain recognition and evolve, its role within organizations will become even more crucial. Focusing on existing customers and leveraging their advocacy means businesses can unlock new opportunities and achieve lasting success. ### Cross-sell/upsell opportunity matrix URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-sell-upsell-opportunity-matrix-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T12:48:30.000Z ## What is a cross-sell/upsell opportunity matrix? A cross-sell/upsell opportunity matrix maps which of your products or solutions are the best fit for which customer segments, then layers in an upsell journey map that flags the specific trigger moments, like maxed-out usage or a strong NPS score, where an upsell conversation actually makes sense. Most upsell efforts are either scattershot (pitching everything to everyone) or reactive (waiting for the customer to ask). This template forces both a structural view and a timing view, so outreach lines up with a moment the customer is actually receptive to it. ## What's inside the template? The template has two parts, each shown once as a worked example and once blank for your own use: 1. **Opportunity matrix:** Customer segments scored against your solutions by ideal customer profile match and upsell/cross-sell potential 2. **Upsell journey map:** Five trigger moments, each broken into description, customer needs, potential upsell, and barriers ## How to use the template Start with the opportunity matrix: list your customer segments down the side and your solutions across the top, then score each cell for ICP match and potential. Then work through the upsell journey map for the segments you flagged as high potential, identifying which trigger moments apply and what's specifically blocking the upsell at each one. ## Download your cross-sell/upsell opportunity matrix ![Cross-sell/upsell opportunity matrix](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Cross-sell-upsell-opportunity-matrix.png) [Cross-sell\_upsell opportunity matrixCross-sell\_upsell opportunity matrix.pdf52 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Cross-sell%5Fupsell-opportunity-matrix.pdf "Download") [Cross-sell\_upsell opportunity matrixCross-sell\_upsell opportunity matrix.pptx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Cross-sell%5Fupsell-opportunity-matrix.pptx "Download") [Cross-sell/upsell opportunity matrixCross-sell/upsell opportunity matrix 1 Cross-sell Sales Upsell Sales New product Old product New customers Old customers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/favicon-2026-v2-bb5f9514-71ce-4860-bf95-1f1e7a0fac69.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyInwYpaKzIN0fIwIWLB57vy_h_tkJ5nrEP1m8_x_FvhtdcIiUOUJHyGlOVF2DSUNzNHYLxemXkDGxRTmxEhwJdV3Xg_V5ld7iGJU_7PNYgVAijbtCai-w1200-h630-p-cdb1fa4a-29b7-46a7-892c-5e125a486c8f)](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fXMV8Nc4QbOL4y0nToRPj-smGbTWCXWkvzBrxbfou%5Fs/edit?slide=id.g2f332b88b4f%5F0%5F0#slide=id.g2f332b88b4f%5F0%5F0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Personalize customer onboarding experiences to enhance brand loyalty URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalize-onboarding-experiences-to-enhance-brand-loyalty/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:50:57.000Z As a customer marketer, you're probably well-versed in the art of attracting new clients and nurturing existing relationships. But have you ever considered the crucial role that customer onboarding plays in enhancing customer loyalty and retention? You've put in the hard work to win over a new customer, through a combination of compelling marketing campaigns and stellar sales pitches. But the true test of your success lies in what happens next. Onboarding is the make-or-break moment when a prospect becomes a fully-fledged, loyal customer. Get it right, and you'll be rewarded with customers who stick around, upgrade their plans, and sing your praises to their networks. Get it wrong, and you risk losing that hard-won customer before they’ve even had a chance to experience the full value of your offering. In this article, we'll dive deep into: - The value of understanding your customer - How to personalize the onboarding journey - The value of creating engaging onboarding experiences - Ways to measure your onboarding success ## Understand your customers This one’s a no-brainer. To begin customizing your onboarding experience, you’ve got to get to know the customers going through it. This comes from understanding who you want to attract, your target audience, and those who’ve successfully gone through the onboarding process before, your existing customers. Some ways to get started are: ### Gather customer data As mentioned above, your shouldn’t just be looking at customers you want to attract, but at your customer base as a whole. This includes existing and churned customers. In this early stage, you’ll want to have as much information as possible in order to better understand how to move forward, which is where data comes in. We’ve given a couple of examples of the data you should be gathering for each type of customer: #### ​​For target customers - Demographic information (age, gender, location, income level, etc.) - Psychographic data (interests, values, lifestyle, behavior patterns, etc.) - Online browsing and search history - Interaction with marketing campaigns and content - Purchase intent and product preferences #### For existing customers - Purchase history and patterns - Product usage data - Engagement with the brand (website visits, app usage, social media activity, etc.) - Feedback and sentiment (surveys, reviews, support interactions) - Lifetime value and churn risk #### For churned customers - Reasons for churn (exit interviews, analytics on drop-off points) - Products/services they used and how they used them - Interactions leading up to churn (support tickets, marketing touchpoints) - Demographic and psychographic data to identify patterns - Potential triggers for re-engagement The key is to gather a holistic view of customers across the entire lifecycle - from prospect to loyal customer to churned user. This will allow you to start segmenting audiences and personalize experiences, optimize parts of the customer journey pre and post-onboarding, and proactively address future risks. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### Create customer personas Now, what do you do once your gathered and organized these data points? This is where personas reign champion. You should already have a few ideal customer personas. These are hypothetical personas, based on the data gathered above, that project an image of your ideal customer. Then begin to think about the types of customers outside your existing customer base. Where would they fit within the common characteristics of your loyal customers? Where do they differ from it? A great way to start is to think about this is by identifying pain points and goals that are more specific, but can still be segmented. [What personas are and how you can reap the benefits of themPersonas underpin a variety of customer marketing activities, ranging from onboarding to content and engagement, and how a customer may approach their interactions with a brand as a whole.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/05/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) ### Identify key customer goals and pain points Look at your data for churned customers to see where your onboarding experience is lacking. Look at existing customers, from repeat purchaser all the way to loyal advocates for common goals. Where should you look to identify these points? That’s easy, just ask! This is where surveys, focus groups, and customer communities really come in handy. Gather the research about your customers from your customers. Don’t forget that while we’re focussing on the onboarding phase of the customer journey, you should be taking into account the journey as a whole as well. [Customer goals and the psychology behind themUnderstanding customer goals is super important for marketers because it helps you figure out how to talk to people in a way that really hits home.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_goals.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) Now you should have everything you need to customize the onboarding experience for each of these customer segments. ## Personalize the onboarding journey To personalize and customize the onboarding experience based on the customer data and personas gathered, you’ll want to think about your onboarding experience as branching paths. Each path will lead to a tailored experience for that customer segment. ### Tailor your content to customer segments For each customer segment, and the personas within it, begin by analyzing what you know about their demographic, and their goals to identify what their specific needs are. Think about the specific goals and pain points of each. Then you’ll be ready to develop onboarding content and materials that address these unique challenges and preferences for the different groups: this’ll be things like service information, tutorials, and [resources](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-education-is-a-saas-marketing-strategy/). You’ll also have to balance your company’s guide on messaging and using the language, tone, and visuals that resonate with the target audience. ### Offer customizable onboarding paths We’ve mentioned this before, but customizable paths are a must-have when it comes to onboarding that resonates with your audience. You might want to create multiple onboarding tracks or journeys that customers can self-select based on their objectives, background, or level of expertise - or use the data gathered above to pre-select a path for them. Personalization will however come down to how much control the customer has over their experience. Allow customers to choose the features, tools, or modules they want to focus on but don’t leave them to fend for themselves. Provide guidance and recommendations to help customers navigate the different onboarding paths available. 💡 ****Pro tip:** Customers will also be very grateful if they have the ability to save their progress and resume the onboarding at a later time, if needed This is especially important if you have a product that had a large learning curve in the beginning. ### Use dynamic content based on user behavior Another way to ensure your customers don’t get lost during the onboarding process is to have certain triggers within each path that offer additional educational resources, product recommendations, or next steps based on the customer's actions or inactions. Building out a program that adapts and changes based on the customer's interactions, engagement, and progress isn’t a simple feat, but there are platforms or AI opportunities that can help. [AI and customer service: Where do you draw the line?Positions like customer marketing, customer success, and other customer-facing roles, rely a lot on face-to-face interaction with customers to maintain meaningful relationships and improve overall customer lifetime value. But does the presence of AI impact this?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/possessed-photography-JjGXjESMxOY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) It may be a longer process, but it’ll be worth it to see those churn numbers go down in the end! ### Create engaging onboarding content One place in which this system may fall short is in the presentation of the content. No one wants to be sitting around reading 2,000 or 3,000 words on how to use a specific product feature. Attention spans are short at the best of times, but they’ll be even shorter with customers who just want to get started with using your product. Making the learning paths as enjoyable and useful as the product itself will make customers way less likely to ‘skip the tutorial’ and remain lost with your product. Some ways to do this are to: - **Develop interactive tutorials and guides** \- Provide regular opportunities to apply the stuff they’re learning about as they go. - **Using video content effectively** \- Visual learners will thank you for this one, plus can help those impatient customers get through quicker if they crank up that playback speed! - **Gamification elements to increase engagement** \- Adding fun into your learning is never ever going to go amiss. Making learning a relaxing and enjoyable process will ensure customer sentiments toward your product are more positive from day one. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## Measuring and optimizing onboarding success So now you’ve put the work into this whole process, you’ll want to make sure it’s all going smoothly. Let’s talk a little bit about the way to measure and optimize your onboarding process. ### Key metrics to track Keeping things simple, begin with easy-to-understand quantitative data. This’ll be the thing that’ll first notify you to any issues within your onboarding system. Monitor metrics such as: **Key onboarding metrics include:** - Onboarding completion rate. - Time to first value. - Feature adoption. - Churn rate. - **Onboarding completion rate:** The percentage of customers who successfully complete the onboarding process. - **Time to first value:** The time it takes for customers to achieve their first meaningful outcome or milestone. - **Feature adoption:** The rate at which customers start using the core features or functionalities of the product/service. - **Churn rate:** The percentage of customers who drop off or disengage during the onboarding phase. These numbers will give you an easy indicator of overall success. But getting into the nitty-gritty, you’ll have to rely more on qualitative feedback. ### Improvement based on customer feedback Customers are first-hand users, so listening to what they say about the product experience is vital. They’ll be able to offer you more specific quantitative feedback, letting you know more about the sentiments of your customers. But they’re also the best resource for qualitative feedback too. - Actively solicit feedback from customers at various stages of the onboarding process. - Use a combination of quantitative (e.g., surveys, ratings) and qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups) methods to gather insights. - Identify pain points, areas of confusion, or opportunities for improvement based on the customer’s feedback. This information will give more specific areas for improvement, as offers you the opportunity to incorporate your learnings into the onboarding journey and refine the experience. If you’re unsure how to best improve these specific areas, then a/b testing is your friend. ### A/B test different onboarding approaches Once you’ve identified key elements of the onboarding journey (e.g., content, navigation, communication, etc.) that can be tested and optimized, setting up a few different options for improvements and actively testing them on current customers is the best way to ensure you’re making the right choices. **To A/B test:** 1. Develop multiple variants of the onboarding experience, with controlled changes to the identified elements. 2. Randomly assign new customers to the different variants and measure their performance against the key metrics. 3. Analyze the results to determine the most effective onboarding approach and make data-driven decisions. ## Conclusion Gathering comprehensive customer data, developing targeted personas and segments, and employing personalization strategies, is a no-brainer strategy for designing effective onboarding experiences. Measuring KPIs, testing different approaches, and incorporating continuous feedback allows for a flexible onboarding system that will continue improving in the long-term. Adopting this holistic, data-driven methodology will empower you to create onboarding journeys that set customers up for long-term success with your brand. ### Top ten best practices for driving customer demand | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-ten-best-practices-for-driving-customer-demand-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:31:09.000Z ## Looking for more on customer demand? [Customer goals and the psychology behind themUnderstanding customer goals is super important for marketers because it helps you figure out how to talk to people in a way that really hits home.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-47.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_goals.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) [14 ways you need to know to engage customers with social mediaEngaging your audience on social media boosts brand awareness, increases loyalty, and encourages word-of-mouth marketing. It fuels business by building a community of informed fans of your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-46.png)Customer Marketing AllianceScott Joseph![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/engage-customers-with-social-media-image-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) [The role of FOMO on consumer psychologyFOMO, or fear of missing out, is an acronym for a psychological worry that’s been ingrained in the human psyche for as long as we can remember. In this article, we’ll delve deeper into this topic, and the role FOMO has on consumer psychology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-48.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCharley Gale![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/tonik-U0wwiY6nRGA-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-fomo-on-consumer-psychology/) ### Top four best practices for driving customer retention URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-four-best-practices-for-driving-customer-retention/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:10:47.000Z I have a sticky note on my monitor that says: “How are you impacting customer retention goals this week?”. That small square of hot pink paper ensures that the programs I’m building drive business impact. Creating an effective retention strategy is no small feat! As I’m sure many of you can relate to, it’s always a work in progress. With each campaign, I learn more about how customer marketing can drive [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) in a scalable way. Here are some top tips that I’ve learned so far: ## CS + CM alignment It can be difficult to track customer sentiment when feelings ebb and flow regularly, depending on where your customers are in their journey. Aligning with your customer success team on current customer priorities/blockers is essential for getting a high-level sense of account health. If a customer journey map exists at your organization, treat it like a religious document! Having a shared vision between customer success and customer marketing of what customers should be doing at each stage in their journey makes it so much easier to build relevant programming. [Annie Eissler | Customer journey mapping and the importance of customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Annie Eissler, VP of Customer, Partner & Expert Insights Marketing at AlphaSense talks to us about the importance of customer experience and how customer journey mapping can help align teams to support retention and growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/11/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--6---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/) A big focus for my team right now is embedding into the stakeholder journey. In June, we started tailoring email programs specifically to stakeholders and we’re already seeing a **10% increase** in marketing engaged stakeholders MoM (we define marketing engaged as: an individual took a meaningful action with marketing content 2+ times over the past 90 days). Customer Success drives the 1:1 use case conversations and marketing layers on top of that with relevant content, gifts, and event invitations. A campaign as simple as 2 emails per month can have a significant impact on retention. ## Surprise and delight There are few things I love more than surprising and delighting our customers. There few things customers love more than being surprised and delighted! The most successful review generation campaign I ran at my current company was one that offered reviewers an exclusive branded t-shirt. This initiative was fairly low cost and low effort. At the end of the campaign we were delighted by the results. We drove **65 reviews in 2 days**! Safe to say our customers were surprised and delighted. But surprise and delight doesn’t always have to mean gifting. We’re running an email campaign this month offering customers an exclusive first look at our H2 roadmap as a thank you for being loyal customers. This is a great way to make your customers feel involved with your organization. The individuality of the message makes customers feel special and connected to our product. ## Community building Giving your customers a community space where they can connect with like-minded individuals and learn best practices is a very important part of the customer journey. While [review sites](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-manage-a-successful-customer-review-program/) and social media are both great things, having a dedicated space within your control is a wonderful way to connect with and retain customers. It offers an easy 1:1 space for customers to interact with peers, and with your team directly. Having community managers and yourself as easily identifiable points of contact will instead the likelihood of customers coming directly to you with their problems rather than complaining about it on a third-party site. Being a regular face within these communities it vital. Make sure you’re in there starting conversations and responding to comments as well. Community is a great place to understanding your customers, as for your customers to understand you! Community surfaces product value, networking opportunities, and renewals. Let your customers sell each other on why your product is a need to have. ## The ebb and flow of customer sentiment It’s important to remember that customers' priorities change and evolve just as ours do. The program format you ran last quarter may not be relevant anymore! Flexibility within your programs, but also within your own assumptions about your customers is an invaluable trait to have. I’m lucky to be at a company that encourages constant testing. Every quarter I sit down and evaluate performance on past webinars, email programs, and gifting initiatives. I ask myself these questions: - What worked and why? - What didn’t work and why? - What industry topics are hot right now that our customers could benefit from learning more about? The proof is in the data! These questions allow me to bring fresh ideas to our community and facilitate conversations that they might not be getting access to elsewhere. With many of us working with limited budgets and resources, it can feel difficult to wrap your head around retention. It’s ok to start small! [Segmenting your customer base ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/)by a single cohort and testing out a monthly campaign can kickstart a broader initiative. ## Join the community Want to get involved in conversations with people like Hannah? Our Customer Marketing Alliance Slack Community is just the place to go! Connect and converse with your peers. Network and get inspiration for the greatest of the customer marketing and advocacy industry. [Join the community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### No pain, more gain: Identifying and resolving customer pain points for optimal digital experiences URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/identifying-and-resolving-customer-pain-points-for-optimal-digital-experiences/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T10:59:08.000Z Trust is the foundation of every successful customer relationship. I'm Dr Tiffany Raymond, Head of Global Customer Advocacy at PayPal, and I’ve seen firsthand how essential it is to identify and resolve customer pain points to create optimal digital experiences. Through working with our [Customer Advisory Board (CAB](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/)) and engaging with merchants, I’ve gained a deep understanding of how trust, authenticity, and a human-centered approach can drive business success. In this article, I’ll explore the key elements of trust, the importance of empathy in customer interactions, and the strategies we use at PayPal to ensure our brand remains trustworthy and aligned with our customers' needs. ## Moving beyond AI: Focusing on human-centered experiences First and foremost, we’re not here to delve into [AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/), despite its undeniable allure and transformative potential. It's easy to get caught up in the "bright shiny object syndrome,"; I'm a huge advocate for AI and its possibilities, but it's not the focal point. Here at PayPal, we do utilize AI in some areas. For instance, I participate in a monthly call with our customer success team, where we analyze feedback from merchants. This feedback is processed by a large language model to identify trends and issues. However, month after month, the same issues arise. Quite frankly, our reporting process isn't up to par. Despite collecting vast amounts of data from merchants, it doesn't seem to trigger the necessary actions to improve our digital experience. My hypothesis is that this is due to the data being too generalized and disconnected from individual merchants. It's just a collection of broad numbers, lacking the personal connection necessary to inspire action. I believe we can all relate to the concept of numbers versus narratives. Consider the fires in Maui in 2023\. You might read a statistic stating that 3,000 pets were lost in the fires, which certainly evokes empathy. But it was only when I read about a specific dog named Lucky that the reality of the situation truly hit home. Lucky was found 30 days after the fires, wandering in a cemetery, and was eventually reunited with his owner, who had lost everything. This story took us from a statistic to a deeply human experience. This is what happens when information is aggregated and dehumanized. We lose the connection that drives us to act. This brings me to the privilege of our roles. Today, we’re focusing on being human-centered. At this moment, all of my customers, and hopefully yours too, are humans. Ultimately, we are humans serving humans. Our work is special because we champion the human experience. This is an exciting opportunity and a responsibility we should embrace. We must lean into the uniqueness of our roles and recognize that we are, indeed, champions of humanity. [AI and customer service: Where do you draw the line?Positions like customer marketing, customer success, and other customer-facing roles, rely a lot on face-to-face interaction with customers to maintain meaningful relationships and improve overall customer lifetime value. But does the presence of AI impact this?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/possessed-photography-JjGXjESMxOY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) ## Building trust in a human-centered world Trust is a critical component of any relationship, especially between brands and customers. I find the Customer Trust Index from Forrester particularly insightful because it breaks down the seven elements of trust, providing a clear framework for us to consider. As a brand, we must think about these elements of trust. Some of them, like competence and consistency, are fundamental — what we might call "table stakes." Competence shouldn't feel like an extraordinary achievement, nor should consistency. These are basic expectations that our customers have. Dependability also falls into this category of essentials. We truly have an opportunity to excel when focusing on the elements of trust and elevate the customer experience with a human-centered approach. To briefly touch on AI again, we see a growing erosion of trust. It’s estimated that between **10%** and **30%** of online reviews are fake. Despite this, **90%** of customers still rely on these reviews when making purchasing decisions. This situation creates a significant amount of uncertainty around trust. Consider the current election season and the impact of AI-generated robocalls in places like New Hampshire, which are already causing confusion and distrust. These challenges lead us to question what we trust and who we trust. Given these uncertainties, it is crucial to use tools like the Customer Trust Index to guide our digital strategies. By understanding and prioritizing the elements of trust that resonate most with customers, we can create more meaningful and reliable experiences. Human-centered trust-building practices can help us stand out in a crowded marketplace. It's about going beyond the basics and finding ways to connect on a deeper level, ensuring our customers feel valued and understood. This approach will help us foster loyalty and long-term [relationships with our customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/), strengthening our brand's reputation and success. [What is customer relationship marketing?Customer relationship marketing is a marketing strategy that companies use to center their business and product marketing efforts around customer relationships, customer needs, and customer loyalty. The approach focuses on using customer feedback and data to optimize product marketing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCharley Gale![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_nurture_relationships.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/) ## The role of authenticity in building trust Let's delve deeper into the concept of trust, particularly how authenticity drives value and is essential for creating impactful digital experiences. Trust is foundational; if we don't feel safe or secure, we're not in a position to share openly or engage meaningfully. One of the key areas where it plays a crucial role is in our [CAB](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/) at PayPal. This is a well-established and mature community built on a foundation of trust that has developed over time. Within this board, trust is not just a buzzword; it’s a lived experience that shapes every interaction. The trust of our CAB allows us to introduce and explore the elements of trust within our digital strategies. This community serves as a microcosm of what we aim to achieve on a larger scale across our digital platforms. As we continue to develop and refine our digital experiences, we must always return to this idea of trust and authenticity. These principles should guide our decisions and interactions, ensuring that we foster environments where our customers feel safe, valued, and empowered to engage fully. By prioritizing trust and authenticity, we not only enhance the customer experience but also create a more robust and resilient digital presence that can adapt to the ever-changing landscape of customer expectations. Our goal is to extend the trust we've cultivated in our advisory board to every customer interaction, driving value and deepening relationships across all touchpoints. ## Embracing empathy and listening to build trust We've discussed how competence, consistency, and dependability are fundamental elements of trust. These are what I refer to as "table stakes" — the essential qualities any company must possess. However, to truly engage with our merchants in a human-centered way, we must go beyond these basics and focus on empathy, which is a key element of the trust index. When we met with our [CAB](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) last May, we had an enlightening discussion about PayPal's evolving value proposition. It was fascinating to hear each member's perspective. We ended up with a dozen unique definitions of who we are as a brand. These definitions were influenced by the specific products and services each merchant used within our community. This experience was a wake-up call. It showed us that while each description contained elements of truth, none fully captured PayPal's value proposition from a holistic perspective. Our diverse range of products and solutions make it challenging to encapsulate our brand identity in a single definition. This highlighted the need to address this internally as a company. We had high-value customers and executives in the room, and because we operated from a place of trust, we could engage openly and listen intently. We didn't dismiss their insights or insist they were wrong. Instead, we viewed this as a learning opportunity. The trust we established enabled us to take the next step in our journey —engaging and listening with genuine intent. This is a fundamental aspect of a human-centered approach. An interesting anecdote illustrates how trust operates across different levels. Just last week, one of our merchant advocates reached out to me with a thought-provoking question: *"How do you know when enough is enough?"* This question wasn't about business metrics; it came from a personal project. The merchant advocate had been working on an opera and sought my perspective as a fellow creator on when to release it to the world. This question was deeply personal and required space for vulnerability. Our conversation was lively and enriching, allowing us to explore the creator's perspective on completion and release. This exchange exemplifies the network effect of trust. By fostering an environment of trust, we create spaces where open dialogue and vulnerability are welcomed. This approach strengthens our community and enhances our ability to grow and evolve as a company. ## Elevating customer feedback through human stories The process of gathering feedback from our merchants involves customer success managers tracking insights and feeding them into a model. This model helps identify issues and areas for improvement. While this process is effective in highlighting areas that need attention, it often lacks the depth and personal touch that truly drives change. It's like the story of the 3,000 missing pets: we see the numbers, but we miss the individual stories —like Lucky in the cemetery— that bring those numbers to life. The beauty of having a CAB is that it brings executives into the room to hear these personal stories firsthand. However, if you don't have a formal board, you must find ways to humanize those numbers. You need to identify unique stories that highlight individual struggles, which are symptomatic of the larger issues. These stories bring depth and empathy to the data, making it more relatable and actionable. Hearing twelve different merchants describe our brand and value proposition, each with varying perspectives, was a profound moment of accountability for us. The realization that none of these descriptions accurately captured our company sparked a desire to clarify our brand identity. We want to say, "Here's who we are," and present this unified vision to the world in a way we haven't done before. This clarity will not only strengthen our brand identity but also help us communicate our value proposition more effectively. Elevating feedback from data to action requires us to bridge the gap between numbers and narratives. By infusing human stories into our analysis, we can better understand the complexities and nuances of customer experiences. This approach allows us to take meaningful action that resonates with our customers and strengthens our relationships. Focusing on individual stories means we can transform raw data into powerful insights that drive change and foster trust. This human-centered approach ensures that we remain responsive to our customers' needs and continue to evolve as a company that values authenticity and empathy. ## The importance of providing a response One crucial aspect we often overlook during this process is the importance of providing a response. Just as trust is foundational, circling back to people with a thoughtful response is an essential element of this process. It maps directly to transparency and demonstrates integrity — key components of the trust index beyond the basic table stakes. During our next meeting with the CAB, we made it a priority to respond to their feedback. We acknowledged their role in highlighting the need to redefine our value proposition and showed them how we had taken action based on their input. Instead of presenting a finished product and claiming it was perfect, we shared our progress and actively sought feedback on what resonated and what didn’t. This approach opened up a broader discussion about the challenges many of our merchants faced in defining or redefining their own value propositions. It became a collaborative session where ideas and strategies were exchanged. This transparency further strengthened the trust between us and reinforced the value of open communication. By being responsive and engaging in open dialogue, we enriched our relationship with our customers. We knew our reporting had room for improvement, and we lacked a strong B2B value proposition. However, it wasn't until we approached these challenges from a human-centered perspective that real action was taken within the organization. This experience demonstrated that being customer marketers and advocates is a powerful way to drive change and empower the organization to focus on what truly matters. Our role is not just about responding to feedback; it’s about using that feedback to drive meaningful improvements. ## The BEEP framework To encapsulate this approach, I like to use the acronym BEEP: - **Build trust:** Establish a strong foundation of trust with customers. - **Engage and listen:** Actively engage with customers and listen to their feedback. - **Elevate:** Raise issues to the forefront before providing a thoughtful response. - **Provide a response:** Deliver a clear and transparent response, showing accountability and commitment. By leaning on the BEEP framework, we remind ourselves and our organization of the value we bring. We act as advocates for our customers and the unique contributions we make. This approach reinforces that we are indispensable and highlights the irreplaceable value we bring to the table. As we continue to embrace this human-centered approach, we can drive positive change within our organization and ensure that our role remains vital and impactful. The unique value we bring is rooted in our ability to connect with people, build trust, and foster relationships that stand the test of time. --- *This article is based on a presentation given by Tiffany at our virtual *Customer Marketing Summit, February 2024*.* *Catch up on* [*this presentation*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-february-2024/?wchannelid=ye3uyguu7m&wmediaid=e6x7sfz9nf)*, and others, using our* [*OnDemand service*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/)*. For more exclusive content, visit your* [*membership dashboard*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*.* ### What’s the difference? Tactical advertising vs. tactical branding URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactical-advertising-vs-tactical-branding/ Last updated: 2024-11-12T11:19:08.000Z Tactical marketing is a rather broad term, covering everything from day-to-day activities to last-minute strategies to achieve all kinds of marketing goals. Unlike strategic marketing, tactical marketing is more short-term, immediate, and fixed. For customer marketing and advocacy, tactical marketing can be used to support any number of initiatives like segmentation, [cross-selling, or up-selling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/). In this article, we’ll be going through: - Tactical advertisements - Tactical branding - The differences between the two Want a definition of tactical marketing and a more in-depth view of its difference from strategic marketing? *Take a look at the video below.* ## Tactical advertising: Engaging your audience ### What are tactical ads? Tactical advertisements, and the broader practice of tactical advertising, refer to a strategic approach in marketing that focuses on short-term, highly targeted campaigns designed to achieve specific and immediate [business objectives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/). This form of advertising is characterized by its agility, precision, and responsiveness to current market conditions or opportunities. Tactical advertisements are short-term, focused marketing efforts designed to achieve specific, immediate goals. They typically: 1. Promote a particular product, service, or offer 2. Have a limited time frame (e.g., seasonal sales, limited-time promotions) 3. Focus on driving quick sales or immediate action 4. nclude a clear call-to-action (CTA) 5. Can be adjusted rapidly based on performance metrics Examples include **flash sales, holiday promotions, or ads for specific product launches.** [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) ### Eight key elements of tactical ads Besides the short-term and focused drive, what differentiates tactical ads from the norm? Why make the distinction at all? Well, tactical advertising can help you and your team to balance short-term and long-term brand goals, allocate resources more effectively, and respond to competitors while maintaining [brand consistency](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-your/). What elements make this possible? Here are the top eight characteristics of successful tactical advertising: 1. **Targeted messaging:** These ads often speak to a specific audience segment with tailored messages that address immediate needs or desires. 2. **Integration with sales funnel:** Tactical ads are frequently designed to move consumers through specific stages of the sales funnel, from awareness to consideration to purchase. 3. **Data-driven:** These campaigns rely heavily on [data analytics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) for planning, execution, and optimization. Real-time metrics are used to fine-tune messaging, targeting, and ad placement. 4. **Multi-channel approach:** Tactical advertising often leverages multiple channels simultaneously, including digital platforms (social media, search engines, display networks), traditional media (TV, radio, print), and direct marketing methods. 5. **Time-sensitive elements:** Many tactical ads include limited-time offers, countdown timers, or seasonal themes to create a sense of urgency and drive immediate action. 6. **ROI focus:** Due to their short-term nature, tactical advertising campaigns are often evaluated based on immediate return on investment [(ROI) metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/). 7. **Creative agility:** Tactical advertising often requires marketers and creative teams to produce high-quality content quickly, adapting to current events or trends when appropriate. 8. **Seasonal and event-driven:** Many tactical ad campaigns are tied to specific seasons, holidays, or events, capitalizing on predictable changes in consumer behavior or interests. ### Measuring the success of tactical advertising campaigns As with all campaigns, you’ll want to think carefully about the types of metrics you use to measure and monitor your success. Taking note of the characteristics above, we’ve found the following metrics to be the most important when it comes to monitoring the immediate success of tactical advertisments: #### Sales-related metrics: - Conversion rate - Revenue generated - Sales lift (compared to baseline) #### Lead generation metrics: - Number of leads generated - Lead-to-customer conversion rate #### Website traffic metrics: - Click-through rate (CTR) - Bounce rate - Time on site ## Tactical branding: Building a strong brand identity ### Definition and importance of tactical branding While there’s some overlap between tactical marketing and tactical branding, tactical branding promotes and supports your company branding rather than specific campaigns. It prioritizes improving sales and customer engagement in a broader sense. Tactical branding, refers to short-term *branding efforts* that aim to reinforce or temporarily shift brand perception. Unlike long-term strategic branding, which focuses on building and maintaining a consistent brand image over time, tactical branding allows for more flexibility and responsiveness in how a brand presents itself to its audience. This strategy: 1. Focuses on brand image rather than specific products 2. Aligns with current events, trends, or cultural moments 3. Aims to create a temporary but strong brand association 4. May not always have a direct sales objective 5. Can help a brand stay relevant or demonstrate its values Examples include **holiday-themed logos, cause-related marketing campaigns, or temporary brand partnerships.** [How brands use customer content to deepen connectionsIf you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/kushagra-kevat-cc4VWYA1S8U-unsplash--1---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) ## Difference between tactical advertising and tactical branding At a glance, the key distinctions between these concepts are: 1. **Focus:** Tactical ads focus on products/services, while tactical branding focuses on overall brand perception. 2. **Objectives:** Tactical ads aim for immediate sales or actions, while tactical branding aims to influence brand image. 3. **Longevity:** Both are short-term, but tactical branding efforts may have a slightly longer-lasting impact on consumer perception. 4. **Measurement:** Tactical ads are often measured by direct response metrics, while tactical branding might be measured by brand sentiment or awareness. Both tactical advertisements and tactical branding are part of a broader marketing strategy and can complement each other to achieve both short-term goals and [longer-term brand building](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). ## Perks and risks of tactical advertising and tactical branding ### Perks **Perks of tactical advertising:** - **Messaging:** Often product-centric with clear calls-to-action. - **Risk level:** Generally lower risk, as it's focused on immediate, measurable outcomes. - **Flexibility:** Typically adheres to established brand guidelines. - **Budget allocation:** Often has a more direct link between spend and immediate return. - **Cross-functional involvement:** Primarily involves marketing and sales teams. - **Success indicators:** Success is often clear and quantifiable in the short term. **Perks of tactical branding:** - **Timeframe impact:** While short-term in execution, tactical branding can have longer-lasting impacts on brand perception. - **Integration with sales funnel:** Tactical branding focuses on overall brand positioning. - **Cultural relevance:** Often engages with cultural moments, social issues, or current events. - **Content lifespan:** Content may have a longer shelf life and could be referenced beyond the initial campaign period. ### Risks **Risks of tactical advertising:** - **Timeframe impact:** Effects are typically immediate but short-lived. - **Integration with sales funnel:** Often closely aligned with specific stages of the sales funnel, so if done incorrectly may lead to impacting overall sales success. - **Cultural relevance:** May leverage current trends but primarily for product promotion, meaning these adverts will become dated at a quicker rate. - **Content lifespan:** Content is usually time-bound and loses relevance quickly after the campaign. **Risks of tactical branding:** - **Messaging:** More abstract, focusing on brand values, personality, or cultural alignment. - **Risk level:** Can carry higher risks, as it may affect long-term brand perception. - **Flexibility:** May involve temporary modifications to brand elements (logos, colors, etc.). - **Budget allocation:** May require investment without immediate financial returns, focusing on long-term value. - **Cross-functional involvement:** Often requires wider organizational involvement, including leadership, as it affects overall brand strategy. - **Success indicators:** Success may be more nuanced and take longer to fully manifest. ## To conclude Tactical advertising and tactical branding are two distinct yet complementary approaches in modern marketing strategy. While both are characterized by their short-term focus and agility, they serve different purposes and employ different methodologies. Understanding the differences between these approaches will allow you to deploy them effectively, either separately or in tandem, to achieve both short-term business objectives and long-term brand building goals. The key lies in striking a balance between immediate results and sustained brand relevance, using each tactic where it's most appropriate and effective. Looking to up your brand storytelling or narrative design? **We've got a course for that.** Put your best foot forward by tailoring your Narrative Design to show the best parts of you and your product that your customers will actually be interested in. It’s a delicate balance, but Narrative Design Masters has you covered. [Get certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/narrative-design-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1lhzjx7%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyMjk1ODY1OC4xMTY2LjEuMTcyMjk2MDk0MC42MC4wLjA.) ### How customer success, marketing, and advocacy work to scale customer relationships | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-success-marketing-and-advocacy-work-to-scale-customer-relationships-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T13:44:06.000Z ## Looking for more on customer success and advocacy? [Unlocking customer marketing success: Insights from industry leaders on structuring your team for maximum impactA well-structured customer marketing team is a crucial part of achieving success and growth and our panel discussion, Building & Structuring Your Team for Success, at the Customer Marketing Summit provided key insight.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-49.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElizabeth Raffa![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/imattsmart-Vp3oWLsPOss-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-customer-marketing-success-insights-from-industry-leaders-on-structuring-your-team-for-maximum-impact/) [Why partnering with customer success creates magicThe common ground between customer success and customer marketing is pretty vast. Both organizations are hyper-focused on existing customers and everything that working with them entails.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-50.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTaylor Page![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/edson-junior-YlgnX_ISPLo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partnering-with-customer-success-to-create-customer-magic/) [Drive Sales & Marketing with customer success stories | Customer Marketing AllianceDiscover how this eBook can help you start a customer evidence program that’s scalable, impactful, and elevates sales engagement with authentic content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-51.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1516659257916-7be846591235)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/drive-sales-and-marketing-with-customer-success/) ### Customer marketing stats: Career aspirations and future development URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-stats-career-aspirations-and-future-development/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:51:16.000Z We’re over halfway through the year, and the 2024 version of our iconic State of Customer Marketing Report is on its way. We wanted to reflect on the stats discovered last year, and how this year shapes up. This data was drawn from our [State of Customer Marketing Report 2023](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/). In this article we’ll go through: - Customer marketing aspirations - The biggest rewards of customer marketing - Some top customer marketing tips. Let's get going. # Customer marketing aspirations As of 2024, the customer marketing industry has continued to grow. According to [a report by Grand View Research](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/customer-experience-management-market), the global customer experience management market size, which includes customer marketing, was valued at **$10.11 billion** in 2023 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of **18.1%** from 2024 to 2030\. This is an industry that is growing at a positive rate, and customers marketing professionals are well aware of this. We asked our survey participants, “What are your career aspirations for the next year?”. Customer marketing and advocacy professionals seem very secure in their desires to progress within their current role - **60.9%** stated they wanted to progress up the career ladder (a **22.4%** increase from 2023!) And we also saw that another **20.3%** said they were happy where they currently were. ![Graph showing the aspirations of customer marketers for 2024](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc3EESCC86SfLyTrtZsnK_2TGfFJ67atlFFYVV1roG0QNrxAxQP4AEIL8dP3398G_5hxYnep5ixnUQDK2hEcBrnekN-nLGTRIzB8G0ahdwWtY2UhgITVfbvTU4R70vUHJ_0ja4Sa7DXG8nbCboT5VO1T1g?key=fAZdn-I-d7Eqd4ss4CW_6A) This is the overall increase we hoped we’d see. Seeing such a big jump in those who want to remain in this industry and develop their career within it is a fantastic sight. Customer marketing is not going anywhere anytime soon! # The biggest rewards of customer marketing When it comes to customer marketing success, 2023 saw a variety of answers, most emphasizing the changes they’d experienced during the year that impacted their process and KPI success. When [collecting data](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) for this survey, we asked customer marketers what specific part of customer marketing they felt would reap the biggest rewards in the upcoming year. 2023, saw customer marketers focus on the desire to take advantage of customer lifecycle marketing and retention in general. Due to the financial crisis still impacting businesses, some customer marketers prioritized retention from day one: > *“Lifecycle marketing targeted towards tangible business impact. Many companies are struggling financially, those working on programs directly tied to ARR and NRR metrics will reap the rewards.”* > *“Scaling Lifecycle Marketing, globally - building the post-sale journey to deliver experiences to deliver on customer outcomes, which will translate to achieving business outcomes.”* > *“Shifting our focus to ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes first will lead to endless advocacy opportunities. Instead of recruiting advocates and reviews and stories, we should be pouring more time and energy into helping CS make customers successful from day one.”* **Ari Hoffman** shared how customer marketing has changed for him and his team in the last year. > *“There’s been a heightened focus on metrics that matter. We’re seeing more and more companies ditch the traditional activity-based metrics (tactical) and start to concentrate more on outcome-driven results. How many case studies you produce doesn’t matter as much as how those case studies are driving engagement, adoption, and sales.* > *How fast you fulfil a reference request doesn’t matter as much as measuring the delta on the sales velocity between opportunities that close with a reference compared to those that close without (or the delta in ARR). And, how many advocates you have in your program doesn’t matter as much as the NPS (Net Promoter Score) or CES (Customer Effort Score) compared to the rest of your install base.* > *Quantifying your customer marketing programs into business-based metrics has started to turn the value offering from a tactical necessity into a strategic growth opportunity.”* Our other contributors spoke a little bit about the programs and functions they were most looking forward to implementing in the upcoming year: > *“Call me crazy, but I’d say leveraging more video into our strategy — both in terms of how we communicate with customers, and how customers engage within our community! Whether live or on-demand, video is an engaging way to share more, tell more, fit into busy schedules, and reach more people in a fraction of the time. Beyond media, I am looking forward to working with our data and operations teams to further streamline and scale customer advocacy touchpoints, and bring those insights to a broader range of stakeholders internally.” -* **Emily Glover, Customer Marketing Lead at Vimeo** > *“I’m excited to work closer with our product teams on implementing more concrete adoption goals and tracking processes. This is going to ensure we’re building strategic customer marketing programs with those goals in mind and showing key performance indicators beyond the typical channel engagement metrics.” -*Cetiera Carmona, Senior. Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce** > *“Looking ahead, we’re enthusiastic about integrating more technology-driven personalization and AI insights into our ABM strategies. By tailoring our interactions based on customer preferences and cultural nuances, we aim to create even more impactful engagement. Additionally, we’re focusing on internal enablement initiatives to empower our teams in identifying potential advocates, showcasing their achievements, and letting their successes shine brightly on the global stage.” -* **Florian Engel, Director, Customer Marketing at Aiven** Customer marketing will always continue to grow and develop based on company needs, customer preferences, and the market ecosystem. With this in mind, our 2023 survey also asked what our contributors were most excited to implement in the upcoming year: > *“Like many in the tech space, customer marketing teams have been faced with tightened belts (and budgets). The last year has compelled me to focus my work on areas of advocacy that will truly make an impact — recognizing that I can’t do it all under current resourcing and being more strategic about what we put in motion. It also encouraged our team to re-evaluate what we mean by the word “impact” in terms of quantifiable outcomes, and iterate as needed.”* \- **Emily Gover, Customer Marketing Lead at Vimeo** > *“Over the past year, customer marketing has evolved significantly. We’ve embraced a more personalized and tailored approach, employing the power of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) to connect on a one-to-one level with our customers. This shift has allowed us to better understand their unique needs, preferences, and cultural nuances, fostering deeper relationships and driving greater advocacy.”* **\- Florian Engel, Director, Customer Marketing at Aiven** > *“For me, customer marketing has changed primarily in the way the function is seen. It seems that so many more companies are investing in customer marketing and seeing the value in it. There’s still a lot of work to be done but it’s so encouraging seeing the growth in the industry and all of the amazing things CM teams across the world are doing to support their customers.”* **\- Cetiera Carmona, Senior. Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce** Over this past year, we’ve observed some trends emerging within customer marketing when it comes to the big hitters. These are the ones that drastically change the way [customer marketing responsibilities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-in-2024-responsibilities-and-metrics/) are run or change how much influence customer marketers have on overall company revenue. So far, we’ve seen: - **Continued focus on customer retention:** This trend from 2023 has remained strong in 2024, with companies increasingly recognizing the value of retaining existing customers in uncertain economic times. - **Growth of** [**AI in customer marketing**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/)**:** The use of AI for personalization, predictive analytics, and customer insights has expanded significantly in 2024. - **Emphasis on customer** [**data privacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/privacy-vs-personalization-in-customer-marketing/)**:** With increasing regulations and consumer awareness, there's been a growing focus on balancing personalization with data privacy in 2024. - **Rise of community-led growth:** Building and nurturing customer communities has become a key strategy for many B2B companies in 2024. - **Integration of customer marketing with other functions:** There's been a trend towards better alignment between customer marketing, product teams, and customer success teams. ***Looking for specifics?*** Check out our most recent report [here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-alliance-reports/). [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) # The no. 1 customer marketing tips: To round off the ending of this report, we asked for some advice from our participants. We asked, “What’s your number one customer marketing tip?”, and our participants delivered: > *“Always keep the customer at the centre of all you do. They give your company purpose and are the key to success.”* > *“Promote Customer Marketing activities to Customer Success and Expansion to leadership every month to share the results of your marketing activities and show the impact and how it influences the top-line business objective of the company.”* > *“Listen to your customers and tell their story as best as you can. Create a community that your clients feel comfortable being a part of.”* > *“Data!! Data is the most important key to customer marketing. Find creative ways to get the most comprehensive and accurate customer data, such as having customers update their own data.”* > *“The most successful customer marketers possess people skills that can’t be taught. Hire people that have the people skills and then teach them how to do customer marketing.”* **Cetiera Carmona** also shared her tip on how to improve customer marketing functions: > *“Look for opportunities to positively impact the business beyond your current scope, utilizing the customer marketing expertise you have. For example, if you run email programs, think about what other comms can be scaled via customer marketing. This will leave a lasting impact on cross-functional stakeholders and help expand your current reach.”* ## Looking to set up your own customer marketing function? *"How to set up a customer marketing team: The first 30, 60, and 90 days"* is a playbook that contains all the pieces and parts that comprise the first 30, 60, and 90 days of setting up and launching a customer marketing function at your company. Dive into our playbook filled with the essential blueprints for launching a powerhouse customer marketing function. Build your strategy with the most potent plans, methods, and approaches, to ensure maximum efficiency from day one. Download the playbook ### Customer success strategy template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-strategy-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T14:36:03.000Z ## What is a customer success strategy template? A customer success strategy template is a guide designed to help you create a tailored strategy for ensuring long-term customer satisfaction and success. This template lays out a clear structure for identifying objectives, setting goals, and implementing actionable plans that align with customer needs and business outcomes. ## What’s inside the template? The [customer success strategy](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/tactical-to-strategic-customer-success/) template is packed with the essential elements needed to build a robust customer success plan, including: 1. **Objective** – A concise statement outlining the desired outcomes of the customer success efforts, ensuring clear alignment with business goals. 2. **Goal(s)** – Quantifiable targets to measure the success of the strategy, whether through customer retention rates, satisfaction scores, or financial performance. 3. **Strategies** – Detailed recommendations on where to focus customer success efforts, including segmentation analysis, product or service prioritization, and customer engagement methods [(high-touch/low-touch)](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-high-touch-and-low-touch-engagement-models/). 4. **Measures** – Clear metrics to track progress and ensure the strategy is moving in the right direction, allowing for continuous optimization. ### How to use the strategy template 1. **Customize for your business** – Begin by personalizing the template with your business name, objectives, and specific customer success goals. 2. **Define clear objectives and goals** – Outline where you want your customer success strategy to take you, both qualitatively and quantitatively. 3. **Segment your customer base** – Identify the key customer segments that your strategy will focus on, and define the approach for each. 4. **Track and adjust** – Use key [customer success metrics](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-metrics/) to track progress, and adjust the strategy as needed to ensure customer satisfaction and business alignment. ## Download your customer success strategy template ![Customer success strategy template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2024/10/Customer-success-strategy-template.png) [Customer Success strategy templateCustomer Success strategy template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Customer-Success-strategy-template.docx "Download") [Customer Success strategy templateCustomer Success strategy template.pdf58 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Customer-Success-strategy-template.pdf "Download") [Customer Success strategy templateCustomer success strategy template Date \[insert\] Customer success strategy for \[insert Business Name\] This is to outline the customer success strategy, \[for information/ for approval\]. The strategy is strategically solid because \[insert reason\] and financially sound based on \[insert dat…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-7.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKWpd9EpGTFjgZkY8akrxJ0zyEleQlW0aWmRmq_kgOLsdAXcGsPRRYt5eIdbfKHX3AVFFTXw-eoWVmylPPY8tyDDixQqNPd7J2-SULJ32zyvUmZpxO3-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d9lJCZot5IgUI1xcahk4CMOalMr68U8bNVl6ldozRPo/edit) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Guide to pricing models URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/guide-to-pricing-models-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T16:05:16.000Z ## What is a guide to pricing models? A guide to pricing models is a comprehensive framework that helps businesses understand and select the best pricing strategy for their product or service. From cost-plus to value-based pricing, this guide covers various strategies to align your pricing with market value, customer needs, and revenue goals. This framework enables product and marketing teams to refine their pricing approach, ensuring it effectively communicates value and supports long-term growth. ## What’s inside the template? The guide to pricing models includes explanations and practical examples of several popular pricing strategies and models: 1. **Pricing strategies** \- Detailed overviews of key strategies, including: - Cost-plus pricing - Competitor-based pricing - Value-based pricing - Market penetration, premium, and skimming pricing 1. **Pricing Models** – Insights into pricing structures to suit different customer needs, including: - Flat-rate pricing - Usage-based and per-user pricing - Tiered and per-feature pricing - Freemium and customizable pricing 1. **Pros and cons** – Each strategy and model includes an analysis of benefits and potential challenges to help you weigh options effectively. ## How to use the template 1. **Review pricing strategies** – Start by exploring the guide’s pricing strategies and choosing those that best match your business model and target audience. 2. **Compare pricing models** – Evaluate different pricing structures (flat-rate, usage-based, tiered) to see which aligns with your product features and customer preferences. 3. **Assess pros and cons** – Consider the advantages and challenges of each option to find the right fit for your market and revenue goals. 4. **Test and refine** – Implement the chosen pricing model and monitor its impact on revenue and customer satisfaction, adjusting as needed. ## Download your guide to pricing models ![Guide to pricing models](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2024/11/Guide-to-pricing-models.png) [Guide to pricing modelsGuide to pricing models.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/11/Guide-to-pricing-models.docx "Download") [Guide to pricing modelsGuide to pricing models.pdf82 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/11/Guide-to-pricing-models.pdf "Download") [Guide to pricing modelsGuide to pricing models Your business’ pricing packages have a big impact on your revenue. There are a lot of strategies you could use and it’s essential to understand your market value. While pricing primarily falls under product and product marketing’s umbrella, it’s worth having enablement in…![](https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/documents/images/kix-favicon-2023q4.ico)Google Docs![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docs/AHkbwyLB18p8FXxR9W0qa7S2koHDtMzJUbYNQKAUA0M1i_gpaixweiMSdZXycyYgj-VMr73K4jqduapOPjvGSIwNn_i7EMz7tXPXUECM9SP6EFStlCeEIxAb=w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wFP1-UNWBxLaaAM6yvxGhHAqbCEpLZt3yBeaI9iftc0/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to transform your customer programs into assets that impact business growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:51:48.000Z I’m going to share with you today my insights on [customer marketing metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) that matter, and how to use them to transform your customer programs into strategic assets that impact business growth. A little bit about myself first. My name is **Kevin Lau**, and I'm super passionate about meaningful metrics because they can help you unlock your organization’s true potential, drive momentum, achieve headcount, and acquire a greater budget and resources – the whole gamut. I’m going to be talking to you about: - What to measure, - What you can measure today, - Data, martech, and integrations, and - Some pitfalls and challenges. Before we get down to it, I want to emphasize that transforming your customer program through metrics is a journey. It's a journey that's going to take time, effort, consistency, deep collaboration with [internal support teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/), and resources to help you get over the finish line. Sometimes it may seem a little scary, and there’ll be moments when you want to bang your head against the wall because you've hit a roadblock, but I can assure you that the journey is worth it. If you're looking for a promotion or you want to make a huge impact in your organization, this is where it begins. ## What to measure In customer marketing, we’re outstanding at creating relationships with customers; we're the go-to when it comes to retaining customers and helping acquire new customers. We even work well cross-functionally to bring in and attract potential customers. However, where we tend to struggle is measuring and quantifying our impact. If you look at our demand gen teams, they’re miles ahead of us in this regard. They have all kinds of handy customer metrics showing how they’ve driven pipeline growth and so on, and so it’s no surprise that they typically get three to four times the budget and the resourcing that we do. If you think about it though, in most organizations, especially in SaaS, **75%** of revenue typically comes from recurring business, so the value of [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) cannot be understated. **We can say that customer retention is more valuable than new logos, but how do we prove this?** I believe that customer retention is much more valuable than new logos, and as customer marketers, we’re uniquely placed to drive that. It comes down to the question of how we prove the value of our programs in holding on to existing customers - Is it the number of customers? The Net Promoter Score (NPS)? The conversion rate? Once we can prove this with the right metrics, we can get the CMO and CFO onside and unlock our function’s full potential. So how do we decide which are the right metrics? Let me walk you through my four-step process. ### **Step 1: Ask yourself the right questions** To determine which are the most meaningful metrics to guide your organization’s activities and prove their value, you need to start by digging deep and asking yourself and your team the right questions. **Some examples are:** - \- What can we easily measure today? - \- What does our leadership care about? How can we get their buy-in? - \- How can we get leaderhsip buy-in? - \- How do we want to visualize the data when we're talking to our C-suite and other internal stakeholders? - \- What's going to have the greatest impact when we think about our results 12 months from now? - \- Where does the company data live? - \- Which teams can we partner with that are going to help move the needle in the right direction? ### **Step 2: Create shared goals with other stakeholders** The second part of the process, as we just alluded to, is talking to the folks in marketing, sales, customer success, product, and support to [align on your goals.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) Their priorities are going to vary so you need to be able to show the mutual benefits of what your programs can deliver. Your CMO is most likely concerned with things around pipeline influence and brand awareness, which are going to drive growth in a company. [Customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-customer-marketing-success-insights-from-industry-leaders-on-structuring-your-team-for-maximum-impact/) is probably going to prioritize value realization, time to value, and customer retention. Product will generally have [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) around customer feedback and business impact in front and centre. #### **Engage your internal stakeholders** (This is a circular process, so once you go through measurement to support, the cycle will begin again.) 1. **Measurement** 2. **Marketing** \- Pipeline influence, brand awareness, retention 3. **Sales** \- Close new deals, customer expansion, more customer stories 4. **Customer Success** \- value realization, customer retention 5. **Product** \- Value realization, customer feedback, business impact 6. **Support** \- Support resolution, case deflection, value realization ### **Step 3: Be clear with what you want to measure** Now you’ve asked the important questions and aligned with other teams on your goals, it’s time to commit to the North Star metrics that will guide your customer programs’ success. What are the things that you want to be known for? And how do you create strategic pillars aligned to the goals that you have with your other internal stakeholders? Here at Adobe, our team is divided into centres of excellence around the three pillars of **adoption,** [**community**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/)**, and** [**advocacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/). It's all about how we develop and execute programs aligned to the customer journey to drive these three areas and ultimately create customers for life. - **Adoption** \- Build scalable, digital programs to ensure customers successfully adopt and use Adobe products or services, and renew/grow their commitment. - **Community** \- Connect customers around the globe through our online and offline communities to drive adoption and value realization. - **Advocacy** \- Expanse programs to ignite and activate advocacy, increase engagements and loyalty across Adobe’s product portfolio. When it was time to think about our *“North Stars”*, these are the metrics that we took into consideration, in line with the three pillars that we have within customer marketing: #### Customer adoption score The first one is the customer adoption score, which you can think of as the flip side of lead scoring. It’s all about moving people down the funnel, turning them from regular customers into engaged customers. It measures the influence on feature and behavior usage, and overall product maturity. #### Community engagement score The community engagement score measures community membership and engagement. It’s based on members going into the community and driving discussions in online forums and leaderboards. [Effective engagement channels for advocacy and retentionHow you approach, connect with, and build relationships with your customers is a vital part of the customer marketing machine. Picking when and where you connect with your customers is just as important as how you connect with them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_engagement_channels.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-engagement-channels-for-advocacy-and-retention/) #### Advocacy score Our last *“North Star”* is the advocacy score. This measures our customer programs against how they drive impact on business revenue, from new business to retention. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### **Step 4: Take inventory of your programs** Taking inventory of your programs and making sure they align with your “*North Star”* metrics is step number four. You may find that there’s some overlap between what your programs do, so it makes sense to streamline them. Our customer programs have shifted significantly over the last five years. When we went from Marketo to being part of Adobe, in the interest of customer retention we moved away from certain programs that no longer served our core mission. ## What can you measure today? I want to talk a little about how you can start to measure the efficacy of your customer programs more concretely. You may have certain programs or KPIs in your company that we don't have at Adobe, or vice-versa, but this gives you another way to think about it. Right out of the gate, what are some low-hanging fruit things that you can do today? Well, typically advocate growth is easy to measure because once you start a program, whether it's a reference program or a user group, you can literally count the number of members that engage in your programs and track that quarter over quarter, year over year, and continue to think about how you want to increase that number. We’ve talked a little about the community engagement score, but there are other metrics that you can track in the community area. For instance, we have membership growth and how your community is actually deflecting support cases. And then with customer references, which is I think one of the most common marketing activities customer marketing teams do today, it's all about deal acceleration, pipeline influence, and being able to look at the number of completed references per quarter, as well as the average deal size per reference and how that's increasing or decreasing. Now with the user groups, it tends to be a little bit more membership-based and attendance-driven. Like with advocate growth, you can look at growth in the number of members and the number of chapters regionally and globally, and you can track attendance over time. With peer reviews, we started doing something new recently. We take the contract dollar – whatever we spend with, let's say, G2 or TrustRadius – and divide that by the number of reviews per year to find our cost per review. We can also track our reviews over time and see how they are driving demand. [How to manage a successful customer review programToday, I want to share insights from my experience running Aircall’s customer review program and offer some tips to help you implement a successful one at your company![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceMax Bailey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/joanna-kosinska-h2O_jHvjfIM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-manage-a-successful-customer-review-program/) --- **Customer marketing metrics to start measuring today:** - **Advocate growth** - **VIP programs** - **Influenceing churn** - **Reviews** - **Community** - **Customer stories** - **Customer awards** - **Direct mail** - **Customer references** - **Adoption** - **User groups** --- - **Advocate growth** \- Year-over-year (YoY) growth in number of advocates, YoY Growth in number of advocates in each program. - **VIP programs** \- Membership influence to ARR, engagement influence to new business and retention. - **Influenceing churn** \- Accounts with advocates versus without. - **Reviews** \- Contract revenue/No. Reviews per year = Cost per rating point (CRP), review influence in driving demand. - **Community** \- Community Engagement Score, quarterly membership growth, YoY membership growth, support case deflection. - **Customer stories** \- Viewership, form fills, content syndication, social engagement, usage in active deal cycles, cost per asset. - **Customer awards** \- YoY submission growth, finalist & winner influence to ARR, pipeline of net new advocates & customer stories. - **Direct mail** \- Campaign cost per swag. - **Customer references** \- Deal acceleration & pipe influence, No. of completed references per quarter, average deal size per reference. - **Adoption** \- Protected revenue, in-product guidance performance, nurture engagement, event performance. - **User groups** \- Membership growth, chapter growth, regular attendance. With VIP programs, you can look at membership influence on ARR – annual recurring revenue – and also how your engaged members or champions influence new business and retention efforts, whether through references or something else. There are so many ways to look at customer stories, from viewership to content syndication to social engagement – how they’re performing on Twitter or LinkedIn. You can also work with your sales team to see how the stories are being used in active deal cycles. It’s worthwhile too to pinpoint the cost per asset and measure the average content lifecycle. From an award standpoint, we're actually right in the middle of our awards program, and we're going through it actively to track and measure success. Another good way is to look at year-over-year submission growth. We also look at the finals and winners and how they’re influencing ARR, and the pipeline of new advocates, as well as new stories that our teams can keep in mind as we wrap up the awards program. From an adoption standpoint, you can look at protected revenue, in-product guidance, nurture engagement, and other activities that drive engagement. And then the last one is [influencing churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/), which I would say is probably the most valuable metric for most of us. If we can look at accounts that have advocates and create stickiness versus accounts that may not have an advocate, we can quantify our ability to reduce churn over time. --- Your bosses may ask you for this data, or a QBR will come up and you’ll need to present these metric pieces holistically. It's great to be able to show one or two things here and there, but eventually, you want to get to a point where you're able to create dashboards so that you can easily articulate the value that you bring to an organization. That's when you start to unlock real potential. ## **Data, martech, and integrations** Now, when it comes to building out the score, I'll give you an example of how it looks in our particular case. We've built everything with Marketo Engage as the backbone of our architecture. We have various data feeds, integrations, and APIs built into this. We look at data from Influitive, Khoros, and SFDC, which is our CRM. We use RO Innovation to manage our customer references, Bevy to keep track of our user groups and customer programs, and then we have Alyce for our swag fulfilment. We feed all of this into Marketo, which then pipes it out to Power BI, which is the dashboard visualization tool that we use. You could also use Tableau or some other tool, but whichever tool you choose, you need to collate all of this data visually. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/android-chrome-192x192--1--1.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## **Pitfalls and challenges** Before I wrap up, I want to call out a couple of pitfalls and challenges that you may encounter on your journey to optimizing metrics for your customer programs. 1. **Dirty data.** In every company I've been at, there's always been some form of dirty data. Beware! 2. **Data validation.** The good news: this will help you eliminate that dirty data. The bad news**:** you have to wrap your head around thetesting phase. 3. **Multiple instances.** You also might have multiple instances of CRMs or other marketing automation tools, which can muddy the water. 4. **Where does your company data live?** Possibly in several parts of your organization – it’s not always easy to track down. 5. **There's no clear owner.** The areas that you’re trying to track might sit within multiple teams. Think of this as a glorious opportunity to work cross-functionally. 6. **Integrations.** Some of the data integrations that I’ve talked about can be complex to put into place. If you can get an API, that's great, but not every tool or service has this as a standalone offer, so you might have to customize and build things to create that integration. Remember that it’s a process. ## **Closing remarks** To wrap up, I want to leave you with some final thoughts to carry with you on your journey to a data-optimized customer program. - Be clear with what you want to measure. - Make sure you actively work with your partners internally to align on your goals. - Keep in mind that you need to align these priorities with your leadership team throughout the entire process and journey. - Remember that this is an iterative process. Even today, we're still building off of some of the stuff that we did two or three years ago. Just know that it is going to take some time and some patience. ### Four proven strategies to keep and nurture top marketing talent URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/four-strategies-to-keep-and-nurture-top-marketing-talent/ Last updated: 2024-07-26T15:55:28.000Z A resilient job market means that, for the time being, talent retention will remain as one of the most pressing challenges facing companies. And in this increasingly competitive landscape, business leaders’ ability to attract and retain top talent will remain critical to their sustained success. In fact, one-third of marketers recently surveyed revealed that finding employees with the right skill set is their [single greatest obstacle](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33820/5-major-challenges-marketers-face-and-how-to-solve-them.aspx?ref=cmoalliance.com&%5F%5Fhstc=108456029.d7558aee812aeaf3b03dba25b014a12d.1721038820030.1721643313950.1721657305178.3&%5F%5Fhssc=108456029.1.1721657305178&%5F%5Fhsfp=2204740532) — for reasons ranging from greater demand for skilled workers to shifting priorities among the workforce. With this in mind, ensuring you have the best talent in place is one of the biggest marketing challenges today. ## The cost of employee turnover Meanwhile, [employee turnover](https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/turnover-cost?ref=cmoalliance.com) is costing companies dearly at a time when the economic outlook is mixed and marketing budgets are already squeezed, as employers seeking talent are forced to allocate resources to everything from advertising for an open position to adding to the workload of existing staff. The actual [cost of replacing an employee](https://www.gomada.co/blog/cost-of-employee-turnover-statistics?ref=cmoalliance.com#:~:text=The%20cost%20of%20replacing%20an,thirds%20of%20the%20total%20cost.) can range from 0.5 to 2 times the employee’s annual salary, while replacing a C-level position can cost up to 213 percent of their yearly pay. Meanwhile, the indirect cost of turnover (by way of factors like productivity and morale) account for two-thirds of the total cost. Then, of course, there are those instances where an ill-advised hiring decision is made, leading to a necessary separation. At our agency, The Ricciardi Group, we’ve made talent retention a cornerstone of our business strategy, achieving a near-perfect retention rate over the past five years. Despite unprecedented hurdles like the pandemic and the shift to remote work, our commitment to nurturing our team members continues to drive sustainable growth and innovation. Given the paramount importance of talent retention in marketing, here I'll share four retention strategies that have worked for us – and which could work for your organization. ## **Four proven strategies to keep and nurture top marketing talent** ![the four retention strategies to nurture employees and marketing talent. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/07/temporary-procon-table--2---1-.jpg) ### 1) Relationship-based hiring As many traditional recruitment methods (i.e., job boards, consultants) can fall short in identifying candidates who truly align with an agency’s culture and values, we prioritize relationship-based hiring and referrals. By leveraging personal connections and existing relationships, we are able to tap into whole networks of trusted professionals who share our vision and ethos. We advocate for a “dating before marriage” policy, where candidates are initially engaged on a contract basis before transitioning to a full-time role. This allows both parties to assess compatibility and fit before making a long-term commitment. Our philosophy extends beyond merely filling roles, however. We specifically seek out individuals whose values resonate with our culture. Rather than focusing solely on qualifications and experience, we prioritize hiring for the individual rather than the role. This approach allows us to identify candidates with the potential to grow and thrive in our organization over a long period of time. > “There is a level of trust amongst the Ricciardi Group team that allows for flexibility when needed,” one employee noted. “If your coworkers know you’ll get the job done, they won’t question how or when.” ### 2) Acting on employee feedback We believe a positive and supportive workplace culture is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Our “always be listening” culture encourages open communication and feedback, allowing us to address concerns and adapt to evolving needs proactively. Employee feedback has revealed that our top priorities do, in fact, align with those of our team members. Benefits including 401k contributions, generous health insurance coverage, and opportunities for personal and professional growth are all important to our company’s leadership and consistently rank chief among our employees’ priorities. ### 3) Flexible working practices Our flexible work policies, including generous personal time off and holidays, also rank highly among our employees. Embracing a hybrid work model, we ensure that both physical and virtual connections remain strong, fostering collaboration and camaraderie among team members. But nobody relates the benefits of our hybrid model quite like our own people. As our digital marketing director put it: > “The remote setup works for me because it’s so seamless. I came on late in the pandemic … \[and\] it’s always felt easy to connect with coworkers and collaborate remotely.” While in-person meetings are important, she said—noting that one of the biggest opportunities for her to establish connections and build rapport was a birthday party his teammates threw for him in his first two weeks at the company—striking a balance between remote and in-office is key. “Though the virtual hangouts help,” she added. A senior associate related, meanwhile, that working in person has always been important to her, especially as she is at the beginning of her career. “It’s allowed me to be a sponge and soak up all the industry knowledge from the bench of creative, strategic and digital marketing experts here,” she explained. At the same time, our head of digital strategy, who is fully remote, speaks to the value of her own arrangement. *“Despite not being physically present in the office, I still feel connected to the culture and fabric of the company,”* she related, noting that various ways she has felt integrated with her teammates include virtual communication tools like Slack and video conferencing, virtual team-building activities and social events, clear communication of company values and goals from the leadership, and inclusive policies that take into account remote employees, including flexible meeting times and asynchronous communication. We also believe people want to feel like the work they do has impact and meaning—they want to care about their mission. Part of listening is allowing our employees to help shape our mission and our vision so they can see themselves in it and are completely bought into driving that mission and vision forward. That’s why at our company, we encourage our people to bring their full selves to work—not just for the benefit of work/life balance but also work/life integration, where you don’t have to leave your personal life at the door each morning. As one remote worker noted, the hybrid working model allows for a more seamless integration of work and life, reducing commute stress and expanding housing options. > “It’s allowed me to live in my ideal location, a place with lower cost of living and closer to the beach/warmer weather year-round. This freedom enables me to access elements that fulfill my everyday life—proximity to friends that live similar lifestyles, outdoor activities and a smaller community". ### 4) Client success = increased compensation Naturally, pay also plays a key role in attracting and retaining talent. But while competitive salaries are a given, we go beyond industry standards, offering even more generous compensation and a unique bonus structure tied to client success—and how that client success translates to our own organization’s success. By prioritizing the tangible connection between the successes of our clients and employee compensation, we create a culture where every team member is invested in our growth and success. To us, bonuses should equate to a share of profit in the business, something we make sure all our employees understand. When we have a good year, we all have a good year. That encourages supporting the company’s ranks beyond just your own department or your team. Because when one of us is struggling, all of us are struggling. Shared accountability creates shared responsibility, which fosters a culture wherein everyone is incentivized to lift each other up. ## Stability as a talent retention strategy Efficient operations and a long-term vision are also fundamental to our story. To ensure stability and financial security for our team, we prioritize strategic management and cost-effective measures. That’s the “how” we do it. As for “why” we do what we do? Because we understand that safety and security are paramount to us all. It's the base of Maslow’s pyramid of needs and higher-order objectives—like producing world-class work—cannot be achieved unless one has those as a foundation. And this is our foundation: to be unshakeable and make sure our people know they are safe, and we manage the business in a way that reinforces that. It’s what allows our employees to call us their professional home and not just their job. A key element in all of this is to maintain transparency and a clear line of communication, which our employees rely on. *“Clear communication of company values and goals from our RG leadership team continuously helps me to understand expectations and align myself with our culture,”* one team member noted. I can’t think of a better example of making our people feel safe and supported than the challenge posed by the pandemic, when I personally absorbed the initial impact, prioritizing our team’s well-being and security. And our commitment to efficiency extends to every aspect of our operations—from negotiating office space to optimizing our insurance plans. By focusing on individual potential and adaptability, we future-proof our growth strategies and maintain resilience even in times of uncertainty. Our long-term hiring and growth strategies emphasize the importance of investing in talent and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. **The upshot:** talent retention requires a comprehensive, strategic approach. By prioritizing relationship-based hiring, investing in culture and growth, aligning compensation with client success, and maintaining efficient operations, your agency can cultivate an environment where we all thrive and that acts as a magnet for other top talent. It's the responsibility of agency leaders to prioritize their most valuable asset: their people. Implementing these strategies builds a culture of excellence, drives sustained growth, and positions your business for long-term success in an ever-evolving industry. ## A little about the author [Marisa Ricciardi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisariccciardi/?ref=cmoalliance.com) is the founder and CEO of The Ricciardi Group. She's an entrepreneurial marketer and trusted advisor during periods of organizational growth, acquisition, and change. Marisa has extensive experience developing and refreshing business strategies, restructuring organizations, and building new business ventures and teams from the ground up. In addition to her role as agency CEO, she's also a founding member of Extraordinary Women on Boards, a community of women corporate board directors focused on board excellence, modern governance, and board diversity. ### From basics to beyond: Leveling up your customer community URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-basics-to-beyond-leveling-up-your-customer-community/ Last updated: 2026-01-05T11:07:42.000Z Within customer advocacy, community risks getting overlooked. However, I treat it as a mini customer advocacy segment within the larger advocacy whole. Just because a customer buys something doesn't necessarily mean they know how to use it effectively. This is where community comes into play. Going beyond the transactional aspect, a community can significantly help your customers succeed by providing the resources they need. These resources can include platforms with Q&As, educational content, and more. Your role in making a community impactful and successful goes beyond just inviting people to join. It's about creating value. For your company, the value can manifest in several ways: gaining industry awards from third-party reviews, generating new referrals from leads, and more. In this article, I’ll give you a crash course on community building. I’ll cover what a community looks like, different platforms you can use, foundational impactful experiences, activities you can implement, and best practices to make your program indispensable within your organization. ## Understanding customer communities At its core, a [customer community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) is a dedicated space that hosts a relationship between a brand or company and its customers. **Pay attention to the keyword here: relationship**. You're not just offering a service; you're offering an experience. A community can allow for questions, answers, and networking with others. What makes a community impactful varies from business to business, but generally, a [successful community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) fosters relationships by providing member value and benefits, giving a sense of belonging, and delivering positive outcomes for its members. This relationship can be built on various platforms, such as emails, websites, and online platforms. To put this into community terms, there are multiple formats your community can take. ### Types of communities **Social community** A social [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/) functions much like a social media platform, where you, as a brand or company, engage with your audience on social media accounts. This can involve encouraging likes, comments, shares, and interactions on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The goal is to use social media to understand what's trending and what's important to your target audience - What do they care about? **Support community** As the name suggests, a support community is designed to help customers support each other. This doesn’t necessarily involve extensive advocacy efforts. Instead, it might mean that if you don't have enough customer representatives, you can utilize your support community to assist with customer queries. This can be done through your website or a support forum. **Advocate community** My favorite type is the advocate community. This platform or space engages your loyal customers, giving them a place to rave about you. Advocate communities are versatile and can support both social and support functions, often in a fun and gamified way. Whether through social engagement, customer support, or advocacy, the goal of a community is to build meaningful relationships with your customers, providing them with value and fostering a sense of belonging. ## The benefits of building a customer community From our perspective, the benefits and advantages we've seen from our community platform are substantial. **Here are a few key points:** ### Building genuine relationships One of the most significant benefits is having daily conversations with our customers. This consistent interaction allows us to develop genuine relationships with them as friends, rather than merely marketers. This approach makes it easier and more natural to ask for participation in activities like case studies. For example, instead of an awkward request, it's more like, "Hey, Kevin, want to do a case study?" and the response is a friendly, "Yeah, I got you. Just give me some points." This fun, pressure-free environment fosters stronger connections. ### Product development and feedback We have also been able to consistently launch product updates and new features thanks to our community. Having a quick, reliable source of customer feedback is invaluable. This feedback loop is one of our biggest internal selling points for maintaining the community, as it ensures that our customers are actively involved in driving our product roadmap. ### Fostering customer loyalty Another significant advantage is fostering customer loyalty. We highly encourage our customers to communicate with each other, even though they might be shy, especially since many are IT professionals who may not always be the most forthcoming. By providing a platform where they can learn from one another and share experiences, we build a sense of community and loyalty. ### Enabling customer success Finally, we enable our customers to be successful by consistently providing them with valuable content. This includes posting educational content, releasing white papers, and directing them to forum sections where they can find user tips and advice from other community members. By offering these resources, we ensure that our customers always find value when they engage with our platform. Our community platform has allowed us to build genuine relationships, gather essential product feedback, foster customer loyalty, and enable [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/). These benefits collectively enhance the overall experience for our customers and drive our business forward. ## Building a solid foundation for your customer community Wherever you are in your journey, having a solid foundation is crucial for launching a successful customer community. You can't just dive in and hope for the best. I inherited our community from a previous manager and had no idea what to expect or what value it could bring. I had to do some introspective work within our company to understand what we needed to provide for the community while also looking externally to see what our customers wanted. The first foundational pillar to any community is understanding what your customers want. As a [customer marketer](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-marketing-questions-answered-by-the-experts/), you should already know your customer journey. Dive deeper by asking your customers directly what they need, what resources they find helpful, and what gaps exist that you can fill. > **Pro tip*: Don’t just talk to your customers; speak to your internal employees as well. They can provide valuable insights into what you’re already offering and what more you could do.* When interacting with your community, remember that time is money. Your customers don't want to use a resource just because it's available; they want to gain something valuable from it. As a [community manager](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/community-manager-jobs-101/), I often turn to our community to learn from other managers and apply their insights to my own work. Valuable content can include: - Blog articles - Case studies - White papers - Training sessions - Workshops - Webinars > **Pro tip*: Create an editorial content calendar to map out the content you'll provide over the month. Sync it with your social calendar to stay current and establish your community as the go-to place for information about your company.* Many people, including myself, visit communities to speak with others using the same tools. Your customers do the same. They want to exchange best practices and user tips. Fostering these peer-to-peer interactions is essential. > **Pro tip*: Incentivize conversations and discussion replies with challenges and make it fun. Sometimes, all it takes is a little push to get people talking.* Recognition and rewards are critical. While it’s great if customers contribute out of goodwill, incentivizing their participation can be highly effective. Offering rewards like points, badges, or gifts can motivate customers to engage more. > **Pro tip*: Regularly recognize and reward top contributors. *For example,* I select a "Guardian of the Month" from our community and highlight their contributions on our social channels and forums. This recognition makes members feel valued and appreciated.* Building a solid foundation for your customer community involves understanding your customers' needs, providing valuable content, fostering peer-to-peer interactions, and implementing a recognition and reward system. With these steps, you can create a vibrant, engaged community that brings significant value to both your customers and your company. ## What customers can provide for us Now, I want to switch roles and discuss the value that customers can provide for us. This isn't a one-way street; it's a two-way street. Imagine you're sitting here with your foundation set and ready, and you've abided by the four commandments. You've done what you need to get started. The next step is to look introspectively and think about how you can provide value for your company. This will ensure continued investment in the community tool you've worked so hard to develop. To keep it simple, I’ll cover two pivotal moves we made at Rubik to ensure every action within our community mapped back to a top key priority of our organization. This is crucial for making a strong case for the value of your work. ### Creating a success plan The first move is creating a success plan. This involves a top-down approach to setting goals. Start by looking at what your company and organization care about —your key priorities. Then, map these priorities and dive deeper into the goals of the departments you’ll work with for the community. For instance, at Rubik, I work closely with the product and UX research teams. One of Rubik’s key priorities is delivering a market-defining product. Knowing this, I identified the goals of the product and UX teams, such as conducting beta testing and product feedback calls. I then mapped out specific member actions that would support these goals. Once you've engaged members in these activities, you can easily demonstrate the value of your work. **For example**, if we launch a new product, I can show that our community members participated in beta testing and product feedback calls, directly contributing to the organizational goal. This kind of alignment makes the community function indispensable. > **Pro tip*: Ensure that every action you take as a* [*community manager*](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-a-community-manager/) *is valuable and makes your work undeniable. Understand the capabilities of your community and be creative in finding ways to support other teams.* ### Leveraging customer insights The second pivotal move is leveraging customer insights to provide value back to the organization. As a community manager, you have direct access to customer feedback, preferences, and pain points. Use this information to inform and improve various aspects of the company’s operations. **For example,** through regular interactions and surveys, you can gather valuable data on customer experiences and needs. This information can then be shared with marketing, sales, product development, and customer support teams to refine their strategies and offerings. At Rubik, we use customer insights to drive product development. By continuously engaging with our community, we can identify areas for improvement and innovation. This proactive approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also keeps the company ahead of the competition. > **Pro tip*: Regularly collect and analyze customer feedback. Share these insights with relevant teams to ensure that your community’s voice is heard and acted upon within the organization.* Shifting focus to what customers can provide for us involves creating a success plan that aligns community actions with organizational goals and leveraging customer insights to drive continuous improvement. As a result, you can ensure that the community remains a valuable and integral part of your company’s success. This two-way street approach not only strengthens your community but also solidifies its role within the broader organization. ## Establishing cross-functional collaboration with stakeholders The second pivotal move is establishing cross-functional collaboration with your stakeholders. As we’ve discussed, customer community and advocacy are at the center of everything, but they also function like a spider web, with each strand connecting to different parts of the organization. We’re the spider in the center, around which everything else revolves. The first step in establishing cross-functional collaboration is meeting with stakeholders and leaders from key departments. In my case, these leaders were from support, sales, marketing, and product. I knew that our customer community could integrate with these departments effectively. Here’s how I approached these meetings: - **Sales**: I sat down with the sales team and discussed mutual goals. I offered to provide sales references for their calls and host user groups. In return, they needed to help register members for our community and bring customers into the fold. - **Product**: With the product team, I knew they wanted product feedback calls and beta testers. So, I proposed that they participate in AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with our customers. This allowed customers to ask questions and gain insights directly from the product team, enhancing their success and engagement. To ensure we stay aligned with our key priorities as a company, we focus on several key activities. These activities are designed to mature the customer experience and community journey beyond just the basics. - **Sales collaboration**: By providing sales references and hosting user groups, we help the sales team while they assist in bringing more members into the community. - **Product collaboration**: Organizing AMA sessions and gathering product feedback calls ensures that the product team gets the insights they need while keeping customers engaged and informed. Expanding the community beyond just discussions and white papers is crucial. We need to mature the community experience and journey, and this involves offering a broader range of activities that align with our organizational goals. This maturity brings us to the core of our program. ## Best practices for a successful customer community To wrap up, I want to share some best practices I've learned during my tenure, along with a few tips. ### Measure and analyze your metrics One of the most important practices is to regularly measure and analyze your metrics. It's essential to have a clear understanding of your performance. If an executive asks you about your community's activities, you should be able to provide precise answers. Set up tracking systems that you update weekly so you always know your numbers. Own your metrics and think about them objectively — they’re not tied to your professional value but are critical for showcasing your community's impact. ### Make your community sticky Get your stakeholders involved early and ensure they’re invested in the community. Meet with them, establish mutual goals, and help them understand the value of the community. Consistency is key here. Your stakeholders should never question the worth of the community. ### Consistency is king When interacting with customers, consistency is vital. Customers need to know they can rely on your community to provide valuable content regularly. Set up a content calendar and stick to it. If you post "Tuesday Tips," make sure you do it every Tuesday without fail. This consistency creates a stable environment that members can depend on, encouraging regular engagement. ### Listen to your community members Always listen to your community members and their experiences. A bad user experience can significantly impact your community. Establish a feedback and survey loop, and register yourself as a member to experience the community firsthand. This’ll help you identify and fix any issues in the onboarding process or user interactions, ensuring a smooth and pleasant experience for all members. ### Always grow your community Recruitment is as important as programming. Without new members, the community can become stale quickly. Focus on recruiting new members continuously. Implement strategies like including community invitations in welcome kits or promoting the community at conferences. Fresh blood keeps the community dynamic and engaging. ### Have fun and be creative Finally, have fun and be creative! Your personality is a crucial part of the community. Let your passion show, and engage with your members authentically. Innovate and bring new ideas to the table. Your enthusiasm will inspire and energize your community Regularly measure your metrics, make your community indispensable, maintain consistency, listen to your members, continuously recruit new members, and infuse your personality into everything you do. By following these best practices, you'll create a thriving and engaged customer community that provides immense value to both your members and your organization. --- *This article comes from Pida Pairawan’s insightful talk at our Customer Marketing Summit, Las Vegas 2023, check out her* [***full presentation***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=p13h66t4hd)*. At the time of the talk, Pida was the Customer Marketing & Community Manager at Rubrik.* ### Lifecycle marketing: The secret to building lifetime brand loyalists | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lifecycle-marketing-the-secret-to-building-lifetime-brand-loyalists-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T14:09:16.000Z ## Looking for more on lifecycle marketing? [How to bridge self-serve and high-touch customer journeysI want to dive into the sudden rise in hybrid B2B purchasing and offer some strategic best practices for implementing this approach in your own organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-52.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEric Calderon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/tom-jur-lwXm0vthx58-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-a-marketing-strategy-bridging-self-serve-and-high-touch-customer-journeys/) [What is customer lifecycle marketing and how is it used?Engaging with your customers is a basic building block when marketing your business. Where other processes become involved only once a sale has been made, customer lifecycle marketing plans interactions throughout the whole customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-53.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/alexander-schimmeck-PBwnVjl0Axg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) [Best competitive strategy for each business lifecycle stageDiscover strategic approaches for each stage of the business lifecycle. Stay competitive, innovate, and navigate towards sustained success![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-54.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAlex Walton![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CIA-lifecycle.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-competitive-strategy-for-each-stage-in-the-business-lifecycle/) ### How to reduce customer churn and increase customer retention URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T12:48:07.000Z Though[ customer churn ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/)may not be the most appealing rate or statistic to look at, it's vital for businesses to be aware of it to assess, analyze, and act on the results. While it’s unrealistic to strive for 0% churn, understanding what your current churn rates are, and using them to inform your practices to improve [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/) can be the ultimate game-changer for your organization. In this article we’ll cover: - What [customer churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/14c93600-c821-4b1d-a09a-f97580b259ca/#:~:text=increase%20retention%20respectively.-,What%20is%20customer%20churn%3F,-Customer%20churn%20is) and [customer retention ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/14c93600-c821-4b1d-a09a-f97580b259ca/#what-is-customer-retention:~:text=or%20financial%20issues.-,What%20is%20customer%20retention%3F,-Customer%20retention%20rate)are, - [How to calculate churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/14c93600-c821-4b1d-a09a-f97580b259ca/#what-is-customer-churn:~:text=to%20make%20improvements.-,How%20to%20calculate%20customer%20churn,-Customer%20churn%20is) - [Voluntary and involuntary churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/14c93600-c821-4b1d-a09a-f97580b259ca/#voluntary-vs-involuntary-churn:~:text=would%20be%2010%25.-,Voluntary%20vs%20Involuntary%20churn,-There%20are%20two) - [How they’re connected, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/14c93600-c821-4b1d-a09a-f97580b259ca/#how-are-customer-churn-and-customer-retention-connected:~:text=would%20be%2090%25.-,How%20are%20customer%20churn%20and%20customer%20retention%20connected%3F,-At%20its%20most) - [How you can reduce churn and increase retention respectively.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/14c93600-c821-4b1d-a09a-f97580b259ca/#how-are-customer-churn-and-customer-retention-connected:~:text=to%20increase%20retention.-,Set%20expectations%20early%20on.,-One%20of%20the) ## **What is customer churn?** Customer churn is the percentage of your customers that stop using your products for an extended period. These customers can stop using your business for any number of reasons be it, competitors, product, or marketing to name a few. Being aware of the customers that churn, and your Customer Churn Rate (CCR) can help you identify where you need to make improvements. ## Why is churn an important metric to monitor? Customer churn is a clear and simple number to help monitor the success of your customer engagement strategies. It can also help to easily identify pain points within the customer lifecycle. If you're noting very early churn, there may be something wrong with your onboarding process. If your a SaaS business, and you see churn after introducing a new feature, you may need to go back to the drawing board about the future development of your products and services. If you're finding churn all across the customer journey, you may need to rething your business model in its entirity. Churn is an unmissable indicator for your success in retaining existing customer and acquiring new customers. ## **How to calculate customer churn** Customer churn is calculated as a percentage and is only applicable for a particular time period. So, if there was a quarter where you underperformed and if you note that your churn rate was high during that period, you know that churn most likely will have had an impact on your reduced revenue. To calculate your customer churn rate you’ll need three key figures: 1. The period you want to calculate your churn for (Be it weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly). 2. The number of existing customers at the start of your chosen period. That'll be defined by S. 3. The number of total customers you lost by the end of your period. That'll be shown as E. ![Three figures needed for customer churn rate calculation](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/07/2-1.jpg) Then you can input this data into this formula. ![[E/S] x 100 = Customer Churn Rate](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/CMA-Infographics_Basic_Formulas.png) #### An example: You want to work out your CCR (Customer Churn Rate) for the first quarter of the new year. - The number of existing customers at the start of the quarter was 400\. S is 400. - You ended the quarter with 360 customers meaning you lost 40 customers. 40 is E. The formula will then look like this: \[(40/400\] x100 = 10 Your CCR for that quarter would be 10%. ## **Voluntary vs Involuntary churn** There are two different types of churn that can affect your business. The first is **voluntary churn**. This is when your customers make the decision to end their relationship with you and your business. They might be dissatisfied with your product, or something has changed that means they don’t feel they’re getting what they need out of your business. The second is **involuntary churn** where something outside of the customers control occurs/ This is usually not something related to your business and includes things like payment failure, service errors, or financial issues. Knowing which type of churn you are experiencing is important to understanding customer behavior. It will inform the type of action you take when responding to customers leaving. ## **What is customer retention?** Customer retention rate is the number of customers you have **kept** from the beginning to the end of a certain time period. Successfully keeping a good majority of your customer base over a sustained period is no mean feat. This isn’t a one off and should be monitored regularly for changes. This is a good indicator of knowing what your customers do and don’t like about your business (outside of simply asking them!). Is there a part of your customer base you have been neglecting? Has a new strategy just been implemented, and helped you retain customers? This number is useful to aid you in your analysis when applied to other statistics and observations about your current work process. To calculate your customer retention rate you’ll need four key figures: 1. The time period you want to calculate your retention rate for. For example, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly. 2. The number of existing customers at the start of your chosen period. That'll be defined by S. 3. The number of total customers at the end of your period. That'll be shown as E. 4. The number of new customers added within the period. This Is identified by N. ![four figures needed for customer retention rate calculation](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/07/3-1.jpg) Then you can input this data into this formula. ![[(E-N)/S] x 100 = Customer Retention Rate](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/CMA-Infographics_Basic_Formulas2-1.png) #### An example: You want to work out your CRR (Customer Retention Rate) for the first quarter of the new year. - The number of existing customers at the start of the quarter was 100\. S is 100. - You ended the quarter with 110 customers. 110 is E. - The number of new customers you added over the quarter was 10\. N is 20. The formula will then look like this: \[(110-20)/100\] x 100 = 90 Your CRR for that quarter would be 90%. ## **How are customer churn and customer retention connected?** At its most simple, the more customers you retain, the lower your customer churn rate will be. Neither of these statistics involves the acquisition of new customers, and as such are ways to show you how well you’re monitoring your **existing** customer base. Losing customers will increase your churn rate and decrease your retention rate, and vice versa. Incidentally, the strategies and ways to reduce churn are also often ways to increase retention. ### **Set expectations early on** One of the worst things you can do is to set unrealistic expectations. If you don’t deliver on your promises, customers will seek an alternative option. One of the worst things you can do is be dishonest with potential customers. While the initial aquisiton may be easy, you'll loose them just as quickly. Be realistic in how you market your products from the very beginning. If your product doesn't have certain capabilities now, then you can always make a plan to implement it in the future. Remember, always be sure to let your customers know about any upcoming changes! ### **Refocus your priorities on your best customers** It isn’t worth focusing on customers who’re not likely to turn into loyal users. Though there’s a time for converting these customers, your priorities should always be on retaining the ones you already have. If you neglect your most valuable customers, they won’t feel appreciated and will eventually churn. ### **Listen to feedback** Customers know what it's like to experience your product more than you ever will so they’re the best ones to go to when something goes wrong. This means listening to and contacting existing and churned customers. The very act of reaching out to them is a good indicator to your customers that you care about setting any problems right. ### **Analyze statistics as they occur** Keeping an eye on churn and retention can help prevent any surprises from occurring. Noticing a drop or rise in churn can be a good indicator of knowing when something is working or not. If you’ve implemented a new plan to your strategies then keep an eye on these statistics to see how your customers respond. ### **Communicate regularly** Communication isn’t just between your team and the customer, but between your team and others in your organization. Be it, stakeholders, C-suite executives, or other customer-facing team members, talking through new strategies using the information you have from your customers can help prevent any misguided strategies from forming, and help bolster others. Encouraging customers on their journey with your product also means that they know you're paying attention. This consideration is usually enough to get customers on side, and convert them into your customer loyalty programs, while maintaining and improving your total number of customers. ## **Other considerations** There are some factors to always consider: - It’s not a one-size-fits-all. - Regularly update your churn results. - Listen to customer feedback. - Consider their demographics. - Keep internal communication open. - Consider where they are in the customer journey. - Allow flexibility in strategies. - Apply learnings to new customers from onboarding. - Forecast churn increases and plan ahead. - **It’s not a one size fits all.** Customers are unique and the incentives to keep them will be unique too. - **Regularly update your churn results.** Customers churning at specific times may clue you into a strategy that’s not turning out as planned. Perhaps you’ve recently stopped a particular program or marketing strategy? These things are important to consider for your organization as a whole. Let your other teams know if you notice these changes. - **Consider where they are in the customer journey.** If a first time purchaser hasn’t bought or interacted with any of your products in a while, they’ll require a different reaction than if a loyal advocate suddenly stopped using your products. They’ll require different levels of connection and personalization to encourage them to come back. - **Consider their demographics.** Is there a new competitor for a certain geographical region, age group, or career? Though demographics is a tricky one to pin down, assessing your churn against this information might bring something to light that’ll have affected your revenue streams outside of your initial search. - **Keep internal communication open**. Collaborating with your internal teams on company-wide and team-specific strategies can help you keep informed about any changes going on in your organization. Having this knowledge from the get-go makes analyzing your churn and retention results that much smoother. ## **Where to go next?** Customers are the lifeblood of any business, you don’t need us to tell you that. There are several strategies for retaining customers that can help transform your bottom line, but today we’re going to focus solely on the importance of building *lasting* relationships with your customers. Read this article where we go over: ⚙️Increasing your customer lifetime value, 🥳How to earn brand advocates, 🤝Some tips on how to get to know your customers and exceed their expectations. [Gain transferable insights](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-build-a-strong-relationship-with-your-customers/) ### Nisha Prabhakar | From customers to champions: Four secrets to compelling customer stories | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/four-top-secret-tips-to-compelling-customer-stories-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-09-11T10:58:01.000Z In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Nisha Prabhakar, Senior Manager, Customer Marketing at Salesforce, gives us a sneak peek into her top-secret tips for getting compelling customer stories. 🙌 Nisha Prabhakar spoke about this topic in her full-length talk at our Customer Marketing Summit in London, 2023\. You can get access to the full recorded talk using one of our [membership plans](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/). *If you want a look at our upcoming event calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)*.* ## Key takeaways - How customer stories relate to Salesforce’s tagline: ‘Meet the top brands who are transforming the customer experience with Salesforce.’ - The top 1-2 key strategies for crafting customer stories. - Common pitfalls or mistakes often made when trying to tell customer stories, and how to avoid them. - How to maintain authenticity while still ensuring the stories resonate with your target audience. [Watch episode now](https://youtu.be/fqUWKVhB%5FFQ?si=%5FzXHMYqH5qmyPwrR) ## About the guest Nisha is a success-driven, self-motivated and dynamic professional with 16 years of global sales and marketing experience in the technology industry. She currently leads the Customer Marketing & Brand Engagement function within Salesforce EMEA and is responsible for designing and executing strategic co-marketing programs with Salesforce's customers to showcase top brands and their visionary thought leaders. ## Join the conversation What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Curate, collaborate, cultivate: Transforming communities through curation URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/curate-collaborate-cultivate-transforming-communities-through-curation/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T08:51:03.000Z This article comes from **Sabina Osorio**’s insightful talk at our **2023 Virtual Customer Marketing Summit**, check out her [**full presentation**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2023/). --- How you curate, collaborate, and cultivate your community can be the difference between radical growth and stagnation, between impact and insignificance. You have an incredible opportunity and gift to serve and grow your community, and I'm here to help. I’m Sabina Osorio, a mindful marketing athlete with over ten years of experience and a passion for community building. I am also the Director of Marketing & Customer Engagement at TED, where we serve our community with love and an obsession with building strong, engaged communities. Today, we’ll cover three essential topics: 1. Ensuring a purpose is at the heart of everything you do. 2. Creating and collaborating generously. 3. Tips to grow and serve your community thoughtfully. Let's get started. ## Purpose-driven curation In a world saturated with negativity and an overwhelming amount of [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) — nearly three hundred TikTok videos are posted every second — it’s easy to feel overloaded with information. Our minds are tired and desperate for curation. Frankly, our news-battered hearts deserve to be nurtured with stories that uplift, inspire, and show us that good can prevail. This need for positive curation has transformed the concept of [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) over the years. A community is no longer just a place where people gather; it’s a sanctuary of shared knowledge, connection, and innovation. It’s seen as a safe space where positivity can spread and generosity can flourish. You can turn your community into a vibrant hub that shapes new narratives, fosters trust, inclusivity, and authenticity that propels your members forward. To achieve this, I urge you to define your community's purpose and honor it as your North Star. ### Defining your community's purpose First, focus on your purpose. Define what it is, create a code of conduct around it, and ensure that each new member is educated and aligned with that purpose. Here at TED, we believe that ideas change people and people change the world. Our purpose is to discover and spread ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding, and ultimately drive meaningful change for the world and society. With that in mind, we’ve crafted a code of conduct and an application process that reflects our purpose. If you want to attend an in-person experience with us, you first have to complete this application process so that we can get to know you better and ensure that you're joining us for the right reasons and are aligned with our mission. This is how we curate our [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/) as well as the content we share with them. It all starts with purpose — with *why*. Be super clear on your purpose, and then go ahead and curate the content, the stories, and the news articles that genuinely uplift, spread great ideas, raise people's spirits, and make a difference in their lives. ## Collaborate generously Moving on to number two: the importance of collaborating generously. Once you have your community's purpose clearly defined, you'll start to attract new members who can then collaborate with you. We all know that collaboration amplifies the impact of curation. By working with your community members, you can become co-creators with them, shaping the narrative and bringing diverse perspectives to the table. I urge you to really empower and trust your [community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/). Picture this: I'm showing you a microphone. What I want you to do is pass this mic to your community. Actively choose the most diverse and representative voices, give them a sense of ownership, and make them valuable members of the community. Watch how this will help your community flourish. There are several ways to facilitate this collaborative process: - **Invite members to join a committee**: This gives them a formal role and a sense of responsibility. - **Host a webinar**: Allow members to share their expertise and insights. - **Co-host events**: Partner with community members for events or discussions. - **Feature them on your podcast**: Highlight their stories and contributions. - **Lead conversations**: Empower them to lead discussions or represent you at events. Get creative —brainstorm, conduct polls, and gather feedback on what they want to hear more of and how they can help. Remember, it’s not about you; it’s about them. The more you showcase them, the more they’ll advocate for you and amplify your brand and community naturally. ### The Peloton example Consider Peloton as an example. They make their community members the actual content. In classes, instructors give members happy birthday shout-outs, welcome them as they log in, and comment on their usernames. Peloton has even featured real-life community members in their commercials. This approach showcases how collaboration can fuel a community. Be generous and involve your community in the [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/) curation process, let them drive the community forward. They’ll be so grateful to you for the opportunity. ## Cultivate and grow On to number three: cultivate and grow. This is where I like to use plants as an example, to think of plants as you're growing your community. Cultivating a community is similar. It takes time and effort, but the results are worth it. Here are five ways to help you grow your community. ### 1\. Utilize social tools You need to play where your community plays. There are plenty of social tools available that are practically free and highly effective: - **LinkedIn Groups**: Professional and industry-focused. - **Facebook Groups**: Broad reach and easy engagement. - **WhatsApp Groups**: Direct and personal communication. - **Instagram Close Friends**: Share exclusive stories. - **Slack Groups**: Ideal for focused and ongoing discussions. Tapping into these social tools will help your community feel connected and valued. ### 2\. Nurture with content Consistently provide your community with the content they enjoy: - **Blog posts**: Regular, informative updates. - **Email newsletters**: Member-only insights and news. - **Webinars**: Interactive and educational sessions. - **Exclusive content**: Reports, white papers, and eBooks created specifically for them. - **Member recognition**: Spotlight individuals in articles or posts. People love to be acknowledged. ### 3\. In-person convening Bringing your community together in person can be powerful: - **Networking events**: Join existing events relevant to your industry. - **Discussion-led dinners**: Small, focused gatherings. - **Book club meet-ups**: Local, interest-based meetings. - **Group attendance**: Attend conferences and events as a group. Capture photos and videos of these events to share and celebrate the community's experiences. ### 4\. Establish feedback loops Listening to your community is crucial: - **Surveys and polls**: Regularly ask for their input. - **Social channel polls**: Engage them directly where they already interact. - **Feedback in newsletters**: Ask for their thoughts and showcase their responses in future newsletters. This inclusion makes them feel valued and invested in the community’s growth. ### 5\. Encourage referrals and advocacy Let your community help you grow: - **Share buttons**: Make it easy to share your content. - **Refer-a-friend programs**: Incentivize bringing in new members. - **Event plus-ones**: Allow members to invite guests. - **Nomination programs**: Let them nominate new members. - **Swag and badges**: Provide social media assets or physical items to promote the community. Look at what successful organizations are doing to grow their communities. The key is consistency: consistently showing up, sharing meaningful content, and engaging with every comment. This can take less than twenty minutes a day but means the world to those who take the time to interact. Don’t ignore your community. Don’t just give a like —actively reply to each comment and thank them for their engagement. This personal touch fosters a strong, loyal community that will advocate for you and help your community grow naturally. ## The power of personal branding Perhaps the most important tip I'll share with you today is that in our hyper-connected social media world, more and more brands are making people the face of their community. Don’t shy away from this approach. Look at icons like Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Reshma Saujani, Tim Cook, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marc Benioff, and Bill Gates. These individuals have enormous followings on social media, often surpassing the recognition of their companies. People know them more than they know their brands. Brands can leverage personal branding to grow their community. It's human nature to want to be part of something led by another person rather than a logo or a brand. People buy from people. They seek authentic connections and leadership from recognizable, relatable individuals. Consider who is the right candidate to be the face of your community. Empower them to create content and to thoughtfully grow your community. This person should embody the values and purpose of your community, serving as a relatable and inspiring figurehead. By putting a human face on your community, you create a deeper, more personal connection with your members. This approach not only strengthens the bond within the community but also attracts new members who resonate with the personal touch. Leveraging personal branding within your community can significantly enhance engagement and growth. Embrace this strategy and watch your community flourish. ## Final thoughts I'm going to close by reminding you that you have an amazing opportunity and a unique power to create something remarkable. You can create a purpose-driven community that spreads positivity, generosity, and good information, and can grow like crazy. Go ahead and embrace this unique gift. Take this responsibility with courage. Curate with care and collaborate with your community. Empower those diverse voices and watch how your community can thrive. Remember, the essence of a strong community lies in its purpose, collaboration, and consistent growth. By focusing on these elements, you can build a vibrant, engaged community that makes a real difference. Take these insights, apply them thoughtfully, and witness the transformation. Your community is waiting for you to lead it to new heights. ### Customer-centric strategies: Five lessons for success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-centric-strategies-5-lessons-for-success/ Last updated: 2024-07-16T10:10:57.000Z Building a marketing strategy without your customers in mind is like making a hamburger and not including a patty– it just doesn’t make sense. If the burger reference isn’t cutting it for you, maybe this will: Jeff Bezos [famously used to place an empty chair in meetings](https://www.inc.com/john-koetsier/why-every-amazon-meeting-has-at-least-one-empty-chair.html) to represent the customers who were not present in the room but still warranted representation. Whether burger patties or meeting chairs resonate more, my point is this - put the customer at the center of what you do. **Why you may ask?** For starters, it’s better for your bottom line. Though that may seem a bit cut and dry, it’s the [reality](https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2019/09/24/50-stats-that-prove-the-value-of-customer-experience/). Customer-centric companies are **60%** more profitable than those who are not. Secondly, customers trust brands that are backed by other brands, especially in the B2B space. In an [A/B test conducted on a product landing page](https://www.custify.com/blog/social-proof-b2b-saas/), the version that included logos in addition to testimonials saw an 84% increase in conversions compared with the version that only had logos, which saw only a 43% increase in conversions – that’s nearly double! So, where to start? Here are five lessons learned and best practices from one customer marketer to another. ## **1 – Poll to your audience** **Don’t be shy to ask them what they want to hear.** Reality check: Us marketers are not mind readers, and that’s okay. Sometimes you need to gut check things with your audience. Run that pilot. Poll your audience. Ask for feedback. Don’t be afraid to bring your audience along for the ride. You’ll build trust AND get your messaging closer to what they want to hear. *Case in point.* I run a monthly town-hall-style webinar where we share thought leadership, corporate updates, and resources to help our customers succeed. One question I like to consistently ask in our follow-up survey is, ‘Is there anything you would like to learn more about during this webinar series?’ Asking the questions does two things: 1- It provides me with insight into what *the audience* wants to hear about 2- It’s a gauge for whether the themes of our future webinars are on the mark B2B marketing is sometimes shrouded by the belief that we are marketing to *companies*, but really we are marketing to *people*. The sooner we start to craft strategies reminding ourselves that there is a person on the other side, we begin to humanize our content. Business decisions aren’t made by concrete buildings and cubicles. They are made by people with thoughts and feelings. Next time you are unsure of what your audience is craving to know more about, simply ask them. Get a group of customers together who are not shy to provide you with their opinions and ask them what they think. Dig deeper. Keep asking them ‘why’ until you get to the root of their feedback. You’ll be better equipped to make better marketing decisions, and you’ll leave a subset of your customers feeling seen and heard. ## **2 – Think about what *they* perceive as valuable, not you** Apart from being open to feedback, every customer-obsessed marketer must lead with empathy. A big part of building a customer-centric strategy is putting yourself in their shoes. Try asking yourself: - \- What does my audience find valuable? - \- Am I sharing this message because it’s big news for our company or will it make a difference for customers to know this? - \- What kinds of information will set my customers up for success? - \- Is this initiative helping drive our organization toward reaching our KPIs while simultaneously improving customer experience? Whether you are in the[ Friedman or Freeman camp ](https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilmalhotra/2019/04/16/should-corporations-simply-maximize-shareholder-value/)of a company’s duty being to maximize shareholder vs. stakeholder value, one thing is clear: Customers can see through a brand that is acting solely out of self-interest versus one that is dedicated to its customers. Stay close to your customers and think about delivering value based on what is truly helpful for them. Craft with customers in mind. Whether that’s bubbling up a new feature to your product team, tailoring that upcoming event experience, or writing your next social post. You must always be able to answer the golden WIIFM question– If you were the audience, could you easily understand ‘*What’s in it for me?’* If not, go back to the drawing board. If yes, keep on keeping on. ## **3 – Have the audience reflected in your strategy** In addition to focusing on the value exchange between brand and customer, your audience should be able to identify with your content. Going one level deeper than being ‘relatable’, you want your audience to connect with your marketing efforts because they feel seen. What does that look like? 💡 **Feature your audience in your content*. Consider giving customers a forum to share their wins. Be it your next newsletter cover story, case study, spotlight video, or speaking at an upcoming event. Ideally, you want to elevate the stories that will inspire other customers to reach the same level of success by partnering with your brand. Who doesn’t love to be celebrated, plus you’ll get solid content out of it. 💡 **Use language your customers are familiar with.* More on that in section five below but it’s relevant here as well. In the B2B world, we have a bad habit of speaking in acronyms. My challenge to you, nix the acronyms and spell it out…For you and your customers’ sake. Use terms that are widely agreed upon in your industry. Avoid using jargon for the sake of sounding more sophisticated. I am guilty of it too and often have to check myself. Instead, frame content in a way your customers can easily digest. Keep it simple! 💡 **Design experiences based on their wants and needs.* Tailor your next customer touchpoint to your audience’s interests. Whether it’s a large-scale event, webinar, or customer roundtable. Make sure the themes, messaging, and overall experience are aligned with the personas you are targeting. What do they do in their spare time? Can you organize an activity or provide them with a thank-you gift that complements that? In this attention economy, brands that deliver tailored, unique, and thoughtful experiences are the ones that prevail. ## **4 – Connect the experience across customer touchpoints** Apart from projecting the audience into your marketing efforts, think about your audience’s journey across the various touch points they may have with your company. Does it feel like they are interacting with the same brand throughout or are the experiences disjointed? They can feel disjointed for a variety of reasons, namely: - \- Inconsistency in look and feel - \- Various software/portals being used - \- Variety of teams owning different customer touchpoints - \- Different tones of voice being used across different mediums - \- Legacy systems embedded in core customer-facing processes What I have found is that the biggest disconnect comes from internal teams not communicating– Try and break those silos because they are real, and they won’t just be felt internally. Soon enough your audience will take note of when their experience feels fragmented. There is nothing worse than when a customer references an interaction they had with your company and you had no idea that it was even ‘a thing’. This is your sign to sync up with the different owners of customer touchpoints, even outside of marketing. Ask the question, find out what they are working on, and discuss how you can partner. It will make your marketing efforts stronger and ultimately, you will be crafting a smoother customer experience. --- **Want to learn more about Vera?* All our contributors are part of our ever-growing customer marketing slack community.* [***Join here***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)***.*** [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **5 – Stay true to your brand** In your pursuit of centring your marketing efforts around the customer, remember to stay true to who your brand is. You want your customers to feel like you are being authentic with them, not trying to *be* them. It’s about more than just being relatable, it’s about having your customers identify with your content. That’s not to say that you can’t draw inspiration from your target audience, but remember to keep your brand identity as your true north. Plus, your brand team will thank you for it! A good gut check is whether you, your teammates, or customer base could associate your brand to the messaging in a blind test. Would your messaging be differentiated from your competitors? Or would you sound like every other brand competing for share of wallet in your market? Enough with the don’ts – Here are some do’s in your pursuit of building an authentic, customer-forward brand: - Keep your **brand’s vision** and mission at the center of what you do. - Write with your company’s **brand voice** in mind while also using familiar terms your audience will understand. - Use your **brand as the foundation to build customer stories**, but let their experience be the focal point. ## **A few closing remarks** If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Before you go, remember these three takeaways: - Celebrate the fact that your brand is affiliated with this incredible base that are your customers while making both your brand and the customer shine. - Stay true to your brand and focus on your brand promise. Strong brands stand the test of time and build a loyal following because of the *value* they create for users. - Think of your customers as an extension of your brand. Focus your efforts on how you want to show up for them. They will thank you for it! Remember to test, ask for feedback, and iterate on your path to building a successful customer-centric marketing strategy. Keep your customers–people–at the center of your strategy. No one wants to feel marketed too, but we do want to feel like we are getting something in exchange for our most valuable resource: our time. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Customer marketing metrics and how to choose your own URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T13:15:39.000Z Measuring customer marketing performance using measurable metrics is tricky due to the relationship-based nature of the role. That being said, there’re a variety of metrics to choose from and the ones you go for will depend on your organization and how you run your team. Here’s a breakdown of the agenda. We’re covering: - [What metrics are](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/#:~:text=you%27re%20presenting%20to.-,What%20are%20metrics%3F,-Metrics%20are%20features) and [why they’re important,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/#:~:text=gathering%20this%20data.-,Why%20are%20metrics%20important%3F,-Metrics%20are%20important) - [Factors that impact your metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/#:~:text=and%20marketing%20spending.-,How%20to%20set%20your%20customer%20marketing%20metrics,-The%20decision%2Dmaking), and - [How your chosen metrics may change when presenting to stakeholders.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/#:~:text=programs%20you%20run.-,Metrics%20for%20stakeholders,-We%20covered%20some) ## **What are metrics?** Metrics are features used to monitor and record progress over time. Which metric you use will depend on what you want to measure, and the goals and priorities your team and overall business are working towards. While you can keep a continuous track of the metrics you choose, you risk gathering irrelevant information you don’t know what to do with if you don’t have the right intention behind gathering this data. --- *Looking for more on business strategy metrics? Sangeeta Walsh, VP of Marketing and Alliances at Dialpad talks about how to use AI, customer data, and business intelligence to connect and partner with your customers.* --- ## **Why are metrics important?** Metrics are important to help you keep track of your progress in certain areas, and measuring your successes is a no-brainer to make sure you and your team are hitting your goals. Metrics are also great indicators of which parts of your marketing strategies are working well, and which need improvement. [Your team goals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) will affect the metrics you choose to use, and vice versa. They’re also the best performance indicators to go to higher-ups with when justifying [budget and marketing spending](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/). [CMA’s conclusive guide to OKRs and KPIsWondered how to navigate the world of OKRs and KPIs? You’re in the right place. This page serves as Customer Marketing Alliance’s ultimate guide to these metrics. It houses all the articles we’ve written on the topic, all in one place.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_metrics_and_analysis.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) ## **Factors that impact your customer marketing metrics** The decision-making process is dependent on a few factors. These include the scope of the role, program lifecycle, and company goals. We’re going to go through all of these here. ### **The scope of your customer marketing role** When we talk about scope, we’re referring to where you sit within your organizational structure, the level of contact you have with other departments, and what’s specifically covered within your specification - the priorities your team has based on your company's overall goals - just to mention a few. Like customers, organizations are also unique in how they approach everything and, as such, the metrics you choose will depend on how well they support your style of monitoring. There are a few factors that will affect your decision: - **The department do you answer to,** - **The departments you collaborate most closely with,** - **How far you’re into your program lifecycle.** We’ll talk more in-depth about the [program lifecycle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-competitive-strategy-for-each-stage-in-the-business-lifecycle/) in the next section but, for now, we’ll go over how your work interacting with other departments affects your metrics. Our recent [**State of Customer Marketing Report for 2023**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) found that the most common departments customer marketers were positioned under were the following: 1. Marketing - **71%** 2. Product marketing - **14.6%** 3. Customer success - **5.8%** Speaking directly to our [Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), we also had other departments come up, specifically Revenue and Demand Generation. This’ll affect the way you measure your performance, as these departments all have different goals when it comes to interacting with customers, and the role customer marketing plays will reflect that. #### **Marketing** Customer marketers are most commonly a part of the Marketing department. Marketing metrics often revolve around specific campaigns. These metrics are usually specific to the type of campaign. For example, an email campaign may use metrics such as email opens, email forwards, and subscriptions. For marketing, lead generation is a common measurement of success alongside ROI. These work less well for customer marketers who deal with existing customers exclusively but can potentially be applied when a customer successfully becomes an [advocate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/). Other metrics that can be applied include: #### ****ROI - Return on Investment** Taking into consideration things like premium subscriptions and successful cross-selling and upselling campaigns. #### ****Click-through rate** This is the number of people clicking on your ads and onto your webpage or sales page. This can gauge not only how well your listings and ads are doing, but also how well your copywriting reflects your company's branding and values to attract your target audience. #### ****Bounce rate** This is another way of monitoring retention. If a high number of visitors are reaching your page and immediately clicking off, then the number of visitors itself doesn’t matter. Customer marketers can use their position within the community to improve this. Customer marketing KPIs (key performance indicators) and goals will also be affected by the team you’re positioned under. For example, customer marketing goals, when considered under marketing, may prioritize social proof or content. #### **Product Marketing** Product marketing is more specialized again, with a clear focus on the product. Customer marketing makes up a part of many product marketing responsibilities but, again, the priority will be on the product and making a successful sale rather than on existing customers. That being said, it’s existing customers that support the bottom line for revenue, and they’re already great sources for referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. Product marketing teams are often aware of this, and so metrics that consider this will be relevant. Some metrics that apply could be: #### ****Retention rate** Part of a customer marketer's main responsibility is to retain existing customers by marketing other products and services from your company. Under product marketing, customer marketing will have a higher focus on supporting product marketing. #### ****Conversion rate** While this mainly refers to first-time customers, customer marketers can also successfully convert existing customers to other products through cross-selling and upselling campaigns. #### ****Invitation conversion rate** Customer advocates are an invaluable source for referral marketing. When their recommendations and invitations successfully convert others, this speaks to the performance of customer marketers successfully managing their customer advocacy programs. #### **Customer Success** Like Customer Marketing, Customer Success teams prioritize user experience and customer satisfaction over revenue. When satisfaction and customer experience are positive, this leads to a knock-on effect for retention and revenue. As such, being positioned under a customer success team means performance might be monitored through [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) and other similar metrics. Metrics that work for measuring performance under customer success will be things like: #### ****CSAT - Customer Satisfaction Score** A CSAT score is a simple way to gauge the overall feeling within your customer base. CSAT collects customer satisfaction through a simple 1-10 score and can provide a quick way to see if recent campaign releases or changes are going well. #### ****NPS - Net Promoter Score** Like CSAT, this works on a 1-10 scoring system, but focuses on how likely customers are to recommend your product to other people. This can give a good idea of customer satisfaction, and display how close other customers are to converting to advocates. #### ****Conversion rate** Like with product marketing, the conversion rate is important, because the more customers convert, through cross-selling and upselling, in this case, the more likely they are to stay with your business. Customer loyalty is a great example of a successful customer journey. KPIs under Customer Success will be more focused on renewal rates and content, and have an emphasis on retaining customers, and keeping those customers satisfied. Learn more about customer marketing positioning within organizations. This article had a lot of contributions from our Slack community so give it a read to get professional insights on this topic: [The marketing organizational structure: Where does customer marketing fit?In general, customer marketing has its fingers in a lot of different pies, so to speak, and, as such, often gets assigned to a variety of departments (some fitting better, than others).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/zdenek-machacek-jbe0iCwo-U0-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/) ### **Program lifecycle** Another aspect that will change metrics and goals will be where in the journey your customer marketing program is at. Young and small customer marketing teams will have different goals than mature, larger ones will. Smaller teams will also mean fewer team members to dedicate to achieving specific milestones. Things like time frame, [customer relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/), [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-every-interaction-count-4-key-success-strategies-for-tailoring-customer-experience/), and the period of time dedicated to your campaigns will also be impacted. This also has an impact when you manage multiple programs, especially if those programs are closely tied with customers - like customer advocacy groups. For young communities, the most common goal will be growth. As such, the program will be monitored in terms of the number of subscriptions, renewal rates, referral rates, and others. Growing communities should also consider monitoring the health of the program by also keeping an eye on acts-based metrics. This will mean keeping an eye on how engaged your members are, acts of advocacy, and [referrals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/). **Dave Hansen, Customer Marketing Director at LRN** mentioned that, with his more mature communities, he likes to focus on the 3 Rs - Reviews, Referrals, and References - alongside other content like case studies. But with younger communities, he likes to focus on nurturing the community itself without worrying about metrics. **“Instead of pressuring our young community to provide the 3 Rs or other content, we're focused on growth \[…\] and engagement through discussions. No additional metrics or goals... let's build a strong foundation.”* This way, mature communities prioritize ROI through the relationships they have with their customers and, as a result, can bring new customers into the field. Young communities can focus on fostering a strong relationship with the customers first and foremost. The priority here is to understand that, while metrics are important to monitor feedback, the priority for customer marketers should always be to build a positive and lasting relationship with their customers, first and foremost. With young communities, it’s also important to understand that everything you try won’t work straight away, or at all. Make sure you take the early days to figure out what works for you. Then you can assign the right methodology to measure performance that applies specifically to your community. ### **Company goals** Is your organization more focused on sales, products, or customers? This will affect your choice of metrics too. **Sales-led companies** will prioritize customer acquisition over retention, so it's the job of the customer marketer to prove how much more customer retention is worth. Picking numbers-based metrics, specifically in regards to sales/revenue will get across to sales-led organizations that customer marketing work is producing results they care about. **Product-led organizations** will prioritize the product, and look for ways in which customer marketing can improve their product numbers, features, and services. They’ll likely prefer a mix of numbers and relationship-based metrics. Increased cross-selling and upselling numbers will support new products; getting customer feedback and having metrics on customer satisfaction can give them insights into where to take their products next. **Customer-led companies** are where customer marketers can thrive. Again, metrics will be numbers and relationship-based. But your team’s success will depend on the customer experience with your team and the programs you run. *Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the *essential elements of a customer marketing plan*. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up.* ## **Metrics for stakeholders** We covered some of this when we considered which metrics would be most appropriate for monitoring performance when positioned under specific teams, but it’s important to understand that self-monitoring can sometimes look vastly different from the metrics you choose to present to your key stakeholders. Now, we’re not trying to say you should trick your stakeholders, but rather that certain metrics will present a simpler view of your efforts that are easier for your stakeholders to understand. The metrics you use to present your team's successes will be different. You’re involved a lot more in the day-to-day efforts of your team than your stakeholders will be, so solid numbers are a good short-hand to exemplify how your work has paid off for the company as a whole. ### **Key stakeholder vs. self-monitoring metrics** Self-monitoring metrics vs. the ones you present company-wide, or to your key stakeholders, will vary, mainly in how in-depth you go with them. **Self-monitoring** These metrics will get more in-depth with the day-to-day work practices and project timelines. These’ll be KPIs, but also discussion meetings and brainstorming sessions with the whole team. It’ll consider the types of engagement you’re getting, where your customers are spending the most time, and more. **Company metrics** These usually consist of the ‘headline’ metrics. That'll be things like growth numbers, engagement numbers, and similar. When speaking company-wide, you want to keep as succinct as possible while still showing your team's achievements. If a particular metric impacts another team, that'll be something to bring up too. **Metrics for stakeholders** These usually make up a combination of the previous two. Stakeholders have an active investment in your work and so, you’ll want to update them on how the program is going, the goals you have for it in the future, as well as some reflections on what could be done to improve any stumbling blocks you experienced on the way. While they require more detail than company-wide reviews, there’s still a focus on impactful stats. Getting the big numbers in front of them will prove the successes you’re talking about. ## **Discover further key customer marketing statistics** Understanding the landscape of your position throughout the industry is vital to improving your own customer marketing processes. But not to worry, we’ve got your back! Our **State of Customer Marketing Report for 2023/24** shows a birdseye view of everything customer marketing related, including metrics. The report also found: 🏆 The largest value drivers for customer marketers this year were customer feedback collection **(29%)** and cross-selling/upselling **(21.8%)**. ❓ Surprisingly, **59.3%** of customer marketers said that just **0-10%** of customers were considered advocates this year 🧡 This year, the most popular metrics were divided between case studies at **17.5%** and acts of advocacy **(16.6%)**. [Get more key statistics here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) ### Boosting value from case studies: A cybersecurity view URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boosting-value-from-case-studies-a-cybersecurity-view/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T14:42:47.000Z As customer marketing professionals, we know that case studies and customer stories are powerful tools in our arsenal. But are we truly extracting maximum value from these resources? I'm Cristina Errico, a Cybersecurity Customer Evangelist at Cisco, and I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the Customer Marketing Summit in London, where I shared my insights on how to extract maximum value from customer stories and transform them into powerful advocacy tools. Today, I'm excited to share these strategies with you. ## **Finding your 'why': The foundation of effective case studies** When it comes to creating impactful [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-a-case-study/), the first and most crucial step is to find your 'why.' This isn't just about understanding your company's goals or your customer's needs – it's about discovering the common ground where your purpose aligns with both your company's values and your customer's aspirations. Find your ‘why’ - why you're doing this. And, why this reason has something in common with your company value and your customer value. When you identify this shared purpose, you're no longer asking customers to create a cold case study. Instead, you're inviting them to join a common cause. For instance, my purpose is to make the [digital world](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/meaghan-sullivan-how-to-excel-in-the-digital-workplace-as-a-customer-marketer-customer-marketing-catch-up/) safer and more inclusive. At Cisco, our overarching goal is to ***"securely connect everything to make everything possible."*** This aligns perfectly with Cisco's vision and resonates with our customers who are passionate about cybersecurity. By focusing on this shared goal, we create case studies that are not just informative but inspirational. ## **Humanizing your promotion: Putting customers at the center** Once you've established your 'why', the next step is to humanize your promotion. Remember, your customer stories are assets, but the real treasure is the human being [behind that story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-your-brand-through-customer-storytelling/) – the person who's on this journey with you. To achieve this, I recommend following what I call the 70-20-5-5 content ratio rule: ![70% of the content should focus on your customer 20% on how your company enabled the customer to achieve their goals 5% on the future impact 5% on why it's important to share this story](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/07/2.jpg) This approach ensures that your case study remains centred on the customer's experience and perspective. It's not about creating a pitch-perfect narrative where your company swoops in to save the day. Instead, it's about showcasing the [customer's journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/), complete with challenges, "aha" moments, and the path that led them to partner with you. As I often remind my team: > "If you don't have authenticity in your story, if you're not using the words of your customer, if you're not letting your customer tell why they are doing what they are doing... you are not different from your competitors." ## **From case study to customer advocacy: A real-world example** Let me share a success story that illustrates these principles in action. Meet Blair Anderson, formerly the IT manager of Shawnee High School. Our journey with Blair began not with a request for a case study, but with an offer to help amplify his existing LinkedIn activity. Instead of approaching Blair with a typical case study proposal, I reached out with a simple question: "Can I help you reach a broader audience?" This approach immediately aligned our goals – Blair wanted to make an impact in the cybersecurity community, and we wanted to showcase how our solutions enable such an impact. We crafted a plan that included various activities, starting with a video case study. Here's where the magic happened – we started the promotion from day one of shooting the video. I suggested Blair post about our activities on his LinkedIn profile, sharing why he was proud of what he was doing and how it could inspire others. This strategy paid off tremendously. Even before we officially published the case study, Blair was already sharing his story authentically. When he changed jobs two weeks before the case study went live, our established relationship allowed us to adjust our promotional plan seamlessly. **The result?** The webpage featuring Blair's case study saw over **300%** more return visitors compared to the average performance of Cisco web pages after just three months. The key takeaway here is that when you engage customers the right way, focusing on shared goals and authentic storytelling, you build relationships that transcend job changes or company moves. You gain their trust and their heart, turning them into true advocates for your brand. ## **Measuring success: Key metrics for case study ROI** Of course, as marketers, we need to demonstrate the value of our efforts. When it comes to measuring the success of case studies, I focus on a few [key metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) that provide meaningful insights without consuming too much time. For web analytics, I use Google Analytics with a filter to exclude Cisco employees (an important step to ensure we're measuring external impact). The three primary metrics I track are: ![Number of unique visitors to the case study page Number of return visitors Bounce rate (percentage of people who stay on the page for more than 10 seconds)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/07/3.jpg) I compare these metrics to the average performance of other Cisco customer pages to gauge relative success. Additionally, I track how the case study nurtures the customer journey. For instance, if the case study page links to a product homepage, I measure how many unique visitors click through to learn more or request a demo. For social media impact, I use Sprout Social to measure the number of mentions of key product hashtags associated with the customer's company or identifying hashtags. This gives us a sense of the social buzz generated by the case study. These metrics provide a clear narrative of how our content is performing and the value it's bringing to our marketing efforts. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **Balancing authenticity and security in cybersecurity case studies** Working in the cybersecurity sector presents unique challenges when it comes to creating case studies. How do we balance the need for authenticity with the imperative of security? The key, I've found, is to focus on empowering customers to share what they're most proud of. In my experience, when you give someone a reason to share their proudest achievements, they do so authentically and enthusiastically. This is particularly important in the cybersecurity field, where professionals rarely receive recognition for their critical work. I often start conversations with customers by asking about their passions outside of work. This not only helps them relax but often reveals interesting connections between their personal interests and professional expertise. For example, I once wrote a blog post about a customer who was passionate about boxing. He drew a fascinating parallel between boxing and cybersecurity: > "When you have an opponent in front of you, you don't have to think about what this person is going to do; you don't have to feel the fear. You have to stay in the moment and be prepared for whatever happens." This attitude, he explained, was exactly how he approached cybersecurity threats. By focusing on these human elements and personal insights, we create case studies that are not only informative and secure but also [deeply engaging and relatable](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/). ## **Conclusion: The power of human-centric case studies** As we've explored throughout this article, the key to extracting maximum value from your case studies lies in putting the human element at the center of your approach. By finding your shared 'why', humanizing your promotion, fostering long-term relationships, measuring meaningful metrics, and balancing authenticity with security concerns, you can create case studies that not only showcase your products but also turn customers into passionate advocates. [Establishing a customer marketing strategy and developing advocatesLike product marketing, customer marketing can vary a lot from company to company. Customer marketing at Zendesk is a group of programs that focuses on showcasing the stories of our customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceValeria Gomez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/09/skye-studios-NDLLFxTELrU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/) Remember, as customer marketing professionals, we have the power to change the world, one story at a time. By giving the right people the opportunity to share what they're doing, we create magic. We're not just promoting products; we're celebrating the unsung heroes who make our digital world safer and more inclusive. So, the next time you approach a case study, remember to look beyond the product features and business outcomes. Focus on the human being behind the story, their passions, their challenges, and their triumphs. That's where the real value lies – in the authentic, human connections that drive not just business success but also meaningful change in our world. By embracing these principles, you'll find that your case studies become more than just marketing assets. They become powerful tools for building relationships, fostering advocacy, and driving real business impact. And isn't that what great customer marketing is all about? ## Drive success with storytelling Where do you go next with your case studies? Want a happy ending for you and your customers? Look no further with our Storytelling Certified course, and become the perfect marketing author. **By the end of this course, you'll be able to:** - Construct an actionable storytelling framework. - Tailor your story like a pro. - Authentically connect with your customers through a story. - Communicate to your audience with confidence and passion - Use your purpose to ensure your story remains consistent. - Have an impactful change on your approach to story and success. [Get certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A13sdgyv%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyMDYxODc4My4xMTI3LjAuMTcyMDYxODc4My42MC4wLjA.) ### Tobi Demuren | Winning and valuing the hearts and minds of your customers | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/tobi-demuren-winning-and-valuing-the-hearts-and-minds-of-your-customers-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-07-17T10:57:48.000Z In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Tobi Demuren, Global Head of Advocacy Marketing (Agencies) at LMS at LinkedIn talks to us about the value of winning the hearts and minds of your customers. 🙌 Tobi Demuren spoke about this topic in his full-length talk at our Customer Marketing Summit in London, 2023\. You can get access to the full recorded talk using one of our [membership plans](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/). *If you want a look at our upcoming event calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)*.* ## Key takeaways - The most effective strategies for winning hearts and minds. - How to navigate and address varying viewpoints within your customer base to build productive relationships. - Advice on maintaining close customer relationships over a long period of time. [Watch the episode here ](https://youtu.be/ZCb50UdiN2o?si=QiMqrv8J%5FnKVcQUC) ## About the guest Tobi Demuren currently leads the strategy and activation of LMS agency partnerships across the world. He is passionate about creating experiences that enhance brand engagement, increase customer loyalty, and drive customer acquisition for LMS and its agency partners. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, business development, and technology, he has a proven track record of building long-term relationships with companies of various sizes and sectors, understanding their specific challenges and opportunities, and delivering bespoke solutions that meet their needs and goals. ## Join the conversation What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Customer advocacy and its development in 2024 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-development-in-2024/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:01:26.000Z Customer advocacy is constantly evolving and is proving its value year after year when it comes to improving customer experiences and stabilizing the bottom line. Our [State of Customer Marketing Report for 2023/24](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) produced some interesting statistics on the presence of customer advocacy programs and how they are run today. In this article, we’ll also go through some newer features in customer advocacy programs that are beginning to grow. ## Customer advocacy programs Last year, when we asked participants, “Do you have a customer advocacy program?” **39.3%** of participants said yes. This year, that answer has grown to over half of responses at **52.2%**. Another interesting increase is that **20.3%** of responders do not have an advocacy program, nor are they currently in the process of [creating one](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/). ![How many customer marketers have advocacy programs currently?](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXecCKOZqJ5ZT2DRHD5RM4ygvb_r_23-zuxGzJUQttkMWJXEnx_sRTrSsZCILI2UML8D_tT3ispQB57rkPfNE98cln7nhplTauz9tAcsVVkZleewGvQSGmS4rZP36wHsAYQ1DaQoHqupYiPohDwC8KzG479h?key=u73e6yFLJeCVXXWrB9e0kQ) While the number of customer marketing professionals with an advocacy program has increased, the total number of respondents who either have or are about to have an advocacy program has dropped from **89.3%** last yearto **79.7%**, a decrease of about **10%**. While this is undoubtedly still an impressive number, it will be interesting to see how these averages change over the next few years. Hopefully, we will see the number of those without an advocacy program drop. Now, let’s look at some of the specifics of these advocacy programs. ## How are advocacy programs managed? With how involved customer marketing responsibilities are, we wanted to explore how our participants manage their more process-related tasks, like data collection and automation. Participants could only pick one answer. Last year, there was a pretty even distribution of answers between the options presented, with spreadsheets, manual tracking, and customer management tools taking up about **30%** each. This year, though, we have a clear popular choice with customer management tools being preferred by **52.8%** of participants. Manual tracking has dropped the most to **19.5%** from **37.5%** last year. ![How are advocacy programs managed? ](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXevYlx0eGDgO3kdNELO9-QK8Nk8Fir4lMK2uvzuvRt7tBQ0R8nhSyzFrX70_ZLSbfQmBt2WRCBnuZFxWGeEIFnD2kj1VlosuWf1gvOFRYmADe2gV3N3LDAP19sgN98EQc_S44JsIyZ6UDiCG-1FliU8Z-o1?key=u73e6yFLJeCVXXWrB9e0kQ) When comparing which management technique was used in relation to budgets, there seemed to be little correlation. We also checked to compare if the size of a company (and consequently the size of the customer base) had any impact on which tool is used. Enterprise companies most often chose a customer management tool, and scale-ups preferred spreadsheets, while mid-growth most often chose manual tracking. This certainly speaks to a correlation between the size of a company and the choice of management tool, despite budget factoring less into the choice. Manual tracking and spreadsheets are usually chosen by smaller companies with smaller customer bases, and customer management tools are most common for larger companies too. ## Impact of an advocacy program Next, we wanted to see where companies found advocacy had the biggest impact. Last year, about half of the participants stated their advocacy program had the biggest impact on case studies - around **50%**. This year, the largest percentage remains case studies at **37.1%,** with increased referrals being the next highest at **17.1%**. Notably, there was a big dip in those who saw an increase in their Net Promoter Score - from **17.7%** to a mere **2.9%** this year. ![Impact of a customer advocacy program?](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdQZcd9wSG1B-TPtP1Hz6aEJm3W9BQ3_yq2PqrFiFH6wjrHdwOs5XQhh30HDEjRMOxbgUqlUahFLikErnr_4m61_Dj8pGlbN2PWK068a1cDbNkL2tC7-nuwdqGK_HI-sI8J6tBJKOiPPV-rNRYIPZORkOon?key=u73e6yFLJeCVXXWrB9e0kQ) There seems to be a bigger variety in the areas in which advocacy seems to have a big impact, especially with the ‘Other’ section making up **22.9%** of answers. Those who chose this option provided answers such as an impact on revenue, research feedback, and better client engagement. A few also said it was too early in the program to quantify its impact so far; although we are a year on, 12 months is still a relatively short period for long programs like advocacy strategies. We’re looking forward to how things evolve as current advocacy programs mature. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## How many customers are advocates? Out of those who have advocacy programs, we asked what percentage of their existing customers they considered advocates. The highest percentages were found on the low end of the spectrum, with the highest percentage being the range **<5%** at **33.3%**. The next highest range was **5-10%** at **26%**, then **11-15%** at **22.2%**. This is a notable drop from last year, where the majority stated **5-10%** as being advocates. ![How many customer are advocates? ](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcGs1O5kDUhAn84vq7ES_U_3HIOwnB6NduCE_4paHVCLebno5oQgJB7iH6tN5yalEdbyZ7Hwka-WF949ncXbeGImwVPzBCHdxJAQVhn0GY5cTG6bcfL1hL-ExxAQVkC984qm-UYM5N4PjMgN0Dq7GIYgaOb?key=u73e6yFLJeCVXXWrB9e0kQ) There may be a few reasons for this, most notably the change in the economic status of many countries over the last year. Due to the increase in general costs and with earnings struggling to keep up, loyal customers may have been forced to (perhaps for the first time) drop their subscriptions and purchases in favor of prioritizing other needs. Contributor **Emily Glover, Customer Marketing Lead at Vimeo,** shared her thoughts: > *“I can only hope this trend is due to the sheer uptick in the volume of new customers who are purchasing new services and are merely still onboarding. Jokes aside, the attention economy is very much a thing, and advocacy is not immune to it.* > *Advocacy programs can demand a lot from customers in terms of time and energy — and there are more and more advocacy programs out there. With these things in mind, customers may be becoming more selective about which ones they get involved with.* > *Think about how many pieces of software you use in your day to day. How many have their own advocacy programs? Likely many. How many do you realistically have time for in an average work week? Likely only one or two.”* In the coming year, it will be interesting to see if this number increases again and if the increasing number of advocacy programs will support this. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## The future of customer advocacy What are some common trends we've seen that might be making more of an impact on how customer advocacy is run over the next few years? We've picked out some of the more regular strategies being used by customer marketing teams today: - **Enhanced data privacy and compliance:** As data privacy regulations tighten globally, there is a significant [push towards](https://www.simondata.com/blog-posts/top-customer-marketing-trends-2024) ensuring that customer data is handled with utmost integrity. Compliance with these regulations is not just a legal necessity but also a crucial element in building trust with customers. Marketing strategies now need to incorporate robust security measures and transparent data-handling practices to maintain customer trust​. - **Hyper-personalized customer experiences:** There's a trend toward creating [hyper-personalized experiences](https://blog.wings4u.com/future-cma-2024). This involves using predictive analytics and large language models to anticipate customer needs and preferences, sometimes before the customer explicitly expresses them. This level of personalization requires a deep integration of technology and creativity to craft individualized customer interactions that resonate on a more personal level​. - **Strategic use of peer reviews and customer feedback:** Traditional feedback mechanisms like surveys are [becoming less effective](https://blog.wings4u.com/future-cma-2024) as customers choose more direct feedback routes or opt for peer reviews. Recognizing and utilizing these channels effectively can help in identifying brand advocates and leveraging their influence to attract new customers​. - **Transparency in data usage:** There is a [growing demand](https://blog.wings4u.com/future-cma-2024) from customers to understand how their data is being used. Successful customer advocacy programs will need to ensure that their data policies are transparent and easily accessible, allowing customers to feel more in control of their personal information. - **Emphasis on sentiment analysis:** Understanding customer sentiments through advanced analytics is [becoming crucial](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/). This involves analyzing the emotional content of customer feedback across various channels to tailor marketing strategies that better meet their emotional and practical needs​​. ## Advocacy in depth Over recent years, companies have shifted their focus from customer acquisition to customer retention and engagement. Customer Advocacy Certified will take you through the foundational skills and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. By the end of this course, you'll be able to confidently: - Learn the fundamentals & exact blueprint for creating highly engaging customer advocacy programs. - Leverage your advocacy toolbox to help you scale and avoid potential pitfalls before launching your programs. - Understand how to align your customer engagement initiatives to strategic drivers within your organization. - Successfully measure your program ROI to get more budget & headcount. [Become a master](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ai230td%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyMDA5MzQ5MS4xMTIxLjAuMTcyMDA5MzQ5MS42MC4wLjA) ### How customer marketers can accelerate time to value for maximum impact URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-can-accelerate-time-to-value-for-maximum-impact/ Last updated: 2024-07-17T16:07:50.000Z Time to value is a golden metric for customer marketers. This concept is key to understanding the success and impact of your team’s efforts. In this article, we cover: - A definition of time to value - Different types of time to value - Time to value strategies for customer marketers - How cross-collaboration can improve times to value ## Defining Time to Value (TTV) Time to Value (TTV) is the time it takes for a customer to realize the benefits or value of a product or service they've purchased. In simpler terms, it's how quickly a customer can say, "Yes, this was worth my money and effort!" Focussing on TTV is about making the transition from initial purchase to product advocacy as quick and smooth as possible. For businesses, accelerating TTV is crucial because: 1. It increases [customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/). 2. It reduces the risk of customers [abandoning the product](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/). 3. It can lead to faster expansion of [product use and upsells](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/). 4. It often results in positive word-of-mouth and [referrals](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/). ### Why TTV matters in customer marketing Hearing this definition, you can understand why customer marketing is a good fit for being one of the departments that nurture this concept. Not least because TTV impacts many metrics customer marketers use for measuring success: 1. **Customer satisfaction:** When customers quickly see value in a product or service, they feel more satisfied with their purchase decision. This satisfaction leads to positive experiences and [relationships with the brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/). 2. **Reduced churn:** A shorter TTV decreases the likelihood of customers abandoning the product or service before they see its benefits. This leads to [lower churn rates and higher customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/). 3. **Upsell and cross-sell opportunities:** Customers who quickly realize value are more receptive to additional offerings, leading to increased revenue potential. TTV matters in customer marketing because it directly influences customer satisfaction, retention, and overall success of both the customer and the company. By prioritizing and improving TTV, customer marketers can drive better outcomes for their customers and their business. ## Different types of TTV (e.g., immediate, short-term, long-term) The different types of Time to Value (TTV) can be categorized based on how quickly customers realize benefits from a product or service. Let's go through the main types: - **Immediate TTV:** Value is realized almost instantly after purchase or implementation. - Characteristics: Minimal setup required, intuitive use. - **Short-term TTV:** Value is realized within days or weeks of purchase. - Characteristics: May require some setup or learning, but benefits are seen relatively quickly. - **Medium-term TTV:** Value becomes apparent within a few months. - Characteristics:Often involves more complex products or services that require integration into existing systems or processes. - **Long-term TTV:** Full value realization takes several months to a year or more. - Characteristics: Typically involves products or services with strategic, long-term impact. May require significant changes in organizational processes or [culture](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-values-in-your-product-led-growth-business/). - **Incremental TTV:** Value is realized in stages over time, with increasing benefits as usage continues. - Characteristics:Often seen in products with multiple features or capabilities that users adopt gradually. - **Delayed TTV:** There's a significant gap between purchase/implementation and value realization. - Characteristics: Common in products or services that require extensive setup, integration, or behavior change before benefits are seen. ## Strategies for customer marketers to accelerate TTV ### Personalized onboarding experiences This strategy focuses on tailoring the initial customer experience to individual needs, incorporating interactive learning and proactive outreach: - \- Customize onboarding based on customer profile (industry, size, goals). - \- Offer role-specific training paths for different user types. - \- Develop a library of video tutorials covering key features. - \- Offer live webinars for more complex features or use cases. - \- Utilize chatbots for instant, 24/7 onboarding support. - \- Implement an in-app guidance system with contextual tooltips. - \- Use gamification to encourage feature exploration and learning. - \- Send automated, personalized email sequences with usage tips. - \- Offer live webinars for more complex features or use cases. ### Regular check-ins and progress updates This approach involves maintaining consistent [communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) to guide customers toward value realization: - \- Schedule periodic review calls with account managers. - \- Send automated milestone celebration emails (e.g., "30 days with us!"). - \- Use in-app notifications to highlight new or underutilized features. - \- Develop and share ROI calculators to help quantify gains. - \- Create product update newsletters focusing on value-adding features. - \- Implement a customer health score system to track progress systematically. ### Leveraging customer feedback This strategy involves actively seeking and utilizing customer input to drive improvements: - \- Conduct regular NPS (Net Promoter Score) surveys with follow-up questions. - \- Implement in-app micro-surveys at key points in the user journey. - \- Schedule qualitative interviews with a diverse set of customers. - \- Use social listening tools to gather unsolicited feedback. - \- Use A/B testing to validate the impact of changes based on feedback. - \- Develop a public product roadmap to keep customers informed of upcoming improvements. ## Collaboration across departments to enhance TTV But what about internal successes? TTV is a concept that is prioritized by companies as a whole, and as such you’ll rarely find customer marketing is the only team working on improving this score. ### The overlap of TTV with other departments The four main teams outside of customer marketing, that work with TTV are as follows: #### ****Product development** This team works to ensure features align with customer needs. #### ****Sales** Sales make sure to set accurate expectations during the sales process, prior to customer purchase. #### ****Customer success** This team is usually the one responsible for onboarding and ongoing support. #### ****Support** For more specific and one-to-one issues, customer support aims to resolve issues quickly to maintain value perception. ### Cross-functional collaboration and TTV Customer marketers can work cross-functionally to improve overall Time to Value (TTV) by acting as a central hub of customer insights and facilitating collaboration between teams. Here's how they can work with each team: **Product development:** - Collaborate on user testing and beta programs for new features. - Provide input on product roadmaps based on customer trends and requests. **Sales:** - Develop clear value proposition materials that set accurate expectations. - Align messaging to ensure consistency from marketing to sales to onboarding. **Customer success:** - Co-create onboarding materials, welcome kits, and other customer education programs. - Collaborate on creating customer health scores and early warning systems. **Support:** - Analyze support tickets to identify common issues for proactive marketing content. - Develop a feedback loop to quickly address emerging issues in marketing materials. [Ways customer marketers can work with their organization.Customer marketers and product marketers will often make reference to the cross-functional nature of their role - it’s something that’s critical to ensure that the customer is at the beating heart of an organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_cross_functional_collaboration.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) ## Cross-functional initiatives Some general cross-functional initiatives will include: - Creating a shared customer journey map, with each team's touchpoints clearly defined. - Developing a unified customer data platform accessible to all teams. - Organizing cross-team workshops to brainstorm TTV improvement ideas. By fostering these cross-functional collaborations, customer marketers can ensure a seamless customer experience from initial interest through to long-term success, ultimately accelerating TTV and improving overall customer satisfaction and retention. ***Time to Value is only a small part of the customer marketing whole. Look at our Framework to see where to go next.*** 👇 [Customer marketing frameworkFor each of the five fundamental stages: Lifecycle and governance, educate, engage, understand, and expand, we’ve unpacked each of the cogs to arm you all the info needed to boost your understanding of pivotal topics, as you and your team strive to create something truly memorable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA-Framework-Wheel_Meta.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-framework/) ### Build a blended lifecycle strategy across self-serve & high touch customer journeys | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-a-blended-lifecycle-strategy-across-self-serve-high-touch-customer-journeys-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T14:18:03.000Z ## Looking for more on lifecycle strategies? [What is customer lifecycle marketing and how is it used?Engaging with your customers is a basic building block when marketing your business. Where other processes become involved only once a sale has been made, customer lifecycle marketing plans interactions throughout the whole customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-55.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/alexander-schimmeck-PBwnVjl0Axg-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) [Lifecycle marketing: The secret to brand loyalists | VideoThis Customer Marketing event panel involved industry experts sharing their experiences and insights on how to attract, engage, and advance talent through effective customer marketing strategies. Learn how organizations use B2B SaaS solutions to optimize their marketing efforts.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-56.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/6.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lifecycle-marketing-the-secret-to-building-lifetime-brand-loyalists-video/) [Best competitive strategy for each business lifecycle stageDiscover strategic approaches for each stage of the business lifecycle. Stay competitive, innovate, and navigate towards sustained success![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-57.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAlex Walton![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CIA-lifecycle-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-competitive-strategy-for-each-stage-in-the-business-lifecycle/) ### Building a blended lifecycle marketing strategy: Bridging self-serve and high-touch customer journeys URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-a-marketing-strategy-bridging-self-serve-and-high-touch-customer-journeys/ Last updated: 2024-07-03T14:11:26.000Z *This article was transcribed from an event talk from the Customer Marketing Summit in Las Vegas in 2022\. You can find the full talk on our YouTube channel* [***here***](https://youtu.be/S%5Fnm1fVisqs?si=WepH9w2w0S0gIX4E&utm%5Fsource=youtube&utm%5Fmedium=video&utm%5Fcampaign=cma-content)*. If you're interested in seeing talks like this in person, check out our event calendar* [***here***](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?%5Fgl=1%2A12uul8x%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcyMDAxNTIzMy4xMTE5LjEuMTcyMDAxNTgzNi42MC4wLjA.&utm%5Fsource=website&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=cma-content)*.* Hey there, I'm Eric Calderon, and I going to share my insights on building a blended lifecycle marketing strategy. If you've been in this field for a while, you know how quickly things change. Today, I want to dive into the sudden rise in hybrid B2B purchasing and offer some strategic best practices for implementing this approach in your own organization. Before we jump in, let me give you a quick background on myself. I've been in the management game for about eight years, with stints at various companies, including Atlassian and, most recently, Qualia. I've pretty much done it all, but when I joined Atlassian, I pivoted to customer lifecycle marketing – and I'm here to stay. ## The rise of hybrid B2B purchasing Let's start with the elephant in the room: why are we seeing such an increase in hybrid purchasing? Well, B2B buyers have been crystal clear about what they want, and it's a mix of both worlds. They expect self-service options and in-person interactions throughout their entire buyer's journey. It's not just about convenience; it's about personalization and flexibility. But it's not just the buyers driving this change. Sellers are adapting, too. They're looking for more flexibility in how they work, and hybrid strategies offer just that. Plus, these approaches are more scalable and potentially more profitable for organizations. Here's a stat that might blow your mind: according to McKinsey, hybrid selling is expected to be the most dominant sales strategy by 2024\. And it's not just a trend – hybrid sales can drive up to **50% more revenue** for organizations compared to traditional sales models. With numbers like that, it's no wonder that over 90% of enterprises plan to stick with the changes they made to their sales structure during the pandemic. ## Understanding the flywheel effect Now, let me introduce you to a concept that was our bread and butter at Atlassian: the flywheel effect. Picture this: a series of small wins that accumulate over time, creating momentum that continuously grows your business. That's the flywheel in a nutshell. The flywheel has three main components: Attract, Engage, and Delight. Here's how it works: 1. **Attract:** Draw customers to you with helpful content that's easy to discover. Think SEO, social media, targeted advertising, and events (both virtual and in-person). 2. **Engage:** Make it easy for prospects to learn about your products on their own terms and ultimately purchase self-serve. This could involve nurture campaigns, free trials, and self-service purchase flows. 3. **Delight:** Turn users into fans by making your product easy to use and acting on customer feedback. Remember, happy customers tell their friends! The beauty of the flywheel is that it's all about removing friction and applying force to make that wheel spin faster. It's based on the idea that your customers are your best salespeople – if you make them happy, they'll spread the word. ## Implementing a blended lifecycle marketing strategy So, how do we take this flywheel concept and apply it to a blended lifecycle marketing strategy? At Atlassian, we came up with an approach we called "forking the funnel." Essentially, we treated the early stages of the buyer's journey – from awareness to MQL – similarly for all prospects. We served the same content, segmented by product, use case, or persona. But here's where it gets interesting: at the point of conversion, we forked the funnel. Some prospects went down the self-serve route, while others were handed off to our sales team. ### **Let me break it down for you:** For the self-serve journey, we defined clear stages, goals, and key metrics. For example, in the 'Activate' stage, our goal was to get users to activate a key feature, and we measured things like feature adoption rates and conversion to the next stage. On the high-touch side, we used many of the same metrics up to the MQL stage. The main differences were that we considered responses to sales outreach emails and Contact Us form submissions as MQLs. After that, prospects went through the traditional sales funnel. The key takeaway here is that you can do both without disrupting the customer experience while optimizing and growing your business at scale. ## Best practices for success Now, let's talk about some best practices to make this blended approach work for you: ### Know your customer intimately This is my favorite quote from one of our former heads of product marketing: "Simple and all the customer and show them that them." What does that mean? Do the work to understand your customers on a very intimate level. Create clear, ideal customer profiles and well-defined personas for each journey. ### Create a single source of truth for customer data This one's crucial. At Atlassian, I was part of a project called "Project Fusion," where we centralized data from multiple acquired businesses. It was complex, but it showed me the importance of having a unified view of your customer. ### Develop a robust reporting infrastructure Once you have that data, create the reporting infrastructure to track, measure, and learn from your programs. This will help you scale effectively. ### Personalize the customer experience Use all that customer data to deliver personalized experiences throughout the buyer's journey. This includes tracking what customers do with your product and using that information to tell a compelling story. ### Leverage an omnichannel ecosystem At Atlassian, I worked with a wide range of channels, from email and in-product messaging to partnerships with support and sales teams. My advice? Start by unlocking your owned channels before expanding to paid media. ## Key takeaways for customer marketing professionals As we wrap up, I want to leave you with some key takeaways: 1. **Embrace self-service options:** Let good products sell themselves. Remove barriers to information, be transparent about pricing, and create an Amazon-like purchase process. 2. **Price for volume and consistency:** Keep your entry-level pricing low to reduce friction. The goal is to get users into your product with the confidence that they'll adopt it. 3. **Build a network of partners:** At Atlassian, our indirect sales team accounted for a third of our revenue. That's a significant channel that becomes a self-sustaining flywheel. 4. **Foster community engagement:** Provide online forums for users to ask questions and exchange tips. It's a low-cost way to keep people engaged and can even help with support requests. 5. **Avoid the "enterprise trap":** Don't focus solely on big contracts at the expense of small customers. Remember, the flywheel is all about volume, consistency, and predictability. 6. **Continue to grow and diversify your products:** Keep releasing great products that your customers are passionate about. If possible, open up your ecosystem to allow developers to create apps for you. ## Conclusion Building a blended lifecycle marketing strategy isn't just about combining self-serve and high-touch approaches. It's about creating a seamless, personalized experience for your customers while driving growth for your business. By embracing the flywheel concept and implementing these best practices, you can create a powerful engine for customer acquisition and retention. As we close, I want to remind you of something I always have to remind myself: don't forget to land the jet. We often fly at such high altitudes and velocities that we forget to appreciate how far we've come. So, take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments and the amazing work you're doing in customer marketing. Thank you for joining me through blended lifecycle marketing strategies. I hope you've found these insights valuable and applicable to your own work. ### Foster a retention-centric culture: Roadmap for senior leaders URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T12:58:02.000Z Retention is the unsung hero of your marketing strategy. It's the secret weapon that keeps your profits steady, turns customers into fans, and makes every interaction count. For leadership, this means aligning [key performance indicators (KPIs)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) with retention metrics, allocating resources to customer initiatives, and consistently communicating the value of long-term customer relationships. Effective leaders also empower their teams to make decisions that prioritize customer satisfaction and loyalty over short-term gains. By modeling customer-centric behaviors and rewarding retention-focused efforts, leadership can transform the organizational mindset from acquisition-first to retention-driven, ultimately fostering sustainable growth and profitability. ## Economic impact of customer retention on business growth It’s been well known that there is a correlation between high customer retention rates and increased revenue. According to [Harvard Business Review](https://get.coveo.com/lp/service/resources/whitepaper/harvard-business-review/?utm%5Fsource=google&utm%5Fmedium=cpc&utm%5Fcampaign=s-customer-experience&utm%5Fadgroup=retention&utm%5Fterm=how%20to%20improve%20customer%20retention&utm%5Fcontent=hbr-service-whitepaper&gad%5Fsource=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm6VNsPcGauk4nD1CbaO0EO5qvjtXbX4rTT28sh9JzHKvOepa22jbIgaAo0aEALw%5FwcB), a **5%** increase in customer retention can lead to a **25–95%** increase in profits. They also found that **78%** of customers would be willing to go out of their way to go to a company that has better customer service, **74%** of customers would switch to a competing brand or company if they found out it provided a better customer experience, and **58%** of customers believe great customer service is more important than price. On top of that, improved focus on retention can also contribute to: - **Increased customer lifetime value (CLV):** Retained customers spend more over time, increasing their overall value to the company. - **Lower acquisition costs:** Retaining existing customers is typically much cheaper than acquiring new ones. - **Higher profitability:** Long-term customers often become more profitable as the cost to serve them decreases over time. - **Upselling and cross-selling opportunities:** Loyal customers are more likely to try new products or services from a brand they trust. - **Positive word-of-mouth:** Satisfied, long-term customers are more likely to refer others, driving organic growth. - **Predictable revenue:** A stable customer base provides more reliable income forecasts. - **Competitive advantage:** High retention rates can indicate superior products or services, helping a company stand out. Forward-thinking organizations are already aware of the cost-effectiveness of retention compared to acquiring new customers as well. Building a retention-centric culture is a good way to stretch your budget (which is notoriously lower than other marketing budgets) while effectively serving your customers throughout. If you want to learn a little more about customer marketing and its budgets, take a look at our more recent [SOCM report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/). [Do customer marketing budgets reflect the value of the role?as the year is closing up, and plans are being made for the new year, we wanted to share this sneak peek into customer marketing budgets. Learn about the trends of how they’ve been used in 2022 in order to set your team up for success in 2023.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/kenny-eliason-JW6r_0CPYec-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/) ## Roadmap to transform your team into a retention powerhouse Let’s go through the roadmap of building out a retention-focused structure. ### Month 1-3 Alright, let's dive deeper into those crucial first couple of months: #### Retention deep dive First off, you're going to be living and breathing data. Pull every retention metric you can get your hands on - churn rates, customer lifetime value, Net Promoter Scores, the works. Don't just look at the numbers; dissect them by customer segments, product lines, and acquisition channels. Next, get your hands dirty with some qualitative data. Set up exit interviews with churned customers and heart-to-hearts with your loyalists. You want to understand why people leave and why they stay. [Your ultimate guide to churnThe consumers of the products and services we work arduously to bring to market play an essential role not only in shaping our existing business operations, but also in the vision for our futures.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/Your-ultimate-guide-to-churn--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/) ### Setting new KPIs Once you've got a clear picture, it's time to set some ambitious yet achievable goals. We're talking about improving retention rates by X%, boosting customer lifetime value by Y%, or slashing churn by Z%. Make sure these KPIs are specific, measurable, and tied directly to revenue impact. #### C-suite buy-in This is where you put on your sales hat. Prepare a killer presentation that translates retention improvements into cold, hard cash. Show them projections of how even a small uptick in retention can snowball into significant revenue growth over time. Bring [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/steph-mills-case-studies-how-to-connect-to-your-customers-using-their-own-voice-leadership-accelerator-program/) from competitors or industry leaders who've nailed the retention game. #### Preach to retention your co-workers Now, you become the retention evangelist. Crash every department meeting you can. Sales, product, customer service - nobody's safe. Share those juicy retention stats and stories. Make it personal - show each team how they impact retention and how improved retention makes their jobs easier. 💡 ****Pro tip:** Create a simple, catchy slogan around retention that people can rally behind. Something like "Retain to Gain" or "Keep 'Em, Don't Leak 'Em". Cheesy? Maybe. Memorable? Absolutely. Remember, you're not just sharing info - you're sparking a cultural change. It's about making everyone feel like they're part of the retention mission, from the CEO to the newest intern. ### Month 4-6 #### Overhaul the company structure Start with sales. Move away from pure acquisition bonuses. Instead, introduce a tiered system where reps get rewarded for customer retention milestones. Maybe it's a bonus for accounts that renew after 6 months, another at 12 months, and so on. For customer success teams, tie a chunk of their compensation to retention metrics and upsells/cross-sells. This encourages them to not just keep customers, but grow them. Even consider tying a portion of everyone's bonus - yes, even the product team - to overall company retention rates. This gets everyone invested in the long game. You’ll need to bake retention into every team's goals, especially when discussing with teams you have a cross-functional relationship with: - **Product:** Prioritize features that improve user engagement and reduce friction. - **Marketing:** Shift focus from lead generation to customer marketing and advocacy programs. - **Customer Support:** Reward for first-contact resolution and customer satisfaction scores. - **Finance:** Factor in customer lifetime value in all financial modeling and forecasts. #### The ‘customer love’ initiative This is your company-wide culture play. Some ideas: 1. **Launch a ‘customer hero’ program.** Regularly spotlight employees who go above and beyond for customers. 2. **Start a ‘customer connection’ rotation.** Have every employee, including C-suite, spend time directly interacting with customers on a regular basis. This can be in-person at events or through a community platform. 3. **Implement a ‘customer feedback loop.'** Create a system where customer insights are regularly shared across your organization and visibly acted upon. 4. **Host ‘retention rallies.’** Monthly all-hands meetings focused solely on celebrating retention wins and brainstorming improvement ideas. 5. **Create a ‘customer love’ slack channel.** Encourage everyone to share positive customer stories and feedback. ### Month 7-9 Train everyone from sales to product on [retention best practices](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-customer-retention/) and implement a robust [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) loop. This is your chance to turn everyone into retention champions. Here's how to structure it: #### Department-specific training - **Sales:** Focus on qualifying for long-term fit, not just closing deals. Teach them to spot red flags for potential churn. - **Product:** Train on user experience principles and how to interpret usage data for retention insights. - **Marketing:** Deep dive into [customer segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) and personalized retention campaigns. - **Support:** Master the art of proactive outreach and identifying upsell opportunities. #### Cross-functional workshops Run scenario-based sessions where teams collaborate to solve real retention challenges. This breaks down silos and fosters a unified approach. [Ways customer marketers can work with their organization.Customer marketers and product marketers will often make reference to the cross-functional nature of their role - it’s something that’s critical to ensure that the customer is at the beating heart of an organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_cross_functional_collaboration.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) #### Retention certification Create a company-wide certification program. Make it challenging but achievable. Celebrate those who pass and make it a badge of honor. #### Guest speakers Bring in retention experts or leaders from companies known for high retention rates. Real-world success stories are powerful motivators. #### Multi-channel feedback collection - Regular NPS surveys - In-app feedback widgets - Quarterly deep-dive interviews with key accounts - Social media listening - Support ticket analysis #### Centralized feedback hub Create a single source of truth for all customer feedback. Make it accessible to everyone in the company. Develop a process to categorize and prioritize feedback. Assign clear owners for each type of feedback. #### "You Said, we did" communication Create a clear process for turning customer feedback into product roadmap items. Make this process transparent to both the team and customers. Regularly update customers on how their feedback is being implemented. This closes the loop and shows you're listening. Remember, the goal here isn't just to collect feedback, but to create a system where insights flow seamlessly into action. It's about creating a culture where everyone feels responsible for retention, and has the tools and knowledge to impact it. ### Month 10+ As you enter year two, it's time to shift gears from implementation to optimization. Analyze the data rigorously to identify which retention initiatives are moving the needle and which are falling flat. Double down on your winners - whether it's a particular customer success program, a product feature that's driving engagement, or a marketing campaign that's rekindling dormant accounts. Ruthlessly cut or revamp underperforming efforts, and use those freed-up resources to scale what's working. Most importantly, cement retention as the guiding principle for all major business decisions, from product roadmaps to market expansion strategies, ensuring that every move you make is filtered through the lens of long-term customer value. ## Conclusion When building out a retention-centric culture, take your time and make sure to: - Dive deep into existing retention strategies - Adjust current structure to prioritize retention - Offer department specific training and workshops - Put together a customer feedback hub - Keep adjusting, improving, and changing your strategies as you and your customers evolve. Remember, this isn't just a project – it's a mindset shift. Be patient, persistent, and ready to ruffle some feathers. Trust me, your bottom line will thank you. ### The A to Z of customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2024-06-28T22:03:40.000Z While customer marketing may seem like a self-explanatory area of business marketing, there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s new to the way businesses connect with their customers and has a different role in the customer journey than sales, product marketing, or even customer success. It's also an incredibly fast-growing and highly desired role. [LinkedIn found that](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-jobs-rise-2022-25-us-roles-growing-demand-linkedin-news/) Customer Marketing Manager was the third fastest-growing role in 2022\. Our **A to Z of customer marketing** provides you with an in-depth rundown of the essentials of customer marketing to help get you started on your journey. In this article we'll cover: - [What customer marketing is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/#:~:text=What%20is%20customer%20marketing%3F) - [Why it’s important,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/#:~:text=Why%20is%20customer%20marketing%20important%3F) - [The benefits of customer marketing, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/#:~:text=your%20base%20profits.-,Benefits%20of%20customer%20marketing,-Besides%20increasing%20sales) - [How customer marketers connect with other marketing departments.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/#:~:text=Collaborating%20with%20other%20customer%20focussed%20departments) ## **What is customer marketing?** Customer marketing refers to any marketing activity or campaign that is directed at your existing customers. Customer marketers think about customer engagement outside of the product. Their main aim isn't to sell something to the customer (they’ve already done that) but to maintain the relationship between the customer and your business. Maintaining this relationship is one of, if not the most important part of ensuring successful growth. [A Guide to Customer and Community Engagement | PlaybookThe Alliance is proud to present an in-depth exploration of customer and community engagement in our latest playbook, a collaborative piece by Customer Marketing Alliance and Community-Led Alliance.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/08/CMA_GtCCE_Report_DocSend_2023--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ## **Why is customer marketing important?** It’s no secret, particularly in the B2B community, that retaining customers is a far more lucrative business than just focussing on getting new ones. Research has indicated increasing [customer retention by as little as 5% can produce a 25% to 95% increase in profit](https://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/the-economics-of-e-loyalty). Moreover, maintaining your existing customer base is also a lot cheaper than trying to attract new customers each and every time. If you have a consistent number of returning customers, then you’ll have a decent understanding of your base profits. ## **Benefits of customer marketing** Besides increasing sales, customer marketing has the potential to benefit almost every aspect of your business. A good customer-to-business relationship can have a knock-on effect throughout the rest of the marketing journey, and the information you get from customer marketing can aid a variety of other departments, as well as your own. ### **Understand your customers** Marketing and sales can often fall into the trap of prioritizing subscribers, clicks, or sales because these are tangible statistics to grab ahold of. But where existing customers are involved, things get a lot more holistic. Unless you’re telepathic, the reason behind each change in those numbers isn't something you can know just by looking at them. So what do you do? Well, you go directly to the source. Talking to your customers gives you an understanding of the most common pain points your product needs to solve. From there, you can develop accurate user and buyer personas that are based on real-life examples. [What personas are and how you can reap the benefits of themPersonas underpin a variety of customer marketing activities, ranging from onboarding to content and engagement, and how a customer may approach their interactions with a brand as a whole.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/05/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) *Confused about the difference between user and buyer personas? Our sister community, Sales Enablement Collective, wrote a concise and comprehensive piece on understanding the* [*difference between the two*](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/buyer-personas-vs-user-personas/#what-are-buyer-personas)*.* ### **Customer retention** Marketing to your existing customer base lets your customers know that you care about them. Customers are the ones in control, and if they don’t see a reason to come back to your product, then they won’t. If they like 90% of your product, but don't have a way to put forward this feedback then chances are that if another competitor comes along that offers them the chance to feedback, then they’ll churn and switch their allegiance to that product instead. ****Keep your customers close.** Let them know you value their suggestions and that you’re open to making amends based on their suggestions. When customers see you're taking on their feedback, this’ll improve your customer relations and they’ll feel more comfortable returning to you, instead of going to your competitors. ### **Customer advocacy** Once all is said and done, and you have your customers consistently engaged, the most significant part of customer marketing comes into play. This is where all your hard work pays off, and the customer-business relationship starts working for you. Customers that recommitted to buying your product are much more likely to recommend it to others. They may refer friends or colleagues to your brand knowing that you’re consistent and reliable. Third-party advertising like this is one of the trickiest types of advertising for marketing departments to measure and yet is what customers consistently feedback to be the type they are most likely to trust. Creating case studies, interviews, surveys, customer reviews, and many other types of content can aid in encouraging word-of-mouth marketing. Customers are, after all, the best spokespersons for your brand. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **Collaborating with other customer focussed departments** Throughout the customer journey, a variety of departments monitor the customer at different stages. Communication between these departments is vital for consistent and efficient customer-led growth. Customer-led growth requires smaller groups with tight integration. With all these teams working together there is potential for any problems to be quickly identified and the appropriate teams assigned to solve them. [Ways customer marketers can work with their organization.Customer marketers and product marketers will often make reference to the cross-functional nature of their role - it’s something that’s critical to ensure that the customer is at the beating heart of an organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_cross_functional_collaboration.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) ## What makes a good customer marketer? A good customer marketer possesses a combination of interpersonal and strategic skills. Strong communication and empathy are most often the ones to emerge as the most crucial, enabling them to connect effectively with customers and internal teams alike. These skills are essential for gathering customer feedback, conducting surveys, and developing case studies, which are core responsibilities of the role. The ability to collaborate internally is also highly valued, as mentioned above. Customer marketers often spend a significant portion of their time working with other departments. This collaboration helps to align business processes and break down silos within the organization. Additionally, problem-solving skills and strategic planning abilities are important for anticipating and addressing challenges, as well as developing effective customer-focused strategies. The best features of a customer marketer include: - Strong communication skills - Empathy and ability to connect with customers - Internal collaboration capabilities - Copywriting skills - Problem-solving abilities - Strategic planning and business acumen - Proactivity and self-motivation - Adaptability and comfort with developing programs independently ![top six skills of a customer marketer](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/06/CMA-Infographics_Long_Customer_Marketer-1.png) These attributes enable customer marketers to excel in their multifaceted role, balancing customer relationships, internal teamwork, and strategic initiatives to drive customer satisfaction and business growth. *Want to read more in depth about why we've picked these particular skills? *Have a look below.** [6 vital customer marketing skills for new and upcoming hiresKnowing the skills that can help elevate you in a specific position is invaluable information. So, we went directly to the source and asked our customer marketer participants, “What are the most important skill(s) that have helped you succeed in your role?”.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/clem-onojeghuo-fY8Jr4iuPQM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-vital-customer-marketing-skills-for-new-and-upcoming-hires/) ## **Where does customer marketing fit?** ### **Product marketing** Customer marketing follows where product marketing leaves off. Customer marketing can help monitor the result of the product marketer's hard work. Customer marketers can contact customers and ask them what about the product they liked, and why they keep coming back. Customer marketers are able to reach out to existing customers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing products. This gives companies access to vital information and feedback where it's needed. Supporting this internal communication can ensure an efficient and customer driven marketing strategy from beginning to end. ### **Sales** Customers are often creatures of habit. If they like your product and know that it works they're usually happy to come back and purchase it again. It’s all well and good for them to keep coming back and purchasing that one product, but what about all the other wonderful goodies your network provides? Building customer loyalty by creating a more personal relationship between client and marketer can cement trust not only in your product but in your brand as well. When customers trust the brand, they're far more willing to look through your other material, meaning that you can begin cross-selling. Reliable customers give you a consistent base of profits to start from, which is far more lucrative than solely focussing on acquisition. In fact, even without actively concentrating on customer retention, already [80% of future profits will come from just 20% of existing customers](https://www.retentionscience.com/blog/customer-retention-should-outweigh-customer-acquisition/). ### **Customer success** Customer marketing and customer success both share a desire to create products and services to [help customers achieve their goals](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/). This means creating content that’s not aimed at trying to sell them anything, but rather to invest in their needs and desires. The priority here is in creating a community in which you and your customers can thrive. This is a chance to collaborate with your customers in a way that puts them at the forefront even more so. The main way customer marketers do this is through customer advocacy and advocacy programs. Whether this is through championship programs, exclusive courses or webinars, or customer collaboration, advocating for your customers is investing in them doing the same. Customers that get this content are usually passionate about doing the same. If they know you're loyal to them and their futures, they'll return the sentiment. They can do the legwork and networking for you by advocating for you to others in their own workplace. And when they move from one company to another, they're likely to bring you with them. Then you have a whole new base of customers without even leaving your desk! ## **Discover more** So, you’ve read about what customer marketing is and why it is important and you’re now looking to understand what goes into actually implementing it into your existing network. Well, we’ve just the thing for you with our Customer Marketing Certified: Core. 👩🏼‍🏫 12 modules 📙 40+ chapters ⏰ 10+ hours 🔥 6 fireside chats 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced **Customer Marketing Certified: Core's** the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth. [Launch your professional career](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-marketing-certified-core?%5Fgl=1%2Ac5uro7%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY2OTExNzU3OC4zNDUuMC4xNjY5MTE3NTc4LjAuMC4w) ### Setting up a customer marketing function: The first 30 days URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:13:48.000Z Getting started from scratch is never easy. At first, building your customer marketing function may seem like an overwhelming task to take on. But we've got your back. Keep these key ideas in mind, and you’ll nail it the first time around. In this article we're covering: - [**Stage one:** Set clear objectives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/#:~:text=of%20customer%20marketing-,Stage%20one%3A%20Set%20clear%20objectives,-What%20do%20you) - [**Stage two:** Identify available resources and personnel](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/#:~:text=processes%20and%20priorities.-,Stage%20two%3A%20Identify%20available%20resources%20and%20personnel,-To%20find%20and) - [**Stage three:** Understand your platform and services](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/#:~:text=Stage%20three%3A%20Understand%20your%20platform%20and%20processes) - [**Stage four:** Set up lines of communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/#:~:text=Lawrence%20Chapman-,Stage%20four%3A%20Set%20up%20lines%20of%20communication,-When%20establishing%20your) - [**Stage five:** Build the four pillars of customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/set-up-a-customer-marketing-function-the-first-30-days/#:~:text=internal%20stakeholders.-,Stage%20five%3A%20Build%20the%20four%20pillars%20of%20customer%20marketing,-These%20four%20pillars) ## Stage one: Set clear objectives ### What do you aim to achieve? #### Understand the WHY. There are several stages of development before you finalize your plan and put it into action. A high-up stakeholder has likely given you a brief on why this team is being put into place. Their ‘why’ may be that they want to improve customer retention or increase customer lifetime value, or it may be something as simple as wanting to get a customer marketing strategy off the ground before your competitors do. ****For example,** if you want a successful onboarding strategy, you’ll have to figure out the ‘why’ for everyone involved, in various positions. This will include nurturing cross-functional relationships with teams such as sales, marketing, and customer success. #### Where does customer marketing overlap with existing departments? Historically, other departments, like sales and customer success, will have handled many aspects of customer marketing, since it’s still a relatively new practice. Therefore, there’s a lot of overlap between these positions. Customer marketers handle the [customer relationship](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/) that product marketing begins and customer success monitors. These departments carefully coordinate the customer journey at each step of the way. Where customer marketing differs from these departments is in how the relationship between the business and the customer is handled. Customer marketing is not so often about the product itself; you aren’t trying to sell the customer something. Nor are you just asking for feedback about your product. Collaborating with other teams throughout the process can minimize siloing and conflicts before the planning stage gets too far along. This relationship will also benefit all parties involved, as it’ll support sales and customer success to achieve their [revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-leverage-customer-marketing-and-impact-the-revenue-cycle-meaningfully/) metrics. 💡 ****The first 30 days will involve assessing your current processes and priorities.** ## Stage two: Identify available resources and personnel To find and identify available resources and personnel to set up a brand-new customer marketing function, consider the following avenues: - **Internal** - Human Resources (HR) - Marketing - Sales - Employee Skills Database - Training and Development - **External** - Job Boards - Recruitment Agencies - Freelance Platforms - Consultants and Advisors - **Networks** - LinkedIn - Industry Groups ### Internal departments: - **Human Resources (HR):** HR can provide information on existing employees who might have relevant skills or interests in customer marketing roles. - **Marketing:** Collaborate with existing marketing teams to identify personnel who can transition or contribute to customer marketing efforts. - **Sales:** Sales teams often have valuable insights into [customer behavior](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/) and can contribute to customer marketing strategies. - **Employee Skills Database:** Many companies maintain databases or profiles of employee skills, expertise, and interests - so utilize these resources to identify individuals with relevant skills for customer marketing. - **Training and Development:** Offer training programs or workshops to upskill existing employees who show interest in customer marketing roles. ### Professional networks: - **LinkedIn:** Search within your organization's LinkedIn network for individuals with marketing experience or expertise relevant to customer marketing. - **Industry Groups:** Participate in industry-specific forums, groups, or events to network with professionals who may be interested in joining your customer marketing team. ### External recruitment: - **Job Boards:** Post job listings on popular job boards or specialized platforms targeting marketing professionals. - **Recruitment Agencies:** Partner with recruitment agencies specializing in marketing roles to help identify qualified candidates. - **Freelance Platforms:** Consider hiring freelance marketers or consultants with expertise in customer marketing on platforms like Upwork or Freelancer. - **Consultants and Advisors:** Engage with external consultants or advisors who specialize in customer marketing to provide guidance and support in setting up the function. By exploring these avenues, you can effectively identify available resources and personnel to set up a successful customer marketing function within your organization. [The marketing organizational structure: Where does customer marketing fit?In general, customer marketing has its fingers in a lot of different pies, so to speak, and, as such, often gets assigned to a variety of departments (some fitting better, than others).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/zdenek-machacek-jbe0iCwo-U0-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/) ## Stage three: Understand your platform and processes This may be an obvious place to start, but because it is, it often gets overlooked. Though you may be working with these procedures and practices day in and day out, it doesn’t hurt to sit down and analyze them in more detail. No work setup is perfect, so there’ll ultimately be some best practices that fall by the wayside or get ignored in favor of more important ones. So, before you begin making any big changes, start with what you have. Sit down and go through each platform, vision, service, procedure, and best practice. Become familiar with them again. This is also great practice for any customer marketers you’re currently onboarding. Make sure to include this familiarization practice in their initial training. [The core fundamentals of customer onboardingEver bought a product, only to be left in the wilderness after you’ve parted with your cash? Irritating, isn’t it? After converting a prospect into a bonafide customer, the buck doesn’t stop there. As Karen Carpenter said: ‘We’ve only just begun.’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_onboarding.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) ## Stage four: Set up lines of communication When establishing your customer marketing department, it’s vital that you set up a regular cadence of communication between yourself and the departments you’ll work more closely with. For customer marketing, this is more likely to be marketing, sales, customer success, and product teams. Make sure they understand exactly what your role is within the business, and learn about their current processes too. This is a good way to start building relationships with [internal stakeholders](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/guarantee-stakeholder-buy-in-for-your-customer-advisory-board-strategy/). ## Stage five: Build the four pillars of customer marketing These four pillars are what make up and define customer marketing. It’s important to assess these pillars when establishing your strategy and build them to fit your company’s brand and goals. ![The four pillars of customer marketing](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.26.37.png) #### Advocacy Identify who your current advocates are and then use customer segmentation to categorize them by geography, personas, location, company size, etc. Then look at your business' current action plan for [obtaining advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/), whether you have a plan at all, and how people’s acts of advocacy are monitored and recorded. This will help you identify any parts of the process that are currently lacking. #### Customer communications and adoption Consider what the key vision for your customer marketing plan is, and how this will inform your messaging strategies. Identify the key pain points for your target markets you and your products aim to solve. Make sure this is reflected in all customer communications. What is the cadence for this project? What milestones will your marketing team aim to meet and when? How does each stage flow into the next? #### Expansion Look at what types of programs and campaigns have worked for your business in the past. Identify the specific trends that resonated with your target audience and those that didn’t. Do some account mapping of your target accounts, too. Use this technique to understand key accounts (advocates, for example) and increase your reach among new and existing customers. This is another area in which customer segmentation can come in handy, by helping you identify important characteristics of your target audience. Use cross-departmental collaboration to assist your research by talking to sales about the asset types they favor the most. This could be videos, social media mentions, case studies, white papers, presentation slides, and more. [Perfecting the art of market research ebookStop guessing and start gathering definitive data on your customers and competition with our brand-new ebook!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/CMA_Market_Research_eBook_Meta_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfecting-the-art-of-market-research-ebook/%C2%A0) #### Renewal This is an area in which customer marketers consider churned accounts and accounts that have the potential to churn soon. Gathering data about these accounts, and getting access to those user behavior metrics, can go a long way in identifying specific pain points that your customer marketing plan can then aim to solve. Use in–product surveys and Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys to get a lay of the land, and see how your overall customer base feels about your brand, and to determine how likely they are to remain loyal. And, again, make sure to assess your current renewal strategies. This will give you content you can use to begin building and improving your own renewal program. [Churn 101: The ultimate guide to preventing customer lossWant to keep customers coming back and grow your business? Understanding and preventing customer churn is key. Download our ebook now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/10/CMA_Churn_101_Guide_Meta_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/churn-101-the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-and-preventing-customer-loss/) ## The next 31-60 days This article was just a short snippet from our comprehensive playbook taking you though the first 90 days of a customer marketing set up. We didn't reveal everything in this article, so go ahead and grab yourself a free copy to get all the unlimited tips and tricks! **Here's a breakdown of the structure:** | DAYS 0-30 | DAYS 31-60 | DAYS 61-90 | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | | Learn how to set clear objectives | Perfect you advocacy goals | Tailor your approach to your top customers | | Solve the balance of resources and personel | Become a master of the customer journey | Expand your reach across your whole customer base | | Get to know your platform and processes | Dive into the world of events and programs | Stabalise your bottom line with renewal and retention | | Build the four pillars of customer marketing | Develop a foolproof communication scheme | Track and celebrate your success! | **What are you waiting for?** Build your strategy with the most potent plans, methods, and approaches, to ensure maximum efficiency from day one. ### Empowering Advocates: How to identify and mobilize your brand ambassadors URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-identify-and-mobilize-your-brand-ambassadors/ Last updated: 2024-06-27T15:37:50.000Z Your brand ambassadors are your biggest fans, going out of their way to advocate for your product or service. When leveraged in your marketing, having [loyal customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/) promote your brand provides a sense of authenticity that’s hard to match. To harness the power of brand ambassadors, they need to be identified first! Finding those customers who genuinely love your product or service can come from various sources. But it’s just as important that your advocates are equipped with the support and knowledge they need to be successful. Let’s cover some ways to identify and mobilize your brand ambassadors to empower them and drive [meaningful engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/). # Identifying brand ambassadors ## Analyze reviews and customer feedback: Third-party review sites are a great place to start looking for happy customers to promote your brand. Beginning with customers who’ve already begun promoting your brand without your involvement means you’re starting with those already on board with supporting your brand. Customers who have left positive feedback through reviews may also be willing to participate in other activities to have their voices heard. And, by reaching out to them, you’re also acknowledging the work they’ve also done in supporting your brand by leaving their review. [Unleash the power of customer stories: Real advocate voicesHow a product or service positively impacted someone’s life or business always tugs at the heartstrings more than any stats or corporate speak. Customer stories bring that emotional connection and credibility that keeps us engaged.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTiffany Knight Raymond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/11/johannes-plenio-E-Zuyev2XWo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/) Sending them thanks and offering to magnify their voice through your ambassador program goes a long way to also supporting the top customers in your customer base. Some third-party review sites also allow customers to select if they are willing to be a reference for the brand. Those customers who select this option are opening up the communication channel for you, so the hard part is already done! You can use these contacts to grow [your reference program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-and-scaling-up-your-customer-reference-program-to-support-business-growth/) and encourage other types of word-of-mouth marketing. Feedback from NPS scores is a great indicator of your customer satisfaction and can also be used to identify potential advocates of your brand. ![NPS score calculation](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/06/CMA-Infographics_Hub_Page_Formulas_7--1-.png) Reach out to your brand promoters on an ad hoc basis or by automating follow-up emails to promoters, asking them to leave a review, provide a testimonial, and more. ## Leverage engaged customers and existing advocates: Watch for customers who actively engage with your content, emails, surveys, and social media posts. If a customer is often liking or commenting positively on your social posts, it’s a good indication they’re a fan of your brand! If you’re finding people on LinkedIn, this is a good place to help promote your customer's work too, in an act of equal exchange. Encouraging acts of advocacy on social media, particularly on LinkedIn comes with the added perk of building up your customer’s personal brand as well as your own. Also take a closer look at customers who are already participating in advocacy programs such as references, referrals, or [testimonials](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/). Advocates are far more likely to be customers who are already heavily engaged in your promotional activities. It will be easier to build on these existing relationships and encourage them to participate in additional activities. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) # Mobilizing your brand ambassadors ## Communicate initiative expectations and benefits: Once you've identified your advocates, [effective communication](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) is important for maintaining satisfaction and involvement. Clearly outline what they'll be participating in, including the time commitment required for certain initiatives, and the benefits they can expect. This ensures your advocates understand your requests and help you find the best matches for your program. ****For example,** if you are asking customers to take part in a reference program, let them know what the program is, how often they may be asked to speak to a prospect, and how being a reference is a great networking opportunity and helps prospective customers feel confident they are choosing the right product/service. Make sure that you’ve built in regular touchpoints within these initiatives to check in on your advocates to make sure they’re nurturing alongside your program. Regular communication also helps support these relationships over a sustained period of time. ## Reward your advocates: Offering benefits to your brand ambassadors to incentivize their participation and engagement ensures they feel valued for their contributions. Special discounts, access to exclusive content, swag, and sneak peeks at releases are a few ways to entice your advocates, to participate and feel valued. Depending on the customer, many may not need an incentive but might appreciate the thank you, or personal recognition. As with any advocate initiative, [rewards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/) and incentives should be tailored to your specific advocates. Some companies will donate to advocates' chosen charities every month, or conduct in-person meetups in popular cities. Either way, these rewards, whether in the form of discounts, gifts, or experiences, should reflect the kinds of people that make up your advocate group. ## Offer ongoing support and resources: Provide your brand ambassadors with the necessary tools, resources, and guidance to do great in their advocacy roles. Providing email check-ins, materials, and/or access to a dedicated channel to chat with team members or other advocates can help them navigate their journey and stay invested in your brand. Make sure to personalize these communications too. Some may prefer weekly check-ins or monthly roundups. As your advocacy program grows, don’t lose track of these personalized experiences that will make your advocacy program stand out above the rest. # To wrap up To wrap up, once you’re able to find your fans, either from feedback channels, social, or current advocacy programs, make sure you’re: - Communicating with them, - Recognizing their contributions, and - Providing them with the support needed to continue promoting your brand. **Want to hear more from Vicky?* Make sure to join our* [***slack channel***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)*to continue the conversation with Vicky and our other Customer Marketing Ambassadors!* ### How to get customer marketing a seat at the leadership table | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-get-customer-marketing-a-seat-at-the-leadership-table-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T14:26:36.000Z ## Looking for more on leadership? [Roadmap to creating a retention-centric cultureRetention is the unsung hero of your marketing strategy. Model customer-centric behaviors and reward retention-focused efforts, to transform the organizational mindset from acquisition-first to retention-driven.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-58.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/mareks-steins-8arrLrW-sHg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/foster-a-retention-centric-culture-roadmap-for-senior-leaders/) [Vital leadership skills when structuring your marketing teams | Learning with LeadershipIn our second episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Katie Meeker, Director of Customer Marketing at ICIMS, about the vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-59.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/5.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/) [Elevating customer marketing’s voice at the leadership tableLooking to make a bigger impact in your organization? VP of Customer Advocacy, Leslie Paterson explains how!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-60.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLeslie Paterson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/sydney-rae-geM5lzDj4Iw-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/c-suite-elevating-customer-marketings-voice-in-leadership/) ### How to manage a successful end-to-end customer review program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-manage-a-successful-customer-review-program/ Last updated: 2024-06-20T16:38:18.000Z *This article was transcribed from Max Bailey's talk at the New York Customer Marketing Summit in 2022\. If you have a* [***membership***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/)*, you can watch the talk in full* [***here***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2022-ondemand/?wchannelid=0u26asag20&wmediaid=2i3b74gndp)*.* *Since this talk, Max has found a new home at *Frontify* as *Associate Director of Lifecycle Marketing*.* I'm Max Bailey, previously the Global Customer Marketing Manager at Aircall, a leading cloud-based phone system for modern businesses. Today, I want to share insights from my experience running Aircall's customer review program and offer some tips to help you implement a successful one at your company. # The direct link between customer reviews and revenue Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room - why should you even care about customer reviews? Well, the answer is simple: there's a direct line from reviews to revenue. Let me prove it to you with this hair-raising 1-star review we once received: > "After the conclusion of our contract, our invoice complaint was ignored. Repeated inquiries about our subscription are simply not responded to. Booked appointments were not kept. Do I have the feeling that I am a valued customer? No. One star." When I read that, I thought, "Oh man, this isn't good." If all our reviews looked like that nightmare, we wouldn't close any deals. But here's the thing - we have over 15,000 customers, so we must be doing something right! The truth is, if you don't actively ask for reviews, you're going to have an unfair and unbalanced view of what your company does. Happy customers rarely leave reviews unless prompted, while dissatisfied ones see it as the best way to get their issues resolved. By not requesting feedback, you're allowing negative voices to dominate the online conversation about your brand. This becomes even more critical when you realize that customer reviews are often the first thing prospects see when researching your product or service. A quick Google search can surface your review listings, instantly shaping perceptions. I've lost count of how many sales calls mentioned that glowing reviews played a decisive role in choosing Aircall over competitors. [Where VoC fits in with customer and market researchThe goal of a customer and market research program is to drive growth. This is possible by using feedback to drive company changes that attract and acquire more happy customers, who are more likely to renew.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/clint-adair-BW0vK-FA3eg-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-voc-fits-in-with-customer-and-market-research/) # Laying the groundwork: Data inputs and team alignment Once you acknowledge the power of customer reviews, it's time to lay the groundwork for your program. Start by identifying the most relevant review platforms based on where your audience looks and your lead sources. I recommend doing a search for "your company name + reviews" to see which sites pop up. At Aircall, we noticed that G2, Capterra (a Gartner product), TrustRadius, and Trustpilot were the top results, so we prioritized those. However, we also cater our approach based on what our sales team reports as influential review sources for specific industries or use cases. For instance, our partnership teams ensure we have a solid presence on integration marketplaces like HubSpot's listings. Next, make sure you have access to your company's satisfaction indicators like NPS scores and survey data. This intel will help you identify your happiest customers to target first while also highlighting areas for improvement based on negative feedback patterns. You'll also need a [sufficient budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-budget-and-where-its-being-spent/) for incentives. I'm a big fan of offering Amazon gift cards because they're easy to distribute globally and seen as a sincere "thank you" rather than compensation for a positive review (which would be unethical). Finally, align with other teams like marketing ops to ensure you have the right tools and access for automating parts of the process at scale. Don't try to go at this alone! [Do customer marketing budgets reflect the value of the role?as the year is closing up, and plans are being made for the new year, we wanted to share this sneak peek into customer marketing budgets. Learn about the trends of how they’ve been used in 2022 in order to set your team up for success in 2023.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/kenny-eliason-JW6r_0CPYec-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/) # Setting up the review program With your priorities and resources in place, it's time to set up your program's framework. One crucial step is creating templates for soliciting reviews that focus on feedback and gratitude rather than explicitly asking for positive ratings. For example, you could say: "I'm reaching out because Aircall values your feedback and wants to hear what you have to say about your experience." Notice how it's not demanding 5-stars in exchange for a gift? That pushy approach would be illegal and damage the [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/). Make the ask about them, not you. Your templates should also have a clear call to action. This is Marketing 101 - always give people a straightforward next step like "Please leave an honest review on G2 by clicking here." You can get even more creative by featuring the call to action in places like email newsletters. As for implementing the outreach cadence itself, we've found automating it through our marketing platform (Marketo) to be an incredibly scalable solution. We set up workflows that automatically send review requests weekly to our happiest, most engaged customers first. That's a pro tip - reach your warmest audiences early for higher conversion rates. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) # The importance of responding to reviews Here's where many businesses drop the ball - once you start generating reviews (positive or negative), you must respond to all of them in a timely manner. When customers take the time to leave feedback, they want to be heard. For negative reviews, resist the urge to be defensive or dismissive. I've seen way too many examples of businesses making that mistake and turning a fixable situation into a PR nightmare. Instead, express empathy, take accountability, and assure the customer you'll make things right. At Aircall, we have a wonderful example of turning around that scathing 1-star review I mentioned earlier. After acknowledging the poor experience and connecting with the customer's account team to resolve the miscommunication, we politely asked if they'd be willing to revisit their feedback. To our delight, the customer updated their review to 5 stars, citing Aircall's "understanding, listening, and striving to improve" as the reason. While those dream make-ups don't happen daily, you'd be amazed by how often a sincere response can transform a negative review or simply get it removed entirely. Trust me, getting rid of a 1-star is huge for your online reputation. Responding well to positive reviews matters too. Don't just say "Thanks!" and move on. I recommend adding extra value by suggesting complementary features or integrations that could enhance their experience. This elevates a 5-star review to an even stronger endorsement of your brand's expertise. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) # Taking it further: Leveraging reviews for growth Once your review program gains momentum, you can tap into that treasure trove of positive feedback for additional marketing and growth opportunities beyond just sales. At Aircall, we love to share notable customer shout-outs internally, especially when they mention an employee by name after a successful implementation or training. This public recognition does wonders for team morale and motivation. We also repurpose our best reviews for our website and other lead-generation campaigns to reinforce social proof and trust signals with prospects. In fact, we created a dedicated reviews.aircall.com page that now ranks #1 for branded searches around our name and "reviews." Finally, a consistent flow of rave reviews can unlock access to enthusiastic customers willing to participate in case studies, speaking engagements, reference calls, and other coveted advocacy activities. At enterprise companies, these can be game-changing for closing major deals. By methodically asking for, responding to, and showcasing customer reviews, what began as a reputation management initiative has evolved into a powerful growth engine for Aircall. I'm thrilled to have built a multifaceted word-of-mouth marketing dynamo! So there you have it - my blueprint for managing a successful end-to-end customer review program that bridges the gap between customer marketing and revenue impact. I hope these insights have inspired you to elevate your own efforts. If you'd like to discuss any of these tactics further or need advice on getting started, I'm just a ping away. Customer reviews may seem like a small piece of the marketing puzzle, but I've experienced firsthand how they can level up your entire customer experience and business strategy when prioritized correctly. ## Want to hear more from people like Max? Customer Marketing alliance events is where the magic happens. Out aim is to get the best minds in the same room so you can learn from the experts who've been doing this job for years. Our events aim to help you: - Keep up-to-date with the latest customer marketing industry trends and best practices - Benchmark your strategy against the best in the business - Meet peers facing the same challenges enabling you to find tangible solutions - Build a network of trusted advisors & form meaningful connections that inspire career growth Don't just take our word for it: > *"It's during these events that you feel part of a community. You walk away knowing more than you started with and, even better, trusting that there's a network of peers you can turn to again and again.”* \- Director of Product & Customer Marketing, **Sovos** Take a look at our yearly event calendar below. 👇 [Book your next event](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?%5Fgl=1%2Aaajyrz%2A%5Fga%2AMjc0MDI1ODU0LjE3MTcxNTM2MzY.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcxODkwMDkzOC4xMTA2LjEuMTcxODkwMTI5Ny42MC4wLjA.) ### Customer vs. community engagement: Know the difference URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T09:31:21.000Z Not all forms of engagement are created equal. Understanding the distinctions between customer engagement and community engagement is crucial. While both concepts share common ground in fostering relationships, they serve distinct purposes and require tailored approaches. In this article, we delve into: - [What engagement is as a marketing concept](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/#:~:text=concepts%20are%20used-,What%20is%20engagement%3F,-First%2C%20let%E2%80%99s%20begin) - [The importance of customer and community engagement ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/#the-importance-of-customer-engagement:~:text=information%20and%20inspiration.-,The%20importance%20of%20customer%20engagement,-The%20importance%20of) - [What the differences are between how these concepts are used](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/#understanding-the-differences-between-community-and-customer-engagement:~:text=trust%20and%20belonging-,Understanding%20the%20differences%20between%20community%20and%20customer%20engagement,-Customer%20engagement%20and) ## What is engagement? First, let’s begin by establishing a definition of engagement as a concept within marketing. Engagement in marketing refers to: “The process of creating a meaningful and interactive relationship between a brand and its target audience. It is a measure of the level of involvement and interaction that consumers have with a brand or it's content.” Engagement is typically measured through various metrics such as social media engagement, click-through rates, sentiment metrics like CSAT scores, conversion rates, and overall reach. These metrics are used to gauge the effectiveness of marketing efforts and produce best practices to support brand integrity and image. Engagement can take many forms, including social media interactions, email marketing, content marketing, and interactions within communities. Effective engagement strategies are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the target audience, and they typically involve creating compelling content that resonates with consumers and encourages them to take action. Ultimately, engagement is a key factor in building brand loyalty and increasing customer retention. By creating meaningful connections with your customers, your brand can foster a sense of community and establish itself as a trusted source of information and inspiration. ## The importance of customer engagement The importance of customer engagement is easily expressed by the fact that a huge component of marketing is engagement, whether that’s engaging with your whole customer base, a specific segment, or an individual customer. The act of customer engagement supports many of the goals including, but not limited to: ### Increasing Customer Retention Engaging customers regularly helps to build stronger relationships, which in turn increases the likelihood of customers returning to your brand. By creating positive experiences and interactions, brands can encourage customers to stay loyal and continue to do business with them. For example, sending personalized emails and offers to customers based on their purchase history can make them feel valued by you, leading to increased retention rates. ### Driving Customer Advocacy Engaged customers are more likely to recommend your brand to others, which can organically lead to an increase in brand awareness and growth. Encouraging customers to leave reviews, share their experiences on social media, and participate in referral programs can help to boost advocacy and expand your brand’s customer base. ### Enhancing Customer Experience Using the various channels at your disposal, such as email, social media, and in-store experiences, you can gain valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors. This can help tailor what you offer and market to each customer segment. By doing so, you better meet customer needs and expectations, ultimately leading to a better overall customer experience. ### Boosting Customer Lifetime Value Engaged customers tend to make more repeat purchases and spend more money over time, leading to higher Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). By keeping customers engaged you can drive long-term revenue growth. > “Building and nurturing customer relationships is a fundamental pillar of customer marketing and advocacy. I truly believe I should be my customers’ biggest advocate, and I show that through action. > “When I first reach out to a customer, I do not initially ask them to participate in any marketing activity. Instead, I offer them a space to get to know each other, share their experiences, and make myself available as an extra resource. I then take the time to personalize their journey by delivering value-based connections aligned with their objectives. > “By putting customers’ interests and goals at the forefront of the opportunities I offer, I am able to build strong customer relationships for long-term engagement, and ultimately, long-term customer marketing." - **Valeria Gomez, Manager, Customer Programs at Airtable** ![Quote from Valeria Gomez about the importance of nurturing customer relationships](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/06/Silvia-Cosma-member-quote--1-.jpg) ## Why is community engagement important? Community engagement is important in community marketing for several reasons. Mainly, because without it, you’ll have a community that’s just sitting there not doing anything. It takes members who are engaging with what you are doing to make the whole act worthwhile. Our sister community, Community-Led Alliance, defines community-led growth (CLG) as: 'A strategy that uses an engaged, supportive community to acquire and retain customers - while expanding the reach of a business.’ So, essentially you can’t have a community-led strategy without engagement. ### Empowers members Engaging with the community empowers individuals by giving them a voice in decision-making processes and an opportunity to influence the direction of their community. ### Promotes social inclusion It helps create an inclusive environment that values the contributions of all members, regardless of their backgrounds, experience, or status. ### Builds a sense of belonging Community engagement helps to foster relationships and connections among individuals and their communities, leading to a sense of belonging. This strengthens the overall social fabric within a community and encourages people to continue engaging. ### Facilitates problem-solving By involving community members in identifying and addressing issues, solutions are more likely to be effective, sustainable, and tailored to the specific needs of the community. ### Builds trust Regular and transparent communication between community members and organizations fosters trust, which is crucial for the successful implementation of new projects and initiatives, as well as getting honest and actionable feedback. ### Resource sharing and collaboration Engagement facilitates the sharing of resources, knowledge, and skills among community members and organizations, leading to more efficient and effective outcomes. In summary, community engagement is essential for creating strong, inclusive, and resilient communities where individuals and organizations work together to address shared challenges and Opportunities. - Customer engagement - \- Increases customer retention - \- Drives customer advocacy - \- Enhances customer experience - \- Boosts customer lifetime value - Community engagement - \- Empowers members - \- Promotes social inclusion - \- Facilitates problem-solving - \- Promotes resource sharing and collaboration - \- Builds trust and belonging ## Understanding the differences between community and customer engagement Customer engagement and community engagement, although related, have distinct differences in their focus, objectives, and strategies. Here’s a comparison of the two concepts, broken down into focus, objectives, and commonly used strategies: ### Customer engagement #### Focus Customer engagement primarily revolves around the relationship between a business or organization and its customers or users. It aims to foster long-term relationships and loyalty by creating meaningful interactions with customers. #### Objectives The main objectives of customer engagement are to enhance customer satisfaction, increase customer retention, and drive revenue growth. It involves understanding customers’ needs, preferences, and behavior to deliver personalized experiences and improve products or services. #### Strategies Customer engagement strategies include offering excellent customer service, providing personalized content or offers, creating user-friendly interfaces, and gathering feedback through surveys or reviews. Social media platforms, email marketing, and loyalty programs are often used to facilitate these strategies. ### Community Engagement #### Focus Community engagement focuses on the relationships and interactions among individuals within a community, which can include businesses, organizations, and residents. It seeks to create a sense of belonging and shared purpose, empowering community members to participate in decision-making processes and work together to address common challenges. #### Objectives The main objectives of community engagement are to increase reach and awareness, share knowledge, create brand advocates, and facilitate problem-solving. It aims to create strong, resilient communities that can address shared challenges and opportunities. #### Strategies Community engagement strategies involve organizing events, providing resources or platforms for collaboration, and fostering communication and transparency. This can include webinars, workshops, online forums, and social media groups where members can share ideas, knowledge, and experiences. ## TL;DR In summary, customer engagement focuses on the interactions between businesses and their customers, with the goal of driving customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue. Community engagement, on the other hand, emphasizes the relationships and connections within a community, seeking to foster collaboration, inclusivity, and resilience - this, ultimately, is beneficial for the organization or team behind the community in sharing knowledge and spreading awareness of a particular shared interest. While both strategies share some common elements - and customer marketers may be the teams behind these types of communities - each strategy's focus, objectives, and goals are distinct, and understanding those differences is key to executing each strategy well. **Want to learn more? We've got a completely free playbook breaking down these two topics in depth. Get your free copy below. 👇** ### The secret to customer advocacy and sales alignment success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-secret-to-customer-advocacy-and-sales-alignment-success/ Last updated: 2025-06-25T09:35:40.000Z I'll never forget the look of surprise on Mark's face when I told him he was one of our top 10 customer advocates at Mendix. Mark Bus, who oversees the Mendix program at ABN Amro, was genuinely stunned to hear the impact of his advocacy efforts over the past year. As I recounted all the reference calls, customer stories, and speaking engagements Mark had participated in, I realized something - that this level of advocacy was simply natural for him. It was this exact mindset I wanted to nurture and formalize through our customer advocacy program. For years, there was no way to formally recognize and energize advocates like Mark. But in the last 16 months, we've grown our exclusive advocacy program by over **400%** while aligning it closer than ever with sales, product, and the rest of the business. Let me share some insights into how we did it. ## **The growth of our customer advocacy program** ### When I took over our advocacy efforts as head of **Global Customer Advocacy** at **Mendix** around 18 months ago, the "program" consisted of just 31 customers engaged in ad-hoc activities. We had no formal systems or processes in place, and we clearly needed to apply the same "start, structure, scale" methodology that Mendix uses to our advocacy approach. We started small by proactively identifying and recruiting certain advocates from our customer base. Today, we have 237 members in our advocacy community, and that number is only going to keep growing. Our goal isn't just to have a large advocacy program, but an exclusive one focused on high-impact champions. We're targeting CIOs, CTOs, digital transformation leaders, and others truly driving change within their organizations through our low-code platform. This approach is already paying off through incredible acts of advocacy: - **50+ research interviews** with advocates to gather insights for R&D. - **20+ sales references** delivered, including for net new customers. - **8 advocates** presenting at external events on our behalf. - **Many more** involved in branding refreshes, messaging workshops, and beta programs. What started as 31 passionate voices has exploded into a powerful engine for customer-driven innovation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 types of consumers to market for | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-types-of-consumers-to-market-for-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T12:44:28.000Z ## Looking for more on consumer marketing? [How generative AI can boost consumer marketingGenerative AI has become far more commonplace over the last year with the introduction of tools like ChatGPT, which has become accessible to the everyday layman. But how does it work for roles like customer marketing and its associated professions?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-24.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/CMA_Website_Article_Images_Doodles--2---1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-generative-ai-can-boost-consumer-marketing/) [The role of FOMO on consumer psychologyFOMO, or fear of missing out, is an acronym for a psychological worry that’s been ingrained in the human psyche for as long as we can remember. In this article, we’ll delve deeper into this topic, and the role FOMO has on consumer psychology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-25.png)Customer Marketing AllianceCharley Gale![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/tonik-U0wwiY6nRGA-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-fomo-on-consumer-psychology/) [How consumer choice and cloud hyperscalers have changed the way B2B products are brought to marketCommunication has transformed and spread; we now have multiple different entities, segments, and ways to provide that service.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-26.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAyushman Sen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/franck-sNvBTRQR7eE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-consumer-choice-and-cloud-hyperscalers-have-changed-the-way-telus-brings-b2b-products-to-market/) ### Privacy vs personalization: Striking the balance with customer marketing techniques URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/privacy-vs-personalization-in-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-01-16T12:37:58.000Z With personalization being so important in today’s marketing and appealing to individuals being key to making your brand stand out, how do you accomplish this without compromising your customer’s data or privacy? According to Forbes Research, **51%** of Chief Marketing Officers want to prioritize data-driven campaigns over the next two years - so how can you do all this without breaching the privacy gap between brand and customer? Let's go through some strategies to give you the data-driven campaign of your dreams without compromising privacy. # Understanding privacy regulations Privacy regulations are a constantly evolving area of the law, made even more relevant today with the introduction of AI learning tools. With the internet only growing bigger by the day, customers are becoming increasingly aware of their rights to their data, and how they want it to be used. On top of that, customers want to be able to trust the people who have access to such data, and know it’s going to be used according to the regulations in place. Here are two examples of the regulations currently in place for customer privacy: - **General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):** Enforced across the European Union, GDPR requires explicit consent for data collection and provides individuals with the right to access, correct, and delete their personal data. Marketers must ensure all data collection and processing is lawful and transparent, significantly impacting how they engage with EU residents. - **California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):** This U.S. regulation gives California residents the right to know what personal data is being collected, to refuse the sale of their data, and to request its deletion. Marketers targeting Californian consumers need to revise data management strategies to include clear privacy notices and opt-out mechanisms. With this information in place, how can marketers go about creating personalized experiences whilst also maintaining an ethical approach to data security? [Maria Braune | Perfect personalization: Why human connection is vital for your marketing | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Maria Braune, Director of Client Advocacy at DailyPay, about perfect personalization and why human connection is vital for your marketing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/04/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/maria-braune-perfect-personalization-why-human-connection-is-vital-for-your-marketing-customer-marketing-catch-up/) # Privacy-first customer marketing strategies ## 1) Begin on a foundation of trust Trust is one of the most valuable elements of a customer relationship, and this begins with transparency. Begin the customer journey the right way by broaching the subject of data privacy first. - **Transparent data collection policies**: Clearly communicate what data is being collected, how it will be used, and whom it will be shared with. This builds trust and meets regulatory requirements for transparency. - **Opt-in consent models**: Move beyond the minimum legal requirements and adopt a proactive approach by using opt-in consent for all data collection. This ensures that consumers are fully aware and agree to their data being used for marketing purposes. Don’t just stop at fulfilling the legal requirements. We’ve all seen it where companies hide away their privacy policy at the bottom of the page in size ten text size. If you’re not using an opt-in method, make it clear and easy for customers to opt-out. Trust is easily lost if customers have to go through ten different webpages and fill out too many forms just to keep their data secure. Make sure you’re leading the way and building from a place of trust. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## 2) Allow anonymous data collection Many customers like the option data-influenced personalization offers when it comes to creating meaningful and personal experiences with companies - But they don’t always want to be contacted directly or reached out to during campaigns. This issue can easily be remedied by [building personalization campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) from anonymous data. - **Anonymization and data minimization**: Implement techniques to anonymize and minimize the data collected. Use only the data necessary to achieve marketing goals, which reduces the risk of data breaches and increases consumer confidence. - **Segmentation without personal identification**: Develop marketing segments based on broad demographic and behavioral data without tying back to personally identifiable information. This allows for personalized marketing without compromising individual privacy. - **Use of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs)**: Leverage technologies designed to protect user data by minimizing personal data usage without losing the functionality of the data system. Examples include differential privacy and homomorphic encryption. 💡 ****Definition:** **Homomorphic encryption is a type of encryption that lets you do calculations on encrypted data without having to first decrypt it. When you finish the calculations and decrypt the result, you get the same answer as if you had done the calculations on the original, unencrypted data. This method keeps the data safe because it stays encrypted the whole time.* Allowing for anonymity without losing the benefits of data-influenced experiences is a great step forward in getting the best of both worlds. ## 3) Review and renew privacy policies As with everything, privacy policies are something to be reviewed, audited, and updated regularly - to not only keep up with any changes in the law but also tailor to your customer base's specific preferences and desires. - **Regular privacy audits**: Conduct regular audits of marketing practices and data used to ensure compliance with both the letter and spirit of privacy laws and to rectify any issues proactively. - **Leveraging zero-party data**: Encourage customers to voluntarily share information directly in exchange for a tangible benefit (like personalized services or discounts), ensuring data accuracy and compliance. Transparency in privacy will always make customers more willing to trust you with their data. Make sure to be worthy of that trust by using the data to improve customer experiences, without the risk of third-party influence. ## 4) Prioritize increasing overall customer lifetime value The success of personalization and privacy will be measured by the improving the [ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/) of each customer, the increased customer lifetime value, and consistency in the overall customer journey. Privacy is just another cog in the engine of customer marketing to help convert repeat customers into loyal customers, and loyal customers into [customer advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/). Think about how your privacy policies work to support a stable bottom line and work to maintain your current customer base whilst also onboarding new customers. [Turning loyal customers into raving championsCan you have customer advocacy without customer marketing and vice versa? And does that matter? Customer marketing is a natural byproduct of any successful customer advocacy program, but the reverse is not always, if ever, true.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJeni Asaba![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/anthony-delanoix-hzgs56Ze49s-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/turning-loyal-customers-into-raving-champions/) # Conclusion When building out your privacy policy when it comes to data collection and personalization, here are the key takeaways: - Build customer relationships starting with trust, emphasized through transparent data collection policies and opt-in consent models. - Implement strategies such as data anonymization, minimization, and using privacy-enhancing technologies to help create personalized marketing campaigns that respect consumer privacy. - Conduct regular privacy audits and update privacy policies to remain compliant with changing laws and maintain consumer trust by demonstrating a commitment to protecting their data. - Successful privacy practices contribute to increasing customer lifetime value and improving ROI. ### Perfect the art of market research | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-art-of-market-research-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T12:49:51.000Z ## Looking for more on market research? [How to complete startup market research: A step-by-step guideMarket research is important for all companies, but it’s especially crucial for new businesses. This is because startups don’t have the same customer base or established reputation as long-standing brands.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-29.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/connor-jalbert-ax6DaZfREYQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-complete-startup-market-research-a-step-by-step-guide/) [Five ways to support your work with market researchMarket research covers a broad variety of strategies that work toward improving business techniques that better cater to your chosen target market. In this article, we’ll cover: What market research is, and different types of market research.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-27.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/shane-aldendorff-mQHEgroKw2k-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) [Why is market research important? Five benefits of market researchMarket research provides the answers needed for orgs of any size about where to take the direction of their business, how to engage with their customers, and address pain points.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192--1--1-28.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/toa-heftiba-9n_tf0_YANE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/) ### Customer feedback management framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-feedback-management-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T12:24:38.000Z ## What is a customer feedback management framework? A [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-lab-workshops/from-customer-feedback-to-boardroom-influence-the-strategic-voc-playbook-customer-marketing-labs/) management framework is a strategic tool that helps organizations systematically collect, analyze, and act on feedback from customers. It's more than just reading reviews and ticking boxes, this framework is your blueprint for understanding what your customers really think, identifying improvement opportunities, and making [data-driven](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/data-driven-storytelling-transforms-marketing/) decisions that drive satisfaction and loyalty. In short? It’s the difference between *hearing* your customers and actually *listening* to them. ## What’s inside the template? This framework provides a structured process to manage customer feedback effectively from start to finish. Here’s what you’ll find inside: - **A mapped-out feedback journey:** From surveys and support tickets to social media and online reviews. - **Feedback source matrix:** Organizes feedback by type, channel (e.g., support, social, surveys), and priority level. - **Survey templates:** Includes both general customer satisfaction and NPS-focused formats to quickly capture voice-of-customer data. - **Guided prompts and question examples:** Helps you ask the right questions, in the right way, to get quality insights. It’s a plug-and-play toolkit for collecting feedback that actually fuels your product, service, and CX strategy. ## How to use the template Here’s how to make the most of this framework in your org: 1. **Identify your feedback sources** – Use the source matrix to understand where feedback is coming from and how to prioritize it. 2. **Choose the right survey or collection method** – Leverage the included templates for NPS, satisfaction, or open-ended feedback. 3. **Assign priority levels** – Not all feedback is created equal—use the priority suggestions to triage effectively. 4. **Close the loop** – Take action and communicate back to your customers (yes, even when the answer is “not now”). Pro tip: Combine this framework with a monthly or quarterly review cadence to spot trends early and stay customer-obsessed. ## Download your customer feedback management framework ![Customer feedback management framework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2025/04/Customer-feedback-management-framework.png) [Customer feedback management frameworkCustomer feedback management framework.pdf179 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/04/Customer-feedback-management-framework.pdf "Download") [Customer feedback management frameworkCustomer feedback management framework.docx2 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/04/Customer-feedback-management-framework.docx "Download") [Customer feedback management frameworkCustomer feedback management framework In customer marketing, customer satisfaction is the foundation of success. Listening to your customers and acting on their feedback is crucial for understanding their needs, addressing their concerns, and continuously improving your products or services. T…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-56.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJe17991AacUOoirF1J6VIPEVAa71GnhiVY0bfVmpl3VO_iHIejxA7eNsGt55N19Q7GOlcQ5Ad6hz-YdpTjiKaEa4__Uu7F9UxoN9_N90sDw572vDwM-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/18hIkVfZBqaUbw6JuaIRzP9N3miI9A7TiLFutLDNUb0w/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Dean Lindsay | How to launch a great fintech-focused customer advocacy program | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/dean-lindsay-how-to-launch-a-great-fintech-focused-customer-advocacy-program-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-06-17T10:30:54.000Z > "When you're talking about customer centricity I think you're really talking about customer advocacy and how you message your product to the customer as opposed to it being jargon rich or complex language... I use that as the bench mark when I am then selling an advocacy program internally..." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Dean Lindsay, Product Marketing Manager at Third Bridge Group Limited talks about how businesses in fintech-focussed industries should approach customer advocacy. ## **Key takeaways:** - Initial steps a business should take when launching a customer advocacy program. - Common mistakes people making when setting up an advocacy program. - Unique challenges and opportunities when establishing a customer advocacy program within the fintech sector. - How to navigate compliance and privacy concerns when featuring customer testimonials and success stories in your advocacy program. ## **About the guest:** Dean Lindsay is an experienced B2B marketing professional specialising in demand generation and customer marketing. Though currently a Product Marketing Manager, Dean's career history also includes customer marketing specific roles with companies like Soldo and 8x8\. He has a particular focus in cultivating customer advocacy, driving cross-sell and upsell opportunities, and enhancing sales enablement through dynamic multichannel marketing campaigns. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Customer success story template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-story-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T13:03:06.000Z ### What is a customer success story template? A customer success story template gives you a structured way to turn a customer's results into a narrative that builds credibility with prospects, covering their background, the problem they faced, how you solved it, the results they got, and their own words about the experience. ### What's inside the template? The template covers five sections: 1. Customer background 2. Problem/challenge 3. Solution 4. Results 5. Customer testimonial ### How to use the template Work through the sections in order, using the worked example as a model for tone, level of detail, and how specific to get, especially in the results section, where real numbers do more work than general claims. Replace the example with your own customer's details as you go. ## Download your customer success story template ![Customer success story template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Customer-success-story-template.png) [Customer success story template (1)Customer success story template (1).pdf115 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-success-story-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Customer success story templateCustomer success story template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-success-story-template.docx "Download") [Customer success story templateCustomer success story template Turn your customer’s results into a story that builds credibility and trust with prospects. Creating a compelling customer success story can be challenging. This template guides you through crafting a powerful narrative that covers every key aspect of a successful…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-84e03de4-0fad-43b9-a994-fbda278f0ab5.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKFoVBgnIOcLF14UFbZuQgMHvoYz4EJcNxWoTZsHU2KM6gBgAEdUeGQucFbE9Q7nqz0mEj_P8aJSj33a0cIkwEM0g_d94c12muVYKzHlwt-qZ2QJSjt-w1200-h630-p-2d9f01a5-7736-4b19-b02f-5cd76e1bee40)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GKvkLO6byo9g5%5FC5mgr6pG6iMPkbRAIPxM2bMGCMnGU/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Elizabeth Grant | Develop customer relationships using personalization | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/develop-customer-relationships-using-personalization/ Last updated: 2024-05-31T11:21:01.000Z In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Elizabeth Grant, Director of Customer Advocacy & Enablement at Autodesk talks about the vast advantages available to you if you use personalization within your customer journey - particularly how it can impact customer relationships in a positive manner. Elizabeth Grant spoke about this topic in her full length talk at our Customer Marketing Summit in London, 2023\. You can get access to the full recorded talk using one of our [membership plans](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/). *If you want a look at our upcoming event calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)*.* ## Key takeaways - The most crucial factors businesses should consider when delivering personalized customer experiences. - How personalized customer experiences will evolve in the coming years. - Key trends that play a role in the development of personalization. - How to scale personalization efforts to accommodate a growing customer base. [Watch the episode here](https://youtu.be/5Mxsef8MlSo?si=hayfYf5TZxgvmtRn) ## About the guest Elizabeth Grant has made her home at Autodesk for the last 11 years of her career, first beginning as a Support Specialist, before moving into the role as Director of Customer Advocacy & Enablement just over a year ago. She had had the privilege to work alongside some of today's greatest engineering minds to partner through technology with leaders in the Construction, Architecture, Engineering, Design, Manufacturing and Media & Entertainment space. ## Join the conversation What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### The secret to customer loyalty: How to deliver personalized experiences built on trust URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-loyalty-deliver-personalized-experiences/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T08:39:40.000Z This article comes from **Elizabeth Grant**’s insightful talk, ‘*Providing personalized customer experiences*’, at our **2023 London Customer Marketing Summit**, check out her full presentation [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2023-2/?wchannelid=ui6yf6c9kf&wmediaid=n3cwmat7k1). --- Earning loyal fans who keep coming back and who spread positive word-of-mouth is the holy grail for any business. But how do you cultivate that coveted loyalty in an era of endless options and skyrocketing customer expectations? The answer lies in **personalization**. Delivering experiences *precisely* tailored to each customer's unique needs, challenges, and journeys. Experiences built on a foundation of trust, transparency, and genuine understanding, that's the real secret for transforming cold prospects into [passionate advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tag/customer-advocacy/). As the **Director of Customer Advocacy** and **Enablement** at **Autodesk**, I've witnessed firsthand the power of prioritizing personalized customer experiences above all else. So, let me walk you through why this is so critical … ## **The power of the customer's voice** ### While some might assume [purchasing decisions](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) are mainly about the price point or the features, the reality is that they’re highly emotional choices. If you've had a poor experience with a company, you're much less likely to want to continue doing business with them. But if that company delivers a consistently positive experience? That breeds clear loyalty and retention, and retention matters **a whole lot more** these days than acquisition. That's why we put heavy emphasis on first listening to and understanding the voice of our customers through a comprehensive program. We gather data and insights across a multitude of channels - surveys, product usage data, feedback direct from the employees interfacing with customers daily, and our customer advisory boards. The key is standardizing and unifying all of those inputs so we can analyze all this information holistically. Then we think about, > *What are the top needs, pain points, and priorities across our diverse base of designers, architects, engineers, contractors, and manufacturers?* Once we've prioritized those insights, we work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to map out investments and initiatives to outline how to make the biggest positive impact. [Unleash the power of customer stories: Real advocate voicesHow a product or service positively impacted someone’s life or business always tugs at the heartstrings more than any stats or corporate speak. Customer stories bring that emotional connection and credibility that keeps us engaged.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTiffany Knight Raymond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/11/johannes-plenio-E-Zuyev2XWo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/) ## **Creating personalized touchpoints** ### But analyzing the data is really just the first step, the next critical step is activating [personalized engagements ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/)and experiences based on those insights you’ve gathered. We don't view marketing, sales, and customer success as operating in separate silos anymore. Instead, every team and employee interacts with customers through the lens of delivering a unified, exceptional experience tailored to their needs at that moment. By adopting this mindset instead, our marketing and communications teams are empowered with the customer voice data, using it to create highly targeted campaigns, content, and messaging that speak directly to audiences' top priorities and challenges. We aim for every customer interaction, no matter the channel, to reflect a deep understanding of who they are and what they need to be successful. We also make sure to continue that two-way dialogue through our customer advocacy programs where we bring users in for feedback loops. We're not just looking for the positive stories, we’re also trying to surface points of friction so we can have open conversations about where there's room for improvement. That validation is truly **invaluable** for informing future improvements. [Get internal support and buy-in for VOC technologyWho hasn’t had a hard time purchasing technology to support your work and the data you use? One of the biggest struggles at the moment is that you can’t get everyone to align on what the actual value of your team is, and what the business impact is going to be.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAri Hoffman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/neil-thomas-SIU1Glk6v5k-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-get-internal-support-and-buy-in-for-voc-technology/) ## **Transparency builds trust** ### One of the most important things I've learned is that being fully transparent, even about gaps or areas you can't fully deliver on, is vital for building and maintaining trust. There will inevitably be some customer requests that we simply can't action because they don't align with Autodesk's broader strategy and direction. Rather than avoiding those conversations, we actually embrace them head-on with honesty about our reasoning and our wider roadmap. Those candid dialogues demonstrate our commitment to putting the customer first and doing what's best for their long-term success, even if it's not what they want to hear at that specific moment. Customers really appreciate the transparency and the opportunity to stay aligned, and it’s that openness that solidifies the relationship and fosters trust. [How to measure the success of your customer advocacy programBeing able to successfully measure your programs is what’s going to help you unlock more headcount, resources, and budget and be seen as a trusted partner and resource across your organization![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/12/miguel-a-amutio-ngZ4V-myG5s-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-customer-advocacy-program/) ## **We're all customer advocates** ### Ultimately, I've come to believe that everyone should be adopting a customer advocacy mindset, not just those of us with the actual title. It needs to be ingrained into every role, team, and department, and woven into the fabric of your customer marketing. The best way to do this is through cultivating marketing and customer success' tight partnership in executing voice of the customer insights. Our technology and product teams are equally involved in close feedback loops and building roadmaps. Even functions like HR and finance are aligned on hiring, enabling, and rewarding employees based on their ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences. We all need to play a part in actively listening, understanding customer needs, creating personalized value, and building trusted relationships. It’s that consistent, cohesive commitment from everyone that’ll allow us to foster the deep loyalty that drives sustained business success. I've experienced firsthand the powerful impact investing in customer success can have, both for individual users and companies, coming in as an architecture student grateful for design tools, and becoming a decade-long customer advocate. ## **Final thoughts** ### Looking back, there were many factors that contributed to my evolution from customer to loyal advocate for Autodesk's solutions: the professional value and skills I gained, certainly, but even more so the consistent sense that my needs were truly understood and prioritized. There was always a positive experience waiting for me as a customer. Every engagement reinforced the feeling that they weren’t just trying to sell me tools but were partners committed to my ongoing training, enablement, and ultimate success. The same principles apply to businesses selling to other companies, not just individual consumers. By prioritizing the delivery of exceptional, personalized customer experiences at every stage of the journey, you stand to cultivate relationships rooted in value and trust, which only lead to retention and growth. Ultimately, investing in customer success programs, initiatives, and tools that put the voice of your customers at the center of your strategy doesn't just pay off through loyalty and revenue. It also allows you to build an army of passionate advocates driving your brand and solutions forward. So for any company striving to earn that coveted customer loyalty, here's my advice: > *Make experience personalization and trust-building a core part of your culture and operations from day one.* > > *Commit to being customer-obsessed and maniacally focused on understanding and delivering what your audiences need, value, and appreciate.* Because at the end of the day, vibrant customer relationships are the greatest commodity - and strongest predictor of success - that any business could hope for. --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1600/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) ### Is affiliate marketing worth it? The pros and cons to consider URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-affiliate-marketing-worth-it-the-pros-and-cons-to-consider/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:52:09.000Z As with all marketing strategies, it’s always worth learning as much about them as possible before implementing them into your wide [marketing plan](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-a-perfect-customer-marketing-plan-in-30-60-and-90-days/). Many marketing strategies will be more or less suited to your way of working depending on [your team and organization's priorities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/). Affiliate marketing is just one of many paths to explore when building a strong and sustainable customer marketing strategy. In this article we’ll be covering: - What affiliate marketing is, - How the rise of influencers has changed affiliate marketing, - The pros of affiliate marketing, and - The cons of affiliate marketing. Let's get going. # What is affiliate marketing? Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts. Essentially, it involves three key parties: the merchant (or advertiser), the affiliate (or publisher), and the customer: - **Merchant:** Also known as you! The creator, seller, brand, or vendor is the party that creates the products or services. - **Affiliate:** This is the individual or a company that will promote your products or services. Typically, they’ll be chosen based on the success of their platform—such as a blog, [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) account, or website—to direct their audience to your product using a unique affiliate link. - **Customer:** The customer is the final link in this chain. When they purchase the product or service through the affiliate link, the affiliate will typically earn a commission from the merchant. Affiliate marketing shares the revenues between the merchant and the affiliate. The commissions given to your affiliate will typically be earned based on performance, which might include actions such as sales, clicks, or registrations. Affiliate marketing leverages individuals to represent the face of your business and products, and as such will help to make sales based on the relationship your affiliate has with your customers. The strategy has evolved particularly with the rise of social media influencers. ## Types of affiliate marketing models Looking into how affiliates get compensated, there are a few different ways that are commonly used. As with everything, this will depend on your unique relationship with your affiliate, and the strengths that specifically support your business model: 1. **Pay-Per-Sale (PPS):** This is the most common type. In this arrangement, the affiliate earns a percentage of the sale price of the product or service they’ve promoted after a [consumer purchases](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-types-of-consumers-to-market-for/) it through the affiliate link. 2. **Pay-Per-Click (PPC):** Affiliates are paid based on the number of visitors they redirect to the merchant’s website from their affiliate site, regardless of whether a sale is made. 3. **Pay-Per-Lead (PPL):** Affiliates get paid based on the conversion of leads. The affiliate must persuade the consumer to visit the merchant’s website and complete the desired action, whether it’s filling out a contact form, signing up for a trial of a product, [**subscribing to a newsletter**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/subscribe-to-customer-marketing-dispatch/), or downloading software or files. 4. **Pay-Per-Install (PPI):** This model is often used in the software industry where affiliates earn a commission each time the software is downloaded and installed by users through their links. 5. **Pay-Per-View (PPV)/Cost-Per-View (CPV):** Affiliates are compensated according to how many views or interactions an advertisement receives. This model is commonly used in campaigns focusing on brand exposure. 6. **Two-tier:** Affiliates earn commissions on a direct sale or referral action on their own site, plus a secondary commission if another affiliate (that they recruited) also generates a sale or [referral](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/). 7. **Residual earnings:** Affiliates continue earning money after the initial sale, provided the customer continues to pay for the subscribed service or product. This model is common with memberships and subscriptions. 8. **Lifetime commissions:** Similar to residual earnings, this model allows affiliates to continue earning a commission from a client whenever the client makes purchases in the future, often for as long as the client remains with the service. Each model has its advantages and is suitable for different types of products, target audiences, and affiliate strengths. Choosing the right model depends on the specific goals and strategies of the affiliate and the merchant. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) # The evolution of affiliate marketing ## Origins of affiliate marketing While affiliate marketing has existed in some form or another since the 1980s, the first acknowledged program was launched in 1994 by William J. Tobin, the founder of **PC Flowers & Gifts**. This program used the internet to track affiliate sales, and Tobin patented the concept in 1996. This style of marketing flourished over the years but truly exploded in popularity with Amazon’s affiliate program in 1996\. This program allowed bloggers and website owners to link to any Amazon product and earn a commission on resulting sales. This affiliate program is still going strong today – you see it a lot now from social media influencers, who have their own Amazon affiliate pages with unique links to sometimes hundreds of different products. ![Image of what an amazon affiliate page looks like. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/05/jackie-aina-storefront--1-.webp) With the evolution of internet search engings, search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising became crucial strategies for affiliates. The rise of Google as a dominant search engine prompted affiliates to optimize their websites and ads to rank higher in search results, driving more traffic and sales. But there is a caveat. With recent Google updates, some styles of affiliate marketing have taken a hit, specifically in the form of written content. With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, Google has been working hard to counter the influx of low value AI written content. [AI and customer service: Where do you draw the line?Positions like customer marketing, customer success, and other customer-facing roles, rely a lot on face-to-face interaction with customers to maintain meaningful relationships and improve overall customer lifetime value. But does the presence of AI impact this?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/possessed-photography-JjGXjESMxOY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/) One Reddit user wrote about[**their own affiliate marketing story**](https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/comments/16tljr6/i%5Fgot%5Fhit%5Fby%5Fthe%5Fgoogle%5Fupdate%5Fand%5Ftotally/) and the issues they face with the more recent Google updates. They speak about how they wrote a few simple how-to articles that skyrocketed to No.1 on Google for their chosen keywords but that they didn’t write for value to their readers: > *“I wrote some very simple and basic articles and included how-to and FAQ snippets on all of them. On the how-to guides, I did not even have step-by-step images or videos...The content would be thin and aimed at converting the affiliate links. Most people would skim the blog, click one in the top 3, and purchase it. A gold mine that deserved to run dry!”* But with Google’s more recent updates, adding in FAQs and topical headers was no longer enough: ![Bullet list of the important ways to provide value to customers within blog posts and keep the Google rankings high. Including meaningful reviews, high-quality how-tos, video guides, user-first content, and more.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-17-at-11.37.37.png) With AI on the rise, the industry is seeing a push towards transparency and ethical practices; consumers are becoming more aware of affiliate marketing schemes and demand more authenticity from influencers and content creators. With Google’s support on this front, what are the pros and cons of affiliate marketing within this developing content marketing landscape. [We asked ChatGPT how it can help with customer marketing: Is this the future?ChatGPT has the power to revolutionize the way you engage with your customers, but it prompts the question, is ChatGPT the future of customer marketing?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/04/customermarketing_CMA_chatgpt_future.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/) # Pros of affiliate marketing First things first, let’s look into the pros of affiliate marketing: 1. **Cost-effectiveness:** Only pay for performance (e.g., conversions, clicks). 2. **Broad reach:** Ability to tap into a larger audience through affiliates' own networks. 3. **Scalability:** Easy to scale up or down based on performance and [budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-budget-and-where-its-being-spent/). 4. **Flexibility:** Various models to suit different marketing strategies and objectives. 5. **Influencer Partnerships:** Leveraging influencer credibility and reach for targeted exposure. ![Pros and cons of affiliate marketing](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/06/temporary-procon-table.png) # Cons of affiliate marketing But what about the cons? Here are some common issues marketers face when utilizing affiliate marketing: - **Dependency:** Over-reliance on third parties for revenue generation. - **Quality control issues:** Potential misalignment of affiliate’s methods with brand values. - **High competition:** Difficulty in distinguishing one's brand in a saturated market. - **Fraud risks:** Vulnerability to fraudulent activities that can [affect ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/). - **Complexity in tracking and attribution:** Challenges in accurately tracking affiliate performance and attributing sales. - **Sales-led vs. value-led:** Without being paired with value to customers, affiliate marketing can risk sounding like a plea for sales rather than a solution to customer needs. # How to conduct a value-led affiliate marketing strategy So, how do you avoid the common pitfalls of affiliate marketing whilst still getting the benefits of its perks for your company? We’ve put a few of our favorite tactics to make affiliate marketing work for you in the current digital landscape: 1. **Choose the right affiliates:** Partner with affiliates who genuinely resonate with the brand and its values. These should be individuals or companies whose audiences align with the business’s [target demographic](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) and who share a similar ethos. This alignment ensures that marketing feels authentic and builds trust. 2. **Make your affiliation know:** Both affiliates and the businesses they represent should be transparent about the use of affiliate links. Consumers appreciate honesty, and disclosing affiliate relationships builds trust. Regulations in many regions require such disclosures, so adhering to these guidelines is both ethical and compliant. 3. **Focus on quality content:** Encourage affiliates to create high-quality, engaging, and informative content that adds real value to the audience's experience. Whether it’s detailed reviews, tutorials, or [creative storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/), content that prioritizes the user’s needs can enhance engagement and drive conversions more effectively. 4. **Provide value to the consumer:** Offer exclusives, discounts, or special promotions through affiliate links. This approach not only incentivizes purchases but also makes the deals more attractive to the audience, providing a clear benefit to following the affiliate link. 5. **Regularly monitor and feedback to your affiliate:** Maintain an ongoing dialogue with affiliates to ensure their tactics remain aligned with the brand’s values and marketing goals. Regularly reviewing performance metrics also helps in understanding what works and what doesn’t, allowing for timely adjustments to strategies. 6. **Support your affiliates:** Provide affiliates with the necessary tools, resources, and support to succeed. This includes access to up-to-date product information, samples for review, creative assets, and possibly training in best practices. ## Customer references Customer references are also a good use of customer content, and may be considered as more authentic than a poorly designed affiliate program. In one episode, of our top podcast, Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Collette Johnson, Product and Strategy Consultant, about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discuss some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into. Listen to the full thing below. 👇 [Why customer references are important, and how best to use them | Customer Marketing Catch-up“Customer references really are about bringing someone in and starting them on that journey toward customer advocacy.” We talk to Collette Johnson about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discuss some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/6.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/) ### 4 powerful examples of brands using customer content to deepen connections URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T09:37:44.000Z Customer marketing is the great connecting force between customer success and marketing teams and is a fantastic knowledge for making customer relationships work for you. There are a few great types of content that big brands use time and again to connect with their audience; we’ll go through a few examples in this article. If you know how to connect with an audience by promoting them and your products simultaneously, and then making that the heart of your content marketing strategy framework, you’ll be creating ads that truly connect to the heart of your audience. In this article, we’ll go through how to deepen audience connection with: - [User-generated content from **Apple**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/#:~:text=stories%20from%20Slack-,User%2Dgenerated%20content,-User%2Dgenerated%20content) - [Customer-inspired content from **KFC**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/#:~:text=used%20the%20hashtag.-,Customer%20inspired%20content,-Customer%2Dinspired%20content) - [Authentic customer demos from **Fbreeze**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/#:~:text=brand%20identity%3A%20chicken!-,Authentic%20customer%20demos,-Product%20demos%20make) - [Utilizing customer stories from **Slack**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-powerful-examples-of-how-brands-use-customer-content-to-deepen-connections/#:~:text=of%20the%20product.-,Utilizing%20customer%20stories,-After%20that%20initial) # User-generated content User-generated content is anything that has been created by your customers that supports, celebrates, or recommends your brand to others. This can be anything from a photo on social media to contributed articles, case studies, testimonials, and reviews. These are a great way to connect with audience members as such content promotes your brand through the eyes of someone who has already experienced the value of your products but also promotes and supports your customers as well. ## Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign Apple has been the top brand in the tech industry for years since the first introduction of its iPhone in the 2000s. One of the key features that put this phone above others was the introduction of a camera on the device. This was part of what kept the company in the top spot until questions about the quality of its camera came out with the introduction of higher quality phone cameras from other competitors like Samsung. In response to this, Apple launched a campaign with the hashtag [#ShotOniPhone](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/shotoniphone/). This campaign launched in 2022 by Apple now has nearly 30 million tags, and is almost exclusively user-generated. This rather underwhelming first advert sprung into action a huge variety of interactions with this tag. Apple had aspiring and professional photographers taking part in the hashtag to enter the competition connected to the hashtag. The company also had many others turning the ads format - the song and end title card - into a meme format with wildly varying footage preceding it. Such a format seemed to be key to success, as millions of people used the hashtag, and about 70 million interactions were recorded with posts that used the hashtag. # Customer-inspired content Customer-inspired content comes in many forms but is usually something created by your brand, inspired and using customer stories, comments, or sentiments to create a more genuine and impactful feel to the campaign. This is a good way to connect with an audience, as it proves you’re listening and reading things your customers say without needing to have invested and concrete interactions with all of them. ## KFC’s Christmas turkey advert In 2023, KFC used customer tweets and social media comments to add to the message of this advert. Each of the customer comments was asking when KFC was going to release a turkey burger for Christmas. In a satisfying twist, the ad ends with this tag: “We saw you, we heard you… and we ignored you”. This ad was actually promoting the Stuffing Stacker Burger instead but used the build-up of customer anticipation to create a humorous twist from the original advert format. The reaction to this advert was incredibly positive. Many found it a funny way to prove KFC is listening to its audience while sticking to one of the core parts of its brand identity: chicken! # Authentic customer demos Product demos make up a large bulk of traditional advertising formats. Showing how a product works and the solution it solves are the most important things to show to any potential customer. But there are ways to make these demos more authentic and interesting. Demonstrations at events, having customer advocates present how they use your product, and other demos work well. Involving customers in these demos means they’re getting first-hand experience on how easy/hard the learning curve is for your product. With customer advocates and customer ambassadors, you can even introduce these demos before the official launch, offering exclusive beta-testing sessions for those invested in your company's success. ## Fbreeze ‘Breathe Happy’ experiment Fbreeze has an added challenge with its product, as it’s notoriously difficult to demonstrate small in a visual format. However, the ‘Breath Happy’ social experiment offered a unique solution to this issue. In this ad, gone are the crystal clean white home sets, and colorful scent lines. Instead, Fbreeze brought selected people into disgusting and dirty settings and had them smell their surroundings. In the ad, you can see these people leaning in to smell the dirty food and objects surrounding them, but only smelling the nice floral scent of the Fbreeze sprayed in the room. Using reactions from real people, as the ad states, and the contrast of their reactions to the dirty surroundings worked well to emphasize the effectiveness of the product. # Utilizing customer stories After that initial purchase, customer marketers are dedicated to following and encouraging customers through the customer journey lifecycle and helping them come out on top as advocates for your brand. Keeping an eye on particularly positive customer experiences, and reaching out to learn more about the positive changes impacted by your products, is almost guaranteed to get you some great customer stories to share with others. Customer stories also offer a chance for your customers to promote themselves too, particularly if you’re working in a B2B space. Showcasing how your brand’s product and services have improved their work processes also promotes the improvements they’ve been making in their own company. ## Slack’s “So yeah, we tried Slack…” advertisement Slack and Sandwich video worked together to create this advert promoting the use of Slack in the workplace as an alternative to email. With over 1.3 million views, this video works on the premise of the ‘If it ain’t broke, why change it?’ mentality and turns it on its head. Sandwich is an advertisement production company, and this video showcases its skills and humor as well as promoting Slack at the same time. It is accompanied by an extremely simple caption: > “*We tried to get Adam and the Sandwich video team to make us a video. They didn't want to because "products like that never work." Six months later, they were using it. Seven months later, they were in love. A month after that, they were shooting this video …”* This encompasses the ideal customer to case study pipeline if ever we’ve heard it, and the results of this genuine video that imbued both the customer’s and the brand's personalities, values, and sentiments make it the perfect example of how to use customer testimonials and stories in the most effective way. ## The fundamentals of compelling product storytelling Storytelling is an essential part of customer marketing - it's pivotal to introducing your product, service, and value proposition to your target audience, and reinforcing it for your existing customers. ‌This eBook focuses on **six** areas that’ll help you and your team tell compelling stories that’ll resonate with your audience. **Download your copy and learn how to tell a story that’s *impossible* to ignore...** ### How to make the Voice of the Customer work for you | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-voice-of-the-customer-work-for-you-video/ Last updated: 2024-08-30T15:41:25.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [The importance of VoC in your customer and market research“We’re really looking for the voice of the customer when it comes to feedback when it comes to their experience and their sentiment around your organization and how that impacts their willingness to collaborate with you on things that extend beyond just buying your products or services…”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research/) [Where VoC fits in with customer and market researchThe goal of a customer and market research program is to drive growth. This is possible by using feedback to drive company changes that attract and acquire more happy customers, who are more likely to renew.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/clint-adair-BW0vK-FA3eg-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-voc-fits-in-with-customer-and-market-research/) [What does VoC stand for? The core of good marketingKeeping up with customers in today’s era isn’t easy. However, familiarizing yourself with Voice of the Customer (VoC), what it is and how you can invest in a program to implement it, can help you identify and fulfill customer needs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/kelly-sikkema-ZLc9yTIFzNk-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-voc-stand-for-the-fundamental-core-of-good-marketing/) ### Winning hearts and minds: The secret to building brands that last URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-hearts-and-minds/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T08:39:22.000Z This article comes from **Tobi Demuren**’s insightful talk, ‘*Value of winning hearts and minds*’, at our **2023 London Customer Marketing Summit**, check out his full presentation [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2023-2/?wchannelid=ui6yf6c9kf&wmediaid=2a4fxz47qq). --- Have you ever stopped to think about what makes certain brands so valued? I'm talking about the ones that inspire insane levels of [loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/) and turn casual [customers into evangelists](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-references-how-to-find-and-grow-invested-customer-advocates-2/). This kind of brand has people lining up to drop absurd amounts of money on stuff they definitely don't need—but just *have* to have. You know the ones I'm talking about. As marketers, unlocking that level of fervent adoration is the holy grail, right? Well, I’ll let you in on a secret: the brands that truly win hearts and minds all have one thing in common... They start with the **human** stuff. That might sound a bit too simple in our era of AI, big data, and disruptive technology, but trust me, getting back to the core of what makes us tick as people is crucial. Let me explain… ## **The rise of Apple** ### One of the greatest turnaround stories of the modern era has to be Apple's renaissance after Steve Jobs returned as CEO in 1997\. The company had clearly lost its way, trailing behind competitors with a startling **58%** decline in share price and **80%** drop in market value between 1992 and 1997\. With Apple almost on the brink of bankruptcy, a drastic turnaround was desperately needed. Jobs knew the key was winning the hearts and minds of Apple's customer base. As he told employees, > "*Marketing is about values...we must be clear on what we want them to know about us*." Fast forward to today, and Apple is the most valuable company ($3 trillion market cap) and brand in the world, with iconic products we use daily, and it all started with getting back to their "why." ## **The power of values and personality** ### If we suspend our disbelief for a moment and imagine companies as single human beings, the first questions we'd ask are: > *Who are you?* > *What do you stand for?* > *What excites you?* > *Why do you do what you do?* Because, like any human relationship, a brand's values are the critical first step in winning over minds, and how we express those values through personality and actions is how we win hearts. **Take a pause here and think of your favorite brand.** Chances are, you know they're crystal clear about who they are, and what they believe in - and that core identity never wavers. Apple, for instance, has been constantly committed to simplicity and defying conventional thinking since day one. This process of developing brand affinity directly mirrors how human friendships form, as C.S. Lewis beautifully describes: > "*Friendship arises when two or more people discover that they have in common some insight or interest which others do not share, and which till that moment, believed to be his own unique treasure or burden*." To win hearts and minds, businesses must make it unmistakably clear who they are, what they care about, and what they admire—with tremendous personality and conviction in a way even a toddler could understand. Take Nintendo as another prime example. To the casual observer, you might think they're just a video game company intent on bringing mustachioed plumbers into our living rooms. But you'd be wrong. Nintendo's stubborn adherence to the values of simplicity, bringing people together, and prioritizing fun over technical arms races led to the wildly innovative (and wildly successful) Wii console. As Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's president at the time said: > "*If we make our virtual experiences more simple, more accessible, we'll open up video gaming to a whole new audience currently alienated by the increasing complexity*." That focus on approachability over empty power unlocked incredible innovation. [Unleash the power of customer stories: Real advocate voicesHow a product or service positively impacted someone’s life or business always tugs at the heartstrings more than any stats or corporate speak. Customer stories bring that emotional connection and credibility that keeps us engaged.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceTiffany Knight Raymond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/11/johannes-plenio-E-Zuyev2XWo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/) ## **Building authentic relationships and community** Continuing our company-as-human-being metaphor, the second key is valuing and fostering authentic relationships and community. Every marketing interaction should be an [opportunity for connection](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/heres-why-all-customer-marketers-should-be-aiming-to-build-a-holistic-customer-advocacy-community-2/) because we all have an innate need to feel valued, seen, and heard. There's no greater pleasure than being part of a group where you can be your unfiltered self. It would be hard to find a better example of this "circle of belonging" than Salesforce and its thriving "Ohana" community (the Hawaiian word for extended, chosen family). They've created an ecosystem where customers, developers, and employees feel empowered, nurtured, and proud to be part of something bigger than themselves. During my time at IBM's Salesforce practice, I was fortunate to meet someone who embodied this spirit: Gemma Blezard. Not only was Gemma technically brilliant, but she also had an infectious passion for mentoring others on the Salesforce platform—particularly women looking to break into engineering roles. She founded an organization called “Ladies Be Architects” to help provide that supportive circle. What struck me most was how the wider Salesforce community rallied around and championed Gemma's efforts. They understood that nurturing those human connections is the glue that holds success together, appealing to our fundamental desire for belonging. When brands foster that level of advocacy—you can feel the relationship transcending a mere transaction. It's genuine and mutually valued, which should be the goal of any marketing strategy worth its salt. [Jeni Asaba | Building relationships at scale: Vital tips to help you tie people to your community | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Jeni Asaba, Head of Community at Jamf, about some of her vital tips to help tie people to your community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--2-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## **Zig while others zag** ### My last piece of advice for winning hearts and minds? Don't be afraid to take a risk and “zig” when the competition is “zagging”. Making a memorable impression often requires an unconventional approach. One of the most famous examples is Nike's controversial 2018 "Dream Crazy" campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. For those who need a quick refresher, Kaepernick was the NFL quarterback who began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. Despite being one of the league's top talents, no team signed him after that. As Nike approached the 30th anniversary of their iconic "Just Do It" campaign, they made the daring move to make Kaepernick the face of their new "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything" message. The backlash was severe, with boycotts and burned Nike gear. But, the company stayed resolute, believing in the core idea of inspiring athletes to have courage in their convictions. Their boldness paid off. Nike's online sales surged 31% in the weeks after the launch, their stock price hit an all-time high, and the campaign won the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. Once again, Nike demonstrated that intelligent risk-taking and having the audacity to take a stand can be the cornerstone of an unforgettable marketing strategy. ## **Conclusion** ### At the end of the day, winning the hearts and minds of our customers is the throughline connecting every iconic, enduring brand. The authentic stories we tell, the values we embody, and the communities we foster will always be paramount. As marketers, we sometimes get caught up chasing shiny new tactics and lose sight of those fundamental human truths. We'd all do well to step back, ditch the jargon, and remember that at our core, we're storytellers tasked with connecting people through shared experiences, beliefs, and emotions. So let's craft the kind of genuine, values-driven brands that inspire fierce loyalty, and let's foster the sorts of inclusive communities that make people feel truly seen and understood. Because at the end of the day, that's the real "secret" to winning hearts and minds—being human. **Now, who's ready to get to work?** --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1600/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) ### How is customer marketing structured, internally and externally? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-is-customer-marketing-structured-internally-and-externally/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:52:59.000Z Our Customer Marketing Industry and Salary Reports will be launching at the end of this year, but we wanted to give you a sample of the kind of data you can expect from these reports. In this article, we’re going to go through the global presence of customer marketing, and how customer marketing teams are structured in 2023/24. Psst…. Our survey for this year’s reports is out now. If you haven't already, we'd love for you to take the survey - the more responses we get, the better the reports we share with you and the rest of the community will be! [Customer Marketing Salary and Industry Survey 2024Our State of Customer Marketing and Customer Marketing Salary surveys have been instrumental in collecting the data we share with you in our reports; though the surveys are now merging into one, none of the invaluable insights from our reports will be lost. 💪![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/CMA_Salary_and_Industry_Report_2024_Meta.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-and-industry-report-2024/%C2%A0) ## **Global customer marketing presence** Of the customer marketers surveyed in this survey, we began by getting an idea of the global presence of customer marketing. The majority of customer marketers that took our survey were primarily based in North America, making up **65.2%** of participants. In a distant second, **10.1%** were from the United Kingdom, **8.7%** were from South America, and **7.2%** were from Europe. ![Global presence of customer marketing](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/s1IJ9lEopAYtWocJM3WKXcrzNYvDIPo3t1uo9ApOlWarau2zGfWIwvJC0VLLm1g_xXT9I5PrYufr7JEkVM--pLJ_5NCqGM-hAZR5ZTOhrNvoSN8D3LcPB5vI3DOMNC9neVeA1u7qc_sm15JmSEirmfQ) ## **Presence in types of businesses** The most frequent customer type remained overwhelmingly B2B, **92.8%**, compared to **96.4%** last year. Only **1.4%** of participants were B2C, with the remaining **5.8%** catering to both. Those that supported SaaS products remained the majority this year at **82.6%** compared to last year’s **89.3%**. Only **4.3%** of participants promote physical products, with **13.1%** supporting both. ### **Stage of growth** Stage of growth is one of the first indicators to show how things have developed one year on. Last year, **50%** of those that took the survey worked at mid-growth companies. This year, it remains a small majority at **39.2%** but is closely followed by the late growth/scale-up stages at **31.8%** and enterprise at **18.8%**. ![Growth stage in which customer marketing is common](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/FfKnDetOMB00FWUJeaDWPRrxWZQ7RyoF-_BG1OHhUWmVuL5rwftw_5lrzd5_uKi7OK48Q4LJ1hZumBti0UVBLDJyhspbBvAY8MM9ahBxTAHvkNYD9fjDJq59K2D2vo6d5YWm6tyQNxTPrlIEIkzhOEQ) *N.B. While none of our participants were from companies at the pre-product fit stage last year, 1.4% of participants came from this early growth stage this year.* ## **Variety of job titles in customer marketing** This year, we had a broader range of job titles among those we surveyed, but the largest percentage of participants were Sr. Manager of Customer Marketing at **27.5%**, with the roles Customer Marketing Manager **(20.3%)** and Director of Customer Marketing **(15.8%)** making up the next largest percentages. Last year, Head of Customer Marketing and Customer Marketing Manager made up **17.4%** of the percentage respectively. But this year, Head of Customer Marketing dropped to **11.6%**, while Customer Marketing Manager increased to **20.3%**. Notably, there was an increase in the variety of specialists within the job titles we observed, namely those that included Specialist, Analyst, or Consultant. There was also an increase in more senior titles within the survey group with titles such as Head or Director. ![Variety of job roles](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/TuqihgUCHfdN7U9G299BNfrZhGMKEgSXewIYmY2sdsASp4cjn4mrCW_N-PzRpx_I7HRfdFwm8y8cq527P1aZYpMmHPq6_VAxvfZbeXufT5hHkxEXRPCPalPdz59E5-5x4JFgpLSUeOUvZzBvfxy--yg) *N.B. The job titles that make up ‘Other’ (16.4%) include Community Manager, Customer Advocacy Manager, Director of Client Experience, Senior Customer Marketing Strategist, Consultant, Director of Customer Advocacy, and Director of Client Experience.* ## **Presence in different Industries** With our larger survey pool this year, we had a more varied spread of industries represented within it, with Computer & Networking, and eCommerce emerging as categories (albeit, only making up **2.9%** of answers each). Advertising & Marketing made up **10.1%** of answers compared to **7.1%** last year. This year, we combined the two largest categories (Software & Technology, and Technology & Services) to make up a more comprehensive category we’ve titled Software Services & Technology Information. Last year, Software and Technology Information made up **57.1%**, with Technology and Services coming in at a distant second at **17.9%**. This year, however, Software and Technology Information made up a smaller **44.9%**, with Technology and Services making up a larger percentage or **23.3%**. Combining these percentages, we can see that Software Services & Technology Information industries make up a marginally smaller **68.2%** compared to the **75%** from last year. ![Industries in which customer marketing is common](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Zotc-IzMBtmlyjyhtGgrjmf-9JuhiX5Gep2XBJUMypyaykSHUUOGyPVNZfkqv0DVbGWv4nErHSHX9lMY22NtK0Fo0-Cp6k6tD8Auq8hPS24CVA940y23NWpUKGXQKMelwWca13bvPldaOQ6PLWcoCtQ) *N.B. The answers that made up the category of ‘Other’ included Educational Services, HR, Consulting, Security, and Healthcare.* ## **Level of experience** **36.2%** of the participants had three years or less of experience, a **4.1% increase** from last year. Second were those that had between four and six years of experience **(31.8%)**, with and jump to those with over ten years of experience in third place at **21.8%**. ![Years of experience common for customer marketers.](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/AKJB-p0fF1AKWaPpZPszIi7tXOIcxyQ7PoX2Sbkb8tJ242RzoH7OOue6tacqXuhezwI6MgnwFaGAvB_Fs7PiFing31GuIS-X9s_cuQgBY7DgcyBM_T_M6bm9hGozujuW4T9tjajT83zRPfo5jdfi6rM) Unlike last year, where we found a relatively even divide when it comes to the level of experience, this year, nearly two-thirds of our participants have between one and six years of experience **(66.6%)**. ## **Past education** Looking at the educational background of our participants, it’s perhaps understandable that the highest percentage studied Business, at **21.5%**, due to the nature of the role being most prominent in B2B businesses. Interestingly, joint second, we had Journalism **(10.8%)** and English **(10.8%)**. In fact, we found that **30.8%** of participants had a background in humanities rather than social science like Business and Marketing. This is an encouraging set of data as it implies that customer marketing doesn’t require a specific background to get access to the role, making it more available for a variety of personalities, people, and backgrounds. Communication and Marketing made up the same percentage of **9.2%**, making up a combined **18.4%** of answers. ![Past education for customer marketing](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/ThWaZ9tzrJHs7Lj7mUlKIJlFCAmAmbJjZZtYCPW1dPSjleuI1blhvmMrc5dMm9sC85WqMGOeR6odji1wyIgup8_oKPcSidZ0vuBPYQeD5MOjoEzVGdS7SAEwV402oXosdK_gbbHjDg2e2k-bqYPhnqk) *N.B. Those that selected ‘Other’ studied things like Accounting, Economics and Ethics, Finance, Media, Biology, Theatre, and Liberal Arts.* With the wide variety of subjects studied, it’s fair to say that people can get into the role of customer marketing from a variety of different avenues with the presence of things like Journalism and History alongside Business and Marketing. This leads to the question - why is marketing so low? More people in humanities move to customer marketing than those who had an actual marketing degree - This perhaps shows the importance of a customer marketer’s ability to interact with and build customer relationships over all else; humanities subjects like English and History provide equal transferable skills, like communication and analysis, that suit the needs of a customer marketing position. ## **Customer marketing in different company cultures** There were some other notable changes this year in company culture among our participants. While the majority remained the same, being product-led at **40.6%**, the inclusion of customer-led companies dropped from **30.8% to 17.4%**. The percentage of sales-led companies, however, remained very similar at **30.4%** this year compared to a **30.8%** last year. Marketing-led companies remained the lowest represented out of the majority groups at **8.7%**, an increase of **4.9%** from last year. ![Company culture in which customer marketing is common](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/sQta8QqaoHIdhU2zX3LzXjOHt3vkhilqCfnO1woFi-oWlCkZAee0X_CQAgCjXwkKgs5R0TlB35IKgKow10XSvPdUaD_0t7dzYQg1CuUB4QU7qroc_zBCaeQKbze8umC-G3UUtr7QO9B3Gr2GG48t20E) Placing your customers as the heart of your business will only help you grow. Unlike sales-led processes, there is little risk in prioritizing your customer’s needs and wants when developing your company’s products and services. In fact, using a customer-led approach can have all sorts of benefits for revenue, growth, and the sustained success of your business: - **Companies taking a customer-led approach to their tech investments grow 1.8x faster than their peers.** - **Customer-obsessed companies grow 2.5x faster than non-obsessed ones and retain 2.2x more customers annually.** Without connecting your customers with your product, you run the risk of developing features that aren’t relevant to your audience. Prioritizing sales over all else gambles with the danger of overpromising and underdelivering when selling your products to your customers. Due to the change in economic conditions in the last year, this drop could be a result of companies prioritizing sales as a result; Product-led companies may have increased too due to this effect, as it is a more stable part of the company system to focus around as economic hardships are likely to result in a less stable customer base, with it being harder to acquire new customers. ## **Customer marketing team infrastructure** ### **Role in company strucutres** Beginning the discussion about customer marketing’s role in a company structure, we first asked which department customer marketing is placed in. As with last year, the majority was placed in Marketing, this year seeing a much bigger percentage at **71%** compared to the **59.3%** from last year. Product Marketing was the next highest majority again this year, with a smaller **14.6%**, an **18.7%** drop from last year. This year, we saw Customer Success **(5.8%)** overtake Sales **(4.3%)**, compared to the **3.7%** from the previous year. ![Teams in which customer marketing is placed](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/xpiSP91EbvpNaLZvF5F3Lp_okwXj4y-xqkbGKHwwIxfGocpQ7aftsPQM1OjjV0DnjfsxW5bC-f0CtepdT74ViS1CKU9fzIR7oh8uCH8ZeQc6eB3IUU3Ja1PQfA10liW1YDdUzbtgj_6yFbT9AFaFm-c) Interestingly, of those companies that placed Customer Marketing under product marketing, **40%** were product-led, and **40%** were sales-led with the remaining 20% being customer-led. Those in sales-led companies recognize the importance of connecting customer marketing - and by association, their customers - with how they’re marketing their product. It also makes sense that customer marketing is more commonly associated with another customer-facing team like customer success than sales, as the work of Customer Success Managers and Customer Marketing Managers is often reliant on customer collaboration and customer feedback for success. ### **The size of a customer marketing team** Last year, the majority of customer marketers were working as a team of one. This year, it’s refreshing to see customer marketing teams are slowly growing, with teams of 2-3 making up the majority of answers this year at **39.2%**. Though teams of one still made up the second largest single majority in the results at **36.2%**, teams of 2-5 made up **49.4%** of answers with only **14.4%** of participants working with teams of over six. ![Size of customer marketing teams](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/EN6Y8mbmnr21diyzDItPYmFOhweDRyIvhMXmJ9Kfo-ZT4IMpPXDHfCHmUh_hIi5myr7BNCd6-RgcWRJ1C0u7OYeSdVc4ZhSSDL4IK5nvw-IPE9O3nPleCHGH4ErH2nvF3qcVxw-2mE6Kv-f9O0wQxy4) When comparing team size and company size, last year we found very little correlation between the two sets of data, with both enterprise-style companies and mid-growth companies having the same range of team sizes. This year, however, we’ve found that the correlation was more streamlined. The percentage of customer marketers working solo dropped at each stage of growth, with **100%** of the pre-product fit stage being formed of teams of one, dropping to **15.4%** in enterprise companies. The same can be said for teams of 2-3, making up **50%** of post-product fit growth stages, and dropping to **30.7% i**n enterprise companies. When considering that some enterprise companies are working with small teams (as little as 1-3 people working with their whole customer base), we hope to see teams increase in size in the coming years. ### **Who do customer marketers report to?** With the formalization of customer marketing positions within organizational structures, we want to next look at who customer marketers usually report to within these structures. ![Job titles in customer marketing](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/BMbDfriL2sDAtSlWYwgVf6ALwGpNb3w1hZYLBvwSNif0NoMAyoLo5JTtrxu6v1_xbZ4KTdcTBZwn_CIo5913bC0QBxLGWLiRkS527vq4NKzM3RNqD1Wx8TXvQDnWj0W0S7GPE2mw4XAr4jNvK8IEUnQ) *N.B. Those that selected other cited answers such as Director of Content, Director of Public Relations, VP of Field Marketing and Loyalty, Head of Customer Engagement, VP of PR and Comms, along with others.* Interestingly, the largest percentages - both **18.8%** of answers respectively - were taken by Head of Customer Marketing and Head of Product Marketing. Last year, CMO was the most common answer at **26.1%**, but this year it made up only **5.8%** of answers, a very interesting change. This statistic also supports the idea that customer marketing teams have become more formalized in the past year. These teams are more commonly sitting under specific heads of departments (Head of Customer Marketing, Head of Product Marketing). As CMOs are responsible for all of marketing, seeing customer marketing be positioned under a dedicated lead, indicates that more companies are seeing customer marketing as a serious investment. Those that selected CMO, were all headed under marketing compared to the more varied answers of the other responses. For example, those that answered to Head of Product Marketing were housed under marketing, product marketing, and sales. Its seems that within the last year, the organizational structure has grown more complex despite the increased consistency in how customer marketing is placed within it. This is likely due to company growth over the last year, as we’re seeing a slight restructuring of product marketing and sales as well (as they relate to customer marketing). Factors like company culture and company size will have an impact on who customer marketers report to - as with other positions, customer marketing is molded to suit the needs of their company. We also saw the introduction of new positions this year, with Head of Brand, Head of Integrated Marketing, VP of Marketing, VP of Revenue Marketing, and VP of Corporate Marketing. ### **Cross-functional collaboration** Next we asked our participants which teams they work most closely with; they could pick up to three answers. Looking at the internal cross-functional relationships important for customer marketing, we found a surprisingly even divide between collaboration with other departments. While last year, the clear majority at **50%** worked with Customer Success, this year, it’s pretty well tied with Marketing at **31.5%**. Product **(17%)** and Sales **(19.3%)** made up very similar percentages as compared to last year. ![Teams customer marketing collaborate with](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/fV-c6vGHowxFMOhYVAcTk-j65cdhruZyXzUn5OCe5hUf5PP-Wltw9abns6DNXwf5N-008bcvUPWJlZFGlednrduifIn_TWaaZEhNcTgTOUcYrzy8eRRJ91R7sO76McA65M2GRFonMeweS0vMZAZ-QzM) **N.B.* While there was an option for participants to select ‘Other’, no one selected it.* This perhaps answers the question of the variety of positions customer marketers report to, as customer marketing seems to have responsibilities relevant to at least four other departments. This year, we specifically saw a notable increase in the connection between product marketing and customer marketing. For example, a much higher percentage of customer marketers work closely with and report to product marketing. > *“While the connection between product marketing and customer marketing has strengthened, it’s clear that both roles can stand independently as vital contributors. Customer marketing thrives as a distinct position, focusing on nurturing relationships, advocating for the customer’s voice, and highlighting their successes. By collaborating closely, we’re enhancing our ability to create tailored experiences and enabling customers to shine through compelling narratives.”* **\-Florian Engel, Director. Customer Marketing at Aiven** We talk more about the attitude toward customer marketing, and if it’s valued internally, in part six of this report. First, we wanted to know a little more about the actual responsibilities covered by customer marketing positions. ## **Ready to support this year's report?** Are you prepared to revolutionize the customer marketing landscape? Our State of Customer Marketing and Customer Marketing Salary surveys have been instrumental in collecting the data we share with you in our reports; though the surveys are now merging into one, **none of the invaluable insights from our reports will be lost.** 💪 Seize this opportunity to redefine the world of customer marketing! Share your responses now. ⬇️ ### No, customer and community engagement are not the same thing | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-and-community-engagement-are-not-the-same-video/ Last updated: 2024-08-30T15:37:27.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [Effective engagement channels for advocacy and retentionHow you approach, connect with, and build relationships with your customers is a vital part of the customer marketing machine. Picking when and where you connect with your customers is just as important as how you connect with them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_engagement_channels.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-engagement-channels-for-advocacy-and-retention/) [Decoding customer engagement scores: Understanding and improving your scoresA customer engagement score is a quantitative measure used by businesses to assess the level of interaction, involvement, and satisfaction of individual customers with their brand, products, or services.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_customer_engagement_score.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/decoding-customer-engagement-scores-best-practices-for-customer-marketers/) [Customer vs. community engagement: Know the differenceNot all forms of engagement are created equal. Understanding the distinctions between customer engagement and community engagement is crucial.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_community.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) ### AI and customer service: Where should customer marketers draw the line? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ai-and-customer-service-where-should-customer-marketers-draw-the-line/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:53:20.000Z Since the introduction of AI platforms like ChatGPT a few years ago, the widespread use of these tools has exploded into the common workplace. Chatbots have been used for years, but with predictive AI developing every day, where should we be drawing the line? Positions like customer marketing, customer success, and other customer-facing roles, rely a lot on face-to-face interaction with customers to maintain meaningful relationships and improve overall customer lifetime value. But does the presence of AI impact this? Let's get going. ## The current landscape of AI in customer service In 2023, the global AI market size was close to $208 billion. By 2030, the market size is [expected to reach over **$1.7 trillion**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1365145/artificial-intelligence-market-size/). For example, the AI platform, Attentive saw a[**128% growth** in revenue in 2024](https://channelx.world/2024/04/attentive-see-128-growth-in-uk-ai-marketing-and-personalisation/), specifically in supporting marketing brands on topics like personalization. AI has done a lot to streamline and shorten tasks for these teams. Some of the most common include: 1. **Handling customer queries** and assisting in real-time on websites, social media platforms, and messaging apps. 2. **Sending personalized email responses**, promotional messages, and follow-ups based on customer behavior and preferences. 3. **Tracking brand mentions on social media**; comments, and messages across social platforms to address customer inquiries and manage reputation. 4. **Generating and managing support tickets**, assigning them to appropriate agents, and tracking their resolution status. 5. Enabling hands-free customer support through **voice-activated assistants** for tasks like scheduling appointments or accessing account information. 6. **Suggesting products**, services, or content to customers based on their past interactions, purchase history, and browsing behavior. ## How AI is changing customer experience Chatbots are increasingly recognized as a valuable asset for customer service teams to help make their workflows more efficient. They provide a range of benefits, from **multilingual capabilities** to their **round-the-clock availability**, enabling them to serve an unlimited number of customers across various platforms. Moreover, these bots excel not only in handling multiple queries simultaneously but also in continuously learning from interactions to deliver more **personalized responses.** These AI features can also be used to gather and analyze data. [We asked ChatGPT how it can help with customer marketing: Is this the future?ChatGPT has the power to revolutionize the way you engage with your customers, but it prompts the question, is ChatGPT the future of customer marketing?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/04/customermarketing_CMA_chatgpt_future.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/) For example, they can identify common customer questions and problems allowing businesses to preempt larger customer issues and have a solution already in place. The vast amount of customer data available these days can be incredibly valuable but also overwhelming without the help of AI. It can efficiently **extract trends and identify customer pain points** in the blink of an eye, letting businesses get on with the task of developing products, services, and communications that meet their customers’ current and future needs. But where does AI fail? ## Challenges and concerns about AI There are several drawbacks of over-relying on AI in customer service positions, ones that must be taken into account when discussing the balance of AI and human input, the security of customer data, and other issues. ### Limited problem-solving While AI-powered systems excel at handling routine queries and tasks, they’re not suited to creative problem-solving. Currently, many queries brought to customer service teams will be far too complex for an AI to handle. Once a customer query steps out of the script provided to the AI, its usefulness ends. AI currently doesn’t possess the adaptability to be able to process new queries and solve them in real-time. Another issue with this is that AI can be fed incorrect data when solving customer issues, resulting in AI systems that are spreading incorrect solutions to your customers. About [**56%** of companies say “inaccuracy”](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/quantumblack/our%20insights/the%20state%20of%20ai%20in%202023%20generative%20ais%20breakout%20year/the-state-of-ai-in-2023-generative-ais-breakout-year%5Fvf.pdf) is the biggest risk posed by adopting generative AI. Yet **only 32%** of companies have systems in place for mitigating such inaccuracies. ### Issues surrounding data privacy and security AI systems rely on vast amounts of customer data to function effectively. More sophisticated platforms like ChatGPT are constantly being fed data without the permission of the owner of said data. Privacy laws haven’t quite caught up with the existence of AI yet, so there are very real ethical concerns when it comes to using data to teach these AI tools. On top of this number, only [**44.2%** of companies](https://c6abb8db-514c-4f5b-b5a1-fc710f1e464e.filesusr.com/ugd/e5361a%5F2f859f3457f24cff9b2f8a2bf54f82b7.pdf) have data governance in place and [fewer than **20%**](https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/ai-ethics-in-action) of executives firmly believe their applied AI ethics actually meet their stated values. Over-reliance on AI in customer service increases the risk of data breaches or misuse if proper safeguards and protocols are not in place to protect sensitive customer information. ## Impact on customer marketing teams And yet, despite these somewhat scary numbers, [**79%** of corporate strategists ](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-07-05-gartner-survey-finds-79-percent-of-corporate-strategists-see-ai-and-analytics-as-critical-to-their-success-over-the-next-two-years)said that technology like artificial intelligence would be critical to their success in the next two years. When it comes to marketing positions,[**88%** of marketers](https://mailchimp.com/intuit-mailchimp-finds-vast-majority-of-smb-marketers-are-bought-into-ai/) say they need to increase the use of automation and AI to meet customer expectations and stay competitive. Looking back on the ways AI has impacted customer experience, this makes sense. The ease brought by having AI bots answer the most common FAQ questions, opens up space for marketers to then prioritize more time-consuming tasks - such as those ever-important face-to-face conversations. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ### Segmentation and targeting AI is revolutionizing customer segmentation and targeting using enhanced data analysis to understand demographics, browsing behavior, purchase history, and social media interactions. Unlike static segmentation methods, AI also enables **dynamic segmentation** that continuously adapts and updates based on real-time data inputs. This flexibility allows businesses to identify and target new customer segments or adjust their strategies in response to changing market conditions or consumer trends. ### Understanding customer behavior AI algorithms excel at **identifying patterns and trends** in customer behavior that may not be apparent through traditional analysis methods. By analyzing historical data and identifying correlations, AI can predict future customer actions and preferences, enabling marketers to anticipate and respond to changing consumer trends more effectively. AI can also map out the **customer journey** across various touchpoints and channels, following a customer's path to purchase and identifying opportunities for optimization. This type of monitoring can also identify opportunities for engagement, and **provide product recommendations**. This tool will enable marketers to deliver timely and relevant messages to customers, increasing the effectiveness of certain marketing campaigns. Let’s say you have a customer who’s currently visiting an article done by a speaker at an [upcoming event](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/). Their time-on-page should let you know their interest in the topic. Their geographic location can also inform you if they’re relatively close to the event location. If the speaker or a similar topic is being discussed at your upcoming event, inform your customer in the form of a pop-up on-page. ### Personalized marketing campaigns at scale AI enables marketers to dynamically **generate personalized content** for each customer based on their preferences, behavior, and past interactions. AI-powered content recommendations can help marketers deliver personalized content suggestions, and promotional offers tailored to each customer's interests and needs. AI usually tends to offer only the broadest aspects of a particular topic, so you may have to take the time to train the AI to understand how your audience differs from the general population. AI-powered **email marketing campaigns** are very common by now. By analyzing customer engagement data and predicting the most effective content, timing, and frequency for each recipient, these AI-informed emails can lead to an increase in open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. AI algorithms optimize **digital advertising campaigns** by analyzing customer data and predicting the most relevant audiences, ad placements, and messaging. By targeting ads to specific audience segments and optimizing ad creative based on performance data, AI helps marketers maximize the effectiveness of their advertising spend. [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) ## How to maintain the balance with AI As with everything, finding the right balance between automation and the human touch is important, so let's get into how this can be done: **No. 1 - Maintain a hybrid approach:** Using a hybrid model that combines AI automation with human interaction is vital. Overreliance on AI is a surefire way to alienate your customers. While AI can handle routine tasks and inquiries, human agents must be available to provide personalized assistance for more complex issues and situations that require empathy and understanding. **No.2 - Assure human oversight and intervention:** AI-powered processes should never be left unmonitored. Human agents must review AI-generated responses, intervene when necessary, and provide additional context or clarification to ensure that customer interactions remain factual, authentic, and meaningful. **No. 3 - Upskilling your teams:** Support your existing workers by equipping employees with the skills and knowledge to leverage AI in their roles. By using AI as a tool, organizations can enhance the customer experience while maintaining a human touch. **No.4 - Transparent communication:** Be transparent with customers about the use of AI in customer interactions. Businesses should always keep their customer preferences in mind. Let customers are interacting with AI-powered systems, and provide options for engaging with human agents if desired. Transparency builds trust and reassures customers that their needs and concerns are being addressed appropriately. **No.5 - Monitor, reflect, adjust:** Establish a feedback loop to continuously evaluate and improve AI-powered processes based on customer input and insights. Solicit feedback from customers about their experiences with AI interactions, and use this feedback to refine and optimize AI algorithms and workflows to better align with customer preferences and expectations. ## To conclude… To conclude, AI is still an extremely new tool, and regulations when it comes to privacy and data protection are still struggling to catch up to this newer technology. AI is a tool that must be used with an awareness of [the ethical considerations](https://www.aiacceleratorinstitute.com/an-introduction-to-ethical-considerations-in-artificial/) behind it when it comes to customer and employee protection. AI is not going to be a tool that will replace customer service roles any time soon, and organizations should be upskilling and supporting their employees to account for these changes in technology. AI is always going to need human intervention to maintain the validity of its work so giving your existing employees the skill to work, monitor, and use AI responsibly is vital for the sustainability of your AI usage. AI can be a massive help in breaking down the more menial tasks for customer service and customer marketing professionals and can free up invaluable time in a workday for businesses to prioritize their 1-2-1 or face-to-face customer connections. Doing so will ensure more stable and sustainable customer satisfaction when it comes to interacting with your brand. ### Crack the code: The complete guide to customer segmentation | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/guide-to-customer-segmentation-video/ Last updated: 2024-08-30T15:27:04.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [Customer segmentation: What is it and how does it help?Humans have alway loved categorizing things: people, animals, just about anything you can think of. And customers are no exception. Customer segmentation is a useful tactic to better align tools and strategies with your target customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/kaitlyn-chow-9mXSfVYPmlM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) [Ultimate guide to customer segmentation.Customer segmentation is a tool used by businesses that sorts and categorizes your existing customers by certain characteristics. This tool has a multitude of benefits, which we’ll be going over in this comprehensive guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA_Framework_Tiles_segmentation_strategy.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) [The STP customer segmentation model for successToday brands need to get smart about connecting with their ideal customers. One proven strategy? The STP model for customer segmentation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/08/CMA-STP-model.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-the-basics-the-stp-customer-segmentation-model-for-competitive-advantage/) ### Competitive analysis (Porter's 5 forces) framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/competitive-analysis-porters-5-forces-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T15:58:08.000Z ## What is a Porter's Five Forces worksheet? Porter's Five Forces is a framework for scoring the competitive pressure on your business across five areas: new entrants, buyer power, supplier power, rivalry, and substitutes. This worksheet turns that framework into a facilitated session your team can actually run, rather than a slide you fill in alone. ## What's inside the template? The worksheet has five parts, plus a closing verdict: 1. Prepare before the session 2. Score each force 3. Compare target segments or markets 4. Run the session 5. After the session ## How to use the template Start with the prep section before you get anyone in a room. Naming a facilitator who isn't running the business day-to-day will push back on assumptions the rest of the team has stopped noticing. Work through the five forces in order during the session, agreeing on a score and capturing the reasoning in the notes column as you go. If you're evaluating more than one target segment or market, run the scoring table again for each one so you can compare them directly rather than relying on a single impression. Once the session ends, compile the notes into a single document and share it with everyone in the room before it goes stale. The real value is in the overall verdict at the end, so treat the scores as a means to that answer, not the finish line. ## Download your Porter's Five Forces worksheet ![Porter's Five Forces worksheet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/2026/08/Porter-s-Five-Forces-worksheet.png) [Competitive analysis framework – Porter's Five ForcesCompetitive analysis framework – Porter's Five Forces.pdf120 KBdownload-circle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/files/2026/08/Competitive-analysis-framework-----Porter-s-Five-Forces.pdf "Download") [Competitive analysis framework – Porter's Five Forces (1)Competitive analysis framework – Porter's Five Forces (1).docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/files/2026/08/Competitive-analysis-framework-----Porter-s-Five-Forces--1-.docx "Download") [Competitive analysis framework – Porter’s Five ForcesCompetitive analysis framework Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces is a simple, effective way to scope out the competitive landscape your business operates in, surfacing what’s really driving new entrants, buyer and supplier power, competitive rivalry, and the threat of substitutes. Run…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-1270130e-bbdb-4401-b107-8369d8b9b279.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJOZNjdlGICLADxPRMecFIQIn8q9Ked_jd6D34yxrmAz7Mxq8tosMemn6hWQSGsqLLPBU0YEB9Hl3BeF_NOuExpIqIZPaffyXtf12iJUGrzTFnDni-z-w1200-h630-p-1886ba5a-ce3d-440a-9fcf-5f3beacf8c8d)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P8hEWKyoxQhjbnEGtMOvQWGkFSiCHJjySmEVlfGvsXA/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Beta test survey template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beta-test-survey-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T10:19:38.000Z ## What is a beta test survey template? A beta test survey template is a set of questions designed to gather feedback from users testing a product before its official release. It helps you identify strengths, uncover pain points, and collect suggestions for improvement, ensuring your product is as polished as possible before launch. ### What's inside the template? The questions are grouped into five categories, plus a set of bonus tips for running the survey itself: 1. General feedback 2. Usability 3. Feature-specific feedback 4. Experience and engagement 5. Future improvement ## How to use the template 1. **Select your questions:** Not all questions will be relevant to your product. Choose the ones that align with your goals. 2. **Distribute your survey**: Send it to your beta testers via email, an in-app survey, or a dedicated feedback form. 3. **Analyze responses**: Look for common themes in the feedback, paying attention to usability issues and feature requests. 4. **Make data-driven improvements**: Use the insights to refine your product before launch. 5. **Follow up with testers**: Let them know how their feedback shaped the final product to encourage engagement and loyalty. ## Download your beta test survey template ![Beta test survey template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/2025/01/beta-test-survey-template.png) [Beta test survey questionsBeta test survey questions.pdf84 KBdownload-circle](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/01/Beta-test-survey-questions.pdf "Download") [Beta test survey questionsBeta test survey questions.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/01/Beta-test-survey-questions.docx "Download") [Beta test survey questionsBeta test survey questions Beta testing is a vital part of any product launch, giving you the chance to gather real-world feedback and make those crucial last-minute tweaks. The insights you collect during this phase can be the difference between a product that just about works and one that tr…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-55.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKz-m_JBbLlPDUGkpWLsB425FQMNXt_Q0ZP1J7z4wAJ7qnQSKg4OkP7tQ0Ex32N97BBIMN-IgIaFOLLzb6jp_o3ssyTuCya80dK_FP_KD3IWv4KaMbd-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/10dsFX6vCBMlaZZQ%5F0pBYlB2wV9gMJLh1xGEQeOCXLTY/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Bridging borders, inspiring customers: Key strategies for impactful global marketing programs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategies-for-global-marketing-programs/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T08:38:58.000Z This article comes from **Emi Wayner**’s insightful talk, ‘*Connecting borders, cultures, and customers: Crafting and nurturing global customer initiatives for unparalleled success*’, at our **2024 Customer Marketing Summit**, check out her full presentation [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-february-2024/?wchannelid=ye3uyguu7m&wmediaid=slpmu93qr4). --- As a creative growth marketer and go-to-market storyteller working at **Google Cloud Marketing**, I've had the privilege of spearheading winning global customer initiatives across diverse markets and cultures. In today's deeply interconnected world, the ability to craft effective global strategies is more vital than *ever* for businesses to thrive. In this article, I'm excited to share a powerful [framework](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/templates-frameworks/) and some practical insights that have helped my teams drive unparalleled success in connecting borders, cultures, and customers. From strategic planning to cross-cultural communication, leveraging AI-powered tools, and beyond, I'll equip you with all the tools you need to take your global marketing efforts to new heights. Whether you're a seasoned marketing professional or just embarking on your global growth journey, the strategies outlined here will empower you to forge powerful connections, align distributed teams, and deliver remarkable customer results worldwide. So let's dive in and unlock the secrets to crafting global customer initiatives that truly stand out! ## **The importance of strategic planning** ### Effective strategic planning lays the foundation for successful global collaboration. It's crucial to define shared [OKRs and KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) across all regions. At Google, during our annual planning process, I draft the strategy, OKRs, and metrics in a document, ensuring alignment and buy-in from everyone involved. However, simply having OKRs isn't enough, you need to align priorities to achieve those OKRs with other teams and regions. Oftentimes, global teams and regional teams may have different priorities, which can hinder the achievement of shared goals. As a leader, it's your responsibility to ensure that these priorities are aligned across *all* teams. Next, clarifying the execution plan, thinking about how and who will implement global campaigns or projects at the regional and local levels. Smaller regions may rely on resources and playbooks from the global headquarters, while local teams bring invaluable expertise in messaging, visuals, and cultural nuances. So clearly define who will execute which tasks at each level, and decide whether to adapt, modify, or create new campaigns for specific regions based on their unique needs. [Establishing a customer marketing strategy and developing advocatesLike product marketing, customer marketing can vary a lot from company to company. Customer marketing at Zendesk is a group of programs that focuses on showcasing the stories of our customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceValeria Gomez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/09/skye-studios-NDLLFxTELrU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/) ## **Establishing a clear decision framework** ### Regardless of your company's size, having a clear decision-making framework is crucial for effective global collaboration. Here's a framework that’s worked well for me: - **Identify key stakeholders from different perspectives (regions, levels, or project roles) to collect insights.** - **Define decision-makers and the escalation process for when issues arise.** - **Communicate decisions effectively to all stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment.** At the beginning of each project or campaign, I document the names of all stakeholders, decision-makers, and escalation contacts in a centralized location. This way, everyone knows who to involve and how to navigate decision-making processes smoothly. Similarly tracking, measuring success, and reporting progress are all essential to demonstrating the impact of your global initiatives and gaining leadership buy-in. First, establish clear success metrics that align with your OKRs and KPIs. If certain metrics can’t be tracked, it's better to just exclude them than relying on incomplete data. By implementing regular progress reporting, whether weekly, monthly, or quarterly, you can keep everyone informed and accountable. > *Don't forget to establish escalation protocols for addressing issues promptly, leveraging the decision framework you've put in place.* [Interacting with different cultures and regions | Learning with LeadershipFlorian Engel, Director of EMEA Marketing & Global Customer Marketing at Aiven, shares some tips on interacting with different cultures and regions both within your internal culture, and externally when interacting with customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/Learning_With_Leadership_Podcast_Asset_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/florian-engel-interacting-with-different-cultures-and-regions-both-internally-and-externally-learning-with-leadership/) ## **Mastering cross-cultural communication** ### Effective communication is the lifeblood of successful global collaboration, and mastering cross-cultural communication is *paramount*. I've found that a three-step approach works wonders: 1. **Leverage chat spaces** for casual engagement and context-setting before launching into a project or campaign. 2. **Follow up** with official emails detailing the initiative's specifics. 3. **Conduct regular global meetings** to announce, discuss, and align on the project or campaign. This multi-channel approach ensures that you cater to the different communication preferences and learning styles within your global team. However, communication also goes beyond just sharing information, it's about building genuine connections. Try implementing "Team Charters," where team members introduce themselves, and share their communication norms, feedback preferences, and work styles. This simple exercise helps foster mutual understanding and respect for cultural differences. Speaking of cultural differences, I want to share a fascinating observation with you. When collaborating with AI tools on marketing messaging, I noticed a distinct contrast between Japanese and North American approaches. Japanese messaging tends to "paint a picture" and spark imagination, while North American messaging often highlight tangible benefits and calls to action. This difference is beautifully illustrated in the recent Google Pixel 8 commercials. The Japanese ad invites viewers to "explore with Google Pixel," painting a picture of possibilities. In contrast, the North American ad takes a more direct approach: "Meet the Google Pixel 8 and Pro." Embracing these cultural nuances in messaging and visuals is crucial for resonating with your global customers and fostering authentic connections. [Harness AI’s transformative potential in customer engagementAchieving and sustaining meaningful customer engagement is more about leveraging the immense power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized, data-driven, and emotionally resonant experiences that captivate and retain customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/brett-jordan-5L0R8ZqPZHk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) ## **Embracing AI-powered tools for global collaboration** ### As marketing professionals, we're constantly exploring innovative ways to enhance our productivity and strategic impact. One area I'm particularly excited about is leveraging AI-powered tools to facilitate global collaboration. Imagine having an internal AI assistant, like a chatbot or conversational AI, that allows team members from any region to ask questions and access information 24/7\. No more hesitation or embarrassment about asking "too many questions" – this AI assistant would be a centralized knowledge hub, providing answers on everything from finding resources to understanding campaign plans and timelines. At Google, we've kickstarted an internal project to build such a platform, integrating it with our FAQs, resources, and knowledge base. While the output quality may not be perfect initially, research from MIT suggests that [using AI-powered tools can boost productivity](https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/how-generative-ai-can-boost-highly-skilled-workers-productivity#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20on%20the,who%20don't%20use%20it.) by up to **40%**. That's a game-changer, allowing us to focus more time and energy on strategic customer work, campaign planning, and driving real impact. Of course, we still need to be wary and approach AI-powered tools with a critical eye to ensure accuracy and quality control, but the potential for enhancing global collaboration and streamlining communication is really exciting! ## **Conclusion** ### As you can see, crafting winning global customer initiatives requires a truly multi-faceted approach that addresses strategic planning, decision-making frameworks, success tracking, cross-cultural communication, and embracing AI. By implementing the framework and strategies I've shared, you'll be well-equipped to connect borders, cultures, and customers like never before. Imagine the impact you could have – aligning global teams, resonating with diverse audiences, and driving unparalleled success for your organization. Here's to breaking boundaries, fostering cross-cultural connections, and achieving remarkable success in our global customer initiatives! --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Customer Marketing Summit Boston 2024 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-boston-2024/ Last updated: 2024-04-19T11:31:33.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cristina Errico | Extract more value from your customer case studies | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cristina-errico-extract-more-value-from-your-customer-case-studies-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-06-17T10:31:13.000Z In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, **Cristina Errico, Cybersecurity Customer Evangelist at Cisco**, talks about some ways to extract more value from your customer case studies. Cristina Errico spoke about this topic in her full length talk at our Customer Marketing Summit in London, 2023\. You can get access to the full recorded talk using one of our [membership plans](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pro-membership-plan/). *If you want a look at our upcoming event calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)*.* ## **Key takeaways:** - The two most unique ways to get more value from these case studies. - How Cristina has successfully used these tips in her own case studies. - Some practical ways that businesses can measure the results and ROI of customer case study initiatives. - How to balance highlighting achievements with maintaining authenticity and transparency. ## **About the guest:** Cristina Errico is committed to empowering cybersecurity professionals to make the digital world safer and more inclusive, because every voice deserves to be heard, and every hero deserves to be recognized. In order to be able to scale this, Cristina has developed a methodology of six steps to help any advocacy manager extract the maximum value from a case study and empower their customers to be recognized as true heroes. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### The customer marketing role in 2024: Responsibilities and metrics URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-in-2024-responsibilities-and-metrics/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:28:28.000Z Our Customer Marketing Industry and Salary Reports will be launching at the end of this year, but we wanted to give you a sample of the kind of data you can expect from these reports. In this article, we’ll be going through the responsibilities and metrics of customer marketing teams in 2023/24\. Psst…. [Our survey for this year’s reports is out now](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-and-industry-report-2024/). If you haven't already, we'd love for you to take the survey - the more responses we get, the better the reports we share with you and the rest of the community will be! For more 2023/24 stats, you can nab your free copy of the report that houses the statistics in this article (and many more!) below. 👇 Download the full report ## Customer marketing responsibilities Customer marketing core responsibilities remained much the same this year, with program management (23.3%) and customer feedback collection (26.7%) making up similar percentages of the answers. Customer conferences & events made up a slightly larger percentage, rising from **11.2% to 18%**. The further many regions move away from pandemic-era lockdowns, the more opportunities companies are finding to organize events to connect with customers. The increase in these kinds of events shows an increased awareness of the importance of connecting with customers face-to-face. ![Customer marketing responsibilities](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/o7Iw63js3TBiS8M2YY8UkWuwvq0Z053-bF5MxTF1stE-AVLeKuEd8m7rx9vwl2BrHuySpDtbJ-FWuS2qaDPZ2fIU7QKVj99TefrIYQ_IjwRC3yumi-JPtq-RxRYaM9phjCQOwtgL8Z7n87oAsXwKcO4) **N.B.* Responsibilities covered in the ‘Other’ section include voice of the customer, product adoption, managing investor relationships, managing client programs connected to advocacy, and lifecycle marketing.* [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### What are the biggest value drivers for your business? Using these categories, we also asked which of these responsibilities were the biggest value drivers for the business. Interestingly, customer feedback collection and cross-selling/upselling made up the largest percentages at 29% and 21.8% respectively. ![customer marketing value drivers](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/kad2DGBX73JwPdFyBwtoNV6C0m1FANMv9zfE96GIOd-7MSIAZVCKeQHVD6nNhYpFTnuzqs26nRgk3oYkgdFIKRq-5yFHKB5mgQzciww18NfftIJnBq4Pb5HwDrd9SxvddriJ1uIDNzhkL5n9RnjqUH8) When compared to the **8.7%** that cross-selling and upselling made up in the previous question, there seems to be a disparity between the responsibilities that make up the largest percentage of the role, and the ones that are the biggest value drivers for business. This may be due to a lack of resources (which was one of the biggest pain points for customer marketers last year) or may be placed under other responsibilities like program management. ### Contact with customers Looking at the change in the current business ecosystem when it comes to increased costs, and the slight drop in the percentage of advocates we noted in the last section, we wanted to see if contact with customers has changed in the last year. As with last year, the most common answers were **2-3 times a week (36.2%)** and **a handful of times a month (20.3%)**. ![Contact with customers](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/HhP0SZITCAx2z4BN1XvuEXDzPhImaHtfRbS3LKOV3QRHNbNYUf2QqA_pLUjPm4T9jn0tG38w4lw-EjBpluznai5U5-ljgGOdWCrRo5lmw-nCrYOumHGRyMLDCFCDhGyOkyJ4RxdS4RepIc7GGUoAfsA) The number of responders who contact their customers at least once a week (be it every day, multiple times, or just once) increased to **65.2%**, over a 10% increase from last year. Another notable achievement for this year is that none of our participants said they never talk to customers compared to the **3.7%** of answers last year. Given how vital customer insights are to the success of customer marketing, this is really nice to see. It’s good to see that a majority of customer marketers maintain this connection with their customers. Hopefully, we’ll see the number of participants who never speak to their customers remain zero in the future. During economic downturns - as many are experiencing this year - maintaining these customer connections needs to be even more of a priority. With the economy being what it is, it’s your existing customers that will maintain and stabilize your bottom line. Considering this was asked **Ari Hoffman** for his tips on how to maintain conversations with customers without risking burnout. He had this to say: > *“ABV - Always Bring Value — Ensure that every communication with your customers offers value and respects their time to avoid fatigue. Remember, your customer probably has 3-7 other vendors that they are dealing with at any given time.* > *Many people are vying for their attention with a limited scope of bandwidth, all while still delivering on their day job, so make sure you’re communications are always geared toward helping them grow. Share useful information, relevant news, or content that aligns with their interests and needs. Avoid purely promotional or sales-oriented messages.* > *Instead, focus on educating, entertaining, or solving problems for your customers. That doesn’t mean you can’t send the occasional ‘surprise and delight’ email that helps keep the human connection alive. It just means focusing on delivering value for them to keep the channels open and engaged.”* ## Metrics ### Team metrics Another change we saw was when we asked our participants, “What metrics does your team use to measure your efforts?”. Last year the largest percentage, **34.6%**, said they measured their efforts by acts of advocacy. This refers to specific acts advocates are asked to participate in. However, this year the metrics used were much more divided with the number of case studies taking the top spot at **17.5%**. This was closely followed by acts of advocacy **(16.6%)** and the number of testimonials at **14.1%**. At slightly smaller percentages we also had renewal rate and Net Promoter Score at **10.7%** each. ![Customer marketing team metrics](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/LYDoTlcz5PYl01ENqlAUS6ezD6P1hsudc5eHbgnywKonxRSteX9gY2spy5BKcuLBXbhYe_1B1UpJMR5f56cb0UGVm_b-BCMZI6ihn3Y2C_tqIcGMpVPZN4tAFyoDQTWJc1egmdrMJ1uwh8oOyHgC6DM) **N.B.* Answers in the ‘Other’ section included product adoption, event attendance, number of reviews, and revenue metrics.* This year, the number of customer marketers that don’t use any metrics dropped from **7.7% to 2.1%**. Last year, **Kevin Lau**, Senior Director of Global Customer Engagement, F5 stated that because customer marketing roles are about relationship-building first, the impact is usually trickier to measure: > “There’s a little bit of playing catch-up. Until the point where we have the tools, the resources, the budget to make it easier for us to do that holistically, it’s going to take some time.” Noting the drop from last year, it’s good to see that we’re already seeing the start of this catch-up - though there’s yet to be any formalized set of metrics used by most customer marketers. ### Metrics for stakeholders As with last year, we also asked which metrics would be most useful, not necessarily for measuring performance, but ones stakeholders find most valuable. Again we saw a notable change from last year, with the most common answer changing from churn rate and renewal rate to the number of case studies **(17.20%)**. This is a big increase from the **11.1%** last year. ![Metrics for stakeholdes](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/VxdqTXYqGDdgtcHm--FWI4lPzUevFi4110rsEjfsP7hMSVROBa-XEscnfs1155t2FPHIxesO1nbuFjm8TvjaDL9PJh2P-L1IYaEwEl5W5kPJ0sjoNKpo35kA3ehOr9RcwmuXURY4sbegqeQPZZPRjBA) This year the top metric for both teams and stakeholders is the same. Case studies are an interesting metric, as it’s one of the metrics that involves active participation from customers - case studies not only measure success but have a very practical application within the work a customer marketer does (when compared to other metrics like customer satisfaction, which is impacted by a variety of factors). ### Customer marketing tools When considering customer marketing tools, answers remained much the same from last year. We saw customer relationship management **(31.4%)** and messaging **(27.7%)** remain the top choices. ![Customer marketing tools](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/PkrQvTf3UfmF9J56U1nM3a1v3xj0fVR5DA1Xzg6Mi5-dZcRXDBBWBH4EMBPY6PSg5rSXibvs_VXQUQIKwPt9tdqRP8gINuNUbWPdmMKi_senGjNtaXbaktwCY2Br72PxpTKLqUCZDS2CB5qmDGxmy7o) As additions this year, we saw advocacy management tools place third **(13.4%)**, with analytics and measurements close behind **(12.8%)**. The placement of these tools is pretty self-explanatory, with how these roles rely on and actively develop customer relationships. Messaging is a very common tool for those in advocacy and marketing - and the appearance of advocacy management tools is on trend with the uptick in advocacy programs we’ve seen this year. ## Ready to support this years report? Are you prepared to revolutionize the customer marketing landscape? Our State of Customer Marketing and Customer Marketing Salary surveys have been instrumental in collecting the data we share with you in our reports; though the surveys are now merging into one, **none of the invaluable insights from our reports will be lost.** 💪 Seize this opportunity to redefine the world of customer marketing! Share your responses now. ⬇️ ### Churn rate prediction framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/churn-rate-prediction-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:26:46.000Z ## What is a churn rate prediction framework? A churn rate prediction framework helps you forecast which customers are most likely to leave your product or service before they do. This template walks you through how to use machine learning to identify patterns in customer behavior, so you can proactively reduce churn and improve retention. It’s a strategic, data-driven approach that empowers growth, customer success, and product teams to protect revenue and optimize customer relationships. ## What’s inside the template? This step-by-step framework breaks down the process of predicting churn using AI and machine learning, without requiring advanced technical knowledge. Inside, you’ll find: - **Step 1: Collecting data** – Guidance on gathering the right customer, support, usage, and contextual features to build a reliable prediction model. - **Step 2: Creating your predictive model** – Instructions for uploading your dataset to machine learning platforms like BigML or Google Cloud ML, and generating a decision tree. - **Step 3: Predicting churn** – A walkthrough for using your model to forecast churn risks across your current customer base, so you can take targeted action. From setup to prediction, the framework makes the process approachable and repeatable—ideal for teams just getting started with machine learning in customer retention. ## How to use the template 1. **Gather your data:** Start by collecting and organizing features (customer, support, usage, and contextual) in a CSV format. 2. **Train your model:** Use a predictive tool like BigML to upload your dataset and create a decision tree that visualizes churn patterns. 3. **Apply your model:** Input current customer data (minus churn status) to generate future churn predictions. 4. **Take action:** Use your predictions to create targeted retention campaigns, re-engagement flows, or account health interventions. By the end, you’ll have a clear view of who’s at risk, and a data-backed game plan to win them back. ## Download your churn rate prediction framework ![Churn prediction framework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/06/Churn-rate-prediction-framework-ss.png) [Churn rate prediction frameworkChurn rate prediction framework.pdf112 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Churn-rate-prediction-framework.pdf "Download") [Churn rate prediction frameworkChurn rate prediction framework.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Churn-rate-prediction-framework.docx "Download") [Churn rate prediction frameworkChurn rate prediction framework You can predict how likely a customer is to churn based on how recently they’ve used your service. But unless you have a very small number of customers, spending a huge amount of time manually drilling down into the data and activity of each customer just isn’t vi…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-3.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLRxZPZ26g3530VIOSMdiLes51ErIZQ8UHqRk-qJTyq3df_fm3A77g3XqA8szr64UWztXmsh8pSn0OX1WYm4SKFt3B_gx-MRpoOfT-S2KDJ0r5JNx_y-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XpvZDlabwcREKnk0n6Wcd0iCBkerQbPSiXr8RF--O%5Fc/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Customer Marketing Summit | October 2023 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2023/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:34:30.000Z Catch up on content from Customer Marketing Summit, held virtually in October 2023. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Six ways to measure your Customer Advisory Board success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:54:00.000Z [Customer Advisory Boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/) get customer marketers face-to-face time with their customers. These boards are a great opportunity to get feedback to improve the customer-facing part of your business. But how do you measure its success? Your post-CAB survey or a CAB scorecard will show how successful your customer advisory board has been. You can also include a wide array of metrics: - [Satisfaction scores](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/#:~:text=and%20more.-,CAB%20survey%20satisfaction%20scores,-This%20is%20a) - [Number of ideas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/#:~:text=Eve%20Chatfield-,Number%20of%20ideas%20implemented,-Ideas%20%3D%20Interest.%20CABs) and [changes implemented](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/#:~:text=or%20even%20members.-,Number%20of%20changes%20made%20to%20the%20roadmap,-This%20is%20a) - [Number of repeat CAB members](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/#:~:text=become%20brand%20advocates.-,Number%20of%20repeat%20CAB%20members,-Now%2C%20while%20it%27s) - [CAB members and advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/six-ways-to-measure-your-customer-advisory-board-success/#number-of-cab-customers-that-become-advocates-for-your-brand:~:text=test%20of%20time.-,Number%20of%20CAB%20customers%20that%20become%20advocates%20for%20your%20brand,-Now%2C%20as%20we) - and more. ## CAB survey satisfaction scores This is a more simple point, but no less useful. You should be used to producing CSAT surveys for existing customers. Doing a survey for your CAB then, should be a no-brainer. CABs are a much smaller group than your total customer base so you’ll be able to analyze the results in a timely manner. They also give access to specific customers so you can get a detailed explanation for their choice of answer. [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) ## Number of ideas implemented Ideas = Interest. CABs consist of customers who are passionate about your product. These customers also have a vested interest in improving your processes. Monitoring the number of ideas that come out of your CAB meetings is one metric to consider. It determines if your CAB is still [engaged and invested ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/)in your program. However, it’s also important to note that this isn’t the most accurate metric to prove success. Creativity and innovation come in ebbs and flows; you'll see changes in the number of ideas over time. But, if contributions become less with each meeting, your CAB may benefit from a change in structure, timeline, or even members. ## Number of changes made to the roadmap This is a way of seeing the results of your CAB in action. The roadmap for your company as a whole, for your customer marketing team, or other departments as a result of the ideas, pain points, and needs revealed in the CAB, is a very good indication of its success. This type of metric is best used in the long term, as ideas will often take time to implement, and then proven to be a success. Perhaps use this as a metric in a yearly or six-month review. Measure customer feedback to determine how a certain customer feels over time. Make sure to collect customer feedback and then use it to align business goals and improve your bottom line. Remember that a better experience current customers have, the more attractive your company is to potential customers. The cycle continues, and soon more and customers will reach the peak of the customer journey and become brand advocates. ## Number of repeat CAB members Now, while it's certainly important to switch up your CAB members to keep the program fresh, repeat members are also vital to the variety within your CAB. They’re the ones who’ll be the most well-informed when it comes to your company culture, your brand presentation, your company processes, and more. These are the members that will be able to build on what's come before, understand each success and failure, and then use these to help inform newer members' ideas. The number of repeat CAB members is also a fantastic indication for your CAB success as they’re direct evidence of your company’s ability to retain customers, turn them into advocates, and improve the [overall lifecycle value ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/)of your customer base as a whole. If you have a constantly rotating door of CAB members, it’s also likely that your existing customer base rotates, since those in your CAB are already the most invested customers you have. If they’re not interested in sticking around, your CAB is never going to be useful or successful. If you see the number of repeat CAB members go down, be sure to do a thorough dissection of why each one left, and how you can improve things on your end to increase that number again. Think about how to improve customer satisfactions and customer advocacy. Make sure to realign your efforts with customer centricity. Use customer satisfactions scores and customer feedback to create a more positive experience for your target audience. ## Comparison between CAB members vs other customers When we talk about making comparisons with your CAB members and your existing customer base, we mean comparing things like [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-retain-more-customers/), renewal, [cross-sell, and upsell](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/). In most cases, the customers that make up your CAB board are already your most valuable customers. These are the ones who have become raving champions of your brand; your biggest of the big customer advocates. So, if your CAB members represent a portion of your ‘ideal customers’, how does this compare to the rest of your customer base? What’s the rate of retention? What percentage of your customers is renewing at the same rate of your CAB? If the difference is big, then consider how your CAB can work to make that gap smaller. That is, after all, a common reason why CABs are created in the first place. If you begin your CAB and the percentage gap gets smaller over time, then you can consider your CAB a success. If the opposite is true, you need to go back to the drawing board. Perhaps there’s a disparity between the purpose of the CAB and what your customer base actually needs from you. Are you taking in the feedback your CAB is offering, and then implementing it in the best way possible? *Fill out the form below to download our ebook - *a comprehensive guide to customer advisory boards*. In this eBook we'll be covering these five points to get your own board established securely, in a way that'll ensure it'll stand up to the test of time.* ## Number of CAB customers that become advocates for your brand Now, as we said before, it’s common for your CAB members to be the biggest advocates for your brand. After all, these are going to be the type of customers that are invested in your company. But consider how much conversion takes place due to your CAB board. Is there a loyal customer who is close to becoming an advocate, and for whom a place on the CAB will be a motivating factor to [convert to advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/)? Do your past CAB members remain advocates of your brand after they’ve finished their time as a CAB member? These things will tell you a lot about the integrity of your company outside of your CAB, as well as your ability to retain customers and advocates once this super-engaged relationship changes to something more passive. Does your organization speak for itself when it comes to its [value to your advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/)? [How to build a successful ambassador program of customer evangelists through CABsToday, we’re going to be discussing how to build a successful ambassador program of customer evangelists, setting up customer advisory boards, case studies, and a whole lot of great things.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAnita Raj![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/12/mic-narra-RA3f0b26qwE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-a-successful-ambassador-program-of-customer-evangelists-through-cabs/) ## Listen & learn Need tips on getting stakeholder buy-in? We’ve got you. Stuck with negative feedback? Get advice on how to turn it into a positive outcome. Need some quick wins? Our templates streamline your work instantly. Get certified in **Customer Advisory Boards: Masters** **Brand-new to CABs?** We’ll show you the ropes. **CAB veteran?** We’ve got you sorted with a refresher (and we'll teach you new tricks)! 😏 This certification will equip you with the actionable tools, knowledge, and know-how needed to grasp the ins and outs of CABs. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1007lpu%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3OTA0NzM2Mi41MzIuMS4xNjc5MDQ3NzAxLjAuMC4w) ### Brand ambassador performance tracking template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/brand-ambassador-performance-tracking-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T16:33:03.000Z ## What is a brand ambassador performance scorecard? A brand ambassador performance scorecard is a reporting framework that connects what your brand ambassadors do to what it changes for the business. Most programs get measured by how many people signed up. This scorecard replaces headcount reporting with three connected layers: the activity each ambassador contributes, whether they're still getting value from taking part, and what their advocacy moves in the pipeline. ## What's inside the template? Six sections, taking you from defining your metrics through to the readout you send leadership: 1. Define what you're measuring 2. Agree your scoring definitions 3. The ambassador tracker 4. What advocacy changes in the pipeline 5. The two-way value check 6. Quarterly leadership readout ## How to use the template Start by deciding which outcome the program influences, and which single number goes to leadership; that's what stops the rest becoming an activity log. Fill the tracker monthly and the rest quarterly, agreeing your 1 to 5 scoring anchors as a team before anyone logs an entry. Then watch the two-way value check: an ambassador with strong output failing three or more boxes is the one about to stop saying yes. ## Download your ambassador performance scorecard ![Brand ambassador performance tracking template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/Brand-ambassador-performance-tracking-template.png) [Brand ambassador performance scorecardBrand ambassador performance scorecard.pdf162 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/07/Brand-ambassador-performance-scorecard.pdf "Download") [Brand ambassador performance scorecardBrand ambassador performance scorecard.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/07/Brand-ambassador-performance-scorecard.docx "Download") [Brand ambassador performance scorecardBrand ambassador performance scorecard Track and measure what your ambassadors do, what they get back, and what it moves for the business Most brand ambassador programs are measured by how many people signed up. That tells you nothing about whether the program works. This scorecard replaces head…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-912120ed-de0f-416b-a9e4-4025ad909cfe.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJqSZvq2ql6wgQDmfT7AZLs7Pu_7HW4vix_dDxSqACiNdV8vUTiGsNjpnvwRKTHgZHZ2s6YQrk7LMyOcGoVX4qMK7tbL8ZFIpQh0Q5FZ8I-fF3CY_o-w1200-h630-p-8e154e6b-812e-43ee-8714-b2d149ebb55d)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qFfstDee62iYWx0gYlmqWJ3L0HA5MabrPL6QnhL9BTE/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Five steps to harnessing testimonials for effective customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-steps-to-harnessing-testimonials-for-effective-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:54:18.000Z Testimonials are powerful endorsements that weave a narrative of satisfaction and success that resonates deeply with potential customers. They're the cornerstone of effective customer marketing, but what steps do you need to take to get the most out of them? In this article we’ll cover these five steps: 1. Identify your ideal testimonial candidates 2. Make the testimonial process easy and appealing 3. Guide customers in crafting authentic testimonials 4. Leverage testimonials across marketing channels 5. Measure and iterate for continuous improvement ## Step one: Identify your ideal testimonial candidates When gathering testimonials, you don’t want to ask anyone and everyone within your customer base. Testimonials should represent the best of your business, so it won’t do much good asking a one-time buyer or a flakey customer to [advocate for your brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-types-of-consumers-to-market-for/). So what kind of customer do you want to provide a testimonial? **Step one** is to define the characteristics of customers who are most likely to provide compelling testimonials. Look for customers who’ve experienced significant benefits from your product or service. - Are they already raving about you on [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/)? - Do they interact with you regularly? Some of the best customers to work with for testimonials (and long-form case studies) are those with a story to tell. - Did they have an issue you solved so well they’ve done a 180 in terms of sentiment toward you? - Did they have a big problem and your product was key to the solution? Also, remember to consider factors such as industry, role, and specific pain points solved by your offering. Testimonials, like other marketing tactics, work best when they’re segmented and specialized to key characteristics that make up your customer base. Doing so will make each testimonial more relatable to a specific customer segment. ## Step two: Make the testimonial process easy and appealing Now you know who you want to get to submit a testimonial, how do you go about convincing them to do so? Remember, these people should already be in the right place to want to submit a testimonial, but there are a few ways to help this process along. **Step two** is to make the act of submitting a testimonial quick and easy. Streamline the process for customers to share their experiences. This’ll begin with understanding the ways customers like to interact with you. - Do they prefer email? Phone? Face-to-face? Social media? Offering multiple channels for submitting testimonials will increase the likelihood of customers submitting of their own volition. To sweeten the deal, you can also offer incentives or rewards for customers who provide testimonials, such as discounts or exclusive access to new features. ## Step three: Guide customers in crafting authentic testimonials Even with these two steps done and dusted, testimonials may not stand up to the quality you’re looking for to support your campaigns. So how do you ask for testimonials without the testimonials themselves seeming forced or sales-y? **Step three** is to offer tips and support for those submitting testimonials. Provide prompts or questions to guide customers in structuring their testimonials. Make sure to encourage specificity by asking about concrete results or examples of how your product or service has made a difference. A short and simple reminder to your customers about the importance of honesty and authenticity. This’ll ensure credibility. You want your testimonial to come across as natural and authentic as possible. [How storytelling works to perfect customer marketingConstructing a narrative to communicate a message to an audience is one of the backbones of marketing. A gripping story can be used in all sorts of ways, by customer marketers, product marketers, sales, and everyone in between.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/joanna-kosinska-B6yDtYs2IgY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) ## Step four: Leverage testimonials across marketing channels Now we’re moving onto how to use these testimonials effectively. The first port of call for this section is to get the testimonials in front of the right eyes. **Step four** is about purposefully incorporating your testimonials into your wider marketing strategy. Begin by putting them into various marketing sites, including your company website, social media, email campaigns, and sales collateral. Customers are quickly going to get bored of the testimonial being published “as is.” To appeal to different audience preferences, vary your presentation formats to include things like videos, written quotes, infographics, statistics, gifs, memes, or case studies. As with your outreach, make sure to highlight testimonials in their relevant contexts, such as specific product pages or stages of the buyer's journey. [Connect to your customers using their own voice | Learning with LeadershipIn our third episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Steph Mills, Director of Customer Advocacy at Matillion, about how to connect to your customers using their own voice, with case studies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/4--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/steph-mills-case-studies-how-to-connect-to-your-customers-using-their-own-voice-leadership-accelerator-program/) ## Step five: Measure and iterate for continuous improvement To conclude our list, let's talk about longevity in your testimonials. Testimonials follow the same rules as other marketing strategies. They should be set up in a flexible way to shift and grow with the people you're marketing to: Your customers. **Step five** is to monitor, review, and adjust your way of using and promoting these testimonials. Begin by picking metrics to track the impact of your testimonials. These can be things like conversion rates or brand perception, but they should reflect your and your team's goals and objectives. Make sure you get feedback from customers and internal stakeholders to point out areas for improvement in the testimonial collection and usage process. Offer comparisons, and show drafts of other styles of testimonial formats to help direct your creative ideas. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_3.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) ## To wrap up Testimonials are not just a one-and-done deal but should continue to evolve as your customer's preferences change and grow. They’re powerful tools when produced and used correctly that harness both the Voice of the Customer and advocacy to support your team's success. They're a part of the vital cornerstone of effective customer marketing, and go a long way to building trust, credibility, and compelling reasons to choose your brand. ### Customer Marketing Summit | February 2024 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-february-2024/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:36:22.000Z Catch up on content from Customer Marketing Summit, held virtually in February 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Daily standup template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/daily-standup-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T13:42:07.000Z ## What is a daily standup template? A daily standup template structures the short, regular check-ins agile teams use to stay aligned, covering what got done, what's planned next, and any blockers in the way. Most standup templates only tell you what to say once you're in the meeting. This one covers the part that actually determines whether the meeting stays useful: running it next to a task board, picking the right cadence, and knowing when to switch to an async format instead of forcing everyone into the same daily call. ## What's inside the template? The template covers four parts: 1. Setting the standup up right, including a cadence tip 2. The facilitator's project overview, with a worked example 3. The attendee round-robin, with a facilitation tip 4. An async alternative for distributed or remote teams ### How to use the template Start with section one before your first standup, not during it; running the meeting next to your task board is what keeps it from turning into a status meeting. Use the facilitator's project overview to set context at the start, then move into the round-robin, keeping updates short and saving discussion for afterward. ## Download your daily standup template ## ![Daily standup template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/40/064053a7-301f-45ab-974f-9f6baeaffcc5/content/images/2026/08/Daily-standup-template.png) [Daily standup template (1)Daily standup template (1).pdf115 KBdownload-circle](https://www.productledalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Daily-standup-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Daily standup templateDaily standup template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.productledalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Daily-standup-template.docx "Download") [Daily standup templateDaily standup template Structure and facilitate a standup that stays useful, whether it’s live or async Standup meetings are a core part of any agile way of working. They’re short, regular check-ins where a team covers progress and blockers: what got done yesterday, what’s planned for today, and…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/40/064053a7-301f-45ab-974f-9f6baeaffcc5/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-a0b468c5-e142-44d3-aca0-761dee8bf534.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/40/064053a7-301f-45ab-974f-9f6baeaffcc5/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKRUVt6_SxAkDz6-Wi_0-QI_xhJBG9n4faHBa7C9fTNevL7FVORnxQhwYtRVW1PYEc4Sra7wcTndQHkiB96BIHvuiCj5IcY2DU38gl18bPOggp5rtUL-w1200-h630-p-f825f13e-3dd1-4f44-8bc0-9ba8101c6068)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nfkJpd3a0KqBI4JfMlrzeub1RXbEOU3r2%5F2Gv2W9JEA/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to calculate your customer retention rate (and increase it) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-calculate-your-customer-retention-rate-and-increase-it/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:12:00.000Z You know it, we know it, we know you know it and you know we know it, but we’ll say it anyway: repeat business is where you’ll make the real money. It doesn’t matter if you’re a B2B consultancy with a handful of major clients or an FMCG brand with millions - if you can’t get people coming back for more then you won’t be around for long. Here’s another cliche for you: you can’t change what you can’t measure, so before we get stuck into making the line go up let’s understand what the line really means. ## What is customer retention? If you sell a product, have you sold it to the same client more than once? Congratulations, you’ve just retained a customer. If you provide an ongoing service and a client sticks with you for more than a day then, yep, you’re retaining customers. There are a whole host of ways to achieve this, from loyalty cards to VIP programs, but the aim is always to have customers stay with the company for as long as possible. ## Why is customer retention so important? Well, for a start, increasing customer retention by 5% could increase your profits by anywhere from [25% to 95%](https://media.bain.com/Images/BB%5FPrescription%5Fcutting%5Fcosts.pdf?ref=productmarketingalliance.com). Retaining customers is significantly cheaper than finding new ones and your accountant will be glad of the consistent, often predictable income. It doesn’t just affect your bottom line though. [Customer retention](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-retention-rate-and-boost-customer-loyalty/) has all kinds of benefits: - **Advocacy**: If customers like your company, they’ll do the marketing for you. - **Information:** Engaged customers are more likely to leave feedback on how you can improve. - **Cross-selling:** An existing customer is more likely to explore the rest of a company that they trust. The problem is, it’s easy for upper management to concentrate on new customer growth and miss the big picture- which is why you need solid, quantifiable metrics. ## How to calculate your customer retention rate There are a few different ways to calculate customer retention rate (you didn’t think it would be too easy did you?) Here’s one the most common: ***((E-N)/S)) x 100*** E is the number of customers at the end of the period, N is the number of new customers acquired during a period, and S is the number of customers at the start of the period. Now you have to decide on a period that makes sense. It won’t work to declare that your retention rate is 0% because a customer who bought a car or a house yesterday didn’t come back for another today. By doing a deep-dive on your sales data and using a little common sense you should be able to find a range of periods that work. Note that I said range- you might want to be able to see how you’re doing in both the long and short term. That might be the most common metric, but there are others. Let’s cover a few of the most important: ### Churn Rate You can get started with customer retention by calculating the percentage of customers you’re *not* retaining, [known as ‘churn’](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/). This is a nice easy calculation too: ***(Total customers + New customers - Lost customers) / Lost customers = Churn rate %*** Again, you’ll have to pick a period to measure this in that makes sense- a month, two months, a year, and it makes more sense for subscription-based businesses like SaaS providers than it does for companies that sell physical products in stores. ### Repeat Purchase Ratio If on the other hand, you do sell one-off products then a repeat purchase ratio is your best bet for solid data on customer retention. There’s a caveat though: you need to be able to show whether one person has purchased from you more than once. That’s so easy it’s trivial for online businesses, but could be tricky for companies selling physical items to retailers who then sell them to customers. Okay, math time. Let’s take a look at the equation: ***Number of returning customers / Number of total customers*** So if you look at your data and see that of 10,000 customers 8,000 purchased more than once in a given period, you’ve got an 80% repeat purchase ratio. Nice and easy. ### Customer Lifetime Value [Customer Lifetime Value](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/key-pmm-metrics-and-okrs-cltv-and-revenue-retention-for-saas/), or CLTV, is another nice and easy one with serious value when it comes to balancing customer acquisition and the real value your customers bring. For new businesses or new products, the cost to acquire customers (CaC) can be a ‘[startup killer](https://www.forentrepreneurs.com/startup-killer/?ref=productmarketingalliance.com)’ - you sink your money into glitzy product launches, an elite field sales team, and bountiful swag (got to have those branded USBs) but once you land a client they’re only paying a fraction of what you spent getting them in the door. So, just get the totals that every customer has spent together and calculate the median (don’t use the mean average- a few big fish customers could distort your numbers). If the average lifetime value is below your acquisition cost (the simple version: your sales and marketing budget divided by the total number of customers) then you have a customer retention problem. ### Revenue Churn Rate Here’s a good one if you like getting into the nitty-gritty of your sales and return numbers, so you’ll need to have access to a CRM or accounting system, or get the company accountant coffee. Revenue churn rate measures how much revenue you’ve lost from customer churn in a given period. You can slap together a simple Revenue Churn Rate by multiplying the number of customers you lost in a given period by your Customer Lifetime Value: ‘We lost five clients last month and with a CLV of $5,000 that means $25,000 in lost revenue.’ A better version incorporates all the different variables in your business (sorry, there’s no one-size-fits-all here). For example, if your company sells subscription products or services (so you have monthly recurring revenue or MRR) and you also have upgrades or optional features then you could use: ***((MRR at the start of the period - MRR at the end of the period) - MRR from upgrades) / MRR at the start of the period*** Companies with different business models will have to use different formulas, and you could use Excel to make *really* intense formulae if you’ve got a head for figures. 💡 Wanna learn more about B2C marketing? With[ ****B2C Certified: Core**](https://certified.productmarketingalliance.com/p/b2c-certified-core?ref=productmarketingalliance.com), you can learn how to master the B2C product lifecycle, unlock proven PMM frameworks, become a strategic marketing leader, and more! ### Net Promoter Score It might not strictly be about measuring customer retention, but [Net Promoter Score (NPS)](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-product-marketers-can-leverage-nps-data-to-make-decisions/) is so closely related that if you measure one you should definitely measure the other, as NPS can give you valuable intel on why customers aren’t sticking around. In case you’ve been living under a rock, NPS is a metric that shows how likely your existing customers are to recommend your company to others. It’s great for diagnosing customer retention problems because if you’re finding that retention is a problem then one of the likely culprits is that customers just aren’t satisfied with what you’re doing, and NPS will give you an insight into satisfaction problems. If you’ve low poor retention and a low NPS then you’re pretty obviously not delivering a good product or service. If your NPS is good but you’re not retaining customers then there’s something deeper wrong with your business model- it might be that customers are using your product for a while and moving on when they have no use for it, so you might have to add new products or educate your customers. ## Five ways to improve your customer retention rate Now that you’ve measured your CRR you want the line to start going up, right? It would be weird if you didn’t. The answer to any business-related question, whether it's B2B, B2C, SaaS, software, space tourism- anything, is always ‘make a quality product or service and sell it at a price people can afford’. But presuming you’ve got that part down, here are some suggestions. ### Find out why people are leaving This one is crucial, so it’s going first: if you know why people don’t stay with you then you can do something about it. If you can, ask former customers why they left and if possible check reviews. You will find that one of the main reasons is [poor customer service](https://www.superoffice.com/blog/good-customer-service-yields-customer-loyalty/?ref=productmarketingalliance.com) and a perception that you don’t care about your customers, something that can definitely be improved with a little retraining and some changes in policies. ### Focus on service Which brings us to here. Customer service isn’t *just* service with a smile and remembering a chirpy ‘have a nice day now!’ at the end of a phone call, it encompasses everything from how easy it is to make an order to service uptime and technical support. In fact, it’s such a huge subject that we’d be doing you a disservice if we tried to cover it all here. One idea we’d suggest is to empower customer-facing staff to be able to give small tokens of thanks or sorry easily and without having to call a manager to offer a refund or send a long-term client some cookies on their birthday. Little things like that go a long way. We’re not saying that [every attempt to be socially conscious in marketing works](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/pepsi-advert-pulled-kendall-jenner-protest-video-cancelled-removed-a7668986.html?ref=productmarketingalliance.com), but customers are more likely to stick with brands that share their values. That’s a difficult tightrope to walk, and above you’ll see examples of two of the world’s biggest tea companies telling people to *stop buying from them* in the hope that they’ll pick up new customers and strengthen their bond with existing customers. It doesn’t just mean tweeting the right hashtags, it means living those values in the form of the way your company works and how your employees and customers are treated. ### Spot the Patterns Customers usually don’t jump ship immediately- there are always warning signs first and if you can spot them you can prevent future losses. If you have a good-quality CRM system, then you can log all of a customer’s interactions with your company and your product and, when a sizable number of them have left, you will have a dataset that you can use to find out the telltale markers of a soon-to-be-ex customer. They might call helpdesks more than usual, refuse or reschedule calls with a relationship manager, or just start logging into your website less. Whatever it is, as soon as you start seeing patterns you can flag existing customers as ‘at-risk’, allowing you to prioritize giving them the TLC it will take to keep them around. ### Create a VIP program People like to feel special, and if you’re making them feel special they’ll stick around longer. Create and promote programs for long-term, high-value customers to get more from you. That doesn’t just need to be tiered discounts but can include priority support, dedicated account managers, and even a party to celebrate your anniversary with the company. ### Make Loyalty (and upselling) easy There are probably customers out there who would love to deepen and extend their relationship with your company if they only knew how. There’s a fine line between letting your customers know about other services that you can provide and badgering them about giving you more money, but the easy way is to have upselling opportunities there when the customer is using your product. Freemium software providers often do this by having higher-level options on-screen but greyed out, with a link to purchase always nearby. ## Examples of great customer retention strategies ### Adobe The creativity software giant is characteristically colorful on its [customer support twitter account](https://twitter.com/AdobeCare?ref=productmarketingalliance.com). They’re proactive about seeking out people who aren’t satisfied with their products (tweet ‘I don’t like photoshop’ if you don’t believe me) and really great at sharing work by people who use their products. Would you switch to CorelDraw if Adobe had tweeted your portfolio out to 87,400 people? ### Sephora Sephora’s Beauty Insider loyalty program is so popular that its 17 million members make up more than 80% of Sephora’s sales. Since they sell items that have to be restocked regularly, retention is key and they have taken a time-tested approach to keeping customers coming back by offering deep discounts. ### Amazon With Prime, Amazon have hit on a great concept: a loyalty scheme that people will *pay to join*. Think about it: if you’re already paying the small fee for Prime, what reason is there to shop elsewhere? Members-only supermarkets like Costco and Sam’s Club have been using this model for decades, and Amazon have, as always, taken this concept and made it huge. ## How to measure customer retention success So you’ve set up your metric, your VIP Platinum Players Club swag bags are bulging with branded USB keys and t-shirts (XXS and XXXL only). How do you know that your strategies are moving the needle? The first and most obvious way is to check in on your metrics regularly and see if lines are going up. As we’ve said before, having reasonable timescales is key- this is a marathon, not a sprint. Your efforts to retain customers will take time to kick in, and it will take time to see how much of an effect they have. For example, if you start a retention strategy in January and in February you see a 10% uptick in retention rates don’t start popping champagne just yet- it could be that in March the bump will go down again since you’ve only managed to keep customers hanging on an extra month. That kind of slow-and-steady mentality might be anathema to a move-fast-and-break-things culture, but it’s also the only way you’ll set yourself up for long-term success. ### Effective engagement channels for advocacy and retention URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/effective-engagement-channels-for-advocacy-and-retention/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:12:27.000Z How you approach, connect with, and build relationships with your customers is a vital part of the customer marketing machine. Picking when and where you connect with your customers is just as important as how you connect with them. In this article we’ll be going through: - What engagement channels are - Traditional vs emerging engagement channels - How to choose the right mix of channels Let’s get going. ## What are engagement channels? Engagement channels are the pathways that connect you with your audience, whether they're current customers or potential customers. They're the tools and platforms you use to interact and communicate with your target audience. Think social media, email newsletters, events, and even good old-fashioned direct mail. These channels are your ticket to building relationships, sparking conversations, and ultimately getting people excited about what you're offering. When used correctly, they're the things that help you cross over from just being a business to being a brand that people genuinely care about. [Jeni Asaba | Building relationships at scale: Vital tips to help you tie people to your community | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Jeni Asaba, Head of Community at Jamf, about some of her vital tips to help tie people to your community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--2-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Traditional vs emerging engagement channels ### Traditional engagement channels Traditional engagement channels will most often include the following: #### Email marketing Email marketing probably remains one of the most common types of engagement marketing out there. It has a proven track record in achieving desired outcomes due to the longevity of this technique. Emails offer a direct line of communication with your customers and allow you to send personalized and targeted messaging. **Downsides:** Emails are very limited in the variety of interactions you can have with your customers; they’re generally a one-way form of communication and lack the real-time interaction of other forms of engagement. As it’s also one of the most popular forms of communication, your emails have more competition for the customers’ attention. #### Social media platforms [Social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) is also a staple to many companies’ engagement strategies. It has a far wider reach than email marketing and often hosts a more diverse audience. Social media has the perk of being more interactive than email marketing to, giving access to immediate feedback and engagement from your audience. **Downsides:** Social media is a very involved channel of engagement and often requires you to post daily and at regular times. The dependency on visibility can take much of the control out of your hands when connecting with your existing customers as well as potential customers. #### Events and webinars Events and webinars maintain a strong presence in any engagement program. There is nothing more valuable than engaging with customers face-to-face, and lots of the important relationship-building interactions can happen far quicker and get you much further than any other online interaction. Face-to-face engagement also offers you much more time to be able to open up more complex and nuanced discussions with your customers with less of the first of being misunderstood as through social media or email marketing. **Downsides:** Planning, coordinating, and running these kinds of events are often the most time-intensive and resource-intensive – and are more of a financial investment than other forms of engagement strategies. *As a community-led business ourselves, we understand the importance of getting you and your peers into the same room. We've always got events coming up to do just that. Take a look at our* [***event calendar here***](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/)*.* #### Direct mail Direct mail is not very common nowadays due to the wider, and more easily accessible forms of engagement. But physical mail has its perks in that it’s a physical presence, with a more tangible impact, meaning it remains in the customers’ attention for longer than an email. It has a more tangible presence and allows for more [personalized and localized campaigns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/). **Downsides:** Physical mail has a downside in that it’s not the most sustainable with virtual engagement channels available, and it also has a much slower response time, resulting in longer lead times and limited tracking compared to digital channels. ### Emerging engagement channels Some newer channels include: #### Chatbots and AI [Chatbots and AI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) are quickly becoming a popular tool for engagement. They offer the ability to provide instant support to your customers’ inquiries. The use of AI is able to handle large volumes of inquiries simultaneously in a way that is impossible for a human to keep up with. **Downsides:** Chatbotscan struggle to solve or interact with nuanced or complex interactions, and on top of that remove the valued human element when interacting with customers. Though it works for solving simple and short issues, it’s not a 1-2-1 replacement for human interactions. #### User-generated content What better way to improve interactions and engagement with your customers than having your own customers become a part of this engagement process? User-generated content improves and builds trust through peer-generated content, and it’s much less of a financial toll than other peer interaction-based channels (like webinars or events). **Downsides:** With ChatGPT and other AI tools readily available, people are more likely to cut corners when producing their content. This makes quality control less consistent and removes the actual aim of having this content being truly user-generated. The voice of your customer is most important! #### Personalized video messages An alternative version of user-generated content, which is less likely to lean on AI, consider producing personalized video messaging. Having customer-produced videos adds a human connection with other customers, through emotional resonance. Visual media is the name of the game, so even content produced yourself, is going to be more attention-grabbing and will capture viewer attention more effectively than text or static images. **Downsides:** Video production is more time and resource-intensive. Producing these customized videos at scale will take priority over any other, so consider if it’s an investment you really want. #### Community hubs Community building is a fantastic way to prioritize customer relationships. When done well, community channels will fosters a sense of belonging and connection among like-minded individuals. Connecting your peers with each other will improve the overall trust in your brand, and will enable peer-to-peer support for your product. **Downsides:** Without regular engagement, community hubs can run into the danger of becoming a bit of a ghost town. Once a community has dropped off your customers’ radar, it takes a lot of investment to get it back up and running. Like Social media, it’s another engagement channel that requires active management to maintain a positive and constructive environment. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) Traditional channels offer reliability and familiarity and can have may have a broader reach, but require more upfront investment in terms of resources and infrastructure. Emerging channels provide innovation and potential for deeper engagement. They often offer more targeted and personalized interactions and are often more cost-effective. Both types of channels have their strengths and limitations, but the most effective strategies will implement a combination of both traditional and emerging channels and will have them tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the target audience. [Case studies for community engagement: Engagement in actionCalling all, community builders! Ready for some inspiration? We’re exploring the concept of community engagement from two engaging case studies that’ll spark your creativity and leave you itching to level up your community game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/mike-tinnion-3ym6i13Y9LU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/) ## How to choose the right mix of engagement channels Choosing the right mix of engagement channels for customer marketers involves a strategic approach tailored to the audience, objectives, and resources available. Here are our key steps you must consider: ### 1 - Audience analysis - Understand your target audience's demographics, preferences, and behaviors. - Identify which channels your audience frequents. - Consider factors such as age, location, industry, and level of tech-savviness. ### 2 - Goal setting - Define clear objectives for your engagement strategy, such as increasing brand awareness, driving conversions, or fostering customer loyalty. - Align engagement channel selection with these objectives to ensure coherence and effectiveness. ### 3 - Platform analysis and evaluation Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various engagement channels, including traditional and emerging platforms. - Consider factors such as reach, engagement potential, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with your audience and brand values. ### 4 - Competitive analysis - Research and analyze the engagement strategies of competitors and industry leaders. - Identify which channels they’re using successfully to engage with their audience. ### 5 - Resource assessment - Determine which channels are feasible and sustainable within your resource constraints and prioritize accordingly. ### 6 - Cross-channel integration strategy - Develop a strategy for integrating multiple engagement channels to create a cohesive and seamless customer experience. - Identify opportunities for cross-promotion, consistency in messaging, and synergy between channels to maximize impact. ## The difference between customer and community engagement Our guide to customer and community engagement is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to understand and enhance their customer and community engagement strategy. Featuring expert advice, definitions, how-tos, and case studies, this playbook is your guide to improving the way your community-led and customer marketing teams collaborate for growth. [Get your copy now](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ### Key differences between strategic and tactical marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/examine-the-difference-between-strategic-and-tactical-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-10-02T11:13:47.000Z In marketing, two essential components play a critical role in achieving business objectives: strategic marketing and tactical marketing. While both approaches are distinct in their focus and scope, they are intricately connected and work together to drive success. This article aims to examine and highlight the key differences between strategic and tactical marketing, covering: - The definition of strategic and tactical marketing, - The key differences between these strategies, - How these strategies can work together. ## Understanding strategic marketing ### Strategic marketing definition Strategic marketing is the kind of plan that prioritizes its focus on achieving **long-term business objectives**. This type of marketing, due to its focus on the long term, creates sustainable work practices in a way that builds a strong foundation for your company within the market. This type of marketing will prioritize things like market and customer research, rather than one-off events. The aim is to be calculated and specific rather than reactionary. Strategic marketing is continuous in its monitoring and analysis of marketing performance, allowing for adjustments and refinements to the marketing strategy as needed. ### How customer marketers might use strategic marketing Now we’ll go through the purpose of strategic marketing and an example of how customer marketers might use it. So, what is a strategic marketing plan and what might this look like? Let’s say this particular marketer works at an e-commerce company that specializes in selling fashion accessories online. With a growing customer base, they recognize the need to deepen customer relationships and increase repeat purchases. **Strategy:** The customer marketer might employ a strategic marketing approach centered around personalized recommendations, for potential customers within their target market, with the goal of providing a tailored customer experience. This will be based on their preferences and purchase history. **Implementation:** 1. **Data collection and analysis:** The customer marketer will begin with the company's customer database to collect data on individual customer preferences, purchase history, and browsing behavior. This data will be used to identify patterns and trends. 2. **Segmentation:** Based on the data analysis, they’ll then segment the customer base into distinct groups with similar preferences and purchasing patterns. This will allow for more targeted and relevant marketing strategies. 3. **Recommendation engine integration:** Next they’ll integrate a recommendation engine into the company's website and marketing platforms. This engine will use customer segmentation data to generate personalized product recommendations for each individual customer. 4. **Personalized email campaigns:** Leveraging customer data, the customer marketer will also design personalized email campaigns. These campaigns will feature recommended products based on each customer's unique preferences and past purchases. The emails can also include exclusive offers and discounts to incentivize repeat purchases. **Results:** The personalized email campaign would result in a significant increase in customer engagement which would lead to higher conversion rates. Customers responding positively to the tailored product suggestions would result in increased purchases and higher average order values. As an added bonus, customers would see the personalized shopping experience as the company’s investment in their interests. This, in turn, would lead to improved customer loyalty, with a higher rate of repeat purchases and a lower rate of customer churn. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Insider-2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/insider-membership-plan/) ## Exploring tactical marketing ### Definition and purpose of tactical marketing Tactical marketing approaches its marketing activities and campaigns with **short-term goals and objectives** in mind. As such the marketing goal is to have your objectives focus on the immediate actions and tactics of your marketing plan. Tactical marketing focuses on the day-to-day activities that help in promoting products or services with components such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing, social media marketing, content creation, event planning, and more. These initiatives aim at reaching your target audience and influencing their purchasing decisions. Tactical marketing requires careful coordination of resources, budget allocation, and effective utilization of various marketing channels and tools. ### An example of tactical marketing tactics For this example, let's say that this customer marketer works for a company that is an online electronics retailer, that wants to boost sales during a typically slower sales period. Using a tactical marketing approach would be suitable in this case as this strategy can create urgency and entice customers to make immediate purchases. **Strategy:** The customer marketer can devise a limited-time offer campaign centered around a significant discount on a popular electronic gadget. The goal is to produce a sense of urgency and exclusivity to drive sales within a short timeframe. **Implementation:** 1. **Promotional messaging:** The customer marketer crafted compelling promotional messaging that emphasized the limited-time nature of the offer. Clear and concise messaging was used across various marketing channels to communicate the urgency and value of the discount. 2. **Email marketing:** The customer marketer sent targeted emails to the company's subscriber base, announcing the limited-time offer. The emails featured captivating subject lines and persuasive content highlighting the benefits of the product and the time-sensitive nature of the discount. 3. **Social media promotion:** The customer marketer utilized the company's social media channels to amplify the limited-time offer. Engaging posts, eye-catching visuals, and countdown timers were used to create excitement and encourage sharing among followers. 4. **Website banner and pop-ups:** The customer marketer strategically placed banners and pop-up messages on the company's website to ensure maximum visibility of the limited-time offer. These eye-catching elements directed visitors to the product page, providing easy access to the discounted item. **Results:** Such a strategy will increase website traffic due to the limited-time offer, as customers are motivated to take advantage of the discount before the promotion ends. This can result in an overall increase in brand exposure and product visibility. This campaign can successfully drive immediate sales for the discounted product which will have a notable increase in sales volume to help meet the goal of exceeding sales projections. This type of category can also attract new customers enticed by the discounted price. As such this strategy can also expand a customer base and provide an opportunity for future engagement and repeat purchases. Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the **essential elements of a customer marketing plan**. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up. Download the playbook ## Key differences between strategic and tactical marketing You may have already picked up on a few points on where tactical and strategic marketing differ, but let's delve a little bit deeper. ### Timeframe: Short-term vs. long-term perspective **Tactical marketing** works within a relatively short timeframe, focusing on immediate results. It’s usually initiated to achieve a specific goal within a few weeks or months. **Strategic marketing** is long-term in its aims and focuses on the big picture. It involves planning and implementing strategies that may take months or even years to achieve its intended results these campaigns are about the sustainability of your marketing strategies, rather than just short-term results. ### Scope: Holistic approach vs. focused implementation **Tactical marketing** is much more narrow in scope, concentrating on specific marketing moments, most often in reaction to new information from market research or competitive intelligence. It also tends to be executed within a specific area or channel. **Strategic marketing** takes a more holistic approach, considering the broader context of the organization's marketing efforts. It encompasses multiple elements, including market research, competitive analysis, target audience identification, branding, and distribution channels. All of these are made to support your marketing plan over a sustained period of time. ### Planning: Big-picture strategy vs. immediate action plans **Tactical marketing** is immediate in creating action plans. The planning process involves detailed planning for the execution of tactics, that are both efficient and effective. **Strategic marketing** emphasizes big-picture strategy. This plan will prioritize setting itself against the overall marketing direction in a strategic manner that guides tactical implementation. ### Flexibility: Adaptable strategies vs. fixed tactics **Tactical marketing** often relies on fixed tactics and predefined plans. While adjustments may be made to optimize performance, the overall approach remains relatively fixed to achieve short-term objectives efficiently. **Strategic marketing** strategies can be adjusted and refined based on changing market conditions, customer feedback, or performance metrics. Strategic marketing recognizes the need for agility and the ability to pivot when necessary to align with evolving business goals or external factors. ### Measurement: Long-term impact vs. short-term results As we’ve established, **tactical marketing** primarily focuses on measuring short-term results and immediate impact. Metrics may include things such as sales volume, conversion rates, click-through rates, or engagement levels during specific campaigns or initiatives. **Strategic marketing** is more focused on long-term impact. Metrics may be more broad like customer lifetime value, market share, brand perception, or overall business growth. ## The synergy between strategic and tactical marketing Strategic and tactical marketing work best once you recognize that they perform best when they’re produced to interact and collaborate with each other. Strategic marketing provides the overarching direction and long-term vision, while tactical marketing implements specific actions to achieve more strategic goals. It’s essential to understand that these two facets of marketing work hand in hand, complementing and reinforcing each other for optimal results. Tactical marketing plays a vital role in supporting and aligning with strategic marketing goals. It ensures that the day-to-day activities and campaigns are aligned with the broader marketing strategy and that the tactics employed are consistent with the brand positioning, target audience, and overall marketing objectives. By monitoring and analyzing the performance of tactical initiatives, marketers can gather data and feedback that inform strategic decision-making. This process allows for continuous improvement and refinement of the overall marketing strategy. [![State of Customer Marketing 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/03/Report--2-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) ### How customer referrals can drive organizational growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-referrals-can-drive-organizational-growth/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:57:16.000Z Imagine a world where your customers become your most powerful salesforce, effortlessly driving exponential growth through the sheer power of their enthusiasm. This isn't some marketing fantasy – it's the reality of harnessing customer referrals, the ultimate growth engine for smart businesses. In this article, we’ll get into: - What a customer referral is - The power of word-of-mouth marketing - How to generate good customer referrals - How to ask customers for referrals - How customer referrals can drive organizational growth ## What is a customer referral? A customer referral is when an existing, satisfied customer recommends your product or service to someone they know – a friend, family member, colleague, or anyone in their network. A personal endorsement from a trusted source carries a lot of weight. Customer referrals are incredibly valuable because they come from a place of genuine enthusiasm and positive experience, rather than a company-led sales pitch. Plus, people are more likely to trust a recommendation from someone they know over traditional marketing or advertising. You’ve heard of the power of word-of-mouth marketing, right? If not, let’s break it down… ## Word-of-mouth marketing Word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing is one of the most powerful and influential marketing tactics out there. At its core, WoM refers to the organic sharing of information and opinions about a product, service, or company – person to person. When positive, it acts as a highly credible endorsement that can drive serious brand awareness and sales. When negative – you guessed it – it can have the opposite effect. Negative word of mouth can see you lose sales and, worst case scenario, tarnish your brand name and overall reputation. ## The power of WoM stems from several key psychological factors ### Source credibility and trust People inherently place more trust in the opinions and recommendations of people they know. We rely heavily on these close ties as trustworthy and impartial sources of product information. Their endorsements carry much more weight and believability than paid marketing messages from brands themselves. 💡 [90%](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-customer-acquisition-cost-how-reduce-through-referral-m4sxc/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) of people trust referrals more than any form of advertising. ### Personal relevance Recommendations that come from someone with first-hand experience using a product/service are seen as highly relevant and applicable to our own potential needs and circumstances. Hearing why someone we know personally benefited from a specific offering resonates strongly. ### Social validation As social creatures, we look to our broader [social circles](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/how-to-use-social-media-to-create-a-competitive-advantage/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) for behavioral cues on what's popular, desirable, and socially approved. Positive WoM validates that a brand is perceived favorably by peer groups, amplifying our interest in trying it ourselves to align with group norms. ### Emotional influence WOMM often taps into potent emotional drivers that marketing struggles to authentically convey – things like enthusiasm, genuine delight, social currency, etc. This emotional charge makes the conveyed opinions far more persuasive and memorable. ### Amplified reach Whereas brand marketing has limitations in audience reach and frequency, WoM spreads exponentially from person to person across all social and digital connections. It goes beyond the confines of paid media channels and has a self-perpetuating momentum. From a business standpoint, this incredible level of consumer influence that WoM channels is incredibly valuable because: - It drives incredible organic awareness by tapping into an ever-expanding chain of personal networks. - It boosts the credibility of marketing efforts by complementing it with trusted peer validation. - It's highly persuasive in converting interested prospects into customers given the implicit social proof. - It generates cost-effective [customer acquisition](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/understanding-kpis-in-customer-acquisition/) compared to paid acquisition channels. Word of mouth is a Holy Grail for marketers. Creating products and experiences that deliver such outsized satisfaction that customers feel compelled to enthusiastically spread the word within their circles is the ultimate win. ## How do you generate good customer referrals? There are a few key things to focus on. First, you need to deliver an exceptional product or service that people genuinely want to rave about. If your offering isn't up to par, no amount of referral marketing will help. Make it a natural part of your [customer journey](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/customer-journey-mapping-making-sales-buyer-centric/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) and interactions. Don't wait to randomly spring the request on people out of the blue. Instead, build it into your processes at logical times when customers are likely to be highly satisfied. For example, you could send an automated email or in-app message after a successful product delivery thanking them and saying something like: "If you know anyone else who could benefit from our service, we'd be hugely grateful for the referral." Or your customer support team could end positive service interactions by planting the seed about your referral program. The key is to make it a warm invitation from a conversational, human tone rather than a forceful demand. You want to catch people in their moments of peak brand appreciation. Consider different outreach sequences and messaging tailored to specific customer milestones as well. Reduce any friction by providing one-click sharing tools and clear guidance. How about offering meaningful incentives that motivate people to refer, whether it's credit, cash, prizes, perks, etc. Be sure to follow up on every referral quickly and offer a seamless experience for the referred contact as well. And say thank you! A little gratitude and recognition go a long way in inspiring customers to keep those referrals flowing. ## How customer referrals can drive organizational growth ### Cost-effective customer acquisition While traditional lead generation channels like [paid advertising](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/the-complete-guide-to-driving-lead-generation-with-paid-social-media-ads/), content marketing, SEO, etc. are essential, they also carry high customer acquisition costs that can strain budgets. In contrast, customer referrals provide a steady stream of warm, pre-qualified leads at a fraction of the cost. By prioritizing referrals as a key acquisition engine, organizations can reallocate resources away from expensive paid channels. You can double down on nurturing the referral program itself through automation, incentives, tracking tools, etc. – further compounding the ROI over time. The capital efficiency gained allows for more aggressive growth investments in areas like product development, talent, and market expansion. 💡 Referred consumers have an [82%](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-customer-acquisition-cost-how-reduce-through-referral-m4sxc/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) chance of continuing to be actively involved even after 33 months. ### Increased sales Referrals accelerate sales by starting you off on second base. The prospective customer is arriving pre-sold thanks to the referrer's credible endorsement. You're not fighting an uphill battle to grab their attention or build trust from scratch. The door is already open, so it's easier to advance them smoothly through your [funnel](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/the-b2b-marketing-funnel/) to conversion. Beyond that, referrals have a multiplier effect: Every referred customer gained has the potential to become a new referral source themselves as they experience the value of your product. So one great referral today could snowball exponentially through that customer's network tomorrow. It's a virtuous cycle of warm leads and expanded reach. Lastly, referrals drive sales by strengthening brand advocacy. Customers who rave about you amplify social proof, increasing consideration and demand. It's the ultimate form of peer-influence marketing. ### Increased trust and credibility Trust is the foundational currency that underpins all successful businesses. Yet establishing trust through traditional marketing is increasingly difficult in today's cynical, ad-saturated landscape. Customer referrals sidestep this by tapping into the purest form of social proof – personal recommendations from trusted sources. When a valued friend or family member endorses a brand, it carries exponentially more weight than any corporate messaging or advertising claims. There's an implicit stamp of credibility that supplants skepticism. This makes prospects much more receptive from the outset, accelerating the critical know-like-trust phases of the [buyer's journey](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/improving-the-customer-journey-with-revenue-marketing/). The credibility earned also transcends just the initial conversion. It breeds confidence that cements long-term loyalty and reduces defection rates. Customers are less likely to be lured away by [competitive offerings](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/sustained-competitive-advantage/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) because the trusted referral source already anchored them to your brand's superior value proposition during their purchase decision. 💡 Referred customers are [54%](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-customer-acquisition-cost-how-reduce-through-referral-m4sxc/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) more likely to make another purchase. ### Higher conversion rates Combining the benefits of lower acquisition costs with a pre-disposed trust advantage, it's no surprise that customer referral leads consistently achieve higher conversion rates across industries. There are a few reasons for this conversion amplification effect: - As mentioned, the trust factor means referral leads start further along in the sales funnel with existing brand affinity. - The referring customer effectively serves as a point-of-influence advocate, reinforcing the purchase motivation. - Prospects feel an accountability factor knowing their friend/family will be asking about their experience. Brands that successfully activate a scalable referral acquisition engine marvel at the conversion rates compared to their [pay-per-click](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/preparing-for-b2b-ppc/) and other lead sources. ### Enhanced customer lifetime value Beyond the acquisition benefits, referred customers exhibit stronger engagement, lower churn rates, higher satisfaction scores, and more frequent purchases – all contributing to an average 16% higher lifetime customer value over non-referral cohorts. There's a self-reinforcing psychological dynamic where referred customers perceive greater value upfront based on the referrer's endorsement. This breeds stickier loyalty and creates a "commitment and consistency" mindset where they perpetuate the referral cycle themselves. Through their elevated loyalty, increased purchases, and expanded referrals of new customers, these highly satisfied “acquired via referral customers” generate compounding revenue streams and profitability gains for the business over time. 💡 Referred customers are more likely to make repeated purchases and therefore have a [16%](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-customer-acquisition-cost-how-reduce-through-referral-m4sxc/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) higher lifetime value (LTV) than non-referred ones. ### Organic customer base expansion While paid acquisition channels require constant cash influx to keep them fueled, customer referrals effectively grow the business organically and sustainably by tapping into the networks surrounding each new customer. As more satisfied clients are onboarded via referrals, they too become potential new sources of referrals within their personal and professional spheres of influence. It creates a self-perpetuating "refer-a-friend" cycle that continually supplies your sales funnel with fresh, warm leads – no additional marketing spend required. This organic expansion is hugely valuable. It allows organizations to proliferate into new geographic markets and demographic segments passively just by delivering an exceptional experience that inspires customers to voluntarily recruit others. Over time, this can exponentially amplify a company's effective marketing reach and customer acquisition capabilities in a capital-efficient manner. ### Competitive advantage and defensibility The ability to generate a groundswell of authentic customer advocacy is an immense competitive advantage that's extremely difficult for rivals to replicate or undermine through conventional tactics. When a brand activates an army of raving fans who voluntarily promote it through their personal referrals, it establishes a level of social proof that simply can’t be fabricated through ad spend or marketing messaging alone. The customer-driven advocacy enhances brand equity, perceived value, and marketplace credibility in a way that creates real defensive barriers As the referral engine builds momentum, it fosters a loyal brand community and sense of belonging that increases switching costs. Customers feel a sense of psychological ownership and identity with the brand story. This enhances retention rates and cements the brand's positioning as the de facto leader in its category. ### Increased customer loyalty There's a direct correlation between customer referrals and increased loyalty and retention. It stems from the basic psychological principle of consistency – once someone vouches for a brand by referring it, they have "skin in the game" and are far more likely to remain a loyal, consistent customer themselves to avoid cognitive dissonance. Not only that, the mere act of referring reinforces the positive associations and affinity they feel for your brand. Providing worthwhile referral incentives/rewards pays off in the form of deeper engagement and repeat business too. 💡 The retention rate of consumers who are referred is [18%](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-customer-acquisition-cost-how-reduce-through-referral-m4sxc/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) greater than that of customers who aren’t referred. Plus, an official referral program demonstrates that you value customer advocacy enough to bake it into your core business model. This boosts transparency and the feel-good factor of being part of a community of loyal brand evangelists. Psychologically and tangibly, referral programs strengthen the overall customer experience in ways that foster long-term loyalty. ### Continuous feedback loop Beyond the quantitative metrics like leads and conversions, customer referrals offer a rich mine of qualitative voice-of-customer insights that provide a continuous feedback loop for optimizing operations. For example, analyzing which customers are generating referrals (and which aren't) can reveal core customer personas and psychographics to prioritize and better understand motivations. Looking at referral source patterns illuminates which marketing channels, campaigns, and customer touchpoints are hitting the mark in terms of delivering outstanding customer satisfaction. Tracking customer feedback and verbatim testimonials within referrals exposes potential product gaps, empowering data-driven roadmap decisions. Even detecting changes in referral velocity can signal potential issues before they escalate. Essentially, customer referrals serve as an always-on focus group, allowing you to continually iterate, improve offerings, and double down on what's truly resonating with customers. They enable a fast feedback cycle for quickly validating ideas, course-correcting inefficiencies, and fueling a culture of customer obsession – which is critical for sustainable growth. 💡 Referral campaigns statistically increased revenue growth for businesses by [86%](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-customer-acquisition-cost-how-reduce-through-referral-m4sxc/?ref=revenuemarketingalliance.com) over two years. ## Customer referrals: Closing thoughts At the end of the day, an exceptional customer referral strategy is one of the most powerful growth levers a business can employ. While paid advertising, content marketing, SEO, and other traditional tactics are essential, none of them pack quite the same punch as activating your happiest customers as voluntary brand evangelists. Think about it – who would you trust more for an unbiased product recommendation? A faceless banner ad or a close friend raving about how much value they've got out of a product or service? Customer referrals forge authentic, credible connections on a personal level that simply can't be fabricated. And the benefits they unlock for the business are multi-faceted. For starters, referred customers come with built-in trust and expedited sales cycles, making them vastly more cost-effective to acquire than cold leads. But the benefits extend far beyond just the acquisition phase. Referred customers stick around longer with higher lifetime values, lower churn, and a mindset primed for making complementary purchases and referring others. It's a perpetual cycle that fuels itself. Not only that, a successful referral engine can be hard for competitors to replicate. It builds valuable social proof, brand equity, and defensive competitive positioning that increases switching costs and cements market leadership over time. So if you're serious about accelerating your business's trajectory in a sustainable, scalable manner, prioritizing an efficient referral program is non-negotiable. Now's your chance to influence the most important conversations in revenue marketing. ### Winning over executives with customer marketing metrics URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/winning-over-executives-with-customer-marketing-metrics/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T14:53:04.000Z As customer marketers, we've all been there - trying to prove the value of our programs to leadership but struggling to find the right data to back it up. I know I have! For years, [metrics and reporting](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) felt intimidating and daunting. But I've come to realize that having data fluency is actually key to communicating customer marketing's impact across an organization. My journey at Adobe has shown me the power of using data as a language to showcase that customer marketing isn't just a cost center, but an **indispensable, top-line-producing revenue driver**. By building a strong metrics and reporting practice, I've been able to influence stakeholders to view our team as a strategic partner, not just a group handling customer references and reviews. In this article, I'll share the framework I followed to construct a metrics program that proves customer marketing's value to the business. Get ready to go from metrics-phobic to a data-driven pro! ## **Why customer marketing metrics matter** ### At the end of the day, quantitative data and hard numbers are what leadership cares about most. We can wax poetic about the benefits of [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) all we want, but without tying those efforts to revenue, retention, or other key business goals, it's an uphill battle to get buy-in and resources. That's why building data literacy and a solid metrics foundation is *so* crucial for customer marketers. It allows us to communicate in a language that executive teams understand and respect. When you can show clearly how your customer marketing programs are impacting the business pipeline, reducing churn, or increasing sales cycle efficiency, you suddenly have a seat at the strategic table. I like to think of customer marketing as an ecosystem of different tactics and programs - customer advisory boards, communities, advocacy initiatives, and more. Data is the bridge that connects that ecosystem to quantifiable business impact. Leverage the right metrics, and you can definitively prove customer marketing isn't just a nice-to-have, but an essential function that top-performing companies can't do without. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## **My framework: Plan, execute, drive insights** ### Of course, saying you need to build a metrics practice is a lot easier than actually doing it. When I first started down this path at Adobe, I'll admit I was pretty lost and overwhelmed. But I knew I had to be bold, take some risks, and form a methodology to do it right, that's what led me to this three-phase framework: ### **Planning** ### They say failing to plan is planning to fail, and that's certainly true for metrics projects. My first step was defining the end goals and metrics that truly matter for demonstrating customer marketing's value. At Adobe, two KPIs rise above all others: **revenue impact** and **customer retention**. Those were the numbers I needed to focus on tying back to our programs. Your priorities may be different depending on your company's maturity and other factors. Next, I identified all the key internal stakeholders and partners I'd need to collaborate with to pull this off. I knew I had to get alignment and buy-in from teams like: - Marketing analytics - Data science - Marketing operations - Sales operations - Finance From there, I documented project roles and responsibilities, making sure everyone knew what track they owned. I'm a firm believer in a divide-and-conquer approach for initiatives this big. Finally, I spent a ton of time understanding our existing tech stack, data sources, and data flows. *What data did we already have access to? What were the gaps we needed to fill? How did all the data move between systems?* This planning phase culminated in a detailed project plan that served as our guiding light and a high-level executive presentation to get stakeholders on the same page with the mission and timelines. [How can effective data visualizations drive action?Explore the power of data visualization in driving actions. Transform complex data into compelling stories to elevate your RevOps game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/barna-bartis-J6RjNtwpPII-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) ### **Execution** ### With a solid plan in place, it was time to execute. This is where the rubber met the road in actually building out that strong data foundation. One of the biggest challenges was simply coordinating all the different teams and striking a [collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/) cadence. We had to set a regular meeting rhythm and designate someone on point to track and hold people accountable as priorities inevitably shifted. From a technical side, my teammates worked hard on developing the timely data architecture required. Using SQL, Python, and other tools, they made sure all our data sources were integrated and talking to each other properly to feed into centralized reporting and dashboards. Speaking of which, documentation wasn't an area I could neglect either. Referring back to my process flowcharts and documenting every step of our data journey in detail proved invaluable when we inevitably ran into snags along the way. It meant I could quickly pinpoint where issues were occurring and course-correct. Finally, data validation through QA/QC processes was essential before we could start sharing metrics more broadly. You'd be amazed how often I found data duplication issues, parsing mistakes, or other gremlins in there. In the end, we had robust reporting dashboards combining metrics across programs, slicing and dicing the data in impactful ways like: 🌍 Customer advocacy program penetration by region. 🤝 Retention rates for engaged advocates versus the average customer. 💸 Community membership conversions to new revenue opportunities. Being able to visualize the data opened so many new doors to derive insights and tailor program strategies. [Meaningful metrics: Transform your customer programstransforming your customer program through metrics is a journey. It’s a journey that’s going to take time, effort, consistency, deep collaboration with internal teams, and resources to help you get over the finish line.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKevin Lau![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/eskay-lim-PK6NDtsYy00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) ### **Driving actionable insights** ### However, metrics don't actually drive business impact on their own. That's why the most important (and fun!) phase was taking those data outputs and truly doing something with them. First and foremost, you have to critically digest what the data is telling you. Never just take the numbers at face value. I made sure to analyze the findings from multiple lenses: *\- What new trends or patterns was I seeing emerge over time?* *\- Were there any surprises that contradicted my original hypotheses?* *\- How did the data compare across different segments or regions?* Once I had a full grasp of the story the data was telling, I could start developing actionable strategies and tactics to improve performance based on those insights. My core principles were using the data to be innovative, intentional, and influential in three key ways: **1\. Innovating our customer marketing programs**, refining them in ways we'd never considered, to boost engagement and impact. **2\. Being more intentional and targeted** in our outreach, segmentation, and nurturing using account and behavioral data to guide our plays. **3\. Influencing internal teams** by providing quantitative evidence to sway skeptics and get more allies for customer marketing as a priority. ### Of course, crafting data-driven strategies was only half the battle. I then had to evangelize those insights internally to raise awareness and get buy-in from all our cross-functional partners. To do this, I tailored how I communicated and visualized the data based on the audience: - **For customer success teams** hyper-focused on retention, I highlighted metrics around reduced churn for engaged advocates. - **For sales**, I reframed the data around faster cycle times and pipeline acceleration. - **For marketing**, I showed how our programs directly attributed to new revenue opportunities. Finally, even after implementing fresh tactics based on the data, I knew measurement couldn't stop there. We had to set up continuous processes to track the impact of those new efforts over time. ## **Key takeaways** ### Looking back at my journey over the last few years at Adobe, I’ve learned so many valuable lessons about building effective metrics and reporting practices for customer marketing: **1\. Plan for success upfront.** Don't try to rush or cut corners. Define your goals and the metrics that matter most ahead of time. Map out your data landscape and get full stakeholder alignment. **2\. Don't bite off more than you can chew.** Start by just focusing on one customer marketing program or subset of metrics/data sources you can realistically take on at first. **3\. Embrace the journey and view iteration as a good thing.** You will inevitably hit roadblocks and have to adapt on the fly. Just make sure to thoroughly document everything so you can continually refine your work. At the end of the day, you don't need to become a data scientist. But you do need to get comfortable leveraging both qualitative insights and quantitative metrics in a balanced way to champion your customer marketing programs. Follow a systematic approach to planning, execution, and deriving insights, and those numbers will become your most powerful weapons for influence within your organization. Don't let a lack of data hold you back from getting the resources and recognition your team deserves. Start building that strong metrics foundation today, and you'll never look back! --- *This article has been adapted from* [*Robert's talk*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2022-ondemand/?wchannelid=uvgwf6174y&wmediaid=gdhcp0mdfe)*, "Building a Business Case for Customer Marketing: Communicating Metrics That Matter," at our 2022 Customer Marketing Summit.* ### Decoding customer engagement scores: Understanding and improving your scores URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/decoding-customer-engagement-scores-best-practices-for-customer-marketers/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:57:50.000Z A customer engagement score is a quantitative measure used by businesses to assess the level of interaction, involvement, and satisfaction of individual customers with your brand, products, or services. In this article, we’ll be discussing: - The importance of customer engagement scores. - Factors that impact customer engagement scores. - Ways of measuring and optimizing your customer engagement scores. Let’s get going! ## The importance of customer engagement scores There are several perks to monitoring customer engagement as a customer marketer. This score is an easy way to monitor how **customers interact** with your brand, improving your understanding of your customer’s preferences, interests, and pain points. Attributing a numerical value to these customer behaviors makes customer **satisfaction and loyalty** far easier to measure, allowing for the overall success of customer satisfaction easier to manage. Customer engagement scores can also be a good way of **segmenting your audience**. Those with low engagement scores will need different tailoring in your marketing than those with high engagement scores. And, over time, customer engagement scores can be used as a **success metric**, like a KPI, to assess the effectiveness of campaigns, identify areas for improvement, and optimize strategies for better results. [CMA’s conclusive guide to OKRs and KPIsWondered how to navigate the world of OKRs and KPIs? You’re in the right place. This page serves as Customer Marketing Alliance’s ultimate guide to these metrics. It houses all the articles we’ve written on the topic, all in one place.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/mikail-mcverry--yBvef_mAaQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-conclusive-guide-to-okrs-and-kpis/) ## Factors contributing to customer engagement scores ### Behavioral metrics A behavioral metric is used to assess how customers interact with a brand or product. These metrics track actions, behaviors, and interactions that customers exhibit across your websites, apps, emails, social media platforms, and more. This’ll include things like: - Frequency of interactions - Time spent - Recency of interactions - Depth of interactions - Conversion rate - Click-through rate (CTR) - Social media engagement Let’s take the example of ‘frequency of interactions.’ This metric measures how often a customer interacts with a brand across the various touchpoints. Let's say a customer frequently visits your company's website, engages with your social media posts, and regularly opens your marketing emails. In this case, the frequency of interactions indicates a high level of interest and involvement with the brand. As a result, this customer is likely to receive a higher engagement score compared to someone who interacts with the brand less frequently. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Attitudinal metrics Attitudinal metrics refer to metrics that offer insight into customers' perceptions, feelings, and attitudes toward your brand. They’ll help you understand the emotional connection and loyalty that customers have, which will influence the success of your long-term engagement and [retention strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-customer-retention/). These metrics include: - Customer satisfaction - Net promoter score (NPS) - Customer loyalty - Brand perception - Customer sentiment - Brand affinity - Purchase intent If we consider the attitudinal metric, ‘[customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/)’, we can glean a bit more. This metric measures the overall satisfaction level of customers with your brand and service. If a customer completes a satisfaction survey after making a purchase and provides high ratings for product quality, customer service, and overall experience, the customer's positive attitude indicates a high level of engagement and satisfaction. As a result, this customer is likely to receive a higher engagement score compared to someone who expresses lower satisfaction levels. ### Transactional metrics Transactional metrics are all about your customers' buying behaviors and patterns. They help marketers identify highly engaged customers who are more likely to make repeat purchases, advocate for the brand, and contribute to revenue growth. This differs from behavioral metrics as these metrics are all about the frequency of actual purchases or other advocacy activities. Transactional metrics will be things like: - Purchase frequency - Average order value (AOV) - Customer lifetime value (CLV) - Repeat purchase rate - Basket size - Churn rate - Subscription renewal rate For an example, let’s look at ‘purchase frequency.’ This metric measures how often a customer makes purchases from the brand within a specific time period. Consider a scenario where a customer regularly buys products from your brand, making multiple purchases each month. Their frequent transactions indicate a high level of engagement and loyalty. This, in turn, with result in a higher engagement score compared to someone who makes purchases less frequently or sporadically. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## Analyzing and optimizing customer engagement scores Continually optimizing and analyzing customer engagement scores is crucial if you want to maintain relevance in today's market landscape. Regularly assessing engagement metrics can enable you the flexibility to adapt your strategies and offerings to the changes occurring within your target audience. This ongoing optimization and analysis of engagement scores helps identify areas for improvement, optimize resource allocation, and prioritize initiatives that have the greatest impact on customer engagement and business performance. Let’s look at a few examples of how this analysis and optimization should occur. ### Segmentation analysis #### Analysis Utilize analytics tools to segment customers based on their engagement scores and other relevant variables such as [demographics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/), purchase history, and geographic location. Identify high-engagement segments that exhibit consistent patterns of interaction with the brand. #### Optimization Tailor marketing campaigns and communication strategies to target each segment effectively. Implement [personalized messaging, offers, and incentives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/) to further enhance engagement and encourage desired behaviors. [Ultimate guide to customer segmentation.Customer segmentation is a tool used by businesses that sorts and categorizes your existing customers by certain characteristics. This tool has a multitude of benefits, which we’ll be going over in this comprehensive guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/dil-8OECtq8rrNg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) ### Journey mapping and funnel analysis #### Analysis Map out the customer journey from initial interaction to conversion using analytics tools. Identify key touchpoints and stages in the customer funnel where engagement levels may vary. #### Optimization Optimize the customer journey by identifying potential friction points or drop-off areas where engagement scores decrease. Implement improvements such as streamlining the checkout process, optimizing landing pages, or enhancing product recommendations to keep customers engaged and moving through the funnel. ### Predictive modeling and forecasting #### Analysis Use advanced analytics techniques such as predictive modeling and machine learning to forecast future engagement levels based on historical data and customer attributes. #### Optimization Leverage predictive insights to proactively identify at-risk customers who may exhibit declining engagement in the future. Implement targeted retention strategies such as personalized re-engagement campaigns or exclusive offers to prevent churn and maintain high engagement levels. [The ultimate guide to customer reactivation marketingThe realm of the existing customer is where customer marketers have the most impact. So when customers leave, a part of the customer marketers responsibilities is to try and get them back! This is where customer reactivation marketing comes in.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/08/dima-pechurin-JUbjYFvCv00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/) ### A/B testing and experimentation #### Analysis Conduct A/B tests and experiments using analytics tools to measure the impact of different strategies and interventions on customer engagement scores. Test variables such as messaging, design elements, and promotional offers to identify what resonates most with customers. #### Optimization Use insights from A/B testing to refine marketing strategies and optimize engagement scores over time. Continuously iterate and experiment with new approaches to identify the most effective tactics for driving engagement and achieving business objectives. ## Other customer marketing metrics Want to learn about other KPI metrics that'll help you prove your team successes? Kevin Lau, Senior Director of Global Customer Engagement at F5, shares his insights on metrics that matter, and how to use them to transform your customer programs into strategic assets that impact business growth. [Meaningful metrics: Transform your customer programstransforming your customer program through metrics is a journey. It’s a journey that’s going to take time, effort, consistency, deep collaboration with internal teams, and resources to help you get over the finish line.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKevin Lau![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/eskay-lim-PK6NDtsYy00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) ### The ultimate guide to customer reactivation marketing | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-reactivation-marketing-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T11:05:43.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [How to reactivate churned usersWhen it comes to the world of business churn’s one of those spine-shuddering words. No one wants it but most of us get it - even if only 1% (if you’re very lucky!). Every hundredth counts though and for some, that 1% can amount to millions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceBryony Pearce![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/andrey-bond-wJ7QDnCZjiQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reactivate-churned-users/) [The ultimate guide to customer reactivation marketingThe realm of the existing customer is where customer marketers have the most impact. So when customers leave, a part of the customer marketers responsibilities is to try and get them back! This is where customer reactivation marketing comes in.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/08/dima-pechurin-JUbjYFvCv00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/) [Simple strategies for reducing customer churnWhile there’s no such thing as a business with an unblemished retention rate, there are strategies you can put in place to reduce churn and protect your business’s prospects.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/strategies-to-reduce-customer-churn--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/simple-strategies-for-reducing-customer-churn/) ### Understanding customer goals and the psychology behind them URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-goals-and-the-psychology-behind-them/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:58:19.000Z In a customer-centric company, customer goals should be just as important to you and your team as your own goals are. But with so many individuals to cater, we wanted to give you the low-down of the most common types of customer goals, and the psychology behind them. In this article, we'll be covering: - A definition of customer goals. - Different types of customer goals. - How customer goals relate to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. ### Defining customer goals: What do they really mean? Customer goals are the things your customers are aiming for when they interact with your [product](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligning-on-product-adoption-get-ahead-of-churn-and-boost-revenue/) or brand. It's not just about what they want; it's about why they want it and what they hope to achieve by getting it. Customer goals can be all sorts of things - from practical needs to emotional desires or just wanting to fit in with the cool crowd. Understanding customer goals is super important for marketers because it helps you figure out how to talk to people in a way that really hits home. By getting what drives customers, you can tailor [your messaging](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/) to match up with what people are after. It's all about making those connections and keeping folks coming back for more. It shows them you get what they're about and why they’re here. ## Unraveling the layers: Identifying different types of customer goals ### Functional goals Functional goals relate to practical benefits or solutions achieved by your product or service. They’ll be looking at the parts of your product that help with things like: - Efficiency - Convenience - Cost-effectiveness - Reliability - Durability ### Emotional goals These goals involve the desire for certain emotional experiences or outcomes, such as happiness, [satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), or peace of mind. Within your product, these kinds of customers will be drawn to things like: - Aesthetic design - Brand and customer stories - Nostalgia - Trust - Admiration or ambition ### Social goals Customers may have goals related to their social identity, status, or [relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/), seeking acceptance, belonging, or admiration from others. In this case, customers with these types of goals may be more interested in how your company is run (considering things like DE&I, company values, and transparency) rather than the product itself. They’ll be drawn to things like: - Social impact - Donations - Personalization options - Community - Unique experiences - Accessibility features ### Self-Improvement goals These goals revolve around personal growth, development, or enhancement, including aspirations for learning, skill improvement, or self-expression. In this case, they’ll consider the presence of things like: - Educational resources - Unique learning experiences - Performance tracking - Goal-setting and planning tools - Variety in learning formats (For example, the Customer Marketing Alliance is an educational tool, and we provide [articles](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/articles/), [courses](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/courses/category/masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1l81qn4%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwOTU0Njc3OC4xMDAwLjEuMTcwOTU0Njk3MC44LjAuMA..), [podcasts](https://alliance.ghost.io/podcasts/?filter=podcast-filter-community-cma&%5Fgl=1%2A16zp2ur%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwOTU0Njc3OC4xMDAwLjEuMTcwOTU0Njk5MC41MS4wLjA.), [community spaces](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), events, and more. People learn in different ways, and as such, varying how your content is consumed is a huge benefit to all!) [Customer Marketing SummitsJoin the largest customer marketing community, as we bring together the most innovative minds in the industry to help elevate your career.![](https://assetsacara.com/production/organizations/624dc01ac88d8fe300172c55/1649266725044-LOGOTYPE-ICON-CMA-COLOR.png)![](https://assetsacara.com/production/organizations/624dc01ac88d8fe300172c55/1674226439825-HF1OLbo4.jpg)](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### Aspirational goals There is some overlap between aspirational and self-improvement goals; aspirational goals, however, tend to be more ambitious in terms of image, reach, and achievement. Customers may have goals related to their long-term aspirations or dreams, such as achieving a certain lifestyle, status, or level of success. This’ll mean they are usually drawn to features like: - Exclusivity - Limited editions - Rewards and trophies - VIP experiences ### Experiential goals These goals involve the desire for specific experiences or sensations, such as excitement, adventure, or relaxation. While this may overlap with social or aspirational desires, these goals tend to be more about the overall [experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/), and will take into account things like: - Sensory experience - Aesthetics - Immersion - Exploration - Interactive features ### Environmental/sustainability goals Increasingly important, these goals pertain to customers' desires to support environmentally friendly or socially responsible products and practices. - Eco-friendly materials and manufacturing - Ethical work practices - Energy efficiency and conservation - Transparency of supply chain practices ### Health and wellness goals Customers may have goals related to improving their physical or mental well-being, such as fitness, nutrition, or stress reduction. When it comes to B2B or SaaS companies, this will include things like: - Data security - User-friendly interfacing - Accessibility features - Automated systems and processes [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## Maslow to marketing: How customer goals align with basic human needs Simplifying customer goals down to the most basic needs, as highlighted in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, is a good way to determine which goals to prioritize over others, and which part of this hierarchy is most relevant to you and your audience. ![Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for customers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/03/CMA_Infographics_Pyramid--1-.png) Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs reflects a theory in psychology that suggests that, as individuals, we are all motivated by a hierarchy of needs, progressing from basic survival needs to higher-order psychological needs. According to Maslow, people strive to fulfill lower-level needs before moving on to higher-level needs. So that, once a need is met, it no longer serves as a motivator, and individuals become motivated to fulfill the next higher-level need. In marketing, this hierarchy is a good indicator of how customers are motivated by specific goals, but also that these goals will change and shift over time as your company becomes better equipped to meet them A marketing campaign might appeal to a customer’s physiological needs by emphasizing the practical benefits or features of a product, while another might fulfill a customer’s esteem needs by highlighting how the product enhances their status or self-image. Let’s go into a bit more detail… ### Physiological These are the basic requirements for human survival, such as food, water, and shelter. In marketing terms, this will be the most basic of customer needs you must meet including: - Reliability and performance - Cost-effectiveness - Operational efficiency ### Safety Safety needs encompass physical and psychological security, stability, and protection from harm or danger. - Data security and compliance - Long-term stability - Risk mitigation ### Love and Belonging These needs involve interpersonal relationships, social connections, and a sense of belonging within a community. - Collaboration and partnership - Community engagement - Customer support and relationship management [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Esteem Esteem needs involve feelings of self-worth, recognition, respect from others, and a sense of accomplishment. - Recognition and validation - Customization and personalization - Professional development and growth ### Self-actualization These needs involve personal growth, fulfillment of potential, creativity, and achieving one's highest potential. - Innovation and growth opportunities - Thought leadership and expertise - Strategic alignment and vision ## **Consumer psychology** The one thing we can never know is what goes on in our customers' minds. But becoming a master of consumer psychology brings us very close. 🔍 Sign up to our Consumer psychology: Masters course and get: ⏰ 4+ hours of content ✅ 100+ exam questions 📝 6 modules 🔖 Official certification 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced [Become a master](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1gt8x58%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwOTU0Njc3OC4xMDAwLjAuMTcwOTU0Njc3OC42MC4wLjA.) ### Kevin Lau | Vital metrics to measure your customer advocacy success | Learning with Leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/vital-metrics-to-measure-your-customer-advocacy-success-learning-with-leadership/ Last updated: 2024-03-01T17:05:24.000Z In our fifth episode of **Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast**, we talk to Kevin Lau Senior Director of Global Customer Engagement at F5, on the importance of establishing metrics to ensure your advocacy success. **Not long enough for you?** Continue listening to Kevin Lau with his episode from our flagship podcast, [Customer Marketing Catch-up,](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XVMJTe8267BzDPnJRY2BU?utm%5Fsource=linkedin&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=cma-content) now. ## **Key talking points:** - Why the idea that relationship-based roles can't be easily measured needs to change. - How to choose the right metrics for your team. - How customer marketing teams go about proving ROI. ## **About the guest:** Kevin Lau is a performance-driven, innovative and ROI-focused, customer marketing professional and digital marketing strategist with 13+ years of experience. He is an industry thought leader in customer advocacy, lifecycle marketing, social media, event marketing, digital marketing, community management, customer experience, voice of the customer, and customer engagement. Kevin Lau is also the course leader for CMA's [Customer Advocacy: Certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A102efpa%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwOTMxMjMxNC45OTkuMC4xNzA5MzEyMzE0LjYwLjAuMA..) course which'll give you the skills to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. The course includes: 👩🏼‍🏫 8 modules covering all aspects of customer advocacy. ✅ 40 exam questions to test your intake. ⏰ 5 hours of content, including bonus material, crammed with expert insights. 📝 Optional coursework and frameworks to consolidate your learning. 🔖 Official certification to boost your resume and grow your career. So what are you waiting for? Keep learning from Kevin Lau and his fantastic thought leadership and [enroll today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A102efpa%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwOTMxMjMxNC45OTkuMC4xNzA5MzEyMzE0LjYwLjAuMA..). [Enroll today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A102efpa%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwOTMxMjMxNC45OTkuMC4xNzA5MzEyMzE0LjYwLjAuMA..) ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Only 3% of customer marketers feel fully understood by their company URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/only-3-of-customer-marketers-feel-fully-understood/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:58:52.000Z Our new report reveals that while companies are valuing customer marketing more, there’s still a major gap in understanding exactly what the role entails and how it drives revenue. The [2023/24 State of Customer Marketing Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) surveyed over 100 professionals to uncover the latest trends and insights. A key finding is that only **3%** of respondents feel fully understood by their companies and colleagues. At the same time, over **75%** rated their role as valued at a 6 or higher on a scale from 1 to 10. This dilemma highlights an ongoing challenge: **customer marketing plays an invaluable part in business success, yet others often misunderstand it**. As leaders increasingly recognize the revenue potential in customer retention and expansion, they must also educate themselves on how customer marketers are the ones to make that happen. ## **Why customer marketing matters** ### Customer marketing focuses on building loyalty and advocacy with existing customers through highly personalized experiences based on in-depth customer insight. Ultimately, the goal is to turn happy customers into vocal brand promoters. The numbers speak for themselves in terms of impact: - **80%** of future revenue comes from just 20% of existing customers - Increasing retention rates by just **5%** boosts profits by 25-95% - **60-70%** chance of selling to an existing customer vs. 5-20% for a new one - Existing customers spend **31%** more than new ones Companies taking a customer-led approach to their tech investments grow **1.8x** faster than their peers and customer-obsessed companies grow **2.5x** faster than non-obsessed ones and retain **2.2x** more customers annually. With such impressive potential for revenue and growth, it's no wonder over half of respondents want to progress upward in their customer marketing career in the next year. However, this progress hinges on internal stakeholders truly recognizing why the function matters. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-29-at-17.41.44.png) ## **Where understanding falters** ### Out of our participants, **68%** stated, about their companies understanding, that "some do, some don't" have a proper grasp of their position. Meanwhile, **16%** called it "a constant challenge." The ambiguity we picked up in our report seems to stem from the fact that customer marketing is still establishing itself as a distinct role. Tasks often overlap with sales, marketing, product, and customer success teams. However, the focus on post-purchase makes responsibilities and goals unique. Educating colleagues is key, but it's a two-way street. Customer marketers must also learn stakeholders' objectives to convey alignment. **Cetiera Carmona**, **Senior Manager of Customer Growth** at **BigCommerce**, adds: > *"It seems that so many more companies are investing in customer marketing and seeing the value in it. There’s still a lot of work to be done but it’s so encouraging seeing the growth in the industry and all of the amazing things CM teams across the world are doing to support their customers."* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-29-at-17.42.27.png) ## **Proving and improving value** ### Positively, the average rating for "How valued do you feel?" went from 6.6 to **6.8** **out of 10** year-over-year. Plus, the percentage who selected a score of 8 or above rose by **6%**. However, budget and resources don't always match this verbal support. Over 60% of participants have annual budgets under $100k, comprising **less than 20%** of total company marketing spend. This is surprisingly little considering the revenue impact of retaining and expanding accounts. To shift the needle on budget and strategic input, customer marketers must make their work less "behind the scenes" through metrics and reporting. These signals offer hard proof to reinforce positioning during planning cycles. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) ## **What customer marketers need to succeed** ### With growth and career ambitions high but budgets inconsistent, what empowers these professionals to make an impact regardless? The top skills identified point to human connections, which isn't surprising given the customer marketer role description. However, having patience and listening ability doesn't directly drive revenue. Demonstrating commercial outcomes does. As **Emily Glover**, **Customer Marketing Lead** at **Vimeo**, has already witnessed: > *“My team had to re-evaluate “impact” in terms of quantifiable outcomes.”* The best performers will complement emotional intelligence with business acumen, data analysis, and tools literacy. As multidisciplinary feats become more attainable through technology, customer marketers should jump on opportunities to analyze, automate, and optimize programs. For example, over half now use sophisticated platforms and tools to manage advocacy and track engagement. ## **The future looks bright** ### While still misunderstood by many, customer marketing holds so much potential to guide companies toward sustainable profits. As Carmona explains, > *"Look for opportunities to positively impact the business beyond your current scope...This will leave a lasting impact on cross-functional stakeholders and help expand your current reach."* Everything points toward customer marketing cementing itself as a revenue driver within organizations. Now it's time for leaders across departments to catch up on how exactly that happens through empathy, analytics, and purpose-built technology coming together. When they do, they'll discover impressive untapped profit streams through better engaging their most valuable assets: customer marketing teams and existing buyers. --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### The evolution of customer advocacy: Embracing a value-led approach URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-evolution-of-customer-advocacy-embracing-a-value-led-approach/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:59:10.000Z When everything you do is focused on living up to your company values, you’ll naturally build up a loyal customer base of advocates who resonate with your brand ethos. In this article we’ll be looking at: - Understanding a value-led approach. - The shortcomings of traditional marketing and advocacy. - How to build trust using your brand values. - Some real life examples of a value-led approach in action. ## Understanding the value-led approach ### Defining value-led A value-led approach is all about making sure your principles and beliefs guide every move you make, whether it's big decisions or just chatting with customers. By prioritizing values such as integrity, authenticity, and social responsibility, it's not just about earning trust – it's about turning our customers into our biggest cheerleaders. In a world where people crave genuine connections and brands that stand for something, going all-in on a value-led approach is the key to fostering genuine customer advocacy and long-term loyalty. ### A shift from profit-led to value-led In the past, businesses were all about chasing profits above everything else. It was like a race to see who could make the most money, no matter what. But then, something changed – customers started demanding more than just products or services; they wanted to connect with brands that shared their values and beliefs. That's when the shift happened from being profit-centric to value-centric. Some reasons for this change would be things like: - **Increased access to information:** With the growth of the internet and social media, customers have become more informed about companies' practices, including their social and environmental impact. This awareness has led to greater scrutiny of companies' values and actions. - **A shift in consumer values:** Consumer values gear towards sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical business practices. Customers are increasingly inclined to support companies that align with their values and contribute positively to society. - **Rise of Millennials and Gen Z:** Newer generations place a high value on authenticity, transparency, and purpose-driven brands. They prefer to support companies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to making a difference in the world. - **Influence of social media:** Social media platforms have given customers a powerful voice and place to express their opinions and hold companies accountable for their actions. Negative publicity regarding ethical lapses or irresponsible behavior can significantly impact a company's reputation and bottom line. Now, it's not just about making money; it's about creating genuine relationships with customers by showing them what we stand for and why it matters. As customer marketing professionals, this shift means you're not just selling stuff anymore; you're building communities around shared values, which ultimately leads to stronger brand loyalty and advocacy. Even if your company is defined as a sales-led culture, successful sales can’t be made without understanding your customer first; and when you think about increasing sales in the long run, value-led approaches only increase your customer lifetime value (CLTV), leading to make sales per customer in the long run. ## The challenges of traditional marketing and advocacy Along with the changes in target audience expectations, a sales-led or profit-led approach has shortcomings of its own. Traditional marketing methods will always lack emotional appeal for customers without conscious efforts made to change specific parts of the business culture to compensate. Sales and profit-led cultures prioritize pushing products or services onto a customer without actually engaging with their needs, preferences, or values. As these methods are so transaction-focused it risks leaving customers feeling indifferent about your brand. Alongside this, sales-led and profit-led approaches risk being: ### Stuck with a short-term focus Transaction-focused marketing tends to prioritize short-term gains and immediate sales over long-term relationship building. This leads to a cycle of constantly chasing new customers and neglecting your existing ones, hindering any chance at sustainable growth. ### Limited in differentiation When marketing efforts solely emphasize product features or pricing, it becomes challenging for you to differentiate yourself from competitors beyond these aspects. This can result in a commoditization of products or services, where customers view very little difference between your brand and your competitors. ### Vulnerable to price competition Relying solely on transactional marketing can you way more vulnerable to price competition, as many customers will inevitably begin to prioritize finding the lowest price rather than considering other points of value. ## Building trust through values What does being value-led do overall to help your business and your customers? We’ve spoken a bit about how customer values overall have changed, and why transnational marketing will fail when trying to keep up with them - so, let's talk a bit about building trust and how that can set your company up for sustained growth. Shared values serve as a foundation for building enduring trust-based relationships that are essential for long-term success and advocacy in today's competitive marketplace. When businesses consistently uphold shared values in their actions and decisions, it reinforces trust over time, as customers feel confident that the business will prioritize their interests and well-being. Now let’s have a look at that in action… ## Value-led success in action ### Patagonia ![Patagonia logo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/patagonia--1-.png) This list wouldn’t be complete without Patagonia at the top. This outdoor clothing and gear company is very well known for its commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility. *You can read a bit more about one of their most successful campaigns here.* Patagonia actively promotes environmental activism, transparency in its supply chain, and ethical business practices. Its webpage has a dedicated section for current activism campaigns and stories, it has a reselling and repair website, and often donates to a variety of charities. By aligning its values with those of its environmentally conscious customers, Patagonia has built a strong sense of trust and loyalty among its customer base - and it’s bigger than ever and showing no signs of stopping. ### TOMS ![TOMS logo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/TOMS--1-.jpeg) TOMS is recognized for its "One for One" business model, where for every product purchased, the company donates a pair of shoes to a person in need. This commitment to giving back resonates with customers who prioritize social impact and philanthropy. And, again, this is something that many companies do during particular seasons or holidays, but TOMS has made it a staple part of their brand and proved its values (rather than making the offer to increase sales during specific seasons). ### Ben & Jerry's ![Ben and Jerry's logo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/Ben_-_Jerry-s-Logo.wine--1-.png) As a socially conscious ice cream company, Ben & Jerry's is vocal about its support for various social and environmental causes, including climate justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial equity. They also have their own foundation built to support black, indigenous, and minority groups in the US. They even have grants they issue to help others start their own campaigns. By taking a stand on important societal issues and using its platform to advocate for change, Ben & Jerry's has earned the trust and loyalty of customers who admire its commitment to social justice and activism. ### Warby Parker ![Warby parker logo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/02/warby-parker--1-.png) In a similar initiative to TOMS, Warby Parker emphasizes its commitment to social impact with its "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program, to provide glasses to individuals in need. Regardless of the product you have, be it physical or SaaS, there are always initiatives available to do like the ones above. So ask your customers what they care about, and what social initiatives pair well with your product. If you have a SaaS product, think about things like sponsorship programs or mentoring schemes. Is there more you could be doing with your environmental impact? These value-led schemes must begin with your customer and their values. Then it must be carried out by you. Listening without action is nothing. ### The power of partnership: Strategies to cultivate internal advocacy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-partnership-strategies-to-cultivate-internal-advocacy-2/ Last updated: 2024-07-09T14:55:19.000Z This article comes from **Valeria Gomez**’s insightful talk, ‘*Unlocking the power of collaborative success: Building internal advocates for your customer programs*’, at our **2023 San Francisco Customer Marketing Summit**, check out her full discussion [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-sf-2023-ondemand-2/?wchannelid=malqsajf82&wmediaid=fjdc9n6r5t). What’s the secret recipe behind customer marketing’s greatest successes? Ask most leaders and they’ll likely point to creativity, technical prowess, or access to the largest budgets. But nearly a decade leading advocacy efforts has taught me our superpower isn’t any of those things. It’s the ability to cultivate passionate internal alliances up, down, and across the company; trust me - I’ve discovered firsthand the true power of building strong cross-functional partnerships. In this post, I’ll be digging into why securing internal buy-in is critical and sharing the strategies I’ve used to foster collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across the business. My goal is to provide insight and encourage you to make internal alliance building a cornerstone of your customer marketing efforts. So, let’s dive in! ## **Why internal advocates are critical to program impact** Let’s start by defining what I mean by “internal advocates”. These are employees across your organization – whether in Sales, Support, Product, or beyond – who actively champion customer-centric programs as if they were their own. They eagerly promote your initiatives, seeing inherent value in customer marketing activities. When empowered, these internal champions can massively influence endorsement for your programs company-wide. I like to think of them as crucial bridges helping to break down silos and nurture a culture centered on customer success. But why specifically are strong internal alliances so vital for customer marketers like you and me? For one, the cross-functional nature of our role means collaboration is a prerequisite for making an impact. While customer obsession may start with Marketing, facilitating meaningful interactions takes alignment across the business - from designing the right customer journeys to enabling sales reps to having the product meet needs. What’s more - in an age where buyers increasingly scrutinize brand authenticity - there's greater impetus to deliver genuine customer experiences. This is where being tightly integrated with internal teams provides an edge. We’re best positioned to gather buyer insights, identify pain points, and create initiatives that truly resonate. Ultimately, customer advocacy must start from within the organization. Developing a network of engaged employees breathes life into your programs and amplifies their credibility. My recipe? Treat internal teams like you would your top customer advocates! Now that we’ve covered why securing buy-in matters, let me give you some context on my journey... ## **Building a customer advocacy program with cross-functional input** When I joined Airtable in 2020, there was no dedicated customer marketing function in place. I was essentially tasked with both defining and championing this discipline from scratch. Of course that presented its fair share of challenges! But I also saw it as a unique opportunity to take time upfront and understand priorities across functions before jumping into execution. Rather than risk working in a silo, I knew securing early internal alignment would be key to long-term success. With that mindset, I embarked on an extensive listening tour meeting with teams in Sales, Support, Product, Marketing, and more. My goal was threefold: Firstly. to gain valuable market and customer insights from their unique lenses. Secondly, to identify shared goals and potential friction points across groups. Finally, to start pinpointing those passionate individuals who might turn into program allies moving forward. From these conversations three core strategies emerged that ultimately helped me systematically build up internal advocacy and adoption: 1. Promoting early-stage engagement and cross-collaboration 2. Clearly emphasizing program benefits for partners 3. Consistently celebrating shared wins Let me expand on what each entailed... ## **Fostering joint ownership from the start** My first realization was that cross-functional participation couldn’t be an afterthought. For initiatives to feel owned beyond just Marketing, other groups needed a seat at the table early on. While this may sound intuitive, lack of proactive engagement is still a common pitfall I’ve observed over my career. Customer marketers get buried executing campaigns and lose sight of continually collaborating. To promote joint buy-in, I first focused on identifying potential advocate teams and individuals during my initial research. I asked questions to spot shared goals and customer mindsets even in unofficial conversations. Next, I met separately with each key group to co-create frameworks they could align to – whether customer journey maps or shared visions documents. Collaborating to define advocacy through their lens built foundational buy-in. Finally, I brought cross-functional partners directly into ideation sessions when designing my customer program. Joint brainstorming involvement drove excitement and accountability from the start. Let me share some tactical examples of what this looked like in action... ## **Crafting “shared visions” for each group** Early on I created personalized vision documents for key teams like Sales, Support, and Product articulating how customer advocacy would fuel their goals. I highlighted our common objectives, and opportunities to jointly achieve results, and listed 3+ specific benefits tailored to what success meant to them. Here’s a snippet of the shared vision I crafted for our Customer Success organization: ### Common objective: To drive customer retention and growth through expanding value usage ### Opportunity to collaborate: Leverage customer marketing programs to increase account engagement, facilitate expansions, and recognize your highest-value customers ### Anticipated benefits of partnership: - Spotlight proven adoption techniques through customer testimonials - Accelerate relationship building with reserved buyers - Uncover expansion triggers based on how peers maximize Airtable Documents like these made teams feel “seen” while enabling me to tie advocacy to their existing priorities. This built immense credibility that drove later program participation. ### **Mapping high-value advocacy junctures** In addition to zooming out, I also wanted to enable teams to pinpoint exactly how customer marketing could complement existing customer journeys. With each key partner, we collaborated to create templates identifying advocacy opportunities at different lifecycle stages based on the accounts they owned. Visually mapping high-potential intersections to plug aligned customer content not only brought focus, it also generated excitement around how much untapped potential existed. ## **Communicating benefits to secure advocates** After initial conversations revealed program potential, the next phase focused on consistently emphasizing the exact team and customer benefits that advocacy drives. I learned quickly that potential partners want to quantify how any new initiative will tangibly impact their goals before fully embracing it. We have to move from hypotheticals to specific values. For Airtable, multiple groups shared a common pain point around limited customer engagement and intimacy - especially amid rapid scaling. Many lamented “not knowing” their accounts well enough to proactively cross-sell or support. So a core selling point became how structured advocacy provides bi-directional value: Customers share meaningful insights and content reflecting their journeys while account teams gain an invaluable “window” for bonding through this content. Everyone wins! To codify this, customer marketing created in-depth Changemaker profiles for each participating customer covering their Airtable setup, key milestones, and even personal details like hobbies and work anniversary dates account managers could leverage. Check out what one of our Customer Success allies highlighted when I asked her why she supports our advocacy efforts based on the profiles: > *“Valeria's team helps provide that critical ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ when it comes to customer challenges. Her profiles enable me to really tailor my interactions using details I'd never access otherwise. It's allowed myself and others in leadership to more proactively engage.”* \- Tracy, CSM Comments like Tracy’s emphasize how advocacy simultaneously helps humanize impersonal accounts for teams while providing customers platforms to share their powerful stories. This peer content acts like a Trojan Horse - indirectly fostering relationships based on trust. ## **Celebrating shared milestones** My last strategy focused on reinforcing internal advocacy by consistently spotlighting joint accomplishments with key teams and individuals. Publicly celebrating “bright spot” employees who champion advocacy sets the tone that this matters within the company and incentivizes participation through positive reinforcement. On my Airtable customer marketing squad, we actively showcase partner achievements in customer content collaboration during company All-Hands meetings. I also frequently call out stellar contributors like Account Executives in external presentations. Think about opportunities where you can visibly recognize internal promotional efforts and they’ll likely reciprocate in kind! Now that I’ve run through techniques I’ve applied to systematically gain traction, let me leave you with a few key takeaways... ## **Final thoughts** I hope my firsthand tips sharing how I fostered collaborative teams empowered to champion customer marketing programs leave you excited to apply similar strategies in your context. **Here are my 3 biggest pieces of advice:** 1. Start early pursuing cross-functional buy-in, even informally – don’t silo customer marketing! 2. Identify specific benefits to spotlight for each potential internal ally 3. Celebrate shared wins frequently – recognize stellar contributors whenever feasible While the templates and frameworks will differ, focusing on joint goal setting, bidirectional value communication, and consistent appreciation can turn even the most skeptical groups into advocates. The reality is programs fully embraced across your company, not just within Marketing, have the farthest reach. Ultimately unless key stakeholders bring customer obsession to life daily through their words and actions - no amount of brilliant campaigns will drive transformation alone. So take the first step to unleash collaborative success by nurturing unlikely allies who breathe credibility and authenticity into all you do! ### Florian Engel | Interacting with different cultures and regions both internally and externally | Learning with Leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/florian-engel-interacting-with-different-cultures-and-regions-both-internally-and-externally-learning-with-leadership/ Last updated: 2024-02-22T13:56:21.000Z > *"It's important to have a deep understanding of the cultural norms and preferences of the target audience... conducting thorough research and cultural analysis is key to crafting messaging that resonates."* In our fourth episode of **Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast**, we talk to Florian Engel, Director of EMEA Marketing & Global Customer Marketing at Aiven, who share some tips on interacting with different cultures and regions both within your internal culture, and externally when interacting with customers. ## **Key talking points:** - Important factors to consider when adapting customer marketing strategies for international markets. - Tailoring your messaging and communication to resonate with diverse cultures and regions. - Fostering a culturally inclusive work environment. ## **About the guest:** Florian Engel is an innovative, customer-centric Marketer with 10 years of driving captivating storytelling, SaaS marketing, developing B2B sales strategies, demand generation, and supporting digital products for industry leaders (including VMware and OpenText). He has continued success in generating new business in competitive markets, managing comprehensive account prospecting lifecycles to grow territories and consistently expand client base. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Katie Meeker | Vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams | Learning with Leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/ Last updated: 2024-02-20T15:42:20.000Z > "The first thing I’d ask is what are your businesses goals? {....} The goals of the team should align with the goals of the company. If they don’t, you’ll lose your credibility, and your org may wonder why this function even exists..." In our second episode of **Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast**, we talk to Katie Meeker, Director of Customer Marketing at ICIMS, about the vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams. ## **Key talking points:** - The difference between customer marketing with B2B businesses and SaaS services. - How leaders should begin to structure their customer marketing team. - Important behaviors and skills that are most valuable among team members. - Skills that will distinguish a customer marketing leader from the rest. ## About the guest: Katie Meeker is a tech-minded marketing professional with over 13 years of B2B and SaaS experience, with a specific focus on the customer experience. Katie has helped organizations build and scale cross-sell and retention campaigns, regional customer events, customer stories and references, voice of the customer (NPS) programs, digital communities and engagement programs, customer influencer awards programs, VIP executive customer events, advocacy programs, and more. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com). ### Steph Mills | Case studies: How to connect to your customers using their own voice | Learning with Leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/steph-mills-case-studies-how-to-connect-to-your-customers-using-their-own-voice-leadership-accelerator-program/ Last updated: 2024-02-20T15:41:53.000Z > "Think about collaborating with other parts of the business that have other connection points and converging those so there's a consistent brand experience..." In our third episode of **Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast**, we talk to Steph Mills, Director of Corporate Marketing at Matillion, about how to connect to your customers using their own voice, with case studies. ## **Key talking points:** - Go-to strategies for connecting with your current customers. - How doing so can improve your brand image. - Why case studies are important. - How to conduct case studies to get the most out of your customer. ## **About the guest:** Steph Mills has spent most of my her career connecting stories, people, programmes, campaigns, and teams; she considers this one of her biggest assets in any role. At the moment she is connecting customers and their stories through a mutually beneficial advocacy program. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Jeni Asaba | How to find the right customer passion topics to engage customer interests | Learning with Leadership URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-how-to-find-the-right-customer-passion-topics-to-engage-customer-interests-leadership-accelerator-program/ Last updated: 2024-02-20T15:46:29.000Z > *"How can I provide value to our customer base? Get to know your customers. Don't just assume you know your customers. And build around what their needs are because those are the foundational pieces to a successful program..."* In our first episode of **Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast,** we talk to Jeni Asaba, Senior Manager, Community Engagement & Advocacy at Jamf, about the importance of finding your customers' passion topics to inform engagement and internal processes. ## Key talking points: - How to pick the right form when writing for a specific community - What's the best way to go about getting feedback from your customers? - How to go about finding out your customer’s passions - How to go about choosing the right social media platform for your specific community ## About the guest: Newspaper reporting, copywriting and customer advocacy … They’ve been Jeni Asaba’s world for the past 15 years. And they’ve given her the chance to use her love of writing and passion for people to create a library of powerful stories (news articles, case studies, e-books) and build a thriving community (Jamf Heroes). ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the[ Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com). ### Personalization: The key element of customer-centric decision-making and why it matters to C-suite executives URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/personalization-the-key-element-of-customer-centric-decision-making-and-why-it-matters-to-c-suite-executives/ Last updated: 2024-05-17T15:08:05.000Z Personalization is the magic that turns your business from "just another option" to "the one and only" in your customer's eyes. What better way to show your customers that their individual preferences and needs are your top priority? [Building experiences](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) based on their own desires - rather than just trying to sell a product to them - is what makes customers return time and time again. And guess what? Happy customers who feel understood and valued are more likely to stick around, spread the word, and keep coming back for more, boosting your bottom line along the way. In this article, we’ll cover: - Why personalization matters to C-suite and leadership levels - Some strategies for effective personalization - The role of the C-suite in driving personalization initiatives - Growth tips for personalization ## Why personalization matters to C-suite and leadership levels Personalization matters to C-suite and leadership levels because it's the secret sauce that can set your company apart in a sea of competitors. And when everyone’s doing personalization, this means really understanding and getting to know your own customers. You can’t just stop at tailored product suggestions, or birthday discounts. These have their place, but when everyone is doing them, you must figure out how your customer base is unique - and then cater to those unique qualities. ### Understand *your* customers What makes your customer base tick? What do they love? Think about the current strategies you already have in place, and then take them a step further. Do you have a [Slack channel set up](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)? [Social media platforms](https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-marketing-alliance/)? Your customers will be talking and interacting all the time on social media, so listen to what they’re saying! And not just about your own company, but your competitors too. What feature do they think you’re missing, what [pain points](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/common-pain-points-for-customer-marketing-in-2024-and-how-to-solve-them/) or frustrations are they airing to other customers? Use that as a starting point to understand the current landscape for customer sentiments and then build on that by reaching out yourself and joining in the conversation. [14 ways you need to know to engage customers with social mediaEngaging your audience on social media boosts brand awareness, increases loyalty, and encourages word-of-mouth marketing. It fuels business by building a community of informed fans of your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceScott Joseph![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/engage-customers-with-social-media-image.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) ### Personalization drives loyalty Personalization drives loyalty like nothing else; when you show your customers that you know them and care about their needs, they're more likely to stick with you for the long haul. And the best way to make that loyalty cement itself indefinitely? Show your customers that you are in for the long haul too. Do you currently have strategies that follow along the customer journey as a whole, or does your work stop after the second purchase? Keep up with your customers' lives, and make sure you’re there to support that too. [Annie Eissler | Customer journey mapping and the importance of customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Annie Eissler, VP of Customer, Partner & Expert Insights Marketing at AlphaSense talks to us about the importance of customer experience and how customer journey mapping can help align teams to support retention and growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/11/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--6---1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### Maximize marketing ROI: Some strategies for effective personalization Now, it's not all just about warm fuzzies; personalized marketing can lead to tangible results, like higher conversion rates and [increased revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-leverage-customer-marketing-and-impact-the-revenue-cycle-meaningfully/). Now we’ve already spoken about personalized offers and product recommendations, but don’t forget some of the other options too: - **Dynamic content customization:** Tailoring website content, email campaigns, and advertisements based on user behavior, demographics, and past interactions. By serving relevant content to each individual, you increase engagement and conversion rates, ultimately [driving higher ROI](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/). - **Segmented email campaigns:** Dividing your email subscriber list into segments based on factors such as purchase history, interests, or demographics, and sending targeted messages to each group. This approach improves email open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, conversion rates, resulting in a higher ROI for your email marketing efforts. - **Behavioral retargeting:** Using cookies and tracking pixels to display personalized ads to users who have previously visited your website but did not complete a desired action, such as making a purchase. By retargeting these individuals with relevant ads based on their browsing history, you can re-engage them and drive them back to your site, increasing the likelihood of conversion and ROI. - **Localized marketing:** Tailoring marketing campaigns and messages to [specific geographic regions or locations](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/). By addressing regional preferences, cultural nuances, and local events, you can resonate more effectively with target audiences, driving higher engagement and conversion rates within each locality and ultimately increasing ROI. - **Personalized landing pages:** Creating unique landing pages for different audience segments based on their interests, demographics, or past behavior. By delivering a customized experience from the moment users click on an ad or link, you can enhance relevance and drive higher conversion rates, ultimately improving ROI for your digital marketing campaigns. [Harness AI’s transformative potential in customer engagementAchieving and sustaining meaningful customer engagement is more about leveraging the immense power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized, data-driven, and emotionally resonant experiences that captivate and retain customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/brett-jordan-5L0R8ZqPZHk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) - **Predictive personalization:** Utilizing predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms to anticipate customer needs and preferences before they even express them. By proactively offering relevant products, content, or recommendations, you can increase [customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), reduce friction in the purchasing process, and ultimately drive higher sales and ROI. ## The role of C-suite in driving personalization initiatives The C-suite is the engine behind the personalization train. They're the ones with the power to steer the company in new directions, and when it comes to personalization initiatives, their role is absolutely crucial. Personalization cannot happen inside a silo. Customer marketing can’t be the only department dedicated to the task of delivering personalization initiatives - especially when customer marketing budgets are so small in comparison to others. So, customer personalization must be a company-wide initiative, which is where C-suite comes in. They're the ones who set the tone and provide the resources needed to make personalization happen. Whether it's investing in data analytics tools, hiring top-notch talent, or breaking down silos between departments, they're the ones making it happen behind the scenes. For personalization to become consistent in your brand image, you going to need people at the helm who truly understand what personalization is, how it should be put out there, and where to go with it next. Plus, their buy-in and support are what motivates everyone else in the company to get on board with personalization in the first place. It’s never just a one-and-done, and shouldn’t be left on the shoulders of smaller departments like customer marketing to ensure personalization is taken care of. ## Growth tips for personalization So, how can personalization become a company-wide initiative? How can you ensure such a strategy grows alongside your other business successes? ### Invest in technology: Choose the right tools for personalization initiatives #### CRM tools Get your hands on some top-notch [customer relationship](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/) management (CRM) software—it's like having a personal assistant for each customer, keeping track of their preferences, behavior, and interactions with your brand. **Some examples include:** Salesforce, Hubspot, and Zoho CRM. #### Marketing automation Consider investing in a robust marketing automation platform that can handle the heavy lifting when it comes to delivering personalized messages and offers at scale. With the right automation tools, you can streamline processes, save time, and ensure consistency across all your personalization efforts. **Some examples include:** Marketo, Pardot, and ActiveCampaign. #### Data analytics Don't forget about data analytics tools—think predictive analytics, machine learning, and advanced segmentation capabilities. These tools can help you uncover valuable insights from your customer data, predict future behaviors, and fine-tune your personalization strategies for maximum impact. **Some examples include:** Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Tableau. ### Encourage experimentation and innovation One way to make personalization an investment for your whole business is to encourage and reward innovative ideas and suggestions, regardless of what level of your business they come from. Create a safe space for testing and learning from both successes and failures and celebrate the innovation that drives tangible results. Growth never comes out of doing the same thing for years on end; evolution is a must, and evolution can only come through allowing failure to be a part of your process. #### Dedicated teams to personalization Now we specifically mean creating dedicated [cross-functional teams](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) or innovation labs, to avoid that pesky siloing. These teams must be made up of people from across your business to ensure that every single team is ‘in the know’ about all things personalization. Provide these teams with resources, autonomy, and support to experiment with emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, or immersive experiences. #### Implement a reward system Reward systems work wonders when it comes to encouraging innovation. Be it a monetary reward, or something as simple as a shoutout recognition, people like seeing their efforts recognized. Celebrate team members who take risks, think creatively, and drive positive outcomes through their personalization initiatives. Don’t forget to celebrate your employees as much as you do your customers! ## Get to know your customers The one thing we can never know is what goes on in our customers' minds. But becoming a master of consumer psychology brings us very close. 🔍 Personalization relies on understanding who uses your product, and what better way to begin this journey than by developing your own consumer psychology skills? ⏰ 4+ hours of content ✅ 100+ exam questions 📝 6 modules 🔖 Official certification 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced **Take the course today.** [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ### The eight ultimate how-tos and tips for community engagement URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-how-tos-and-tips-for-community-engagement/ Last updated: 2024-11-12T11:21:12.000Z Engaging with your community fosters a more authentic relationship with your customers. It helps to build networks, learning spaces, and mutual exchanging of ideas. The relationship between you and your customer community is mutually beneficial - It supports your customer’s goals, which also [gets you closer to your business goals.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) Introducing a community for your customers, makes sure they have more room to address their needs, in the way that suits them best. It can create a customer that will stick with you long term, it can connect your existing customer base together, and can act as great customer support. --- *But first, make sure you understand that community and customer engagement are not the same thing, there are key similarities and differences for both.* --- ## What are the benefits of a community marketing strategy, in customer marketing? A community is a group of people with a common interest - in this case its your brand. So, improving the relationship with your existing customers can improve your company in a number of ways. ### Involve customers in the direction of your business Interacting with customers means that you get direct insight into who they are, their pain points, and their needs. This can show you where best to expand your business, and where your products or services might be lacking. ### Allow space for the voice of the customer When you interact with your customers, their insights can help improve your internal processes and customer journey. Allowing space for your customers to express their thoughts about your brand increases the level of trust. This can prompt them to invite new customers into your community through referrals, and word-of-mouth marketing. [Why customer references are important, and how best to use them | Customer Marketing Catch-up“Customer references really are about bringing someone in and starting them on that journey toward customer advocacy.” We talk to Collette Johnson about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discuss some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/6.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/) ### Reduce advertising costs Having a presence on social media and other spaces can help reduce the need for traditional paid advertising. Community gives you direct communication with your customers, which can often be more effective than traditional advertising. Simply put, these two strategies don’t have to be entirely separate. In fact, you may find that adopting facets of each might provide the exact base your customers or community members need. ## Tips for community engagement ### Develop clear community guidelines Establishing clear, concise, and easy-to-understand rules and guidelines for your online community ensures that all members understand the expectations and can engage in a respectful, supportive manner. Moderation is an absolute necessity to keep a community as friendly and approachable as possible. With a few watchful eyes (that’s you, Community Managers!) making sure everyone has the room to participate and is being respectful, members can remain safe in the knowledge they’re being looked after and can continue to enjoy the space. Here’s an example of how we’ve done it on Community Led Alliance’s Slack community: ![Example of community guidelines](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iY7cEb4PwEN1OUQJ8ABpogM59gdPdTJuH25WYSj7MmI0Cnrlo_5fHqgFlLvTnOqkm-giiXHoMcqiOJyQB0NaYh4bLPuiO86AOQFD24GkGPBbXtAXmvbAxyJUdCOE_Krg--rZ0NnZukZyUv_WtCSabeU) Rebecca Boucher, Community Director at The Alliance, summed it up well when she said: > *“When enforcing guidelines, a lot of it is about maintaining humanity because each situation will differ. Even if it’s virtual, it’s still a network of varied individuals and you have to respect each member’s place in the community. Be sure to feel out each situation thoughtfully and act with kindness.“* \- Rebecca Boucher, Community Director at The Alliance Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to community moderation or establishing these guidelines. What matters is that you go in with kindness and allow people the room to mess up. There’ll always be a certain amount of “feeling things out” in order to find the right resolution to whatever may crop up. Be ready to adapt these guidelines as you go, to ensure you’re staying on top of what the community needs. *Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the *essential elements of a customer marketing plan*. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the start to support you during growth and scale-up.* Download the playook ### Provide a top-notch onboarding experience Developing a simple, but thorough, onboarding process for new members, includes things such as: - A welcome message. - A brief introduction to the community. - Some marketing resources. This kind of introduction to the community provides a fantastic first impression. Imagine you’re hosting an event. You want to set up some snacks, set up the cups, and have games ready for people to enjoy - of course. But you won’t just let them in without showing them around. You’ve got to greet them with a warm ‘hello’, tell them where the snacks are, explain how the games work, and even offer them a drink or introduce them to the other partygoers! That’s how you make sure guests settle in and enjoy themselves. It’s the same with onboarding new community members. A seamless welcoming experience guarantees your members kickstart their community experience with all the right information. It takes the pressure off of them to figure everything out themselves, and it shows them what the community is all about. With a smooth onboarding process, you’ll find members start their journey all the more ready to get stuck in and interacting. [The core fundamentals of customer onboardingEver bought a product, only to be left in the wilderness after you’ve parted with your cash? Irritating, isn’t it? After converting a prospect into a bonafide customer, the buck doesn’t stop there. As Karen Carpenter said: ‘We’ve only just begun.’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/04/aaron-burden-AvqpdLRjABs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) Here are a few examples to achieve this: #### Welcome message Greet new members with a warm welcome. It doesn’t need to be too long, but it needs to cover the immediate basics. It’s their first taste of the community, so make sure you’re as lovely as possible. ![Example of a welcome message](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9jVhJNEAIzoIJ3fJmuBDqtipOX4FesQaD6haO-mrTefj5gmNFAg6Twkt4e8TATTW1zrhUqKTwwNQ1FmxuckksCIQ6wemb2W9RqxRq45yHVu9qv7wI2YTlyg4LZ7Bj7vQ_LpfpMn0GtXsrOlPN7uLp_I) For this stage, you could also try a walk-through video tutorial. People learn differently and the platform you’ve chosen to host your community on might be completely new to your members, so having this available can be a great way to ensure people settle in. #### Introduction channel It’s always a great idea to have an introduction channel, specifically for encouraging that first act of engagement. It won’t be the first time your member will have had to introduce themselves, so it’s a good way to ease them into the community. Make sure you’re regularly checking in on this channel and reacting or replying to the messages being shared. This way when new members join and send in those first messages, they’re reassured that someone is happy to see them and become more confident in being a part of the community. Since you’ll likely be asking them to introduce themselves here in your welcome message, you can even take it a step further by outlining what you’d like to see in their intro. You can do this by asking them to share a fun fact about themselves, or even by giving them an introduction message template so they can fill it out with minimal effort. #### Welcome sessions Host a welcome session to get new members interacting out loud and networking with other members after they’ve joined. The focus of these should be to introduce newcomers to community management, as well as to walk them through how the community works and answer any questions they may have. You can invite super users, so they can share their own experiences, or others in your team who are creating resources for the community, like the content creators. Plus, you may find that even those who’ve been around for a while might want to hop onto the call as well to refresh their understanding of the space - or just to boost their networking opportunities. ### Be responsive and accessible Community managers should be responsive to member inquiries and comments. Engage with the community members by answering questions, offering support, and addressing concerns in a timely manner. It’s the Community Manager’s job to be that person who’s available and easy to reach. The community’s mediator, of sorts. When you’re running a community, you have to make it your mission to ensure everyone feels like they’re being heard. You have to actively listen to your community. Customers will often look to you as the knowledge base for your company, be it a product feature, a membership plan, or an upcoming event. You are going to be the main person a loyal customer reaches out to. So you've got to make sure you're present in your community. **What does this look like?** It can be as simple as reacting with an emoji to their message. Maybe saying “Thanks for sharing”, or even asking another question, to encourage them to talk even more! On a larger scale, it’s about making sure you act on the feedback they provide. If there’s something that they’re not happy about, let them know you appreciate the feedback and will work on it - or pass it on to the relevant person in your team. You can even take it further by asking them to try new product offerings, asking if they’d like to see a change in the community and what that might be, or putting out polls to see what style of content or event they’d like next. Continuing to exhibit these kinds of behaviors shows members that you really care about their input. When they see that, they’ll feel enabled to keep engaging - knowing that it’s appreciated. > *“It doesn’t matter how excellent the community tool is, if the person running the community doesn’t make it feel like a community, it won’t work. Throwing people into a Slack group chat isn’t building a community.”* \- Sarah Wood, Head of Growth and Community at Upstream ### Encourage member-generated content Foster an environment where members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, experiences, and resources. You can create channels or threads for specific topics or encourage members to start their own discussions. It can be helpful to do regular call-outs for content contributions from your community to make sure they are always aware that you want to hear from them too. One way we do this at The Alliance is by including [‘Create & Contribute’ pages](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/create-and-contribute/) across each and every one of our communities. We also add a call out for contributed content to our regular newsletters that go out in our communities, and over email. ### Facilitate introductions and networking Encourage members to share their backgrounds, interests, or expertise. This can help build connections among community members and make the community feel more inclusive. As we mentioned earlier, in our onboarding process section, having an introduction channel is a great way to encourage members to start engaging as soon as they join. You can take it a step further by suggesting members share their backgrounds, passions, and expertise so that existing members can feel even more comfortable reaching out to newcomers whose interests align with their own. Another effective way to facilitate networking and connection can be through icebreaker activities or themed discussions. An easy way to kick this off is by providing a questions channel designed to allow members to ask whatever they need. You can then populate this channel with your own icebreaker questions relating to the interests and goals of the community. This can help to spark conversations among members with similar experiences or understanding. Similarly, you can organize themed discussions or conversation prompts that encourage members to share their thoughts or experiences. Interest-based channels can be a fantastic way to continue encouraging engagement and networking. You can create dedicated channels, groups, or discussion threads for specific topics, interests, or professions. This allows members to engage in conversations that are even more relevant to them, and forge more meaningful connections. ### Organize events and activities It’s great to have a community full of people connecting and interacting with one another, but don’t be afraid to take that to the next step. When you introduce events, you offer your community members even more ways to network and learn. These don’t have to be large-scale; they can be as much as an online webinar with a community expert presenting their knowledge, or a virtual meet-up for people to have real, out-loud conversations. As your community grows, you may find the room for events grows too, and you can start thinking about in-person events. Be it events you manage at a business level, organizing speakers and activities for members to enjoy - or events managed by your best community ambassadors, where members can see who is in the same area and connect with their people. You’ve got endless opportunities to maximize connections, so make sure you keep these up. Hosting regular online events, such as webinars, live Q&A sessions, or workshops will keep the community engaged and provide value. These events can also serve as opportunities for members to continually connect and collaborate. ### Expand your own knowledge When managing a community, you may find yourself with a completely different background to that of your members, or just a lack of understanding of what the community focus is. It’s your job to be the manager, after all, not necessarily to do the same job as those you manage. However, this doesn’t mean you can get away with not understanding what your community is about. You have to expand your own knowledge to effectively engage your community. For example, if you’re managing a developer community, you’re not going to get too far into the conversation if you don’t have a solid knowledge of the developer's experience. You’ll need to research what that job role entails, what sort of software they’re commonly using and the terminology you’re likely to come across among that group of people. So, if you don’t know your APIs from your SDKs - you might find it tricky to get involved. Whatever the main focus of your community is, it’s your job as a manager to research it and learn as much as you can in order to have a meaningful part in the conversation. Having your own appreciation of the dialogue taking place means you’ll be able to understand the nuances of topics covered - and this can help shape the way you interact with members, as well as the content you share with them. If your community members are all from the same profession, look into their job responsibilities, what the day-to-day of their roles looks like, and what their pain points would be. If they’re all using the same product of yours, learn as much as you can about it. Check out how it works, keep an eye on what’s coming next, and be ready to answer questions about potential issues your members will face. Another great way to keep learning is by asking the community members themselves! If you find yourself confused about definitions, or the way processes are approached - reach out and ask. They’ll be able to help you out as you learn, and it’s a great way to spark up a conversation. ### Use polls and surveys Utilize polls and surveys to gather honest feedback, actionable insights, and opinions from community members. Doing so can help you identify areas of interest, address concerns, and make informed decisions about the community’s direction. Here’s what this could look like: ![Example of a poll](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/b1fq1lhXyz7Z8zV4_Hxj6VnCMZOsiDdYMOfFA77LXbMOIKgUS6ffedrt7CrD8yF_i2f0FCDyextng4gh2R0TJXlzfdtVYM7679EKDPCDjxXf9Wt8hgl_pnS5l6uydQNba0JUUxWwj50vKED8F_FrJVs) #### Polls for event topic selection Create a poll with a list of potential event subjects or topics and ask your community members to vote for their favorites. This not only ensures the webinars address topics that your community wants to see but also encourages members to participate and feel invested in the outcome. #### Feedback surveys These can be utilized after events, after introducing new products or services, or even after a member has been with you for a certain amount of time. Think about what you’d like to understand about the member’s experience, such as if they enjoyed an event or learned something new, and ask about it in a feedback survey. By incorporating polls and surveys into your community engagement strategy, you can create a more engaging, responsive, and member-driven community. This approach fosters a sense of ownership among members and ensures that your community initiatives remain relevant and valuable. ### Recognize and reward contributions Acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of community members, such as helpful advice, resource sharing, or volunteer efforts, is the best way to ensure they want to keep doing what they’re doing - or even take it further. It’s a basic fact of human psychology that we want to feel seen, heard, and appreciated. Without this need being met, our drive to continue trying and proving ourselves will fall flat - because if no one seems to care, what’s the point of doing it? This can be done through shout-outs, badges, or other forms of recognition. Community gamification is a good way to address this. As the name suggests, you’re essentially turning engagement into a game. If someone does a good job, you reward them! An example of this could be awarding community milestones with a badge. If a community member were to engage with 10 of your posts, you can celebrate it with a congratulatory message to say thanks, and add a badge to their profile. So, put simply, you’re rewarding their loyalty. When you do this, members feel the appreciation for their membership even more. This feeling encourages further engagement because they want to keep being rewarded! Not only that, but it sends a signal to members that may not be engaging so much. They’ll see another member badge and think “Hang on… how can I get one of those?”. It’s a little nudge that encourages them to get involved too, without you needing to explicitly ask them to pitch in. [Community Rewards: 3 big obstacles and what to do about themCommunity rewards are an important piece of any customer advocacy community, but they don’t always get the attention they deserve. Why?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJeni Asaba![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/11/ekaterina-shevchenko-ZLTlHeKbh04-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/) ### Leverage social media As is the same in customer marketing strategy, social media is an incredibly useful tool for spreading awareness of your community and engaging with your audience elsewhere. Utilize social media platforms to promote your community, share updates, and engage with your audience. This can help attract new members and keep the existing ones engaged. Commenting on posts, on your own, on your affiliates, and on your community members’ pages is a great way to easily keep your relationship strong. This way, you’re keeping your name in the conversation and letting them know you’re invested in their journey outside of their membership. Comment sections are a good way to get the conversation started too. This is also the place you can actively share what your community has been up to, including shouting out contributed content or member milestones. ### Provide educational content Offer resources and learning opportunities related to the community’s focus or interests. This can include articles, webinars, or workshops that provide value and encourage member to stay engaged. These don’t have to be entirely created by you or your team, either. Anything you think may be helpful or relevant to your community, like graphics or blog posts, is worthy of being shared in that space. That being said, being able to churn out content created by your own team is hugely impactful. You can use insights from your community to help guide the ideation of content, and it will be a game-changer in terms of establishing your community as the place to go for helpful content. Taking it even further, developing online courses and tutorials is a powerful tool, too. You can work with members or your own team to create or curate online courses, tutorials, or video series that cover specific topics related to the community’s interests. Make these resources easily accessible to members and encourage them to share their progress or learnings. Then, you can factor in the community gamification aspect to further reward the progress your members have made, and encourage other members to get involved. ### Monitor and measure engagement We’ll go into more detail in our next section about how to actually monitor and measure community engagement, but it’s a really important step to ensure that engagement can continue in your community. Regularly assessing the engagement levels within your community using metrics such as active members, post frequency, and event attendance will give you clarity on what works well, and what doesn’t. This data can help you identify areas for improvement and guide your community management efforts. ### Foster a positive community culture It should go without saying, but being kind throughout your community strategy is one of the most effective ways to allow members space to engage. Encourage positivity, respect, and support among community members. Model these behaviors yourself and address any instances of negativity or conflict in a timely manner. Members will appreciate being treated this way, and their appreciation will show through increasing engagement and participation in the community. By incorporating these strategies into your community management efforts, you can create an engaging, inclusive, and supportive online community where members feel motivated to contribute and connect with one another. ## The next step This was just a small snippet of the invaluable resources you can find in our playbook collaboration with [CLA](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/). Inside, we discuss: 🔥 Top tips for a powerful customer engagement strategy. 🏋️ Detailed exploration of successful community engagement tactics. 👯 Customer and community team collaboration: Learn ways to synergize. 📈 Success Metrics: understand how to know if your engagement strategy is effective. 💭 Case studies: Real-life engagement examples from The Alliance. 🤓 and much more. ### Common pain points for customer marketing in 2024 and how to solve them URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/common-pain-points-for-customer-marketing-in-2024-and-how-to-solve-them/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:30:14.000Z With our yearly [State of Customer Marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) and [Customer Marketing Salary Reports](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report/), we get a ton of information on customer marketing and the common threads shared between every customer marketing and advocacy professional. When considering the barriers and pain points people regularly face in these kinds of roles, it’s nice to know you’re not alone in your struggles. At the same time, if these threads are so common, it’s high time higher-ups, and overall company support systems should be doing something about them. In this article we’ll go through: - [Common customer marketing pain points.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/30f32f2e-e0fa-4386-9878-27005a30a75f/#:~:text=these%20pain%20points.-,Customer%20marketing%20pain%20points%20and%20internal%20barriers,-In%202024%2C%20there) - [Some external pain points when dealing with customers.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/30f32f2e-e0fa-4386-9878-27005a30a75f/#customer-marketing-and-external-barriers:~:text=metrics%20for%20leadership.-,Customer%20marketing%20and%20external%20barriers,-This%20year%2C%20we) - [Some solutions to these pain points.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/30f32f2e-e0fa-4386-9878-27005a30a75f/#:~:text=in%2C%20is%20essential.-,Solution%20recommendations%3A,-Here%20are%20some) ## Customer marketing pain points and internal barriers In 2024, there are a few very clear throughlines in common pain points between participants, the more notable being a lack of resources (be it budget, headcount, or bandwidth) and a lack of internal support and stakeholder buy-in from leadership teams: > *“Resources - I’m a team of one. I have to wait “in line” for design and copy resources. Like most, I wish my budget and resource support mirrored the amount of ARR customers contribute vs new business”* > *“As a team of one, it is not having the time and/or resources to do all of the things I am asked to do and want to do, especially around success stories and content creation.”* Facing obstacles when it comes to things like headcount, accessing design and copywriting resources, and more can put a big strain on even the most simple everyday tasks. When teams feel like they have to compete with other teams or priorities to get an equitable allocation of budget and resources, there is a big risk, not only of a lack of support but also a build toward siloing from other teams. Allocating resources for customer marketing teams based on the value that existing customers bring in, is essential. ## Solution recommendations: Here are some ways senior management and leaders can help alleviate these pain points. ### Resource allocation strategy: - **Implement a prioritization system:** Develop a clear and transparent system for prioritizing marketing projects based on their potential impact and strategic importance. This should include considering the holistic impact of advocacy and engagement strategies too, to ensure that customer marketing initiatives are not constantly pushed to the back of the queue. ### Resource expansion and cross-training: - **Expand the marketing team or cross-train existing team members:** If new resource allocation isn’t possible, make sure to at least prioritize training for team members to be able to manage these difficult workflows - offer them the support where you can if your budgets are truly as stretched as possible. Though it is a good thing that the understanding of customer marketing with other teams and stakeholders increasing a little a year on, a lack of understanding of what the role actually entails is still a prevalent internal barrier for many: > *“There’s a misunderstanding of CM’s role. There’s an expectation that CM alone is responsible for retention, which as a Saas company just isn’t feasible.”* > *“There is a lack of executive buy-in on Customer Marketing role, it’s currently seen as a ‘catch-all’ for all things retention.”* There is often a misconception about the scope of customer marketing within organizations. Some stakeholders expect customer marketing to bear the sole responsibility for customer retention, which can be unrealistic given that customer retention typically involves multiple teams and strategies beyond just customer marketing. It should be considered a company-wide responsibility if companies want to see any kind of sustainable growth. On top of that, customer marketing teams that are battling a lack of buy-in and clarity from executives will be left with a complete lack of direction in terms of what to prioritize, and even what their purpose is when considering their relationship with company-wide goals. ## Solution recommendations: To improve the effectiveness of customer marketing teams facing these kinds of issues, executives should consider the following: ### Educational initiatives and communication: - **Establish clear communication channels:** Create open lines of communication between your customer marketing team and other departments, fostering collaboration and ensuring that responsibilities and expectations are well-defined. This can be things like monthly or quarterly cross-functional meetings, but even social events can help stave off the siloing of specific teams - this is particularly true for small or remote departments. - **Plan educational meetings and programs:** Organize training sessions or workshops for internal stakeholders, including executives, to clarify the role and scope of customer marketing. Make the time for your customer marketing team as a whole (not just leadership) to ask clarifying questions and discuss the priorities that benefit both the team and the company direction as a whole. By implementing these strategies, organizations can overcome misconceptions about Customer Marketing's role, gain executive support, and ultimately enhance their customer retention efforts. **Some less common challenges were:** - Those in the process of transitioning to a more customer-centric approach. - Not being able to access customers due to customers’ lack of willingness to engage in opportunities or compete with other teams for time. - A lack of time to get tasks done. - Struggling to achieve and track certain metrics for leadership. ## Customer marketing and external barriers This year, we also asked customer marketers what kind of external barriers they were experiencing. Again we had a few common threads. The most common answer was in getting customers to respond to outreach: > *“The volume of emails that customers received from all the companies. It’s difficult today for them to select what is really important.”* The quote highlights a common challenge in customer marketing, which is the saturation of customers' email inboxes with messages from various companies. This oversaturation creates a hurdle for customers in distinguishing and prioritizing essential communications from the noise. As a result, it becomes challenging for companies to capture and hold customers' attention effectively through email marketing efforts. ## Solution recommendations: ### Segmentation and personalization: - **Implement advanced customer segmentation:** Begin by prioritizing your most important, key customer segments, and monitor how often you’re communicating with them via email. Competing with your own correspondences alongside others will bog down your customer inboxes even more so. Send only highly relevant content to each group to increase the likelihood that customers will find the emails important. - **Personalize email content:** Use data-driven insights to create personalized email content that speaks directly to each customer's interests and needs. Personalization can significantly improve open and click-through rates, as customers are more likely to engage with content that feels tailored to them. ### Preference management and opt-in strategies: - **Offer preference management options:** Provide customers with the ability to customize the frequency and types of emails they receive. Allow them to opt in or out of specific email categories or topics. - **Respect unsubscribe requests:** Ensure that your unsubscribe process is straightforward and that customers who choose to opt out are promptly removed from your email list. This not only respects their preferences but also helps improve the overall quality of your email list. Some customer marketers also experience resistance when it comes to providing stories, be it from the customer themselves or a PR or legal team: > *“Getting customers to go on record for named case studies. I work within the security space so there is a reluctance to put a name to assets of this nature.”* > *“Legal approval to share stories.”* The quotes highlight challenges related to obtaining customer endorsements and testimonials in the context of the security industry. In such a sensitive sector, customers may be reluctant to publicly share their experiences or have their names associated with case studies due to privacy and security concerns. Additionally, legal approvals play a critical role in ensuring that customer stories can be shared without violating any confidentiality agreements or regulations. ## Solution recommendations: ### Anonymized case studies: - **Offer anonymized case studies:** To address the reluctance of customers in the security space, consider creating case studies that highlight the benefits of your product or service without disclosing the customer's identity. Focus on the challenges faced and solutions provided while maintaining strict anonymity. This can alleviate concerns about privacy and security. ### Clear legal framework and consent process: - **Develop a clear legal framework:** Work closely with your own legal team to establish a comprehensive framework for sharing customer stories. Ensure that all legal requirements, including data protection and confidentiality agreements, are met and that customers' rights are protected. - **Streamlined consent process:** Make the process of obtaining customer consent for sharing their stories as simple and straightforward as possible. Clearly explain the purpose, benefits, and potential exposure of their stories, and provide them with control over how their information is used and shared. ## Customer marketing delights and the future We didn't only focus on the negatives, our report also covers some favourites in the industry too! On top of customer marketing delights, our reports also covered things like: - Global salaries - Team structure - Customer marketing and leadership - The future of customer marketing - and much, much more. Make sure to set yourself up to continue the year as informed as possible on the current state of customer marketing and its salaries. Get your own copy below. ### New hire onboarding checklist URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/new-hire-onboarding-checklist-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T12:31:31.000Z ## What is a new hire onboarding checklist? A new hire onboarding checklist is your blueprint for bringing new team members into the fold. It’s a structured guide that outlines every task, meeting, and resource they’ll need to get started, from before their first day to the weeks and months beyond. Think of it as the ultimate playbook for ensuring a smooth transition, reducing overwhelm, and setting your new hire up for success. ## Who's it for? This checklist is ideal for product marketing managers and team leaders looking to build a strong, engaged team. Whether you're onboarding an entry-level marketer or a seasoned professional, this resource ensures everyone has a clear path to integrate into your team culture, master your tools, and contribute to your goals. ## How to use the template Using this checklist is simple. Break it down into these key stages: - **Before day one**: Prepare essential reading materials, set up accounts, and schedule stakeholder meetings to lay the groundwork. - **Day one**: Focus on introductions, team goals, and product deep dives. Start new hires off with a clear understanding of your organization’s objectives. - **Week one to week six**: Gradually introduce tools, OKRs (objectives and key results), and responsibilities. Encourage your new hire to join sales and customer calls to build market and customer insights. - **Ongoing**: Set up regular one-on-ones, review progress against OKRs, and plan for career development. Ensure continuous support and growth. With this template, you'll create a repeatable, scalable onboarding experience that drives engagement and productivity from day one. ## Download your new hire onboarding checklist ![New hire onboarding checklist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2025/01/New-hire-onboarding-checklist.png) [New hire onboarding checklistNew hire onboarding checklist.xlsx109 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/01/New-hire-onboarding-checklist.xlsx "Download") [New hire onboarding checklist - ChecklistNew hire onboarding checklist - Checklist.pdf66 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/01/New-hire-onboarding-checklist---Checklist.pdf "Download") [New hire onboarding checklist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/spreadsheets_2023q4-15.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyI1bRBSChd6GS9O9xYNEnJ6z8mnf1vtCaHhUUXv60WphyMKO_nMuNEu4VCqnLDlYWSxkg94i1-bYQttYUXjTH_93aotD6uPHSRgg-yWMjY9PMdfkTGo-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l9TOZqYbzGX5dkh9sOjE5PUwJHaLm15Q0xmi4K2IQCg/edit?gid=198203729#gid=198203729) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Strategic branding: The #1 key to next-level customer program adoption URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/strategic-branding-the-1-key-to-next-level-customer-program-adoption/ Last updated: 2024-05-30T13:09:01.000Z This article comes from **Deanna Carrillo**’s talk, ‘*Phase two: Branding customer programs to drive adoption & scale*’, at our **2023 Customer Marketing Summit**, check out her full presentation [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-april-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=9k2fabamui&wmediaid=y07cuemup9). Ever pour your heart into a customer program only for it to flop? Believe me, I’ve been there! After months of getting stakeholder buy-in, configuring technology, and celebrating what you just know will be a total game-changer for customer loyalty at your company, it all amounts to … *Crickets*. *Tumbleweeds.* With over five years under my belt in content and customer marketing at companies like Dropbox, Sage, and NetApp, I’ve picked up my fair share of battle-tested tips for effectively leveraging customer programs. As a self-proclaimed ‘storyteller’ and ‘librarian’, I’m a true believer that while customer-centric tools are key, crafting cohesive program identities multiplies participation, results, and budget longevity tenfold. In this article, we’ll walk through the key tenets I lean on to drive program adoption by simplifying processes, educating stakeholders, allowing flexibility, and cementing consistent messaging. While these strategies require upfront effort, they deliver huge dividends long-term. So, let’s dive in! ## **Making customer programs simple** ### Between managing customer research, insights, referrals, content, events, and more, it's easy for our intricate web of [customer programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) to become complex and siloed. We can't expect colleagues without ‘customer marketing’ in their titles to navigate this landscape flawlessly or even understand all the nuances between terms. That’s why the first thing my team does is untangle the mess by breaking down programs into digestible pieces across three areas: **1 . Defining key terms** Synonyms definitely plague advocacy! Terms like ‘advocate’ vs ‘champion’ may seem interchangeable, but I’ve found picking single names for activities and sticking to them like glue is hugely helpful. Once these distinctions are made, it becomes easier to funnel customers into certain activities or engagements. Narrowing definitions may seem counterintuitive, but these clearly defined terms empower us to say no less often by creating more opportunities to leverage customers and activities with lower levels of commitment. Consider brainstorming with your team to see what utility you can gain from defining customer marketing terms at your company. Importantly, you don't need your stakeholders to memorize the nuances between these terms but understand that you're the team that can deliver what makes sense for the customer and your company. This is ultimately a tool your team can leverage to fulfill customer marketing requests more efficiently. **2 . Clarifying program scope** In defining terms, we also understand that teams within your company inevitably overlap - like insights, product, or sales enablement. But we all engage customers differently. Define where your scope starts and stops as the customer marketing experts so you can coordinate seamlessly! For example, at Dropbox, we state upfront that our scope includes warm customer advocates rather than customers meeting set qualifications due to the breadth of our base. Stating this means we steer partners toward solutions in their corner instead of stepping on toes, this way we become a friendly hand-off, not a dead end. **3 . Crafting clear calls to action** This is where that hard work pays off. With crisp terms, boundaries, customer tiers, and activities, we can channel stakeholders into program engagement modes that make sense. I suggest creating: \- Customer story nomination forms to collect testimonials \- Intake processes for general customer marketing requests Having established expertise as the connective tissue for all things customer, these CTAs clearly convey how colleagues can participate without memorizing the nuances of our work. [The three building blocks every advocacy program needsWhat are the main drivers for why advocacy is on the rise? Why you’re likely seeing more community customer marketing and advocacy roles in your LinkedIn feed? Erica Anderson has the answers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceErica Anderson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/10/xavi-cabrera-kn-UmDZQDjM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-three-building-blocks-every-advocacy-program-needs/) ## **Educating stakeholders on your value** ### You've built it...but will they come? With robust yet simplified programs now in place, how do we rally internal teams to collaborate? My #1 lesson - listen WAY more than you talk at first! Identify other teams' quarterly goals, tools, metrics, communicative forums and cadences, pain points, and learned customer insights. Then spotlight how your customer access and expertise uniquely equips you to help them hit targets using narratives they already prioritize. Through surveys, interviews, roundtables, and more, we have treasure troves of customer data, so use it! Leverage [storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) to humanize target personas, incorporate advocates into enablement materials, and make your programs indispensable to objectives across the company. In your outreach, meet stakeholders where they are instead of pushing more work. At Dropbox, offering sales quick reviews of their target vertical and profiles of advocates already primed to talk, helped concretely boost deals without taxing resources. When partners realize you take needs seriously and ease burdens by aligning advocacy with priorities, engagement becomes much more possible. ## **Lowering barriers to entry** ### Even with simplified and promoted programs, customers and stakeholders engage differently—so remember, meet them where they are! To drive scale you *must* build programs that allow for flexibility. 🚀 **Let customers and stakeholders pick their adventure** - While centralized programs create consistency, forcing a linear advocacy journey shuts folks out. - Provide varied options like referencing, press interviews, product councils, and content creation so participants can start with their comfort zone activity. - Building confidence will step up engagement. 👥 **Meet enthusiasts where they are** - Some want in-person workshops; others prefer social sharing. Enable both. - Facilitate referral processes for outbound teams already interfacing with customers while the product relies on Slack integration. 🎨 **Clearly brand internal documentation** - Centralized, visually intuitive documentation detailing every program in your wheelhouse makes confident participation infinitely more achievable. - Dropbox has core brand colors, fonts, icons, and values I incorporate as visual cues that stakeholders now associate with delightful, seamless customer experiences. With relief from forcing "one path fits all," your program breadth will organically expand as customers and internal teams buy into modes resonating most with them. In turn, you drive greater reach, pipeline health, and marketing impact overall. [Meaningful metrics: Transform your customer programstransforming your customer program through metrics is a journey. It’s a journey that’s going to take time, effort, consistency, deep collaboration with internal teams, and resources to help you get over the finish line.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKevin Lau![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/eskay-lim-PK6NDtsYy00-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) ## **Gathering executive buy-in** ### While securing leadership support is mission-critical, customer teams often struggle to translate program value effectively enough to sustain backing. From my experience, a three-pronged approach works wonders: **First, identify metrics** already important to each executive based on OKRs and advocacy ability to move needles accordingly. Package measurable business impact tailored to what success looks like to them. **Second, nurture personal connections** with 2-3 executive sponsors able to turn customer team contributions into top-level strategy and relay the relevance to their peers. Regularly equip them to advocate for resources or budget! **Finally, report ongoing influence** through mechanisms leadership already monitors like Quarterly Business Reviews. Consistent visibility builds familiarity and trust in customer marketing as key accelerators vs nice-to-have efforts. ## **Conclusion** ### There you have my blueprint for strategically branding customer programs to maximize their impact! Though building first-rate customer marketing technology and content lays vital groundwork, putting equal energy into branding programs for internal and external audiences takes traction to the next level. Does this process take strategic work upfront? Absolutely. But once in place, adopting teams will intuitively spread the word for you through greater wins, loyalty, and scale. Now, are you ready to realize the full promise of your customer marketing investments through strategic branding? --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1-.png) ### The ultimate guide to understanding and preventing customer loss | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understanding-and-preventing-customer-loss-video/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T12:09:04.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [What is the difference between cancellation and churn?When it comes to customer marketing, one of the most important metrics to track is customer retention. After all, figuring out how to keep your customers aboard ship and reduce churn rate is the linchpin of (SaaS); you want to keep your customer base intact to prevent revenue loss.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/02/markus-winkler-7EwWeNyzSwQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-the-difference-between-cancellation-and-churn/) [Get ahead of churn and boost revenue: Aligning on product adoptionProduct adoption can be used to create organizational alignment and focus. It’s effective at getting ahead of churn and boosting revenue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEric Keating![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/kanhaiya-sharma-T_l246EK19I-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligning-on-product-adoption-get-ahead-of-churn-and-boost-revenue/) [Your ultimate guide to churnThe consumers of the products and services we work arduously to bring to market play an essential role not only in shaping our existing business operations, but also in the vision for our futures.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLawrence Chapman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/Your-ultimate-guide-to-churn--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/) ### 4 Case Study Video Templates You Can Start Using Today URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-case-study-video-templates-you-can-start-using-today/ Last updated: 2024-02-08T10:37:44.000Z Video case studies are most effective when they have a strong narrative arc that speaks to your customer’s pain point, offers a solution, and shows the positive impact your business has made. They’re a powerful way to build your brand’s identity online and connect with new clients facing the same challenges. So why doesn’t every business use case study videos in their marketing campaigns? Usually, it’s because one hundred percent of these videos used to be expensive, labor-intensive, or complicated to produce. Our platform, Vocal Video, is a complete solution for producing video case studies featuring your best customers. With our tried-and-tested case study video templates, you can [start creating video case studies](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/video-case-studies/) without any prior filming or editing experience. **Here’s an example of what you could produce using Vocal Video:** **We’ll show you how to use our most popular case study video templates, including:** > [**Using our B2B case study template**](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/case-study-video-template/#use-case-study-video-templates-to-start-recording-in-minutes)to collect customer testimonial videos with a captivating narrative arc > [**Customizing templates**](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/case-study-video-template/#customize-your-collector-questions-to-hear-more-of-the-story)to get more detailed or industry-specific responses from your customers > [**Editing case studies**](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/case-study-video-template/#edit-case-study-videos-without-technical-skills)with Vocal Video’s automatic editing and built-in tools to make them even more engaging and informative > [**Sharing your videos**](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/case-study-video-template/#share-your-case-studies-on-all-your-channels)to get more responses and add a variety of authentic customer stories to your marketing campaigns *Convinced?* [*Sign up for a free Vocal Video account*](https://vocalvideo.com/signup) *to start using our case study templates today.* ## Use Case Study Video Templates to Start Recording in Minutes Vocal Video’s high-quality case studies start with a Video Collector — that’s the interface you share with your customers to guide them through the recording process. Video collectors are quick for you to set up and simple for your respondents to use on PC, Mac, iOS, or Android without downloading any additional software. It’s easy to build a Video Collector from scratch, but the process is even simpler when you choose one of our industry-specific template video collectors. Our customizable templates are designed to help you create impactful case studies that showcase the benefits of working with your company. To use a template, go to your Vocal Video dashboard and select **“New Video Collector.”** On the next screen, you can [choose from 46 templates](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/testimonial-template/). ![Let's create a Video Collector: Explore Our 45 Customizable Templates](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/create-a-video-collector.png) For case studies, we recommend the [B2B Case Studies template](https://vocalvideo.com/app/collectors/acme-systems-b2b-case-studies/prompts), which you’ll find under **“Customers & Clients.”** ![B2B Case Study Videos](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/b2b-case-study-videos.png) Start by clicking **“Use This Template”** and setting the collector to match your branding. Throughout the process, you’ll be able to see how these changes will look to your respondents on desktop or mobile with the live preview. ![Vocal Video Collectors Look Great on Any Device](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/video-collectors-look-great-on-any-device.png) ### How to Choose the Best Questions for Your Case Study Vocal Video templates give you pre-written questions designed to get detailed and relevant answers for your case study. In theB2B Case Studies template, the questions create a strong three-act narrative that emphasizes the benefits your customer experienced when they worked with you. - **What problem was your company dealing with before \[your product or service\]?** This first question gets the respondent to set the scene by talking about their previous frustrations. The person watching the case study video may be in the same situation, so this intro makes a strong connection with potential customers. - **How did \[your product or service\] help resolve this challenge?** The second question encourages your respondent to talk about how you improved their life — whether that’s speeding up the processes their team uses to collaborate, saving them money, or filling a gap in the market that no one else was addressing. - **What results did you get with \[your product or service\]?** The final question prompts the respondent to talk about the long-term benefits of working with your company. This is a great way to show the viewer your company represents a solid investment with a loyal customer base, which can make all the difference if they’re still comparing options. With our Video Collector builder, you’ll be able to customize these questions to suit your business or add more questions to make a longer case study video to use in other parts of your content marketing strategy. Whatever prompts you decide to use, encouraging the respondent to tell this “before, during, and after” story creates a video with a clear, compelling, and easy-to-follow structure. *Find full video tutorials to help you build your collector in the* [*Vocal Video help center*](https://help.vocalvideo.com/article/19-vocal-video-collector)*.* ## 3 More Industry-Specific Templates to Create Convincing Case Study Videos If the B2B case study template doesn’t quite fit your needs, get started with one of these templates instead. ### B2B Services Reviews Template Under **“Customers & Clients,”** you’ll also find the B2B Services Review template designed to build confidence in your brand and convert more of your marketing prospects. ![B2B Services Review Videos](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/b2b-services-reviews-2.png) This collector also comes with three template questions to create a business case study with a strong narrative arc. - What was the main challenge you needed to overcome with \[your product or service\]? - Could you describe a time \[your product or service\] helped your business, including any metrics that come to mind? - What has been the most significant impact of working with \[your product or service\]? The questions encourage the respondents to analyze their relationship with your company, speaking about their pain points, their experiences, and their overall [customer success story](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/customer-success-story-template/). Importantly, this case study template also asks the respondent to give statistics and specific examples. In a B2B context, this is valuable evidence for prospective customers who are still learning about the service you provide. ### Customer Success Videos for Internal Communication As well as acting as marketing tools, [Case study videos can motivate your employees](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/employee-testimonial-samples/) by showing the positive impact your team is making. When you send this template to the people on, for example, your sales team, they can explain what they’ve been working on and create a video to share ideas and inspiration with their colleagues. ![Vocal Video Incentives: Boost response rates with our complimentary prize drawing or your own custom incentive.](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/01/Employee-Success-Story-Templates--15-.png) This case study template also focuses on giving context and measurable results to make the finished video more convincing. - What challenge was the client facing before \[your product or service\]? - How did you help them achieve their goals? - What results have they realized? Anything else to note? ### Beneficiary Testimonials Testimonials and case studies are essential resources for nonprofits raising funds for important causes — that’s why Vocal Video also provides Video Collector templates designed for donors, non-profit partners, and beneficiaries. ![Beneficiary Testimonials](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/beneficiary-testimonials.png) This template keeps things simple, with only two open-ended prompts: - Please introduce yourself and share how \[your non-profit\] has helped you. - Is there anything else you’d like to add? This invites the beneficiary to tell their story in a way that makes them feel comfortable. The result is an authentic testimonial that can help encourage more people to donate. Foundation Academies use Vocal Video to produce marketing case study videos for their [“Giving Tuesday” campaign](https://foundationacademies.org/season-of-giving-2022/?fbclid=IwAR2VskbHybIqiI3T%5Fcv-LYla%5F2wyAR7yFjfsp9-jemajfExtOdhM5jCsi2k). They’ve produced a simple gallery of clips in which beneficiaries describe what makes FA so special. ![Foundation Academies: Student Testimonials](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/foundation-academies-duran-chukumba-aundrea-grizzle.png) ## Customize Your Collector Questions to Hear More of the Story If you want a video that goes into more detail to appeal to people within your industry, you can customize the questions in our case study templates, and even add two more. Just click **“Add a Question”** within the Video Collector builder. ![Add a Question](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/add-a-question.png) You could ask the respondent to speak about what it was like to implement your product by adding a question like **“Could you describe the onboarding process?”** or **“How easy was it to set up \[your product or service\]?**” before you ask them to talk about the long-term benefits. For example, SecurEnds uses Vocal Video to power their [Customer Testimonials and Case Studies Page](https://www.securends.com/resources/case-studies/). Their additional questions include: - *What has been the impact for you and your team since integrating SecurEnds?* - *“What does SecureEnds do differently?* - *Now that the tool is up and running, how does your process look different than it used to?* ![SecurEnds Customer Testimonials](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/securends-customer-testimonials.png) The most effective video collectors use questions like “why”, “what”, and “how” to steer the respondent away from simple yes/no answers. Prompts like “tell us” or “describe” can also encourage people to talk about their experience in more detail. *For more information and sample questions, see* [*34 Proven Customer Testimonial Questions*](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/customer-testimonial-questions/)*.* ## How to Share a Case Study Video Collector to Get More Responses Once you’re happy with the questions, we’ll automatically generate a link so you can [share the collector with your customers](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/customer-references/) and start collecting responses. Simply go to **“Get Responses”** to copy the URL. You can also edit the URL or create a personalized link to send the collector to a customer with their details pre-filled. Once you have the URL, you can: - Send the link in an email - Share it on any other messaging platforms you use - Post it on your social media pages - Use it to make your video collector a permanent feature of your website. Because Vocal Video works on desktops, smartphones, or tablets, your customers can record their responses wherever they open the link. ### The Vocal Video 3-Touch Email Sequence: Proven Email Templates to Get More Responses With the [free Vocal Video plan](https://vocalvideo.com/pricing), you can invite as many customers as you like to record compelling case study videos. When you want to [contact a larger number of people](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/how-to-get-testimonials-for-your-website/), an email template can speed up the process and get more responses. We recommend this simple 3-touch email sequence to encourage more customers to record engaging video content. #### **Email # 1 – Pre-ask** The first email is a pre-ask, where you’ll touch base with the customer, thank them, and tell them you’re interested in using their experience to make a case study video. > *Thanks so much for being such a great customer!* > > *Would you be able to record a short video case study for us in the next week? We’re using a platform called Vocal Video to collect the video, so it should only take 5-10 minutes of your time and can be easily done from your phone or laptop.* > > *Let me know if you're open to this and I'll share the link you can record the video with, as well as the questions in advance.* #### **Email # 2 – Invitation** Once they’ve decided they’d like to feature in a case study, send the customer the link to your Video Collector. Giving a short explanation and some tips can help them feel at ease. > *Thank you so much in advance for recording a video case study for us. We really appreciate it and are excited to share your story with our community.* > > *Here are the details on recording a video — it should take 5-10 minutes altogether.* > > *Here's the link to the Vocal Video collector: * > > **The 3 questions we'd like you to answer are:** > > *°What problem was your company dealing with before \[your product or service\]?* > *°How did \[your product or service\] help resolve this challenge?* > *°What results did you get with \[your product or service\]?* > > **Here are a couple of tips:** > > *°Pick a quiet and well-lit place.* > *° To prevent glare, avoid having windows or a light source in the background.* > *°Look directly at the camera.* > *°Relax and be yourself — you’ll do great!* > > *Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks again!* #### **Email # 3 – Reminder** The final email in the sequence is a gentle reminder for your customer. > *I wanted to bump this to the top of your inbox to see when you might be able to set aside 5-10 mins to record a video testimonial for us. Thank you so much!* > > *Here's the link to the Vocal Video collector, which will include all the prompts for you to record your video: * Whether you use a CRM platform to automate these messages, or you ask for one case study video at a time, these template emails can help to make collecting case study videos a natural part of your follow-up interactions with your customers. *Read more about our proven template emails and other* [*tips for a higher response rate*](https://help.vocalvideo.com/article/29-higher-response-rates)*.* ## Edit Case Study Videos Without Technical Skills One of the main benefits of Vocal Video is our automatic editing features. Every video response you get arrives in your library automatically edited and ready to share. This means we’ve already … - Added the colors and logo you set in your dashboard to align the video with your brand. - Inserted question cards and text overlays with the customer’s name and title, with smooth animations and transitions between answers. - Applied default background music and added subtitles so it can be watched with or without sound. - Created a final slide with a call-to-action. ## Additional Features to Expand and Fine-tune Your Case Studies If you’d like to add more information to your case study, make tweaks to the subtitles, or just try out a new look, the Vocal Video editor makes that easy too. - Change the order of the scenes and edit the text overlays and slides, including any corrections you want to make. - Choose a new theme to change the video’s personality by updating the fonts and transitions. - Include additional video footage, photos, or an infographic from your library. - Add clips from different speakers to make a highlights reel. - Try out different background music from our library of licensed tracks. Whatever type of case study you want to use in your video marketing, we also recommend the following tricks to make the video as informative and convincing as you can. ### Use Slider Tools to Trim the Clips Concise videos can often give the viewer a clearer picture of the value of your business. You can use slider tools to trim the beginning and end of each answer in your respondent’s video, helping to hold the viewer’s attention by keeping the video on message. To trim the clips, go to the scene you want, click **“Edit this Scene”** and then **“Trim Video Scene”** to bring up the tools you need. ![Trim Video Scene: Trim your video scene by editing the start and stop points](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/trim-video-scene-v2.png) ### Add Slides with Additional Data Effective case studies are built on evidence, but it doesn’t always sound natural to have the respondent read statistics from their notes. Instead, try adding extra text slides to your case study video with visuals like graphs, quotes, or survey results to back up what they’re saying. You could also provide additional background information to give context or set the scene at the beginning of the video. To add supporting data, open the draft video and go to **“Add Scene.”** You can choose whether to add additional videos from your files or a text slide. If you have a graph to share, you can also upload it to add as a background image on a text slide. ![Add a Scene: Video, Audio, Text, Logo, Copy from Another Video, Upload a Video Clip](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/add-a-scene-select-type.png) ### Add Videos From Another Speaker If you have more than one video in your library, you can also add clips from multiple speakers to a highlight reel. To add another voice to your case study video, go to **“Add Scene”** and click the **“Copy From Another Video”** option. This can be especially effective if you’ve used the video collector to ask more than one person at a company about their experience with your product. For example, if people from different departments have been using your software to collaborate, it’s helpful to ask someone from each department to contribute to the case study. Adding a scene from another video is also an easy way to include your voice and explain why your company was perfectly placed to help your client. ## Share Your Case Studies on All Your Channels Once your case study is ready to publish, Vocal Video makes it easy to share it across all the channels you use to connect with your customers. Just go to **“Share”** to either download the video to share on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok, or share it directly in a Tweet, LinkedIn post, or an update for your target audience on Facebook. ![Share This Video: Copy Public Link, Embed on your site, Share to Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn, Upload to YouTube, Instagram, etc.](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/share-this-video.png) You can also embed your video seamlessly on the case study page of your website. Go to the published video and select the option **“Embed.''** Then, choose whether you want to embed **“Just the Video”** or add extra design flourishes with [an eye-catching video card](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/testimonial-cards/), which includes a featured quote from your transcript. Use the features in the video card builder to find a layout to suit the format of your website. ![Video Card Builder example](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/video-card-builder-v2.png) If you choose the “Just the Video” option, you’ll be able to see a live preview of your video before generating the code you need to embed the video. It’s a simple matter of copying and pasting the code, so even if you’ve never coded before, you can seamlessly and professionally [embed a video case study on your site](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/how-to-add-testimonials-in-wordpress/). ![Video Embed Builder: Live Preview](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/video-embed-builder-v2.png) Once you’ve copied the embed code, log into the backend of your website, add a new HTML block on the page where you want the case study to appear, and paste the code. Then, just save and refresh the page to see your published video. ### Use Vocal Video Templates and Automatic Editing to Create a Case Study Series Traditionally, marketing departments could burn through a sizable chunk of their budget on one case study. But when you don’t need to pay for the equipment and hire the pros, you can use Vocal Video to collect case study videos from as many customers as you can. Consider using them as the foundation for a digital marketing campaign, or adding a whole gallery of case studies to your website as a form of [convincing social proof](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/social-proof-drives-in-person-event-registration/) — like this [carousel gallery](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/testimonial-carousel/) from Vocal Video users. ## Bonus: Use Your Video Transcript to Create a Written Case Study in Seconds [Video testimonials](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/video-testimonial-service/) can make a deep and persuasive connection with a prospective customer in a short time, but written case studies still have their place. Whether you choose to use them alongside your video to make the content more accessible or share written testimonials in printed marketing materials, Vocal Video makes it quick and easy to generate a transcript of what your respondent has shared. ![](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/full-trasnscript-of-video.png) To get a transcript for your video case study, go to the **“Published”** section of your dashboard to open a video. Then, go to the drop-down menu in the top right of the screen and select **“View Transcript.”** This brings up the full transcript of your video, which you can copy to your clipboard or download as a txt. file. Many Vocal Video users use the transcript to turn their case study into a ready-made blog post — something we call [two-for-one testimonial writing](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/testimonial-writing/). For example, the team at [Moki](https://moki.health/blogs/news/joseph-lindley-explains-how-burlish-primary-school-are-using-moki) creates a new post in their news section for each testimonial they want to share. ![Moki User Joseph Lindley of Burlish Park Primary School](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/moki-joseph-lindley-burlish-park-primary-school-1.png) Underneath the video, they include the full transcript for visitors who would rather skim the information, read at their own pace, or use a text reader. ![Moki User Joseph Lindley of Burlish Park Primary School testimonial](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/content/images/2023/06/moki-joseph-lindley-burlish-park-primary-school-2.png) As well as making it easy to generate fresh content for your blog or news feed, there are significant [SEO benefits](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/testimonials-seo/) to publishing the written and video testimonials. The text of the transcript is easy for search engines like Google and Bing to crawl, which means they can recognize the cluster of keywords your respondent has used to talk about your product or service. This makes it more likely that the case study page of your website will rank for questions connected to the problems other people are trying to solve. For a great example of how to use a Vocal Video interview as a summary of a longer and more detailed case study, you can also check out our client Thoropass’ [news article on the importance of GDPR compliance](https://thoropass.com/blog/announcements/meta-gdpr-fine/). ## Vocal Video: An Easy and Affordable Way to Make High-Converting Video Case Studies When you want a free template for a case study video that raises brand awareness, Vocal Video has all the prompts, customization features, and editing tools you need. Compared to the laborious process of storyboarding, scouting locations, scheduling filming, and hitting the editing suite, [Vocal Video makes it affordable](https://vocalvideo.com/resources/benefits-of-video-testimonials/) and efficient for businesses of any size to produce a versatile case study video. With our video templates, you can start gathering case study videos, direct from your happy customers, in minutes. ### Joshua Zerkel | How multifaceted communities work to cement your company future | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/joshua-zerkel-why-multifaceted-communities-are-the-future-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-11-07T11:07:48.000Z > What does the current world of work look like today? How are people able to connect? What do they want to talk about? What can we do to connect people to one another in ways that are enjoyable and fun? \[...\] It takes real strategy and initiative to make 'fun' happen, it takes work to make the 'fun' happen... In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Joshua Zerkel, Head of Global Engagement Marketing at Asana talks about the importance of developing multifaceted communities to cement the future of your customer spaces. ## **Key takeaways:** - How multifaceted communities are different from traditional communities - Biggest mistakes made when trying to expand their customer community - Building your community into other forms and channels - Tackling ‘passive observers’ in your community ## **About the guest:** As one of the established leaders in the business community management space, Joshua Zerkel, has been leading community programs at B2C and B2B companies and nonprofits for 20 years. At Asana, Joshua leads engagement marketing, including creating Asana's award-winning global community, a highly-scaled strategic GTM program which includes our Ambassadors, community-focused events, and our community forum. He's passionate about equipping enthusiasts so they can deepen the use of Asana on their teams and help spread the word to others. ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at** [**influitive.com**](https://influitive.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)**.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### “It's just a great opportunity to learn and network.” | Customer Marketing San Francisco Summit Attendee Testimonials URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-san-francisco-summit-attendee-testimonials/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T14:53:00.000Z “It's just a great opportunity to learn and network.”| Customer Marketing San Francisco Summit Attendee Testimonials Last year’s event calendar for Customer Marketing Alliance, ended in person at San Fransisco. We had the opportunity to ask attendees about their immediate thoughts on the event. Take the opportunity to check out our current [event calendar here](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/)! ## Dan Barta, Account Executive, TrustRadius. We first met up with **Dan Barta, Account Executive for TrustRadius**, his main takeaway was how the on-site layout benefitted his experience of the day. *“I like how it's kind of broken out and people are able to go to different segments and then come into the main area.”* When we asked him about the overall feel of the event. he expressed particular joy about the opportunity the event offered to speak and interact with people from a variety of different job titles and teams: *“It’s really great. We're here for customer marketing and we've had a chance to talk to people - chief marketing officers, product marketing, so it's really interesting.”* 0:00 /0:22 1× ## Jenna Feldman, Customer Advocacy Marketing Manager, and Brooke Wilson, Senior Customer Lifecycle Marketing Manager at AlphaSense: Moving on, we caught some members of Alphasense - **Jenna Feldman, Customer Advocacy Marketing Manager**, and **Brooke Wilson, Senior Customer Lifecycle Marketing Manager**. Jenna had this to say: *“I am really loving the Customer Marketing Summit. I feel like I'm meeting so many new people and with every session I've attended, I've taken something new from it; I just love being at these kinds of events as this is a great community.”* Brooke echoed Jenna’s sentiment: *“I think everybody here brings such a dynamic background and experience of being able to hear in real life what everybody's dealing with their challenges, their struggles, but also their big wins and how we can all support each other in customer marketing.* *“It's really a motivator and it makes me excited to go back to work on Monday.”* 0:00 /0:43 1× ## Brittany Mullen, Sr. Director, Customer Advocacy & Engagement, BMC: Brittany Mullen, Sr. Director, Customer Advocacy & Engagement, BMC *“I think events like this are so important because you get to spend time with people who do what you do on a daily basis. And that doesn't always happen outside of events like this.* *“You get new ideas, you get to look at things through a fresh perspective, and you also get validation with some of the struggles that you're going through.”* 0:00 /0:23 1× ## Ray Rhodes, Founder, User Evidence: Making our way to one of the sponsored stalls, we spoke to **User Evidence** founder, **Ray Rhodes**. *“I think I get a lot of value from these from a couple of perspectives.* *“One, we get to meet clients and establish real relationships with them as opposed to just talking over Zoom, which helps across the board. We get real product feedback, we see who's happy. We create real relationships with them.* *“We also get an understanding of the market that maybe we're not seeing or hearing on sales calls. We get to see what people are talking about and wanting to learn about which helps us really shape our product direction and also we just get to meet a lot of leads that we can convert into customers and deals.”* You can submit a request to partner at one of our events [**here**](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/partners). 0:00 /0:43 1× ## Leslie Barrett, CEO, CMA Soulmate: At the end of the day, we caught up with **Leslie Barrett, CEO of CMA Soulmate** just before ‘Happy Hour’ which closes out the first day of each of our events. Happy hour is the chance to network with fellow attendees, meet the experts in residence & discover new ideas during our happy hour. (Refreshments and nibbles are always included 😉) *“I'm having so much fun. I'm loving all the content. I was so excited to hear that it was in my hometown, so I had to come over and say hello to all my CMA friends. And yeah, it's just a great opportunity to learn and network and it's happy hour now.”* 0:00 /0:22 1× ## Looking for this year’s next big thing? If you have a nagging feeling that you’re missing out on something great, you're absolutely right. 😉 Join us to: 🛠️Gain invaluable knowledge from industry leaders. 🤝Become an integral part of our thriving community. 🎓Connect with experienced mentors and establish meaningful relationships. ❓Crowd-source answers to your most pressing challenges. [Check out this year’s events right here!](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### How to get internal support and buy-in for VoC technology URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-get-internal-support-and-buy-in-for-voc-technology/ Last updated: 2024-07-18T16:41:06.000Z *This article was transcribed from a talk from Customer Marketing Alliance’s Las Vegas Event in 2023\. If you have a membership, get instant access to the whole talk* [*here*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=t0edpopzs6)*.* Who hasn’t had a hard time purchasing technology to support your work and the data you use? What are a couple of the things that you have met resistance with? It’s things like security, price, integrations, budget. It’s people to manage the tech, and the biggest one - Buy-in analysis paralysis. One of the biggest struggles at the moment is that you can't get everyone to align on what the actual value of your team is, and what the business impact is going to be. It’s a common experience that you’ll get leaders saying things like *“We're not saying no, we're just saying not right now”, or “Next quarter, we'll reassess the budget”*. You get stuck in this limbo of ‘not right now’. On top of this, you’re having to manage leaders asking you things like: - Where do we start? - What does your work mean to sales? How are they going to adopt this? - What's your work going to mean to customer success? - What is the training that comes with it? You’re inundated with a whole history of blockages and siloing, so it’s no wonder that so many fall into a state of paralysis, where your main priority becomes risk reduction, and you end up doing nothing. The problem with data collection and storage never gets solved. We just become very good at manually doing these things. All this to say, it doesn’t matter what software you buy, but you need to have something that supports the scaling of your programs. [How can effective data visualizations drive action?Explore the power of data visualization in driving actions. Transform complex data into compelling stories to elevate your RevOps game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/barna-bartis-J6RjNtwpPII-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) ## The challenge of internal communication and understanding I’ll begin this section with a disclaimer: technology is not pixie dust. It does not solve your problems. You can't take technology and fix bad programs. What you can use technology to do is scale your good ones. We're going to focus on internal alignment to help you buy tools, because I struggled for years. A few years ago, I worked at a company that said all the right things to my request to get a holistic system for Voice of the Customer. They said, “We get it. You’re a priority”. At that time, there was a large Salesforce integration that was in the works, so they said “We’ll build what you need in-house. We will make all of your advocacy automation happen in Salesforce.” In a year and a half, we got to something manageable. But it was all still just reactive. When I expressed the need for this system to be something holistic rather than reactive, the response was “We know what you want, we just don't know how to build that”. The solution they came up with was to run an internal audit, and have a specialty company build what we needed into Salesforce - the audit cost more than the tool I was looking to buy. The audit cost about 50k, and the tool at that time was 35k. It’s this kind of problem that I want to help you avoid. When you get this resistance to bringing technology on board, it handicaps the potential of your teams. ## Steps to buying the technology you need After a lot of trial and error throughout the year, I can safely say that, I finally understand how to get buy-in for this kind of technology, and there are a few fundamental components I wouldn’t do it without. So I’m going to take you through some of the important steps right now: ### Business impact and emotional impact First, we have to calculate the business impact. This is a classic and obvious step toward proving value. But it's not just about the business impact - we get hyper-focused on what we know that moves the needle, but stopping at step one isn’t enough. You also want to deliver that emotional impact. Just like our customers, our executives, and those people that we have to bring on board to buy into our vision, some of them relate to the business impact and some relate to the emotional impact. ### Use comparisons and alternatives To present the emotional and business impact of this technology, compare it to the alternative. Take the time to calculate how long it actually takes to do some of these more basic tasks. For example, how long does it take to get a reference? From the reference coming in, conversing with internals, getting back to the customer, etc. How many back-and-forths does one reference take? Then do a cost analysis on that effort, and how that fits inside your company. ### Build credibility with use cases One of the best ways to help support your argument is to show what other companies like you have done by changing their programs, and how doing so can become a key turning point of success for them. ### Impact tangibility Lastly, demonstrate the impact tangibly. This is where economic impact reports come in. They’re there to really paint a clear picture of your successes which can be shared around to others. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## Current state of affairs Everybody wants more advocates, right? Sales want more, marketing wants more. They want better case studies, more diverse case studies, the lot. But because everybody wants more, what starts happening? They start to go around us, and communication is lost - one hand doesn’t talk to the next. When this happens, we miss how many things we asking of a single customer. And, we won’t be the only vendor’s vying for this customers attention either. The result of this is that customers will get fatigue. They’ll start to turn off, they’ll stop answering emails, and they'll going dark. That effort isn't just on the customer, this kind of fatigue also happens internally. And we get churn. ## Key tips and tricks to get internal attention ### Organisational alignment So organizational alignment, how do we do this? 1. Look at your high-level business goals. 2. Align to your mission, vision and values of your company. If you want people to pay attention, you’re going to have to align your language with these aims. Sell to your sales team, to your product team, to any [cross-functional team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) that will benefit from your work.It’s important to also sell internally to your own marketing department too. So, how do you approach these conversations? Ask some of the following questions: - What do you think the company importance is for customer acquisition? - What’s the employee retention? - What do you think our current score? - How are we doing on our customer acquisition costs? Get their assessment. Now that you have these answers, identify where there’s a gap to fill. The most important thing to do next, is to express what the impact is of doing nothing. If we do nothing, things will continue to stay where we are. So where are we going to go when we need to meet our business goals? How are we going to go that? Could the sales team grow at **40%** if you didn't add budget, marketing, advertising, and headcount? Is it possible to continue to scale without that? No, of course it's not. So the impact of doing nothing is a negative impact. You are going to cap out after after a certain amount of success. ### Showing impact and ROI Companies that grow the fastest and have the best profit margins, are the ones who’ve invested in customer marketing. That's why our jobs exist, because living through global events like COVID, revealed that companies couldn’t just rely on Sales anymore. In 2023 Customer Marketing was the fastest growing B2B career period. The only thing that outranked it was [DEI, diversity, equity inclusion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-we-need-to-amplify-diverse-voices-in-marketing/), and that was mostly in B2C companies. These jobs blew up out of nowhere because we realized we had to sell internally. A lot of people don't have the muscle memory to do that yet, though, so they're not getting the immediate results that they're looking for. Customer marketing roles in particular are a long tail effort. We've also seen a lot of churn the first time times get tough, right? But we can teach our CMOs - we can teach up, not just down, why we are so valuable. One of the best ways to do this, is to go outside the source, don't just provide stuff that your competitor company provides - Find those third party sources, those analysts, that can validate. ### Sangeeta Walsh | Understand your customers using business intelligence | Customer Marketing Catch-Up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/sangeeta-walsh-understand-your-customers-using-business-intelligence-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-02-20T10:41:04.000Z > "Being able to understand what a customer is actually doing, versus what they purchase, is important when you're trying to learn and partner with that customer on whats better for them and what's better for the use case with how they're using your product..." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Sangeeta Walsh, VP of Marketing and Alliances at Dialpad talks about how to use AI, customer data, and business intelligence to connect and partner with your customers. ### **Key takeaways:** - How AI supports business and customer interaction - How to use and understand customer data - Understand the difference between customer behaviors and customer purchases - Why business data as a whole is so important - Discover and exclusive clip from Sangeeta Walsh's talk at the end of the episode ## **About the guest:** Sangeeta has been a wearer of many different hats over her career, comfortably vacillating between roles, industries, and management levels. Her experience is primarily in mobile and cloud partnerships, marketing, and platform technology integrations within Fortune 500 and startup companies. Her work has also contributed to over 70% revenue growth and 100% product adoption through product definition and GTM activities spanning worldwide. ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at** [**influitive.com**](https://influitive.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)**.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). *This episode was recorded live at one of our many Customer Marketing Alliance events. If you want a look at our upcoming calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)*.* ### Customer marketing budget and where it’s being spent URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-budget-and-where-its-being-spent/ Last updated: 2024-01-24T12:29:35.000Z With the new year underway, we wanted to share some of the stats we gathered from our [State of Customer Marketing Report for 2023/24](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/). In this article, we’re showing off some of the statistics we gathered concerning customer marketing budgets, and how these budgets are being shared. *Take this years* [*Customer Marketing Salary and Industry Master Survey*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-and-industry-report-2024/) *and offer your insights now!* ## **The annual customer marketing budget** We’ve already spoken a little about the potential impact of the economic hardships many have been experiencing this year, but we wanted to explore if this has impacted budgets for these programs. It’s promising to see that the most common answer hasn’t changed a year on. However, while the $100,000-$500,000 range remains the top choice at **21.7%**, this is a dip from the **30.7%** last year. The next most popular choice, however, changed from the $10,000-25,000 range at **15.4%** to $50,000-99,999 at **14.5%** this year. ![Range for customer marketing budget](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/hHurmJEPrvRKKCk0GGugP1erpwZvwro8mZiKcQlQiXnVoX6Vqdz4Ps3OrHIgQJIZpokhBj9xw1FYPqooS76QgGU7z8AOJyHCuBjC1NXsguYwRwLmJDvpv00mAnmK5Dprzluw3hca76bWxTjYqw-JKMU) It’s interesting to note that the number of participants who said that they don’t have a budget increased this year from **11.5% to 14.5%**, and they came from companies of all sizes. Speaking of company size, last year we found no correlation between the size of a company and the budget available to them. However, this year we found that the range of budget available increased with each growth stage, with Enterprise companies having an average range of 25,000 - 1,000,000+ available to them. This year we’re seeing the start of the formalization of these kinds of teams and positions regarding both budget and responsibilities, but we’ve still got a ways to go in cementing each facet of this kind of role. This year we also asked what percentage of their customer marketing budget made up the overall marketing budget for their company. ![Percentage of overall marketing budget](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/mDEztBtDP4tPR39qE7Iw1jWSP0KyZBSHIc3QuMAMWOcNuotMvkjtfKyFwROOVwOBMftdVfIxls6rQQQbIdK8rhvN-Ro7V0OhpfreHmzS77UhR9qC2UoFoJwoB2ijgHaU82s64dL8238UUP_0j9qCM_k) Interestingly **61.4%** said their budget made up **less than 10%** of the total marketing budget for their company. Another **29.8%** said their budget made up 11-20%. This is a curiously small percentage. Perhaps this is due to the more holistic nature of customer marketing roles - lots of customer marketing responsibilities can still be successful with small budgets and resources, making customer marketing attainable for smaller companies to implement. It could also be that, as customer marketing is often housed under other types of marketing, it's expected to piggyback on other forms of marketing and gather resources using a part of other department's budgets. Customer marketers aren’t usually investing in creating involved commercials and long advertising campaigns in the same way as more traditional marketing positions are. On the other hand, it’s well known now that retaining existing customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. We asked Ari Hoffman his thoughts on why this curiously small percentage: > “Unfortunately, this stat is also mirrored in headcount and organizational demand across Customer Marketing and Advocacy. This is one of the reasons why companies are struggling with growth today. They are prioritizing demand-gen through ad-focused campaigns as it’s a faucet they feel more control over — turning it on and off in times of need. > The issue with this approach is it has diminishing rates of return as the industry becomes more and more saturated with ad content and buyers turn their attention elsewhere. Fortunately, there are many examples of companies showing us what good looks like. We are seeing those truly customer-centric organizations continue to grow, even during the tech recession we find ourselves in. > These companies are actually doubling down on headcount and customer marketing budgets. Companies like F5, led by Kevin Lau, or BMC, headed by Leslie Paterson, are prime examples of how a heightened focus on customer-first marketing priorities can drive accelerated growth.” ## Where is the customer marketing budget being spent? Breaking down the above budgets, we wanted to see where customer marketing and advocacy experts choose to spend it. This year saw software and tools take the top spot again at 29.5%, a 6.6% increase from last year. The next most common answer changed from video creation/editing to conferences at **20.5%**, with video creation/editing dropping to third this year at **12.5% (a drop of 7.5%)**. ![How customer marketing budgets are spent](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/E5dkVpAXs8AXUWH2cJiZWAD6lzMaVvfq3iiH-18QEBBr-4Jbz_qo9GfM2qy0yD4uxyrECemeogzM7a4HPoqTTCTK0x_p3qUzXUjszH6BXndE3UJVm29nuRdr7CHClu-csN6BVbRmN4sofwTGYK16q7w) **Note:* Those that selected ‘Other’ said the majority of their budget is spent on things like swag, gifting, non-conference events, Customer Advisory Boards, travel, and professional services and contractors.* When noting that software and tools made up 29.5% of answers, its important to note how certain software helps customer marketers accomplish some of the other line items mentioned in this question. For example, software used to help aid testimonial collection and/or run third-party review campaigns will help support things like written content, advertising, and customer research. Things like feedback surveys and video capture are invaluable tools to support other areas of responsibility. Looking at these changes, it seems that the budget spent on video creation has shifted to in-person events. This could perhaps be a remnant of pandemic life, as we continue to shift back to more in-person events every single year. In-person conferences and other events are invaluable for connecting with your customers, especially since so many customer marketers get very little in the way of day-to-day interaction that isn’t virtual. Seeing more of a priority in creating such events is nothing but promising. ### Provide your own stats Our 2024 [Customer Marketing Salary and Industry Master Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-and-industry-report-2024/) is out now! This year, we’re shaking things up and combining the surveys for our State of Customer Marketing and Customer Marketing Salary Reports. For one seven-minute survey, you’ll get two unmissable reports about your industry - what's there to lose? 🥳 ### Time to value (TTV) framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/time-to-value-ttv-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T14:13:35.000Z The faster your customers see value from your product, the better your chances of retaining them. Time to value (TTV) is one of the most important metrics for understanding and improving that experience. Getting it right has a direct impact on everything from customer satisfaction to revenue. This framework gives you a structured way to think about TTV, understand the different types, and take action to reduce it. ## What is a TTV framework? This framework covers the key concepts behind time to value and provides practical guidance for improving it across your product. It breaks down the different types of TTV – from immediate and short time to value through to basic and exceeded value – and outlines four core approaches to reducing it: 1. Prioritizing high-value features 2. Mapping people and processes across value streams 3. Running A/B tests for faster feedback 4. Simplifying onboarding and usability. ## How to use the framework Start by familiarizing yourself with the different types of TTV and identifying which ones are most relevant to your product and customers. From there, use the value stream management section to assess where friction exists in your current process and which levers are most likely to move the needle. The framework works best as a starting point for team discussion and prioritization. Use it to align on where to focus and what to measure as you work toward a lower TTV. ## Download your time to value (TTV) framework ![Time to value (TTV) framework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/07/Time-to-Value-framework.png) [Time To Value (TTV) frameworkTime To Value (TTV) framework.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/11/Time-To-Value--TTV--framework.docx "Download") [Time To Value (TTV) frameworkTime To Value (TTV) framework.pdf65 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/11/Time-To-Value--TTV--framework.pdf "Download") [Time To Value (TTV) frameworkTime to value (TTV) framework Metrics are essential for alignment, and successful organizations need alignment across cross-functional teams. Focusing on the right set of metrics helps create this alignment, and allows teams a way to navigate themselves towards a common goal. TTV is a key metric…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-30.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIJ2jLBmlQGs0NXhZlwg_Cv3T88Gl3QmJVCxZ_E9t1A_RaiFTI7jlzgQlkLpPgYc0G7oTjljxPDwKdp_-0uLrXY8OUkIQIOUgxIltO4o-s4wg0katY-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qtf4uksG-oSdDk6tfP1qYSc79380kLAxIWEfnDP4viI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Where can customer centricity go in the future? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/ Last updated: 2024-01-26T11:57:15.000Z Customer centricity is a hot topic in today's market and can be the difference between yourself and your competitors. But how is this concept going to develop? In this article we'll cover: - [The importance of customer centricity in modern business.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/#:~:text=in%20the%20future.-,Importance%20of%20customer%20centricity%20in%20modern%20business,-Customer%2Dcentricity%20has) - [The current strategies and practices.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/#:~:text=of%20customer%2Dcentricity-,Present%2Dday%20strategies%20and%20practices,-Some%20of%20the) - [Some emerging technologies that support customer centricity.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/#:~:text=Eve%20Chatfield-,Emerging%20technologies%20and%20their%20role%20in%20shaping%20customer%2Dcentric%20strategies,-Beginning%20to%20think) - [How evolving customer expectations and technologies may change how customer centricity is achieved in the future.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/where-can-customer-centricity-go-in-the-future/#:~:text=user%2Dgenerated%20content.-,The%20road%20ahead%20for%20customer%20centricity,-So%2C%20all%20in) ## Importance of customer centricity in modern business Customer-centricity has become a crucial driver of success in modern business, revolutionizing the way companies operate and interact with their customers. Customer centricity is the focus on customer needs, resulting in [increased loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/navigating-the-post-sale-landscape-key-strategies-for-customer-loyalty/), higher revenue, and improved [brand reputation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). It fosters personalization, gives companies a competitive edge, and often makes marketing strategies more cost-effective while driving innovation through [customer feedback](r). As a result, setting up your work as customer-centric supports sustainable growth and employee satisfaction, making it a vital strategy for success in today's marketplace. ## The current state of customer-centricity ### Present-day strategies and practices Some of the key identifying strategies of this customer-centric setup are as follows: - **Customer feedback integration:** Many businesses actively collect and integrate customer feedback, using it to shape their strategies, refine products/services, and address pain points in real-time. - **Omni-channel experiences:** Companies are striving to provide seamless customer experiences across [multiple channels](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/), integrating online and offline touchpoints to engage customers wherever they are. - **Customer journey mapping:** Detailed customer journey maps help organizations identify pain points and opportunities for improvement, leading to more effective customer-centric strategies and service enhancements. Now, it’s obvious that these strategies aren’t exclusive to customer-centric organizations. Media-focussed companies will have omni-channel experiences; product-focussed companies will have [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) integration. What sets customer-centric organizations (and how they use the strategies above) apart from others is the intention behind them. Customer centricity requires that each decision made by your business is done with the intention of improving [customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/) and customer experience. It’s an interesting line to tread as there can be overlap with other styles of company intention, as mentioned above, but true customer centricity must be felt throughout the whole organization and be at the forefront of each employee’s mind. [10 components to building a customer experience strategyCustomer experience, namely the way brands interact with their customers, is a broad topic that affects a lot of other processes within a company. Building a relationship with customers is vital for encouraging customer loyalty and advocacy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/08/tim-mossholder-GOMhuCj-O9w-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) ### Emerging technologies and their role in shaping customer-centric strategies Beginning to think about how customer centricity may change and evolve in the future, we’re next going to look at some of the current and emerging technologies accessible to marketing leaders. Some of these are only going to be relevant on a case-by-case basis, but when looking at the concept as a whole, these technologies have had an impact on how companies interact with customers. #### Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning We talked in much more detail about the current emerging AI technologies available in this article, but things like AI-powered chatbots, recommendation engines, and predictive analytics are all the rage as they enable personalized customer interactions on a large scale. [Harness AI’s transformative potential in customer engagementAchieving and sustaining meaningful customer engagement is more about leveraging the immense power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized, data-driven, and emotionally resonant experiences that captivate and retain customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/01/brett-jordan-5L0R8ZqPZHk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/) #### Internet of Things (IoT) IoT devices collect real-time data on customer usage and behaviors, offering valuable insights and opportunities for proactive customer service. Such data is invaluable when considering your next move to improve the experience your customers have with your organization. #### Blockchain technology Blockchain enhances transparency and security in customer transactions, promoting trust and reducing fraud in e-commerce and financial services. #### Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) AR and VR applications provide immersive, interactive experiences, allowing customers to visualize products and services before purchasing. #### Personalization engines Advanced personalization engines use data analytics to customize content, product recommendations, and marketing messages, delivering more relevant experiences to customers. ### Evolving customer expectations and behavior Alongside the usual desire for personalized experiences, convenience, and ease of use, the current lifestyles for many of us, also lead to more specific expectations and desires that customers look to fill. #### Digital convenience Customers increasingly expect seamless online experiences, from easy website navigation to quick and secure online transactions. #### Sustainability and ethical values Many consumers prioritize environmentally friendly and socially responsible products and expect businesses to demonstrate ethical practices. #### Instant gratification Customers seek faster delivery options, instant access to information, and real-time customer support. #### Data privacy and security Heightened concerns about data privacy mean customers expect companies to handle their personal information with care and transparency. #### Mobile-first engagement With the increasing use of smartphones, customers prefer mobile-friendly websites and apps for browsing, shopping, and communication. #### User-generated content Customers rely on reviews, ratings, and social media posts from peers to make purchasing decisions, emphasizing the importance of user-generated content. ## The road ahead for customer centricity So, all in all, where does this lead? Looking at the current trends for both evolving customer expectations and evolving technologies, we’ve made a short list of the things we think we should expect to see in the coming years. As you can see, some of these may have already started to make a splash. These include: ### **Hyper-personalization** Customer centricity will continue to evolve towards hyper-personalization, where businesses leverage AI, machine learning, and data analytics to provide individualized experiences in real-time. Customers will receive tailored product recommendations, content, and services at a granular level. [We asked ChatGPT how it can help with customer marketing: Is this the future?ChatGPT has the power to revolutionize the way you engage with your customers, but it prompts the question, is ChatGPT the future of customer marketing?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/04/customermarketing_CMA_chatgpt_future.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/) ### **Predictive customer engagement** Companies will increasingly use predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and behavior, enabling proactive engagement. This could involve offering solutions or products before customers even realize they require them. It will also have an impact on crisis management and customer support by using AI tools and integrations to anticipate catastrophes before they happen. ### **Seamless omni-channel experiences** The integration of online and offline channels will become even more seamless, allowing customers to transition effortlessly between different touchpoints while maintaining a consistent and personalized experience. This will stem from historical data of a customer's online and offline presence, so each touchpoint is in the know about each individual's customer journey. ### **Sustainability and social responsibility** Customer-centric businesses will prioritize sustainability and ethical practices, aligning with customers' values and addressing environmental and social concerns. This will impact product design, sourcing, and overall business strategies. Sustainability has become more valued as the world has developed over the last decade or so, and younger generations are increasingly more environmentally conscious than ever before. ### **Enhanced customer feedback mechanisms** Companies will invest in more sophisticated feedback mechanisms, including sentiment analysis, to gain deeper insights into customer emotions and expectations. This’ll inform decision-making and product/service improvements. ### **Augmented reality and virtual reality** AR and VR technologies will play a more prominent role in customer engagement, enabling immersive experiences in various industries, such as retail, education, and entertainment. Content consumption has become increasingly more varied as technology has developed, and though there’s still some time before VR becomes a widely used form of entertainment consumption, it’s not far off. ### **Advanced data security and privacy** Given increasing concerns about data privacy, companies will have to begin implementing more advanced security measures and transparent data handling practices to maintain customer trust. There have been many large stories about huge data breaches in the media over the last few years, so this issue is an important one. With data being collected and stored at such a high rate by every company around, you’re going to have to keep up and make sure none of the data your company is responsible for can be sold or stolen by others. ### **Voice commerce** Voice-activated devices and voice search will continue to gain prominence, influencing how customers interact with brands and make purchases. ### **Ethical AI and automation** As AI-driven automation becomes more prevalent, companies will focus on ensuring ethical AI practices, addressing concerns about job displacement, and maintaining a balance between automation and human touch. ### **Collaborative innovation** Companies will collaborate with customers and incorporate their input into the product development process, fostering a sense of co-creation and strengthening customer relationships. ## Continue the conversation Looking for more in-depth discussions around this topic? Want to talk with your peer about their customer-centricity tactics and strategies? Our slack channel is the one-stop-shop for daily discussions, support, meet-ups, and exclusive AMAs with your peers and industry titans. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Content mapping template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content-mapping-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T12:35:40.000Z ## What is a content mapping template? A content mapping template aligns your [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content-for-each-stage-of-the-buyers-journey-template-framework/) with the stages of the buying journey so every piece you create has a clear job to do. Instead of producing content because it's someone's turn to publish, you're producing it because a specific stage needs it. Most content gaps show up in the two stages teams pay the least attention to: evaluation, where buyers want comparison guides and FAQs, not more blog posts, and post-purchase, where a new customer either becomes an advocate or just quietly churns. This template forces both onto the map. ## What's inside the template? The template has three parts: 1. Stage objectives and content types, covering all five stages of the [journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience/) 2. A persona profile summary 3. A stage-by-stage content map for that persona ## How to use the template Start with the stage objectives table to understand what each stage of the funnel needs before you map anything. If you're short on resources, prioritize consideration first; it's where roughly half of all content gets consumed. Then build one map per persona: briefly profile them, and work through the content type, theme, and channel for each stage. ## Download your content mapping template ![Content mapping template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Content-mapping-template.png) [Content mapping templateContent mapping template.pdf93 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Content-mapping-template.pdf "Download") [Content mapping templateContent mapping template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Content-mapping-template.docx "Download") [Content mapping templateContent mapping template Match the right content to the right stage of the buying journey, with a clear objective behind every piece. A content mapping template makes sure you’re putting the right content in front of the right people, in the right format, at the right time. It’s built around the…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-566cd5ac-1ea1-44cd-9d34-9c5ffea3f4fc.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIW2oJObGFxWQBnR6fGLyY6Q6gsbrndZ1LFir816RDks20d446qOcct-DJx8mmOjH6jc4uLhHY7cDhAhafC0M_7J7o1GPeGj4I4R7JfrahHP-2hMEw-w1200-h630-p-fa4898b5-7249-427d-bfc5-8719e5badb86)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IMBDBH87LAw1gFeY8z2Y1uiB8maQMPfLf1ucOqhX61w/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Harnessing AI's transformative potential in customer engagement URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/harnessing-ais-transformative-potential-in-customer-engagement/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T14:40:46.000Z Customer engagement is the linchpin of success for organizations across industries, but as a marketing leader, you already understand that. Engaged customers are more [loyal](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/) and instrumental in driving revenue growth and fostering brand advocacy. However, achieving and sustaining meaningful customer engagement is more about leveraging the immense power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized, data-driven, and emotionally resonant experiences that captivate and retain customers. ## The role of AI in customer engagement: AI's capabilities empower you to understand your customers individually, creating hyper-personalized experiences based on data collected about their preferences, behaviors, and past interactions. AI-driven analytics like this process vast amounts of data in real time, providing you with valuable insights into customer behavior and trends. On top of that, it can also directly interact with your customers through AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants that can handle routine inquiries and transactions 24/7, freeing up your team to focus on more complex and strategic tasks. As a marketing leader, embracing AI for [customer engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-vs-community-engagement-know-the-difference/) is not just a technological decision; it's a strategic imperative. The ability to harness AI's capabilities effectively can lead to a competitive edge, higher customer retention rates, increased revenue, and a more profound impact on your organization's bottom line. ## Current engagement AI technologies As a customer marketing specialist, staying at the forefront of AI technologies that support customer engagement is crucial for driving [customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), loyalty, and business growth. Here's an overview of current AI technologies and a list of notable AI brands that cater to customer engagement: ### Chatbots and Virtual Assistants Chatbots and virtual assistants use AI, including natural language processing (NLP), to interact with customers through text or voice, providing instant support and information. This can come in the form of: - **Automated customer support** to answer routine customer inquiries and 24/7 support even out of business hours. - **Lead generation** by engaging website visitors, collecting contact information, and qualifying leads by asking relevant questions. Executives can use this data to identify potential customers and tailor marketing strategies accordingly. - **Delivering data** that’ll be able to inform any targeted marketing messages and offers to customers based on their preferences and behaviors. - **Administering surveys** to gain insights into customer satisfaction, and identify areas for improvement. - **Event promotion and registration** for events, webinars, or conferences, as well as handling event registrations and inquiries, increasing outreach for event attendance. - **Customer onboarding and education** by guiding new customers through onboarding processes, providing product tutorials, and answering frequently asked questions. **Notable AI brands:** IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure Bot Service, Google Dialogflow, Salesforce Einstein Bot, Chatfuel ### Personalization engines Personalization engines employ AI to analyze customer data and deliver highly tailored content and product recommendations, enhancing the overall customer experience. **Notable AI brands:** Adobe Sensei, Dynamic Yield, RichRelevance, Monetate (now part of Kibo Commerce) ### Predictive analytics AI-driven predictive analytics models forecast customer behavior, such as [churn risk](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/), purchase intent, and product preferences, enabling proactive customer engagement strategies. High-level executive customer marketers can leverage predictive analytics with AI to make informed decisions, optimize marketing strategies, and enhance customer engagement. This includes: - Using predictive analytics to **segment your customer base** into groups with similar behaviors, preferences, and buying patterns. This allows for more effective customer segmentation targeting. - Identifying customers at **risk of churning** or switching to competitors. Executives can proactively engage with these customers through targeted retention campaigns, loyalty programs, or personalized offers. - Suggesting additional products or services that existing customers will likely purchase based on their past behavior allows you to implement **cross-selling and upselling** strategies. - **Optimizing marketing campaigns** by identifying the most effective channels, messaging, and timing for reaching target audiences. AI predictive analysis, when considering your internal processes, can also help with: - **Price optimization**: by recommending optimal pricing strategies for products or services, [maximizing revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-leverage-customer-marketing-and-impact-the-revenue-cycle-meaningfully/) while maintaining customer satisfaction. - **Inventory management**: by forecasting demand for products, enabling executives to optimize inventory levels, reduce carrying costs, and minimize stockouts. - **Dynamic pricing**: Implementing dynamic pricing strategies based on predictive analytics will help you to adjust prices in real time according to market conditions, demand, and competitor pricing. - **Campaign attribution**: Predictive analytics can help attribute revenue and conversions to specific marketing touchpoints along the [customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/). This allows executives to allocate marketing budgets effectively. - **Demand forecasting**: to predict future demand for products or services based on historical data, seasonality, and external factors. This helps executives optimize supply chain and inventory management. - **Fraud detection**: to detect fraudulent activities and transactions in real-time, protecting both the organization and customers from fraud-related issues. **Notable AI brands:** DataRobot, RapidMiner, Alteryx, Sisense ### Sentiment analysis Sentiment analysis tools leverage NLP to monitor and analyze customer sentiment from social media, reviews, and feedback, allowing businesses to gauge customer satisfaction. This type of analysis includes supporting things like: - **Competitive analysis** to understand how customers perceive rival brands or products and identify opportunities to differentiate your offerings based on customer sentiment gaps and unmet needs. - **Crisis management** by detecting early signs of negative sentiment spikes to preempt a possible crisis and develop a crisis response plan. - **Content strategy optimization** by analyzing sentiment related to content marketing efforts, such as blog posts, videos, or [social media content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/). AI analysis can allow you to identify positive sentiment so you can replicate successful strategies. - **Customer feedback analysis** using data collected through surveys, reviews, and customer support interactions. - **Brand perception tracking** tobenchmark sentiment against competitors to gauge where you fall compared to others in the market. - **Product launch insights** to gauge customer excitement and reception during new product or feature launches. This analysis will inform how you adjust your marketing and communication strategies. **Notable AI brands:** Brandwatch, Lexalytics, MonkeyLearn, Clarabridge [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Natural Language Processing (NLP) NLP technologies enable machines to understand and generate human-like text or speech, facilitating more effective customer interactions. These kinds of AI are best to offer support in the following areas: - **Social media monitoring:** Employ NLP AI to monitor social media conversations and mentions of your brand. Identify trends, sentiments, and emerging issues, enabling quick responses and reputation management. - **Content generation:** Automate content creation with NLP AI to generate product descriptions, email marketing copy, blog posts, and other marketing materials. Ensure consistent messaging and content quality. - **Voice of the Customer (VoC) analysis:** Analyze voice recordings and transcriptions of customer service interactions using NLP to extract actionable insights. Understand customer needs, pain points, and areas where support can be improved. - **Email marketing optimization:** Improve email marketing campaigns by employing NLP AI to analyze open rates, click-through rates, and customer responses. Optimize subject lines, content, and calls to action based on NLP-driven insights. - **Multilingual customer support:** Expand your global reach by using NLP AI to provide support in multiple languages. Ensure consistent and accurate communication with customers worldwide. - **Voice Search Optimization:** Optimize content and website structure for voice search, as more customers use voice-activated devices. Use NLP AI to understand and respond to voice queries effectively. - **Data privacy and compliance:** Employ NLP AI to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA. Automatically redact or handle sensitive customer information securely. **Notable AI brands:** OpenAI, GPT-3 (by OpenAI), BERT (by Google), NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit), spaCy [We asked ChatGPT how it can help with customer marketing: Is this the future?ChatGPT has the power to revolutionize the way you engage with your customers, but it prompts the question, is ChatGPT the future of customer marketing?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceElla Harrison![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/04/customermarketing_CMA_chatgpt_future.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/) ### AI-enhanced content creation AI assists in generating and optimizing marketing content, ensuring consistent messaging, and engaging customer communications. - **Automated content generation:** Implement AI-powered tools that can automatically generate content, including blog posts, product descriptions, social media posts, and email copy. Use these tools to quickly produce high-quality content at scale, saving time and resources. - **Personalized content:** Utilize AI to create personalized content for different customer segments. AI can analyze customer data and behavior to tailor content to individual preferences and needs. Send personalized email campaigns, product recommendations, and content suggestions based on AI-driven insights. - **Language translation and localization:** Use AI translation tools to localize content for global audiences. AI can help ensure accurate and culturally appropriate translations. Reach a wider customer base by delivering content in multiple languages. - **Content curation:** Employ AI-driven content curation tools to find and organize relevant articles, videos, and news from across the web. Share curated content with your audience to position your brand as a valuable source of information and industry insights. - **A/B testing and optimization:** Test different variations of content headlines, copy, and visuals using AI-powered A/B testing tools. Optimize content based on real-time data and performance metrics to maximize engagement and conversions. - **Visual content generation:** Use AI to create visuals such as images, infographics, and videos. AI tools can generate visuals from data, automate video editing, and enhance image quality. Visual content is highly engaging and can improve customer interaction. - **Email personalization:** Implement AI to customize email subject lines, body content, and call-to-action buttons based on recipient preferences and behavior. Increase email open rates and click-through rates through personalized messaging. - **Content summarization:** AI-powered summarization tools can condense lengthy content into shorter, more digestible formats. Create concise and informative content that captures the essence of longer articles or reports. - **Content distribution optimization:** Use AI analytics to determine the best times and channels for content distribution. Ensure that your content reaches the right audience at the most opportune moments. - **Content quality assurance:** Implement AI tools for grammar and spelling checks, as well as content plagiarism detection. Ensure that all content is error-free and original, maintaining a professional brand image. - **Content relevance scoring:** Utilize AI algorithms to score and prioritize content based on its relevance to specific customer segments or marketing campaigns. Focus resources on creating content that resonates with your target audience. - **Content SEO optimization:** AI can assist in optimizing content for search engines by suggesting relevant keywords, analyzing competitors' content, and providing SEO recommendations. Improve content visibility and search engine ranking. - **Content performance analytics:** Leverage AI-powered analytics tools to gain insights into how content performs. Monitor engagement metrics, track conversions, and make [data-driven adjustments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/) to content strategies. **Notable AI brands** Copy.ai, Writesonic, ContentBot, JasperDocs [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### Robotic process automation (RPA) RPA bots automate repetitive tasks to enhance efficiency and streamline customer support processes. - **Data integration and management:** Implement AI RPA bots to automate data integration tasks by extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) data from multiple sources. Ensure data accuracy and consistency across marketing systems and databases. - **Lead data processing:** Use AI RPA to automatically capture and process leads from various channels, such as web forms, social media, and email campaigns. Ensure timely lead routing and follow-up for improved lead conversion rates. - **Email marketing campaigns:** Automate email marketing processes, including list segmentation, personalization, and scheduling, using AI RPA. Optimize email delivery and engagement by automating A/B testing and performance tracking. - **Customer data enrichment:** Employ AI RPA to enrich customer profiles by automatically retrieving and updating data from external sources. Enhance personalization and targeting by keeping customer information up to date. - **Content distribution:** Automate the distribution of marketing content, such as blog posts, newsletters, and social media updates, using AI RPA bots. Ensure content reaches the right audience at the right time. - **Social media management:** Use AI RPA to schedule and post social media updates, respond to customer inquiries, and monitor brand mentions. Maintain an active and responsive social media presence. - **Customer surveys and feedback analysis:** Automate the creation and distribution of customer surveys through AI RPA. Use AI to analyze survey responses and customer feedback, identifying trends and actionable insights. - **Lead scoring and qualification:** Implement AI RPA bots to score and qualify leads based on predefined criteria. Prioritize high-quality leads for sales outreach and nurture others through automated marketing campaigns. - **Customer onboarding and engagement:** Use AI RPA to automate customer onboarding processes, such as account setup, welcome emails, and user guidance. Enhance engagement with automated follow-up emails and reminders. - **Campaign attribution and ROI analysis:** Use AI RPA bots to attribute marketing campaigns to revenue and conversions accurately. Calculate return on investment (ROI) for marketing initiatives. - **Customer journey mapping:** Automate the mapping of customer journeys and touchpoints using AI RPA. Identify opportunities for improved customer engagement and conversion optimization. - **Compliance and data privacy:** Use AI RPA to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations by automating data redaction, access controls, and audit trails. Mitigate legal and regulatory risks. **Notable AI brands:** UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, Pega Robotic Automation ## Ethical concerns in AI-powered customer engagement Using AI for customer engagement can provide numerous benefits, such as improved efficiency and personalization. However, it also comes with several risks and challenges that organizations must navigate. Some of the ethical concerns about AI stem from the inherent development of bias. AI systems can inherit biases depending on the training data used, which risks leading to the unfair treatment of certain customer groups. Addressing and mitigating these biases is a significant ethical concern. To mitigate these biases, make sure to use diverse and representative training data when developing your algorithm. It’ll also do to regularly audit and monitor AI systems for bias, and be prepared to make adjustments as needed. **It’s also important to note:** Customers may be uncomfortable with AI-driven decisions if they don't understand how the AI algorithms work. Transparency in AI systems is crucial to building trust so make sure to provide a brief explanation of how your AI process works so customer understand how their data may be used. #### Data Privacy and security: For AI systems to work efficiently and accurately, they need access to vast amounts of customer data. Ensuring that this data is handled securely and in compliance with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) can be a challenge. Protecting customer data from unauthorized access, breaches, or cyberattacks is a constant concern when AI is involved. Some of the ways to help prevent these kinds of data breaches are to: - Implement strong access controls and authentication mechanisms. - Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest. - Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments. - Educate employees about data security best practices and enforce a strict data access policy. **Consent and permissions:** Remember that obtaining explicit consent and permissions from customers for AI-driven data processing is necessary to avoid privacy violations. ### 4 essential strategies to future-proof your community URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/4-essential-strategies-to-future-proof-your-community/ Last updated: 2025-01-27T15:10:40.000Z This article comes from **Jeni Asaba**’s talk, ‘*You built a community. Now what?*’, at our **April 2023 Customer Marketing Summit**; check out her full presentation [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-april-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=9k2fabamui&wmediaid=y5e06hqlvu)**.** After over a decade of building vibrant communities that connect engaged members, I often get asked: “What’s the secret?” My response rarely satisfies those expecting some magical ingredient or marketing tactic. The truth is that communities thrive through **consistent, thoughtful caretaking every step of the way**. Launching a space based on customer insights marks only the beginning of the journey—then the real work starts. Managing successful member ecosystems over the long haul means staying attuned to needs, spotlighting value, addressing challenges, and respecting natural engagement cycles. I’ve helped shepherd many communities from fledgling to flourishing states and sadly witnessed others fade out when leaders lost touch, so now I’m on a mission to make sure *your* community thrives! In this article, I’ll outline tactical ways to sustain community relevance, excitement, and health based on key priorities I guide my team by every day. I urge community builders *everywhere* to embrace these principles to create thriving, resilient member spaces that stand the test of time. Now let’s dive in and secure your long-term community success! ## **1\. Listen deeply to guide your strategy** ### Creating an engaged user community doesn’t end once you’ve built the foundations. The real work begins post-launch when you transition to nurturing the seeds you’ve planted amongst your loyal members. This ongoing cultivation requires that you tune in even more attentively to your audience so you can shape initiatives that resonate. As a Senior Community Engagement and Advocacy Manager who’s built many programs from the ground up, I make listening intently priority #1 post-launch. ### **Keep your ears open** ### Remember those initial conversations with potential members that guided your first community-building steps? As important as that insight was, don’t stop eliciting feedback now. In my experience, the most successful managers stay connected day in and day out, so I constantly urge my team: “Listen to what's going on and your members will help you create your roadmap over time.” Pay attention to what they say in community conversations, how they behave and participate (or perhaps disengage), and what types of content or activities tend to draw them in (or alternatively, turn them off). Let your community guide your ongoing efforts through this organic, ever-evolving feedback loop. ### **Trust your vision while adapting tactics** ### You strategically built this community using customer insights gathered early on, so as the space matures, continuing to listen shows respect while avoiding unnecessary pivots. I remind my colleagues to remember that “if you've built something awesome using member perspectives, trust that vision can sustain community relevance over the long haul.” So incorporate feedback into improving programming or creating new initiatives, but don’t throw out your guiding principles altogether. External opinions shouldn’t distract from your identified North Star unless a major shift has occurred, have confidence in the strategy that resonated so strongly out of the gate! ## **2\. Spotlight value, customization, and surprise** ### Communities thrive when members feel seen, understood, and excited to participate. As a manager, I intentionally spotlight member’s talents and interests so everyone connects more deeply. I also customize engagement channels to accommodate different preferences while interspersing unexpected moments of surprise and fun. ### **Find the treasure** ### Your members themselves are the most valuable gold any community contains. As I always emphasize, continually showcasing the individuals in your community allows people to find others with common interests or experiences. That sense of ‘Oh - you get me!’ connects them more to each other and a connected community is undoubtedly a successful one. From skills to personal backgrounds, discover what makes members unique, and highlight different human voices through member spotlights, panels, mentorship programs, or introductions so everyone can bond over shared qualities or ambitions. ### **Make it comfortable** ### The pandemic underscored our basic human need for safety, understanding, and comfort, so tap back into that, what nurtures that sense of care amongst your members? I advise managers to recognize that feeling comfortable and free to be oneself looks different for every personality. Use your emotional intelligence to create opportunities for people to learn and engage in whatever ways feel most welcoming to them. Maybe that’s cameras-off listening for some folks, for others, it’s lively contributing in person. Community managers have a responsibility to develop inclusive programming that helps a spectrum of members feel at home. ### **Do the unexpected** ### Surprises grab people's attention while creating shared moments of meaning. For example, on a whim one Tuesday evening, I posted in our community Slack channel: ‘Hey, random ask: Do you have any cute pet photos you'd like to share for an upcoming talk?.’ The enthusiastic photo flood that ensued is what inspired this article. Little sparks of surprise delight when done thoughtfully, so regularly intersperse unexpected moments that bring smiles, such as celebratory member highlights, informal polls, or relevant Internet oddities worth sharing. Anything to add moments of collaborative surprise and fun! ## **3\. Stay present to address struggling members** ### While positivity fuels communities, don’t overlook signs of dissatisfaction or disengagement. By identifying pain points, you can transform struggles into growth opportunities that bring members closer over time. ### **Pay attention** ### I regularly repeat a fundamental mantra to my team that keeps us accountable to members: "Keep your ears open!" This means actively listening across community touchpoints to notice confusion, frustration, or exclusion that may silently develop if you don’t tune in. Pay attention to usage metrics but also read between the lines of what members do and don’t say. Catch issues early before they jeopardize member trust, then address problems openly and compassionately. Your community will mature through supportive transparency in working through common challenges together. ### **Be curious** ### To thrive long-term, dig regularly into how member opinions and needs evolve so you can realign programming accordingly. Ask outright what members currently value or want to change about the community experience. Compare substantive answers to when you last gathered direct feedback - was it in the past week? Month? Year? However long, close the loop to show you truly listen. Tactfully asking good questions demonstrates a commitment to understanding member growth - then respond to affirm you hear requests and explain resulting updates to address that constructive criticism. Stay curious, listen honestly even when feedback feels uncomfortable, and respond transparently. Your members will reward vulnerability and the commitment it signifies to nurturing your shared space together. ## **4\. Allow time for regeneration** ### While consistent community caretaking keeps your village vibrant, remember that managers and members alike need intermittent rest from always ‘being on.’ By embracing natural activity cycles, your program creates reasonable expectations that support long-term health. ### **Know when to rest** ### I often remind my team: “No community needs to be stuck on fast-forward”, it simply isn't sustainable for you or your members to constantly sprint at full speed! Instead, tune into your audience’s unique rhythms. Engagement often fluctuates around major holidays, summer vacations, school seasonal changes, or other recurring life events your members share. Rather than resisting these ebbs, expect and embrace them. I’ve found members appreciate when managers model reasonable participation expectations sensitively to what may occupy their attention outside the community during busier life patches. Give yourselves—and members—breathing room to periodically recharge so everyone can freshly reconnect with renewed inspiration for the relationship ahead. ## **Final thoughts** ### By listening deeply, spotlighting value, addressing struggles, and respecting natural activity cycles, you can thoughtfully nurture community relationships that will sustain member participation over the long haul. Stay alert and responsive using these key strategies so your members actively invest in collective success for years to come, and most importantly, have confidence in the vision you brought to life! The work of a community builder is never complete, but all that ongoing caretaking fuels lasting relationships when pursued consistently and compassionately. Here’s to thriving communities for the long haul! --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ### Customer Marketing Salary Report 2023 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report-2023/ Last updated: 2024-12-10T15:46:08.000Z We’re back with our big hitter salary report for the second year in a row! 🤩 With a new year now underway, you’ll want to look at your salary compared to your peers to ensure the ‘buck’ you’re earning fits your ‘bang’. 🤑 Get your copy using the form below and be one of the in-the-know about worldwide customer marketing and advocacy salaries. 🌎 {Already a member? Get the report (no form-filling required 😉) [here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/member-reports/).} Some stats from the report 📈 - The current Global Average Salary before tax for 2023 is **$119,231**, a drop of **$2,262** from last year. - Once again, North America had the highest average global salary at **$133,291** before tax. - When broken down into US states, Massachusetts took the top spot this year with an average of **$170,000** followed closely by Florida at **$165,000.** - The average global bonus was **$13,537**, a small drop from last year. We also saw an increase of participants who don’t get any kind of monetary bonus to **21.1%**. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2024/05/Newsletter_Upsell_Footer_CMA.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/partner-with-us/) ## How this report helps you 💪 - Evaluate if your current salary reflects your true value. - Compare your income to that of other customer marketers for reference. - Discover how factors like diversity, level of experience, responsibilities, and company revenue impact your salary. - Explore the salary and bonus levels of customer marketing professionals in your region. - Approach your upcoming salary negotiations with self-assurance. ## What’s inside? 🤔 Here’s how the report will be broken down: **Part one:** Introduction **Part two:** Who took part **Part three:** Global salary **Part four:** Bonuses **Part five:** Responsibilities and experience **Part six:** Diversity, equity, and inclusion **Part seven:** Pay progression **Part eight:** Industry and market **Part nine:** Company factors **Part ten:** Salary satisfaction and career progression **Part eleven:** Conclusion ## What are you waiting for? 🎉 Snag your Customer Marketing Salary Report 2023 and discover why it’s creating such buzz! 🐝 If you're curious, chat with other customer marketing professionals about salaries in our [Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)! 💬 Download the report ### The influence and success of customer marketing in 2023/24 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-influence-and-success-of-customer-marketing-in-2024/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:34:46.000Z The closing of 2023 saw the launch of our [State of Customer Marketing Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report/) and with it, we revealed a host of fascinating insights about customer marketing professionals and their impact on company success. ## The influence of customer marketing We wanted to see if customer marketing and advocacy sentiments toward their role have changed. We asked, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how much do you feel like your role as a customer marketer is valued at your company?” (0=Least valued, 10=Most valued). This year, we saw a slight, yet wonderful increase in how customer marketing professionals rated this question. **76.9%** of participants rated it at a 6 or above, a **3.8%** increase from last year. However, the average answer remained the same at 6.6/10\. The most common numbers chosen were 7 and 8 this year, compared to last year’s 6 and 7. ![range and average of role value](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/82Rn9ufOGBeqZzIA6zuyNdcOd36pmU2NQ9SbEF1zxhuRkWf-kZ5QtJouV_51MyVYsOD0LCa_itRBHQaIEauNainZhClaVOkWVxEUJWw_MJ9f2NBMUPG0kyqTdhz0UR54fXHJXR5Qn5XGXVGHpNrjBkQ) ### Do people understand customer marketing? Adding to this question, we also asked whether or not customer marketers felt other teams and stakeholders understood them. **68.1%** said that some do have a good understanding and some don’t, which is an increase from **53.9%** from last year. And when combining the other answers it seems a very similar amount say their company has a good understanding (**16%** “Yes 100% and “Yes they have a good understanding”) versus those who say it is a constant challenge. ![answers for understanding customer marketing](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/cuUUZ_Si271w6Y7nXgFYb-jyuIBqMtfFF9QRG1Qv8bJowNg5TWQFPP3crRCBBsRt26vfOqAFxGgRLVF8Ywy5BqvQ_oN8mfGKcRjeMcPAEldFwMGTgyJypHc7VWzdBYPnOuqF5edSQiLrddY3z1beUtw) This is an area in which we hope to see an improvement in the coming months and years. With over half of our participants saying that not all of the people they work with understand their role, there is a risk that these teams won’t get the right kind of support needed. We explore customer marketing pain points in part seven of this report. While customer marketing professionals do feel valued in their position, this lack of understanding from other teams and stakeholders can cause unnecessary friction and even siloing. As with all things a customer marketer does, this is a two-way street. While customer marketers should be able to prove, justify, and explain their importance in a variety of situations, the same should be said of those they collaborate with. Now, this doesn’t mean these teams should know all of the ins and outs of these types of roles (that’s not realistic for anyone!) but they should be able to understand how these kinds of roles fit in with the organization as a whole, and how they fit within their immediate cross-functional collaboration. **Customer marketing helps in a variety of ways:** • **80%** of your company’s future revenue will come from just 20% of your existing customers. • A **5%** increase in your customer retention rate can lead to an increase of 25%-90% in profit. • Selling to an existing customer is **60-70%** likely to happen which is a significant difference from the 5-25% chance of selling to a new customer. • Existing customers are **50% more likely** to try new products and **spend 31% more**, when compared to new customers. You can learn more about proving your value in our article below: [Prove your value: Making the case for customer marketingCustomer marketing differs from traditional marketing in the ways that it prioritizes existing customers over new ones. The value of customer marketing can easily be underestimated. Proving its value is a vital part of securely establishing it as a part of your business funnel.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/05/ameer-basheer-JHDqhEFZJjs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/prove-your-value-making-the-case-for-customer-marketing/) Customer marketing differs from traditional marketing in the ways that it prioritizes existing customers over new ones. Still relatively new, the value of customer marketing can easily be underestimated. Proving its value is a vital part of securely establishing it as a part of your business funnel. ## Ability to achieve KPIs Looking inward, we asked, “How would you rate your team’s abilities to meet and exceed your KPIs/targets?”. This year we got a majority, **65.2%**, that said they were somewhat successful in hitting their KPIs. **11.6%** were neither successful nor unsuccessful (close to identical to last year’s results) and **5.8%** said they felt they were somewhat unsuccessful, an increase of **1.9%** from last year. ![Answers for KPI success](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/pMuQj3bJtnaZvDecYZzSNo5VyVYC9vT5-dyp6W4nE_ymBkqpB0Ki6aYoFMe-2mWGpGG1ji7wzDMbCAgYXLB4BgCruzjw-cU219BVzx8fnXiF1-MD5Pw1E06YHeeXYM19kkuiLIlCOtMd_HoGfY-DimA) It’s also important to note that last year none of our participants chose ‘100% successful’, a notable change, as **11.6%** selected it this year. ## Are customer marketers invited to leadership meetings? When considering the relationship between customer marketing and leadership, we asked each respondent if they, or someone else from their team got invited to leadership meetings. Last year the results were very evenly divided between the three answers. Though those that responded ‘no’ remained essentially the same at **34.8% this year**, the other two answers changed. Those who said they sometimes get invited dropped from **34.6% to 26.1%**. Those who said they do get invited increased from **30.8% to 39.1%**. ![answers for being invited to leadership meetings](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/BkljjNRnwgMUW2xDmQWOPtRmZlZWgWZ55DY1N_uQkM_HaKmk24GZcCI6MVZrYfrk1WEZxH1hUE6Qy2cxjOqmPNYN400Thl5QkOg4TYuzhG-yth-gyVMZ5yG5qbGPaOTrFpDwycLpco-tZ56rmITUvlE) As we mentioned last year, customer marketing has an impact on every part of the customer journey due to their close relationship with existing customers, providing unique and invaluable insights into stages in both the pre-purchase and post-purchase phases. With the increase of those regularly invited to leadership meetings, it seems that this value is now beginning to be recognized more at the C-suite level. Yet with the percentage of those that never get invited to leadership meetings staying the same, it speaks to some companies not opening this avenue for their customer marketers. Such insights could be missed in leadership talks, and so, we hope to see more customer marketing representation in leadership meetings in the future. ## Influence on company goals and strategy Noting the answers to the last question, we also asked our participants to what extent they felt they influenced their company’s goals and strategies. In this case, zero means ‘I have no influence at all’, and 10 means ‘I have a lot of influence’. This year there was an extremely close split between those who rated their influence at a 6 or above and those who rated it five and below, with a mere **0.8%** difference between the two sides. The average rating for our participants dropped to 5.1/10 from 6/10 last year. ![range and average of goal acheivement](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/5I0xs33dfuGlLyyp5t12IJGiHAOav1_omf-9eclTaA1HiQJxQ53uGsSoJO3LeLSYdZivmZL_JBCJmEOXbMqO5455gqYDzogz2ShEx_vGwiEYjPx8-v7w6V1l58xv363_wZ6QjhLwHIRQF5fTXzw5lYA) There may be a variety of factors driving this change; though it may be a simple effect of getting a larger data pool to examine this year, there are other factors that go into a customer marketer's ability to produce their work. This could be another effect of the economic climate as it is right now, making an impact has become that much harder. This could limit available resources, impact a customer’s willingness to engage, and more. We go into more detail about specific pain points in part seven of this report. ## Influence on revenue from existing customers We then asked, “On a scale of 0–10, how much influence do you feel you have in driving the revenue existing customers make for your company?” While the rating for impact on company goals dropped from last year, the percentage of those who rated themselves as a six or above when it came to impacting revenue increased. Specifically, those who rated themselves a 6 or above increased from **53.9% to 58.2%**, with an average rate of 5.7/10. ![range and average of revenue driving success](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/iasKsd5W2RfJXQEJaI3K8kr_1c8JY1aZWiEyVk7ie3C7lzngNFtHquCXBbTjLKui5iQd7PwpQWbrIxTSLCwugPd2iyBzOmSHcj4WpVPZ1xje1-vT5CoN0tKag1Afg5vpjVgMAV4htUaSD7dMnwx-1-c) While this is only an increase of 0.1 when it comes to the average rating, it is an increase nonetheless. As customer marketing performance metrics begin to solidify alongside the role, the more likely we’ll be able to begin drawing a direct line from customer marketing processes to revenue impact. ## Meeting revenue goals This year, we wanted to get a closer look at the relationship between company revenue and customer marketing/advocacy positions. We asked, “Did your organization hit its revenue goals for the last financial year?” We’ve mentioned it a few times throughout this report but, It is not perhaps surprising that a large portion of companies in our data pool did not hit their goals. The economic state of many countries right now is having a significant impact on many industries within the business. **41.5%** said that this year their company revenue fell. Although that makes up the largest individual percentage, **52.8%** either met or exceeded their revenue goals for the year. ![graph of revenue sentiment](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/WD_sJEPTGc3AoqFoXROlYw-Oo6EKUBxgLW-B-99JxaT7UoN70xl7m1Hd7QauYVjqoDejKljf2nN7kbiwr-T_6pKc5HqKdnI3U0aeQf5g2UYCRSystrUoR2x4fquNJ-X5r7DwtQL47ZP5CtqlZ32fk4s) This is still a rather small percentage, as there is a very clear split in our data, where half met their goals and close to half did not. We compared company culture, and if internal teams have a good understanding of customer marketing, but there seemed to be no correlation between these factors and revenue. ## Looking to the future So what does this mean for the coming year? Seeing the increase in those who think they have a good level of influence within their company bodes well for customer marketing roles. While there was an increase of those who felt they had been somewhat unsuccessful in achieving thei KPIs in the last year, over half of customer marketers felt the opposite, remaining the majority since 2022\. The development for customer marketing continues to improve when we look at the percentage of those who get invited to leadership meetings. We saw a very nice increase from 2022 of close to **10%**. Looking at the changes in these percentages, customer marketing value and understanding seems to have improved over the last year, setting up customer marketing and its surrounding professions for a more successful 2024\. If you’re interesting in looking deeper into these stats, as well as other analytics concerning things like team structure, team budgets, and metrics, make sure to **get yourself a copy of the full report using the form below!** ### Advocacy in Action, at the London Customer Marketing Summit 2023 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-in-action-at-the-london-customer-marketing-summit-2023/ Last updated: 2023-12-21T09:13:05.000Z **London is the place to be! 🇬🇧** At least it was in November of this year, when we set up shop in the Intercontinental O2 Arena, for the London Customer Marketing Summit. Customer Marketing Alliance, along with some of our sister communities took over the O2 for two fantastic days from November 29-30, 2023\. The event consisted of talks, workshops, as well as a very well attended happy hour. But now, we'll let **Derek Britton, Summit Chairperson**, take over to give his on-the-ground review of the event as a whole... # An Assembly of Allies Professional networking and events organization, The Alliance, orchestrated an impressive 10 simultaneous sales and marketing industry events in London, this November. These networking events invited members of a variety of industry areas to gather, network, share, and collaborate with industry peers, thought-leaders, and guest speakers. Among them was the Customer Marketing Summit, the showcase event for the Customer Marketing Alliance which took place in front of a packed room. Although Customer Marketing Alliance has hosted events in several other cities including San Francisco, New York, and Las Vegas, this was their first excursion to London. And, with every seat taken, it's clear there’s a genuine desire for this birds-of-a-feather format networking summit. Among the 20+ speakers, we saw experts from household brand names such as Linkedin, Cisco, Salesforce, Workday, SAP, and Google, as well as smaller organizations, but with equally strategic aspirations. The agenda included insightful keynotes, practical deep dives, expert panel discussions, fireside chats, and live Q&As. The summit also saw a variety of topics covered, including stakeholder management, cross-team collaboration, program best practices, communications, video content, personas, effective storytelling, prioritization, and plenty more besides. Thought leaders and luminaries in the customer marketing space also acted as sponsors for the event, including names likeShoutOut, Captivate Collective, Ignite Advisory Group, Campaign US, and inEvidence. # Emerging Theme: Take Ownership, Take Action Customer marketing requires a proactive, considered approach. Liberally sprinkled throughout the day were genuine examples, best practices, top tips, dangers to avoid, and actionable takeaways shared and discussed by dozens of customer marketing professionals and leaders. I was delighted to be invited to present the Summit’s opening keynote, entitled “Unify to Amplify”. We explored looking holistically at customer marketing and its role in providing the proof that supports marketing’s dual objectives - customer loyalty and new business development. Proof is needed at various stages of the buying cycle, but that proof may manifest itself in different ways, be it industry data, customer testimonials, advisory board discussions and input, and more. Marketing must look at this kind of proof holistically to both maximize the impact of the program, but also to ensure the full story is clear to all those who need to see it. I cited cases where good customer marketing went largely unnoticed, simply because the rest of marketing did not employ it fully in outbound activities. Fixing oversights leads to quick wins. The individual sessions at this Summit were created independently, but there emerged a clear common theme across a lot of the content and discussions. The common thread was the importance of taking ownership and initiative, a critical attribute of the effective customer marketing professional. Some key actions our contributors were recommending included: - Overtly establishing clear lines of communication and influence with primary stakeholder groups – sales, customer success, legal, communications, product marketing – -as well as advocates, administrators, comms, and legal on the customer side. It will take a village for the best stories to emerge. - Consider the customer advocate as the hero of the story, not your company. The value of the story in the eye of the audience should be that they can see themselves in the success of the individual. The ‘product’ should be part of the narrative, not the core theme. - Consider the importance of the advocacy program as an element of your brand. Don’t treat it as a separate activity; ensure it programmatically aligns with your company, brand, and business line objectives, and can be measured against them. - Lobby to ensure the role and its strategic value are understood, measurable, and fully visible both inside and outside the organization # Rolling our sleeves up together I was particularly excited to see the energy and enthusiasm in the Summit agenda’s workshop sessions. Breaking into smaller groups, we selected and debated a variety of topics, discussing, deciding, and then sharing actionable recommendations with the whole audience. The ideas generated were terrific – one delegate described it as like having dozens of new, experienced teammates attend a work brainstorming session. Huge kudos to everyone who played their part in such insightful discussions. The topics we explored this time were: - Key attributes to look for when recruiting new customer advocacy managers. - How personas of customer advocates should consider both role, industry, geography, and – crucially – personality. - The right mix of promotional activities used by effective advocacy programs at the optimum moment in the buyer’s journey. These and many other topics were a part of the melting pot for the group activity. Each team provided key recommended do’s and don’ts as actionable initiatives for all delegates to take back to their day jobs. Much more than a useful set of seminars, the Summit offered genuine, practical advice built in a collaborative environment by seasoned practitioners. # Looking Ahead The London Summit was a great way to cement the growing importance of customer marketing in the region, echoing the work that Customer Marketing Alliance is doing elsewhere. It was great to meet delegates from across Europe, coming together to discuss shared ideas and initiatives. Everyone I spoke to was committed to returning to the next iteration of the Summit – location to be decided – and I couldn’t agree more. --- Don't forget that our [event calendar](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) is up on our website for you to view now, and with the new year approaching, our 2024 events are continuing to be announced. Keep an eye out! 👀 [Save the date](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### Customer Marketing Alliance’s guide to customer retention initiatives URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cmas-guide-to-customer-retention-initiatives/ Last updated: 2024-01-26T11:59:32.000Z ## Why customer retention matters Retaining customers has far more impact on the success of your business than any customer acquisition strategy. No matter how much money and effort you put into acquiring new customers, it’ll all be for naught if you can’t ***keep*** them. [What is customer retention?It’s all well and good to actively seek new customers, but what happens if you ignore your current customer base? Plot twist: they churn. In fact, 68% of customers will go elsewhere if they feel the company they’re buying from doesn’t care about their business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/What-is-customer-retention--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/ ) [Retention provides a multitude of benefits](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/), not least its effectiveness in producing a dependable and consistent revenue stream. Alongside this, retention can help in the following ways: - **It’s cost-effective.** Acquiring new customers typically demands substantial marketing expenditures and resources. In contrast, retaining customers generally requires less investment, contributing to improved profit margins. - **Loyal customers become cheerleaders for your brand**. They develop trust and a sense of attachment to the company, leading to positive word-of-mouth referrals. This word-of-mouth marketing can be a potent organic growth driver, drawing in new customers without additional marketing spend. - **Retained customers offer a more consistent bottom line.** Long-term customers tend to spend more per purchase and make such purchases more consistently. They’re familiar with your brand, making them more inclined to explore higher-margin products or services. This increased spending per customer can significantly boost overall profitability. - **Offers a consistent feedback loop.** Loyal customers are more likely to provide insights and suggestions for product or service improvements, helping the business stay competitive and responsive to customer needs. - **Can act as a barrier for newer entry competitors.** Satisfied customers are less likely to switch to other providers, providing a sustainable competitive advantage. ## Strategies for effective customer retention ### Building customer loyalty Fostering loyalty among your customer base is imperative to thrive in a competitive marketplace. Successfully implementing loyalty programs, [strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-customer-retention/), or initiatives is key to customer retention efforts. #### **Rewards and incentives** The first strategy for fostering loyalty is to offer rewards and incentives. Offering customers points, discounts, or exclusive access to products or services based on their past purchases can be highly effective. As an example, Starbucks’s Rewards program offers free drinks and food items based on the number of stars collected with each purchase. It’s something lots of food and drink-based companies do as it encourages repeat visits but also strengthens the emotional bond between customer and brand. People like to receive gifts and prizes for doing something easy like visiting your site, making a purchase, and more. #### **Personalization** Personalization is the act of [tailoring a customer's experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactics-for-improving-customer-retention/) with your company to the individual. Things like offers and recommendations based on an individual customer's preferences can significantly enhance loyalty. Lots of online sites provide recommendations at specific points in the customer journey. This is mainly done using a customer's browsing and purchase history and makes them aware of relevant products based on the need they’re already looking to fix. #### **Outstanding customer service** Creating exceptional customer experiences is paramount. Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer, is renowned for its outstanding customer service. ​​ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/12/zappos_logo.jpeg) There are hundreds of stories online about the care they show towards their customers including upgrading customers when shipping issues arise, making donations out of incorrect orders, and having hour-long conversations with their customers on the phone. One of our favorite stories comes from Zappos customer, [Zaz Lamarr](https://resourcecenter.infinit-o.com/blog/10-zappos-stories-that-will-change-the-way-you-look-at-customer-service-forever/), who needed to return some shoes, but her mother just passed away and was still coping from the loss that she didn’t have the time to do it. When Zappos emailed her to ask about the status of the shoes, she told them about her loss. Zappos took care of the shipping and had a courier pick up the shoes for her at no extra cost. To top it all off, Zappos then sent Zaz a flower arrangement to express their sympathies about her loss. Now, that’s what you call “going the extra mile.” [Putting people at the heart of your brand storyThe story of your brand and how you tell it is essential. But brands can’t just be big faceless monoliths anymore, they have to be built around people. Our guest, Erin McLean, CMO at eSentire, is here to share why and how you should put people at the heart of your brand story.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceErin McLean![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/Heart-of-your-brand-story--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-your/ ) #### **Community-building initiatives** Community-building initiatives and [content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/) are a great way to [nurture relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-build-a-strong-relationship-with-your-customers/) not only between yourself and your customers but also between the customers themselves. We have it in the form of our: - [In-person meet-ups](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cma-customer-marketing-meetups/), which are hosted and attended by our customers all over the globe. - Virtual coffee time with our [Slack members](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), connected customers in a variety of time zones with one another for a casual Zoom chat every few months. Another company that has built its whole image around its community is Harley-Davidson, the iconic motorcycle manufacturer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/12/Harley-Davidson-Motorcycles-Logo--1-.png) Built upon the iconic and classic silhouette of their bikes, the strong sense of community among their customers through events like bike rallies and social platforms has become the main image associated with their brand. These gatherings and networks also strengthen the emotional ties between customers and the brand, fostering long-term loyalty. [Case studies for community engagement: Engagement in actionCalling all, community builders! Ready for some inspiration? We’re exploring the concept of community engagement from two engaging case studies that’ll spark your creativity and leave you itching to level up your community game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/09/mike-tinnion-3ym6i13Y9LU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/ ) #### **Transparency and authenticity** Lastly, transparency and authenticity are increasingly vital in today's business landscape. We’ve spoken about them before, but Patagonia has one of the most well-communicated values among clothing brands today. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/12/Patagonia-Logo--1-.png) Their continued commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical practices, and the evidence supporting their resolve to this mission each year, has produced an unflinchingly loyal customer base that has only grown as each year passes. When companies and customers share values, and when companies share evidence of their continued commitment to these values, customer loyalty becomes a natural product of how a company is run. [Jeni Asaba | Building relationships at scale: Vital tips to help you tie people to your community | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Jeni Asaba, Head of Community at Jamf, about some of her vital tips to help tie people to your community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--2-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/ ) ### Using data to understand and predict customer behavior In the realm of customer retention, data analytics are fantastic tools for getting insights about your customers and their preferences. Data around a customer’s demographics, purchase history, online behavior, and interactions with your brand can all tell you something about what that customer needs from your brand. Patterns and trends will begin to emerge, shedding light on the most frequently purchased products, the marketing channels that are most effective, and which touchpoints lead to customer churn. Advanced analytical techniques, such as machine learning algorithms and predictive modeling, enable businesses to predict future customer behavior with remarkable accuracy. This predictive capability empowers organizations to anticipate customer needs and preferences, enabling them to proactively engage customers with personalized offers, recommendations, and communications. Ultimately, this not only boosts customer satisfaction but also fosters a deeper sense of connection and loyalty. [Boost customer loyalty and drive expansion for sustainable business growthDo your customers love using your software, yet fall short of realizing its full potential? Do you struggle to achieve contract renewals and expansions year after year? You’re not alone.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAlain Mowad![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/10/alexander-abero-OypnYfdiQgg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/ ) Here are some of the initial ways in which customer data can be used to support customer retention within specific strategies: - **Personalized recommendations -** Past purchase history and browsing behavior data can help a ton when it comes to supporting your personalization strategy, ensuring recommendations are based on accurate data about the things the customer is looking for. - **Targeted email campaigns -** You can segment your customers based on their preferences and purchase behavior to send targeted email campaigns that feature products or offers tailored to each segment's interests and past interactions with your brand. - **Loyalty programs -** Customer data can weed out the [loyal customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-retention-rate-and-boost-customer-loyalty/) from the others, making sure you reward the people who have a continued, varied, and sustained history with your brand. It also helps to continuously track their engagement to hit them with those offers and rewards at the most optimum touchpoints. [Customer satisfaction isn’t customer loyalty. Why the difference matters.As long as your customers are happy it doesn’t matter whether you use the term customer satisfaction or customer loyalty to explain how they feel about your company, right? Not necessarily. These terms are often used interchangeably and they really shouldn’t be. Here’s why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLisa Masiello![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/bruce-mars-AndE50aaHn4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/) - **Churn prediction -** Data can help produce predictive models using a bank of historical customer data to identify customers at risk of churning. By analyzing this data, and identifying the early warning signs of churn, you can take proactive steps to [retain these customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/). [What is the difference between cancellation and churn?When it comes to customer marketing, one of the most important metrics to track is customer retention. After all, figuring out how to keep your customers aboard ship and reduce churn rate is the linchpin of (SaaS); you want to keep your customer base intact to prevent revenue loss.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGrace Gupta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/02/markus-winkler-7EwWeNyzSwQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-the-difference-between-cancellation-and-churn/) - **Feedback analysis -** Analyzing customer feedback, including surveys, reviews, and [social media comments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/), has never been easier. Use the collection of this type of data to understand areas where your business can improve. - **A/B testing -** [A/B tests](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-b-testing-your-ticket-to-defining-high-intent-customers-for-funnel-acceleration/) when investigating the most convincing copy on things like your website, emails, or marketing campaigns, use customer data to measure the impact of these changes. This approach helps optimize your tone of voice and copy style over time. ## Customer retention tools and technologies ### Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems But where does all this data come from, and who is it used by? This is where Customer Relationship Management Systems come in. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems serve as a kind of backbone for [relationship marketing strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/) with the purpose of nurturing and maintaining long-lasting customer relationships. These systems are the ones that collect, organize, and analyze customer data, as well as provide a holistic view of each customer's interactions and data. CRMs are also there to support effective customer communication. These platforms are built to track customer interactions across various channels, including email, social media, and customer support inquiries. And, as mentioned before, CRM systems work with data-driven decision-making. These are the analytical tools needed to: - Segment a customer base - Identify high-value customers - Track customer behavior over time In essence, CRM systems serve as a fundamental component in the modern business toolkit, supporting [customer relationship marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/), keeping those [retention rates higher](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-it-means-to-have-a-high-customer-retention-rate-2/), and driving sustainable growth using the retention initiatives we’ve spoken about already. ### Popular CRM tools and their features. So, what tools are we speaking about? We’ve put together a short, and by no means complete, list below. Do you have any that you like that we’ve missed? [Begin a conversation now](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/). **Salesforce:** - Contact and lead management - Sales and marketing automation - Analytics and reporting - Customizable dashboards **HubSpot:** - Contact database - Email marketing - Sales pipeline management - Marketing automation - Integration with HubSpot's marketing and sales tools **Microsoft Dynamics 365:** - Sales and lead management - Customer service and support - Marketing automation - Business intelligence and analytics - Integration with Microsoft Office 365 **Zoho:** - Contact and lead management - Sales and workflow automation - Email marketing - AI-driven insights **Pipedrive:** - Sales pipeline management - Contact and lead management - Email tracking and automation - Goal and performance tracking - Reporting and analytics ## Understand, connect, and specialize. Perfect your research. Customer research, when done right, can enhance every essential aspect of customer marketing. Ensuring you retain your customers and their loyalty means knowing them from the inside and out, knowing their needs, pain points, and interests. Want to take an actual step toward implementing some of the things we’ve talked about in this article? It all begins with customer research and data. Our **Customer Research Certified** course will take you through the fundamentals of conducting accurate and representative customer research, leaving no stone unturned. [Sharpen your research skills.](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1fasiwd%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTcwMjg5ODY3Ni45MTAuMS4xNzAyOTAxMzIzLjYwLjAuMA..) ### How to cultivate crucial internal partnerships for faster growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-cultivate-crucial-internal-partnerships-for-faster-growth/ Last updated: 2025-01-27T15:10:26.000Z *This article comes from the expert panel, ‘Developing internal stakeholders for strategic alignment’, at our *2023 Las Vegas Customer Marketing Summit*, check out the full discussion* [***here***](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=6jkdc3y9k9)*.* Who holds the keys to unlocking your customer marketing potential? Surprisingly, they’re likely sitting just down the hall … Customer marketers know that having strong relationships with internal stakeholders is crucial for driving strategic alignment and overall program success. In a roundtable panel, four experienced customer marketing leaders came together to share their tips, tricks, and lessons learned when it comes to fostering these productive partnerships across the business. The panel featured: - **Charlotte Lilley,** *Head of Global Customer Marketing* at **Coupa**; - **Ashley Kirkpatrick,** *Senior Customer Marketing Manager* at **Druva**; - **Marisela Parra,** *Principal of Customer Adoption & Advocacy*at **Coupa**; and - **Dave Hansen,** *Director of Customer Marketing*at **LRN.** Their insights provide an essential roadmap for customer marketing professionals looking to enhance internal collaboration and drive strategic alignment. So, who are your greatest untapped allies and how can you spark productive collaboration? Read on to find inspiration tailored to your growth goals … ## **Building robust sales relationships** ### **Understanding and meeting sales needs** The sales organization is one of the most *critical* stakeholders for customer marketers to influence and leverage. Charlotte Lilley opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance of understanding and meeting the needs of these sales teams. She introduced the concept of GSD (**Give, Scale, Drive**), focusing on: - **Giving** sales what they need in an easily digestible format - **Scaling** efforts to reach a wider audience - **Driving** behavior that aligns with marketing goals. This approach involves creating centralized resources like quote banks and case study slides, making it easier for sales teams to access and utilize customer stories and data. ### **Tools and strategies for effective engagement** Dave Hansen discussed leveraging various tools and strategies to enhance engagement with sales teams. He highlighted the use of community platforms and newsletters to share customer stories and insights, thereby fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of customer marketing efforts. Hansen also shared insights on speaking the language of sales, aligning marketing initiatives with sales goals to facilitate better collaboration. ### **Contests as engagement tools** Charlotte highlighted the effectiveness of contests and public recognition in engaging sales teams. These strategies not only motivate sales teams but also align their efforts with marketing objectives, creating a win-win situation for both departments. Recognize their efforts publicly via social media and privately through peer visibility platforms like Slack channels. This drives motivation and friendly competition. According to Ashley Kirkpatrick: > *"The way we champion our customers who get it done, we can champion ourselves. A lot of times, a way to celebrate yourself and your teams is by celebrating others.*" She suggests sharing kudos wrapped as images/posts team members can easily share across their own networks for amplified exposure. ## **Enhancing customer success partnerships** ### **Creating visibility and reward systems** Given Marisela Parra got her start in customer success management at Coupa, she has unique insights into this stakeholder group's realities and motivations. She emphasized the importance of making advocacy activities visible to CSMs and rewarding customers based on their advocacy, thereby creating a positive feedback loop that benefits both customers and CSMs. Around the holidays or for customer inspiration events, Marisela creates specialty swag gifts or experience perks for top advocates. But she adopted a clever tactic before sending anything out. > *“I would send the list of all the advocates that were gonna get something and you have no idea the number of responses I got from the CSM - ‘My customer is not on there and they made 20 reference calls this month’."* Opening up the visibility triggered beneficial data sharing from CSMs advocating for other clients they felt deserved inclusion based on activity not yet tracked. She then expanded who received gifts to reinforce the positive behavior. ### **Streamlining communication with automation** Charlotte suggested using sales automation tools to streamline communication between customer marketing and customer success teams. This approach not only eases the burden on CSMs but also ensures that customer marketing messages are disseminated efficiently and effectively. ## **Engaging with CEOs and boards** ### **Speaking the language of business** Dave stressed the importance of speaking the language of business when engaging with CEOs and board members. He notes that brokering executive relationships starts simply with doing your homework. Get smart on your CEO's goals and challenges. Then consistently align your customer marketing efforts with the company's strategic priorities, thereby building strong relationships with top-level management. Some examples of how he executed this: - **Owning sentiment metrics** like NPS and CSAT, meant he was able to identify correlation data for how community drives impact on these scores. - **Opening up their customer community to prospects** to accelerate deal cycles. This quantified the value creation for sales velocity and conversions. These may sound like basic metrics but they provide credible, tangible proof points that get executive attention. ### **Leveraging small victories for strategic alignment** The key is accumulating small wins consistently over time. If you intermittently sprinkle big, bold promises trying to go viral out of the gates, you usually can't sustain momentum. But nuanced value delivery adds up. Hansen explains: > *"It's being able to align your smaller events up to that bigger strategic picture and speak not just the language of advocacy, but the language of the business to be able to build those relationships."* This approach helps in gaining executive support and buy-in, demonstrating the value of customer marketing in achieving business objectives. For example, Dave notes his CEO now actively suggests inviting prospects into their community during sales calls as he's recognized the performance benefits. ## **Conclusion** When teams connect, outcomes amplify. As Charlotte reminds, *"over time you start to realize what’s actually important."* Evaluate the crucial connections in your ecosystem, who deserves some TLC? The insights shared by the panelists provide a valuable framework for customer marketing professionals, so apply the wisdom here to your dynamics. By understanding and addressing the needs of sales teams, fostering strong partnerships with customer success, and effectively engaging with top-level management, you can significantly impact your organization. So revisit the insights here then craft thoughtful engagements rooted in reality. Guide with patience, not pressure. Progress unfolds through many small sparks so keep striking matches! Building alliances comes one chat at a time. Onward! ### Customer Marketing Summit London 2023 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-london-2023/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:34:46.000Z Catch up on content from Customer Marketing Summit London 2023 with sessions from the likes of Workday, LinkedIn, Matillion, and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ABM roles & responsibilities monthly checklist URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/abm-monthly-checklist-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T12:01:47.000Z ## What is an ABM roles and responsibilities monthly checklist? An ABM roles and responsibilities monthly checklist lays out exactly what marketing, sales, [customer success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-strategy-template-framework/), and product should each be doing every month to run account-based marketing well, tracked across a six-month view. Instead of ABM being something everyone agrees is "cross-functional" in theory, it becomes a specific list of actions each team checks off. This checklist makes each team's ongoing responsibilities visible to everyone else, not just to the team doing the work. ## What's inside the template? The checklist covers four teams and their recurring monthly responsibilities, tracked across a six-month window: - **Marketing:** Strategy, content, campaigns, and reporting - **Sales:** Account plays, prospecting, and pipeline - **Customer success:** Advocacy, referrals, and account relationships - **Product:** Personalized experiences, roadmap input, and customer research ## How to use the template Assign an owner to each row, then check items off monthly as they're completed rather than filling the whole sheet in at once. Review it across teams on a recurring cadence (monthly or quarterly), so gaps between functions show up early instead of after a deal is lost. ## Download your ABM roles and responsibilities checklist ![ABM roles and responsibilities checklist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/ABM-roles-and-responsibilities-checklist.png) [ABM roles & responsibilities monthly checklistABM roles & responsibilities monthly checklist.xlsx70 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/ABM-roles---responsibilities-monthly-checklist.xlsx "Download") [ABM roles & responsibilities monthly checklist - ChecklistABM roles & responsibilities monthly checklist - Checklist.pdf54 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/ABM-roles---responsibilities-monthly-checklist---Checklist.pdf "Download") [ABM roles & responsibilities monthly checklist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/spreadsheets-2026-v3-af5e527a-de0a-45cd-9a1f-a5783b9e6d59.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLbFjq2P7flIB8c5mo42_0dk4FOj3HcOVS5X5r5S5nWoSc8ZaI3kehOUUPGJLRwJtOMfBKymWhhBeUeFVOUYkmc7-B22I4joVHgOrUjNLsVDDLyup8-w1200-h630-p-7f37e8ce-6111-4129-a535-df82e7e79387)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X-LbW3RJXqtVmfQ2V-pN6KQ6gnph3JSUJ0wprutCutk/edit?gid=0#gid=0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Setting up your CAB strategy and getting business buy-in URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T10:09:03.000Z Customer Advisory Boards are a part of both customer marketing and product marketing responsibilities. [Customer Advisory Boards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) give existing customers the opportunity to offer feedback and give *you* the opportunity to foster community relationships. But getting buy-ins can be a challenge since companies still prioritize acquiring new customers rather than nurturing existing ones. So here’s a quick look into how to secure stakeholder buy-ins from our [Customer Advisory Board Certified Masters](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A17k7234%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY2NzQ5MjMxNi4zMjAuMS4xNjY3NDkzMzM1LjAuMC4w). ## **It starts with the WHY:** You, your team, and your leadership need to begin by asking yourself: WHY do you want to create a CAB in the first place? Are you re-positioning your customer strategy and need customer validation before making that leap? Have you decided you need to focus on investing in [customer advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/) to build confidence and improve retention? Have you launched a few sub-par products, and realized that the customer challenge wasn’t clearly identified or addressed? ## **Once you’re clear on your priorities, you can define your key stakeholders** Based on your “why”, which leaders are most important to include across your organization? For example: if you are most focused on a re-positioning of your product strategy, you should be including your most senior product leader and product marketing leader. if you are focusing on improving your [retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/), think of including a senior leader in customer experience, customer success and customer marketing In my experience throughout my career, the DACI model has been most successful in defining clear roles and responsibilities for these stakeholders For those of you that are unfamiliar, DACI stands for: **D - Driver** **A - Approver** **C - Contributor** **I - Inform** There should be **1 driver, 1 approver** (ideally someone very senior and influential who can make quick decisions without needing approval elsewhere), and **a small group of contributors** who are providing support in the form of content, customers, speakers, and a broader group of informed participants. ### **A quick story to paint a picture as to why leveraging DACI models is critical for accountability** I was the Driver, or “D” on the DACI model, on a former CAB project. We were getting towards the final month of our CAB event, and we were trying to accommodate too many leadership opinions, making the first mistake of adding two leaders at the same level, to be our Approvers We were presenting our latest strategy, getting feedback from one leader, updating the strategy, and then sharing it with the other leader, only to realize they had opposite feedback. We kept changing the strategy to try and accommodate all of their feedback, see-sawing back and forth, which only diluted our program. This caused each leader to end up disappointed and unheard, seeing changes made after their initial input. Our CCO at the time quickly identified the issues and was adamant we fix the DACI immediately. From that point forward, we kept the Approver to one senior leader and saved ourselves the headache of getting whiplash from future back and forths. If you have more than one senior leader that would like to get involved, it’s up to your approver to keep them in their roles and swim lanes - too many cooks in the kitchen will not end well. In the past, we’ve had our COO and CCO as approvers, as well as our Head of Product and Head of Product Marketing - it will depend heavily on your org structure and priorities. This DACI model should create a more efficient decision-making process as you begin to define your CAB strategy. ## **How to bring stakeholders and leaders along the journey** ### **When do bring in your stakeholders?** I encourage you to bring key stakeholders in this first CAB strategy-building phase - no one wants to see a final baked proposal without their fingerprints on it Without skin in the game, it’ll quickly become an uphill battle to get [cross-functional](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) buy-in and leadership support. ### **How do you keep them along the journey?** After creating your business strategy, your next step is creating a communications & cadence plan to keep stakeholders informed. ### **What forms of communication will you leverage and can you define a set purpose for each channel?** For example: - **If you set a core team slack channel,** will those be for urgent updates only? - **If you have a weekly email sent to your DACI,** what is the altitude of information those recipients care about? - **If you have executive check-ins monthly,** what will each be covering and what feedback will you need from them? Can you get on their calendars earlier and set expectations with their executive assistant? - **Do you have a central team space for content and collaboration,** for example in Dropbox, and are there set folders set up so you can keep a central source of truth? - **And lastly,** don’t forget to note your core team’s holiday schedule and PTO days throughout the duration of a project. You’d be surprised at how often this can come back and bite you! This is especially important at smaller companies to avoid single points of failure when someone is out, and I encourage each DACI member to have a backup throughout the project, and key approval milestones happen before key members are on PTO. ## **Once you’ve defined your key stakeholders, you can begin creating your CAB strategy and business case for buy-in** **The Steps for building a Strategy** ### **Step 1: Your Vision** What do you want to achieve? What do you want customers to leave feeling? What’s in it for them? ### **Step 2: Your Mission** What experience do you want for your CAB members, what actions do you want them to take during and after the experience? ### **Step 3: Values** What values are important to uphold for your customers and your organization? Do you want to lead with empathy? Transparency? What company values are most important to this CAB program? Defining these values will help anchor you as you start to make business decisions. ### **Step 4: Success Criteria** What does success look like for your customers? How will you know when you’ve achieved this and what measurement is in place to ensure this happens? This was just a sneak peek into our Customer Advisory Boards Masters Course. Get invaluable instruction from Bree Bunzel, and walk away with the ability to: 👇 Produce an awesome Customer Advisory Board 👇 Get key customer insights 👇 Enhance your product 👇 Keep consumers happy 🤑 Boost your revenue [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ac03qfg%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3ODE5NzIzMS41MTUuMS4xNjc4MTk3MzUzLjAuMC4w) ### Casting call: the role of customer marketing in business success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/casting-call-the-role-of-customer-marketing-in-business-success/ Last updated: 2024-11-07T11:07:30.000Z In the world of marketing, demand generation is a star performer, bringing in the box office success. In contrast, [customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-get-started/) is often seen as an “extra” or sometimes, a supporting cast member. While demand gen is known for showcasing impressive numbers that are an integral part of its script, customer marketing takes a more nuanced approach, focusing on building emotional connections and relationships. The goal of demand generation is to build a pipeline of qualified leads and drive those leads through the sales funnel, ultimately converting them into customers. While demand gen drives revenue in the short term, [customer marketing nurtures long-term relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-leverage-customer-marketing-and-impact-the-revenue-cycle-meaningfully/?ref=cmoalliance.com), building advocacy and a foundation for sustainable growth potentially long into the future. By maintaining a balance between these two marketing activities, organizations ensure a more comprehensive and resilient strategy that keeps the business thriving. As SVP of Brand, customer strategies have been the common threads of success throughout my career. That’s why having recently participated in a panel discussion at a customer marketing conference, I was surprised to hear that many customer marketing teams still feel the leading role is out of reach. It doesn’t have to be. To ensure that they take center stage in order to achieve long-term success, customer marketers should consider the strategies below. ## Spotlight unique customer insights Customer marketers possess invaluable insights into customer needs, challenges, and priorities. They are fluent in the language of customers, providing a vital perspective that can guide the [entire organization](https://customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/). But it's what you do with that information that can make all the difference. Adopt the [customer narrative](https://www.cmoalliance.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-your-brand-story/) and make these insights an integral part of your everyday conversations. For instance, share compelling anecdotes that resonate with various departments, illustrating how customer insights can guide decision-making. This will help you turn insights into actionable strategies, ensuring your role is adding value to the broader organization and gaining buy-in for your programs at the same time. Consider holding “lunch and learns” to share customer survey results broadly or offer to hold a design-thinking session focused on creating empathy maps to get at what customers say, feel, do, and hear. You can use the insights gained from your programs to validate what the team comes up with, and it begins to plant the seed of the importance of a customer-focused mindset. ## Know what motivates your stakeholders Discover what truly motivates your stakeholders and speak their language. I like to joke that you need to know everyone’s favorite donut. But seriously, know your audience, and know what is going to resonate with them so you can get their buy-in and attention. For example, if you are trying to make a case for budget from the CFO, do your research and focus on the fact that existing customers spend **31%** more than prospects, and when you release a new product, your loyal customers are **50%** more likely to try it. ([Nick Patel](https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/customer-retention/?ref=cmoalliance.com)). Or, when you meet with sales, start with how your new value-add customer programs can help them close more deals. Whether it is showcasing program cost efficiencies with the CFO or delivering added value for sales, understanding their drivers will [boost engagement ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-universal-tips-for-any-business/)in your programs. ## Quantify and communicate value with metrics Customer marketers should [quantify their impact](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/?ref=cmoalliance.com) by tying it to key metrics such as retention, lifetime value, and product adoption, as well as acts of advocacy and Net Promoter Score (NPS). Demonstrating how their efforts align with the organization's strategic objectives is key. If your company is focused on reducing churn, pull a “look-alike” group of customers, hold them aside, and then measure the changes between the holdback and the group that was part of your programs. [Improve retention and make your customers a growth priorityAny customer marketer worth their salt knows that paying attention to customer feedback is key to success. But how can we make leading with the customer a cross-departmental mission?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmanda Malko![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/robert-murray-j3a4HP3qKAE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-improve-retention-by-making-your-customers-your-growth-priority/) It is important to remember that customer program metrics take time – you will not see changes right away. Be curious, and if you do not have anyone tracking customer metrics that are important to you – what's stopping you from doing it yourself? Call me old school, but you can start small and literally pick up the phone or get on Zoom and have a conversation with a customer. You can also do a survey to your customer base that asks NPS or customer satisfaction questions – this will give you a baseline for metrics to measure against over time. By focusing on metrics like retaining and maximizing lifetime value, customer marketing and advocacy lay the foundation for long-term growth, but can also draw inspiration from the demand generation playbook. By incorporating ROI and impact measurement into their script, they can strike a balance between emotional connection and quantifiable results. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ## Customer marketing deserves a leading role So, in the grand production of business success, both demand generation and customer marketing play leading roles. They may have different scenes, dialogue, and parts to play, but by collaborating and sharing their expertise, they can create a masterpiece that resonates with the audience, driving success. --- *Are you a customer marketer unsure about your path to marketing leadership? Our global community of customer marketers and leaders is right here to help on the Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack channel.* [*And it's free to join!*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Navigating the post-sale landscape: Key strategies for customer loyalty URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/navigating-the-post-sale-landscape-key-strategies-for-customer-loyalty/ Last updated: 2025-01-27T15:10:18.000Z This article comes from the expert panel, ‘*Beyond the funnel: Customer marketing in the post-acquisition lifecycle*’, at our **2023 Las Vegas Customer Marketing Summit**, check out the discussion in full [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=t5icu3xkex). --- How well do you really support your customers after the sale? In customer marketing, so much effort goes into building lead awareness, driving conversions, and closing coveted deals that it’s easy to feel a huge sense of accomplishment once targets hit. *High fives all around, crisis averted - let’s move on to bigger deals!* But then a few months later the data comes trickling in… customer satisfaction seems stagnant, expansion revenue is lagging forecasts, and - wait, what’s this uptick in early cancellation notices? If this hits close to home, you’re not alone. Many leading B2B brands pour resources into getting customers in the door, only to realize they overlooked nurturing success beyond day one. Luckily, customer marketing experts, **Virginia Bryant**, **Director of Customer and Content Marketing,** and **Robb Mapp**, **Senior Director of Customer and Insights Marketing** at **GitHub**, joined us to discuss innovative tactics to inspire loyalty and growth. *Curious to learn more?* Read on for insights into customer marketing’s exciting untapped potential in the post-sale lifecycle ... ## **Leverage advocacy as post-purchase care** ### Virginia introduced the session by commending customer marketing’s vital role in generating awareness and interest to feed the top of the sales funnel. However, she argued there are gaps in “how customer advocacy comes into play in the post-acquisition funnel.” While customer success teams guide some high-touch accounts, most users lack concierge treatment to help them navigate products. Virginia said this leads many customers to feel “frustrated,” fail to see promised value, and elevates churn risk early on. > *“Adoption is the beginning of the journey for customers - the sales process is not top of mind. They're thinking, how do we realize value from this solution?”* Rather than leaving users to muddle through alone, Virginia advocated for using advocacy to “nurture customers and reinfuse the experience.” Customer marketing can craft guided pathways toward finding ROI that “help new users maximize the solution they purchased.” > *“We leave people to their own devices… this means friction points where they don't see value and churn becomes very real. We need to change this narrative.”* Proactive guidance drives perception of the provider as an invested partner. It also accelerates value realization and revenue by inspiring extension into new features and applications. ## **Drive customer-validated learning** ### Robb added context to GitHub’s customer-centric approach to nurture adoption, explaining: > *“We found a community of customers highly adept at using our products. They want more visible profiles and to showcase work publicly.”* By identifying the most common “heat map” of customer difficulties and information needs, they develop comprehensive learning programs directly from users already excelling with GitHub tools. > *“There's an opportunity to harness where concerns are to build pathways from novice to intermediate and advanced usage.”* Robb explained GitHub maps content to user maturity, from 100-level introductions to 200-level integration guides and 300-level mastery. This creates stepping stones matching the real customer journey. Importantly, these pathways differ from generic documentation or whitepapers. They offer actionable, real-world guidance on executing specific solutions from the lens of a proven peer use case. > *"It's scenario-based - how to onboard 15 users and get savvy with a certain feature. Showing how another customer used the product inspires ideas to take action."* ## **Balance value messaging** ### Given GitHub serves both independent developers and large enterprises, Virginia discussed the importance of balancing messaging. She explained: > *“Developer-focused content highlights things like code snippets and technical capability. But we also create ‘cultural guides’ on topics like permissions schemes and collaboration practices that resonate in large organizations.”* Value messaging involves understanding diverse audiences. While big brands require extensive nurturing for things like case studies, GitHub sees less resistance to having them share technical guides. Layering user voices and experiences onto specific capabilities also lends authenticity for audiences. Virginia notes that this focus on real applications validates products and builds trust better than generalized success claims. ## **Harness expanding engagement** ### Virginia explained using advocacy to nurture adoption kickstarts a “virtuous cycle” where clients are more receptive to expanding engagement. As they integrate solutions into real workstreams and observe value, they eagerly consume more capabilities. Each cycle strengthens ties and ROI. > *"Helping them see value faster inspires them to purchase and integrate more from us. Better retention, lifetime value, and referencibility result."* Meanwhile, Robb noted that once GitHub began publishing technical customer guidance at scale, inbound interest surged exponentially. This then dramatically improved lead gen and reduced resource demands on sales teams to source references. ## **A framework for action** ### For leaders considering similar customer advocacy programs, Virginia offered a concrete roadmap: **1) Identify trouble spots:** Reach out to product managers, sales, services, and support teams. Ask them: where do customers predictably struggle? Document the most high-frequency friction points and scenarios that bog users down. **2) Craft durable guidance:** For each struggle identified, engage field experts to author clear best practices addressing it. Ensure they're practical and actionable, not just generic documentation. **3) Wrap in peer experiences:** With strong recommendations framed up, identify customers excelling in those areas and invite them to contextualize your guides by sharing their journey. **4) Activate multi-channel:** Publish finished pieces, then drive distribution through email nurtures, social amplification, linking from product pages, and embedded case studies. When users feel empowered to find answers from real peers who've walked in their shoes, adoption flows more seamlessly. They become receptive and engaged in expanding usage. While it takes concerted up-front effort, savvy post-purchase advocacy ultimately pays dividends across metrics from retention to revenue. ## **Final thoughts** ### When you boil it down, the success of customer marketing comes down to a simple, but surprisingly overlooked question: *Are you showing customers how to win with your solutions?* Many brands excel at courting users, wowing evaluators, and closing contracts. But interest and purchases alone don’t drive longevity. True loyalty and growth potential are only unlocked when customers actively adopt and integrate solutions into their real work. When they hit those *A-ha!* moments where capabilities align seamlessly to needs. As GitHub’s leaders show, advocacy is a powerful, but underutilized asset during this vulnerable post-purchase phase. The time is now for more brands to build customer advocacy into post-purchase care. Don't just *close* deals - show customers how to win and growth will follow! --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1-.png) ### Sara Steffen | How to set up Customer Advisory Boards for true business impact | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/sara-steffen-how-to-set-up-customer-advisory-boards-for-true-business-impact-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-11-29T08:24:03.000Z > "You have to look at who you're inviting into that room and are they going to give you the behind the curtain view of how's it really working for them at that company...." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Sara Steffen, Sr. Director of Connected Customer Experience at Nutanix talks about how you should set up all types of Customer Advisory Boards to enable true business impact. ## **Key Takeaways:** - Why you should strategically pick your CAB members - The vital role of a moderator at CAB meetings - The types of peer to peer CAB cohorts - How to maintain member engagement ## **About the guest:** As the Sr. Director of Connected Customer Experience at Nutanix, Sara Steffen manages a global team focused on customer marketing, customer advisory boards, user groups, certifications, training, community, CXO marketing, and the executive briefing center. Sara has a proven track record of building strong, collaborative relationships across the board. With over 7 years of experience in customer marketing and communications, Sara is passionate about bringing our customer stories to life and developing talent and opportunities for the teams she works with. ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at** [**influitive.com**](https://influitive.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)**.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). *This episode was recorded live at one of our many Customer Marketing Alliance events. If you want a look at our upcoming calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/)*.* ### Customer experience map URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-experience-map-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:49:54.000Z ## What is a customer experience map template? A customer experience (CX) map template is a strategic tool designed to help teams visualize and enhance the entire journey a customer takes with your product or service. By breaking down customer needs, behaviors, and success milestones, this template helps organizations shift their focus from acquisition-only thinking to maximizing growth, retention, and monetization within their existing customer base. ## What’s inside the template? This framework walks you through six foundational steps to building a customer experience map that drives growth: - Create a cross-functional team - Collect qualitative and quantitative data - Identify success milestones - Break down customer needs - Define new KPIs - Pinpoint success gaps and optimize ## How to use the template 1. **Form your cross-functional team:** Include voices from product, CS, marketing, and sales to co-create your CX map. 2. **Gather and synthesize data:** Use surveys, analytics, and support logs to build a complete picture of the customer journey. 3. **Map success milestones and trust points:** Identify what progress and value moments look like from your customer’s perspective. 4. **Uncover needs and motivations:** Capture emotional and behavioral insights that influence each stage of the journey. 5. **Develop and monitor new KPIs:** Create experience-focused metrics tied to product activation, engagement, and growth. 6. **Spot the gaps and optimize:** Use your insights to build a prioritized action plan for improving the customer experience over time. With this CX map template, you'll turn your customer journey into a revenue-growth engine—built on trust, alignment, and measurable impact. ## Download your customer experience map template ![Customer experience map template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/06/Customer-experience-map-ss.png) [Customer experience map (1)Customer experience map (1).pdf86 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Customer-experience-map--1-.pdf "Download") [Customer experience map (1)Customer experience map (1).docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Customer-experience-map--1-.docx "Download") [Customer experience mapCustomer experience map Improving retention and monetization of existing customers can be hugely beneficial for organizations and can have way more of an impact on increasing annual revenue than acquisition efforts. But, many leaders focus most of their efforts on the acquisition, despite the bi…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-4.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKSahTAqu5KNpz08hFeFZ0iYL9vI5vJ8ItzJJaG4hR94PcQGbbqWV1fJmGzXsk4Bn0kI_745pbpLBT7lO8asKXcDlhjBUgXs6gAKnZgsM8r6c4E1aPh-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PzHqSIobFtvfFT8nqdRBgCI8G2IPbXX1F7sh9YRUQoM/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Annie Eissler | Customer journey mapping and the importance of customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/annie-eissler-customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-11-22T16:12:15.000Z > "Customer experience has become a really top priority for B2B tech companies... we need to have some repeatability and consistency with the process that \[customers are\] going through." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Annie Eissler, VP of Customer, Partner & Expert Insights Marketing at AlphaSense talks to us about the importance of customer experience and how customer journey mapping can help align teams to support retention and growth. ## **Key talking points:** - The importance of upsells for retention and growth - Mapping and managing the variety of customer experiences - Aligning all company teams with the big picture using journey mapping - How mapping helps to scale a customer marketing team ## About the guest: Annie Eissler's 25+ year career combines in-house B2B technology marketing leadership with marketing agency ownership, Annie Eissler brings a strategic mindset, extensive toolkit, and broad operational experience to companies that need to reposition their offering and level up their GTM strategy. Annie has developed a reputation for quickly understanding the business drivers, gaps, and opportunities to put a “punch above our weight” marketing program and team in place that drives growth. Versatility and adaptability are strengths that have enabled Annie to contribute to growth initiatives beyond the marketing function, including leading 10+ acquisition integrations in Canada and Europe, and orchestrating a company reorganization to better serve customers. ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at** [**influitive.com**](https://influitive.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)**.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). *This episode was recorded live at one of our many Customer Marketing Alliance events. If you want a look at our upcoming calendar, take a look* [*here*](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/)*.* ### Unleash the power of customer stories: Tips to maximize real advocate voices URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unleash-the-power-of-customer-stories-tips-to-maximize-real-advocate-voices/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T16:05:35.000Z This article comes from the panel, ‘The power of customer stories: Why you need more & how to find them’, at our **2023 Las Vegas Customer Marketing Summit**, check out the full discussion [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=j9mre107wp). We all love a good story, right? Hearing how a product or service positively impacted someone's life or business always tugs at the heartstrings more than any stats or corporate speak. Customer stories bring that emotional connection and credibility that keeps us engaged. So it's no wonder the brightest minds in customer marketing are laser focused on harnessing the power of customer stories. At our Customer Marketing Summit, **Callie Rojewksi**, Director of Customer Advocacy at **Menlo Security**, moderated an insightful panel on this hot topic. She was joined by two customer advocacy pros: **Dr. Tiffany Raymond**, Head of Global Customer Advocacy at **PayPal**, and **Michelle Viray**, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at **Coupa**. These experts covered a lot of ground on why customer stories matter, how to get stakeholders aligned, tactics to capture compelling stories, and creative ways to maximize their impact across the business. Any customer marketer who wants to level up their advocacy game will find tons of real-world inspo in their conversation. Let’s dive into the key takeaways every customer story obsessive needs to know! ## **Stories that turn customers into advocates** We’ve all seen those lifeless case studies that read like an instruction manual. “Company X used Product Y to achieve Z% increase in whatever.” YAWN. Who even reads past the first paragraph? Our panelists kicked things off by emphasizing why authentic stories directly from happy customers beat lifeless case studies any day. As Dr. Tiffany Raymond put it, “Customer stories are critical to bring sales and customer success into the fold as advocates.” Think about it. Buyers inherently trust stories from other customers way more than anything a company says about itself, they offer credibility and social proof that your marketing alone can’t match. Michelle Viray shared a brilliant example from her own life. She recently walked into a sneaker store already wearing their brand. While shopping for a new pair, another customer came in and she spontaneously ended up selling them a pair too! As Michelle explained, “I think I’ve never turned it off … Stories spread organically and turn customers into advocates.” Now that’s the sign of a powerful customer story! It hits you right in the feels and passionately sells for you. Callie Rojewksi added that stories also shine a spotlight on those hard-working internal team members who partner closely with customers. Like customer success managers who spend hours troubleshooting issues or account managers who bend over backwards to help customers. A little recognition and PR goes a long way. Clearly, customer stories are marketing gold. But how do you go mining for these gems? Our panel had some nuggets of wisdom to share... ## **Fostering internal relationships to bring in the stories** Every marketer knows producing standout stories requires massive collaboration across the business. As Michelle put it, start with figuring out the “why” first. Get to know your internal stakeholders and what each team needs from stories. Maybe product marketing wants proof points for their messaging. Sales needs battle-tested examples for prospective deals. Customer success wants to highlight clients they’ve made insanely happy. Understanding these diverse needs will help you align on the right stories to prioritize. Then you can loop cross-functional partners into the process to get their buy-in. For example, Michelle emphasized the value of building a “story pipeline” to communicate status. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet or Asana board everyone has access to. Make sure stakeholders are tagged as “drivers” so they feel ownership in getting customer approvals. Tiffany also discussed how she engages sales and customer success reps as advocates to recruit customer stories proactively. The sales incentive was clear - at PayPal, **85%** of their top performing reps had participated in case studies. Building those customer relationships through stories contributed to their success. Now those teams help spread the word and act as “trainers” for new hires, educating them on the value of stories in their toolkit. As Tiffany put it, it’s about “building the next generation of internal advocates.” ## **The never-ending battle of getting customer approvals** Let’s switch gears and get real for a minute. We’ve all been there - endlessly chasing after a story, only to have the dreaded last-minute denial from legal or communications. Ugh, so frustrating! All your hard work down the drain. Our panelists could sympathize with this never-ending battle. Tiffany described her tenacious approach as a “friendly pitbull - gently latching on and not letting go.” We all feel that! We have to be relentless in our follow-ups but also respect customers' final preferences. Not exactly an easy balance! Michelle emphasized that we have to remember customers aren't getting paid to provide stories. It's a favor they're doing out of the goodness of their hearts because they love our brand. During long approval cycles, remind internal teams that the customer is in the driver's seat. Their legal team or C-suite may not fully align on participating, and that's OK. With super large customers, both experts noted you have to expect an especially lengthy process. As Tiffany put it, "It takes a while to turn the Titanic" when dealing with massive enterprises. Set proper expectations upfront. When you do finally get that last approval, it’s the ultimate reward after so much hard work. Take a minute to bask in the glory - you earned it! Then get ready to chase the next story. ## **Measuring the impact of stories** You’ve won the battle to get a customer’s story published - but the work doesn't stop there! Next you have to track how sales and marketing teams actually use the asset to prove its worth. Our panelists shared some smart tips for getting metrics to showcase your customer story ROI: **🤝 Partner with marketing ops** to tag assets consistently so you can monitor engagement. **💻 Look at downloads and usage** in sales pitch decks for each story. 📈 See if **website traffic increases** to the pages where stories are featured. **🧮 Track clicks and shares** when they're promoted on social media. **📝 Survey sales teams** on how stories impacted their deals. The goal is to arm your management with hard data showing how customer stories move the needle for the business. This will earn customer marketing credibility and budget for more stories. Tiffany also emphasized making sure final stories get uploaded into sales enablement tools like Seismic. Then they’re easily discoverable for reps. Think creatively about how to further amplify stories - like getting executives to share on their LinkedIn channels. Or integrating a story training module into new hire onboarding so they learn the value from day one. ## **Repurposing your stories to maximize value** Once a story is approved, why stop at just one asset? Get more mileage by repurposing or expanding it across multiple formats and channels. For example, pull the most compelling quotes from an interview as social media posts. Reach out to your content team about incorporating key data points or examples in blog posts and emails. See if you can break a case study into a series - like three LinkedIn articles on different aspects of the story. Or create a few short animated videos bringing out the emotion for different audiences. Bottom line, don’t leave any of that marketing gold buried once you’ve mined the story! Figure out creative ways to recycle it into new formats you can use to reach and engage customers. ## **Making sure your stories stand out** Now you might be wondering...but how do I get customer stories that truly captivate audiences versus predictable case studies? Our experts had some great thoughts on this too. As Michelle emphasized, most case studies tend to blur together for readers. Change up the format and highlight the human details that make stories pop. Maybe try using interesting facts about customers versus solely focusing on how they use your product. Tiffany also encouraged tapping into spontaneity to capture authentic stories. For example, she recorded on-the-spot testimonial videos at a recent conference - then quickly got signed approvals with chocolate! The off-the-cuff nature led to more genuine customer perspectives. So roll up your sleeves and unleash your inner storyteller. Dig for the emotions, personalities and real-world details that hooks people in. Then bring it all to life in fresh formats beyond plain case studies. ## **Key takeaways** In conclusion, the art of crafting and leveraging customer stories is a dynamic and essential part of any customer marketer's toolkit. As we've seen from the insights shared by our expert panelists, these stories are more than just testimonials – they're powerful tools that can transform customers into passionate advocates for your brand. Remember, it's not just about collecting anecdotes; it's about weaving these narratives into the very fabric of your marketing strategy. From fostering internal relationships to navigating the approval process, each step is crucial in bringing these stories to life. Once you have them, the possibilities are endless. Repurpose, amplify, and use them to not only attract new customers but also to reinforce the loyalty of existing ones. So get out there and start digging for those marketing gems! ### Customer onboarding framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-onboarding-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T10:05:04.000Z ## What is a customer onboarding framework? Our customer onboarding framework is designed to help you create an engaging, seamless, and personalized onboarding experience from day one. With clear steps, strategic messaging, and tailored timelines, this framework helps you build a strong foundation for lasting customer relationships, reduce churn, and promote product adoption. ## How to use the customer onboarding framework Effective onboarding is key to customer success, and this framework guides you through every stage. From introductory greetings to proactive support touchpoints, our framework ensures your new customers feel welcomed, informed, and motivated to make the most of your product. Each step is crafted to keep customers engaged, promote ongoing usage, and maximize the value they see in your solution. ### Step-by-step guide to the framework 1. **Start strong**: Build a relationship right from the start with a warm, personalized introduction that sets expectations and builds trust. 2. **Support and guide**: Provide easy-to-follow tutorials, key contacts, and feature highlights to help customers navigate your product confidently. 3. **Engage and retain**: Use targeted check-ins, reminders, and encouragement for ongoing feature usage to keep customers engaged and satisfied. 4. **Drive results**: Tactically nudge customers towards meaningful actions and upgrades, ensuring they realize the full value of your product. ## Download your customer onboarding framework ![Customer onboarding framework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2024/10/customer-onboarding-framework.png) [Onboarding frameworkOnboarding framework.xlsx110 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Onboarding-framework.xlsx "Download") [Onboarding framework - TemplateOnboarding framework - Template.pdf70 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2025/01/Onboarding-framework---Template.pdf "Download") [Onboarding framework![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/spreadsheets_2023q4-12.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIeEZcTlagMOAUzFediv9l-orMrcM5UR3W3ifuuXmvCTDV8PHtndjuXBQ_ith3RJjLIup_3geOh6MCWetAaMK2Rug-oqh1NI1OD2Ul8gqeVG3liu2lI-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ih8gJJzw2Noj6AAgsGfyvDlWjwua6gXXI7TyUxmQ628/edit?gid=0#gid=0) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Customer journey map framework URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-map-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T12:58:34.000Z ## What is the customer journey map framework? The customer journey map framework is a comprehensive tool designed to help marketers and customer marketing professionals visualize and optimize the entire customer experience. Broken into five distinct sections, it outlines the various stages a customer goes through in their journey (from initial awareness to post-purchase loyalty), and maps out every interaction and touchpoint along the way. The framework helps businesses understand their customers' needs, expectations, and pain points at each stage of their journey. ### Why should you use this framework? The customer journey map framework has several key benefits: - **Holistic view of the customer experience**: Gain a complete understanding of your [customer's journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-journey-mapping-and-the-importance-of-customer-experience/), identifying key touchpoints and interactions that influence their decisions. - **Enhanced customer satisfaction**: By recognizing and addressing customer pain points, you can improve the overall experience, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty. - **Data-driven decision-making**: Use the insights gathered from the journey map to make informed decisions on marketing strategies, product improvements, and customer service enhancements. - **Cross-functional collaboration**: Foster collaboration across different departments such as marketing, sales, design, and customer support to ensure a seamless customer experience. - **Strategic improvements**: Identify opportunities for optimization at each stage of the customer journey, from awareness to loyalty, ensuring that your strategies are aligned with customer needs and business goals. ## Download your customer journey map template ![Customer journey map framework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/2024/10/Customer-journey-map-framework.png) [Customer journey map (1)Customer journey map (1).pptx2 MBdownload-circle](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/12/Customer-journey-map--1-.pptx "Download") [Customer journey mapDigital Touchpoints Physical Touchpoints PR Radio or TV Word of Mouth Online Display Search Data Paid Content Email Data Landing Page Social Media 3rd Party Direct Mail Store & Branch Agent & Broker Mobile App Websites Web Service Community Twitter/Social Call Center Chat Offer in Invoice Mailing…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/favicon-2023q4-33.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJoFfXfpK3FH0P2NJtVQ5L9JEbp5Wu0UnabqF6KPq7s8gqufcZ_ik7iYOSe1IhRhyaHAxbmioX6pcMefiB36RpqB8yusJzuBadn8wKehuxaZoMXxlh_-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CGnHMiHGeiizTM0wI1fk8zQOIV7Y0NQfOkccJvprIhE/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Event strategy simplified: Choose the right format for your goals URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/event-strategy-simplified-choose-the-right-format-for-your-goals/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T07:59:42.000Z Developing meaningful relationships with customers requires thoughtful, tailored experiences. But with so many event formats and types, how do you determine the right approach? Today we’ll explore seven relationship-building event types for marketers. You’ll learn the distinct purpose and best practices for each one - from intimate interviews to large user conferences. Armed with these insights, you can intentionally “dress for the occasion” by matching events to desired outcomes and avoid wasting time and resources on misaligned activities. So, let’s get right into examining how to leverage the right events for specific goals like insights, research, and customer acquisition. - **Why are customer relationships more essential than ever?** - **One-on-one customer interviews** - **Client advisory boards** - **Customer roundtables** - **Customer focus groups** - **Customer meetups & events** - **Customer awards programs** - **Customer user conferences** - **Key takeaways** ## **Why are customer relationships more essential than ever?** First, it’s worth emphasizing why customer trust and loyalty continue to gain importance. According to[ Salesforce research](https://www.salesforce.com/research/customer-relationships-trust/), **88%** of people say trust expands in value during changing times. But only **52%** of customers currently trust companies in general. Salesforce recommends several strategies to build trust: transparent communication, responsible data practices, treating people as humans rather than transactions, cultivating relationships beyond the sale, and proactively resolving issues. While many of us already implement these daily, it underscores why creating meaningful customer experiences is more vital than ever. Thoughtful relationship-building events play a pivotal role. Let’s explore how to select the right activities for your goals and resources and the purpose, costs, format, and best practices for each one. ## **One-on-one customer interviews** One-on-one interviews involve in-depth, conversational discussions between two people – you and the interviewee. Avoid straightforward Q&As. ### **🎯 Purpose** One-on-one interviews enable personal connections and insights from individual customers. The flexible format provides opportunities to gather feedback on products, messaging, and concepts; understand needs, pain points, and goals; build rapport by listening; and clarify responses in real-time. The intimate yet informal nature encourages customers to share honest opinions and experiences that surveys or focus groups may not uncover. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** The main cost is your time. But the qualitative insights justify the investment. Keep interviews to 30-60 minutes to respect customers' time. Let the dialogue flow naturally with some guiding questions. Ask open-ended questions to draw out stories. Provide context upfront on goals and confidentiality. Take thorough notes and share for review. Follow up to show appreciation and address additional questions. Combine interviews with NPS surveys to maximize value. At LRN, I spend most of my week in one-on-one customer interviews. They deliver invaluable insights compared to large forums. For example, I regularly conduct informal “how are things going?” interviews to check in and nurture relationships. ### **🤝 Who to involve** The only participants are you and the interviewee. Occasionally include a colleague like someone from product marketing. But keep groups intimate. ## **Client advisory boards** Client advisory boards (CABs) are recurring councils of 12-15 clients who advise on offerings and industry needs. They provide structured guidance over time. ### **🎯 Purpose** Well-run CABs enable regular Voice of Customer insights from diverse clients; incorporate clients into product/program development; build lasting relationships through dialogue; and demonstrate customer-centricity from the top down. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** Costs range based on goals and activities. Virtual boards can meet regularly with minimal cost. More extensive in-person councils require greater resources. Dedicated staff time is essential for recruitment, planning, facilitation, and follow-ups. To maximize value, define the purpose tied to business goals and limit to 2-3 objectives. Recruit engaged members representing customer segments. Meet regularly but limit sessions to 2 hours. Focus agendas on dialogue rather than presentations. Circulate notes, share outcomes, and continue conversations between meetings. Annually revisit the purpose and reconstitute the CAB as needed. Within guidelines, give members special perks for their time and guidance. ### **🤝 Who to involve** Include a mix of customers, internal leaders related to the goals, and facilitators who handle planning, facilitation, notes, and follow-ups. With the proper members and facilitation, CABs enable invaluable two-way communication with customers. ## **Customer roundtables** Roundtables convene 12-15 carefully selected people for informal but topic-focused discussions led by a facilitator. They reveal detailed insights from customers. ### **🎯 Purpose** Well-executed roundtables explore attitudes, opinions, and ideas about specific products, issues, and approaches. They uncover deeper insights through peer-to-peer conversations. Roundtables also share thought leadership and provide a forum for customers to interact. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** Roundtables require several hours of internal facilitator time plus any tools or incentives. Their informal nature makes them affordable. Limit sessions to 90 minutes to prevent fatigue. Carefully select interested participants and provide discussion guides in advance. Set ground rules upfront encouraging candor and equal participation. Follow up with notes, actions, and relationship nurturing. The conversational format produces nuanced qualitative feedback. For example, LRN recently held a roundtable on enhancing training with data. The lively dialogue generated actionable insights. ### **🤝 Who to involve** The moderator guides discussion and takes notes. Customers are carefully selected. Observers listen in real-time behind the scenes. With proper preparation and facilitation, roundtables efficiently provide qualitative customer perspectives. ## **Customer focus groups** Focus groups convene 6-10 customers for 1-2 hour moderated discussions focused on defined research objectives to gain precise, actionable insights. ### **🎯 Purpose** Well-run focus groups obtain qualitative feedback about concepts, messaging, products, and more. They evaluate tactical elements like UX designs, content, and campaigns. Focus groups collect different perspectives efficiently and provide insights pre- and post-launch to optimize offerings. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** There are several costs: A professional moderator, recruiting/incentives, and possibly facilities/catering. The specialized format also limits group sizes and sessions. To get credible results, hire an experienced moderator and provide discussion guides. Pick a narrow objective set. Carefully recruit participants based on criteria and incentivize them sufficiently. Avoid company staff in sessions to prevent bias. Debrief with the moderator to interpret findings. For example, we’ve effectively held focus groups at conferences by bringing specialized third-party moderators and participants onsite. ### **🤝 Who to involve** The moderator is a skilled, neutral third-party expert. Participants are 6-10 target customers fitting recruiting criteria. Observers are typically project team members behind the one-way mirror. With rigorous planning and moderation, focus groups generate objective qualitative insights. ## **Customer meetups & events** Meetups are informal social gatherings aimed primarily at relationship development rather than research/education. They cultivate community through memorable interactions. ### **🎯 Purpose** Meetups facilitate casual networking with customers. They strengthen bonds through experiences and introduce customers to each other to spark connections. Meetups show appreciation via exclusive events and generate affinity for your brand through shared experiences. Even if they don't directly drive revenue, meetups provide crucial engagement and loyalty. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** Meetups have higher costs than roundtables/interviews given their scale, production needs, and swag. But they don't require specialized facilities/staff. Successful meetups occur regularly with creative venues, activities, cuisine, and takeaways. They encourage open networking rather than rigid agendas. Feature senior leaders to demonstrate commitment and prioritize relationship development over transactions. Blend online and in-person elements to extend reach. For example, LRN hosts happy hours, dinners, and virtual gatherings for New York City-area clients to facilitate organic community building. ### **🤝 Who to involve** A cross-functional internal team designs and produces the event. There are enough customer invitees to achieve critical mass while enabling conversations. Sufficient staff welcomes, engages with, and supports customers. ## **Customer awards programs** Awards programs recognize and celebrate customer success stories, validating customers and collecting testimonials. ### **🎯 Purpose** Effective awards programs spotlight standout customers and achievements. They obtain powerful success stories to promote, strengthen relationships through recognition, motivate future stories, and produce assets like case studies for sales enablement. Public awards make customers feel valued while generating marketing assets. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** Main costs include software/services, staff time, prizes, fulfillment, and possibly an event. Substantial coordination is required over months unlike small events. For maximum impact, heavily promote awards and make applying easy. Categorize awards by initiatives like innovation, transformation, ROI, etc. Incorporate both executive judges and customer/peer voting. Combine awards event with a conference or gala. Feature winners prominently across channels. Repurpose award entries into collateral. Since LRN lacks an internal program, I nominate deserving clients for external industry awards to provide similar benefits. ### **🤝 Who to involve** Customers participate as nominators and nominees. Staff manage the program, judging, events, and communications. Partners can co-promote and co-judge. Well-executed awards programs recognize exceptional customers while generating powerful marketing assets. ## **Customer user conferences** User conferences are large multi-day events bringing together hundreds of customers. They represent the pinnacle of relationship-building at scale. ### **🎯 Purpose** At their best, user conferences build camaraderie through shared experiences. They generate product ideas by engaging customers directly and gather instant feedback via crowdsourced tools/focus groups. Conferences inspire customers by revealing vision/roadmaps and energize employees by connecting them with customers. ### **💡 Cost, format & best practices** Major costs include venue, catering, A/V, production, speaker fees, staff travel/time, signage/apps/swag, and more. Most companies only justify these massive investments every 1-2 years given the undertaking. Successful conferences incorporate marquee keynotes, diverse breakouts, real-time engagement tools, lead-gen opportunities, dedicated advisory boards/focus groups, and receptions/activities that facilitate connections. In the past, I’ve helped organize major events like Adobe Summit and Marketo Nation using these elements to create memorable, high-value experiences. ### **🤝 Who to involve** Conferences require company-wide coordination including a cross-functional program team, speakers, attendees across all roles, and various vendors. With extensive planning and resources, user conferences become legendary – remembered by customers for years. ## **Key takeaways** To summarize, here are some key pointers when planning relationship-building events: First, match events to strategic goals. Connect one-on-ones and roundtables to insights, focus groups to research, meetups to engagement, and so on. Also, blend online and in-person experiences to combine convenience and impact. Leverage existing industry conferences or regional meetups to engage customers cost-effectively. Make it about customers by prioritizing their needs and interests rather than selling. Plan rigorously but let conversations flow organically. Experiment across various formats to determine what works best for your audience. Follow up consistently to extend the value. And express genuine appreciation to customer participants through gifts, donations, or contributions in their name. Most importantly, apply the right event format for each occasion to deliver value to your customers and community! ### Customer Marketing Awards 2023: Introducing the winners URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-awards-2023-introducing-the-winners/ Last updated: 2023-10-25T09:00:27.000Z Have you ever wondered who stands at the pinnacle of customer marketing excellence? The moment you've been eagerly waiting for has arrived! 🏆 After a meticulous evaluation of all the nominations in their respective categories, we are thrilled to unveil the [**2023 Customer Marketing Award Champions**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-alliance-award-nominations/)**.** We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in these awards, applauding the best in the industry. Customer marketing is one of the driving forces behind ensured retention and sustainable growth, and it's high time we celebrate the remarkable individuals and teams leading the charge. 🚀 Without further delay, let's introduce you to the victors in our prestigious trio of categories… --- # **Customer Marketing MVP of the Year** We’re delighted to present the Customer Marketing MVP of the Year Award to **Robert Maddox, Customer Advocacy & Community Manager at Delinea**. ![Robert Maddox, Customer Advocacy & Community Manager at Delinea](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/10/CMA_2023_Awards_Metas_Final.020.jpeg) This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a profound understanding of customer marketing and has made a significant contribution to the growth and success of their organization. The title signifies their outstanding achievements and success within the customer marketing community. Robert is a full-stack customer experience professional. He curates daily content and engagement opportunities for customers in his company’s advocacy community. He also creates webinars and summits and currently holds the record at his company for the largest attended customer event. He loves to not only connect with other professionals in this space but to connect them to each other as well. He’s constantly looking to influence and positively impact his customers and peers - a true rising star in the space! Congratulations, Robert! 🎊 --- # **Customer Advocacy MVP of the Year** And for our pick for Customer Advocacy MVP of the Year, we’ve got the consistently fantastic **Dave Hansen, Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN.** ![ Dave Hansen, Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/10/CMA_2023_Awards_Metas_Final.019.jpeg) This title acknowledges an individual who has exhibited outstanding dedication, leadership, and impact in the domain of customer advocacy throughout a specific year. This title signifies their work toward mobilizing and empowering customers to advocate for the brand, fostering loyalty, and contributing to their company's reputation. Dave’s philosophy stems from the idea that engagement drives everything that is good about customer advocacy. With a steady hand, he’s grown the LRN co: lab community (which was also recognized with a BAMMIE in 2022 for its successful launch) and is now seeing the fruit of his labor in terms of social proof, growth, and other acts of advocacy. Congratulations, Dave! 🥳 --- # **Top Companies to Work in Customer Marketing** Now onto the team award! This award aims to acknowledge the organization that is an exceptional workplace for professionals in the field of customer marketing. This recognition signifies that these companies have created environments where employees thrive and contribute effectively to customer marketing efforts. This accolade illuminates the organizations that truly understand the pivotal role of customer marketing in their business. The winning company embodies the ideal combination of fostering talent, driving innovation, and fostering a remarkable company culture. We are delighted to reveal that **G2 has earned the coveted title of the top company for working in the realm of customer marketing.** 🙌 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/10/CMA_2023_Awards_Metas_Final.021.jpeg) --- Thank you! 🙏 Thank you to all who cast their votes and nominations in this year’s Customer Marketing Awards. 🌟 We think it’s crucial to shine a light on the phenomenal talent in our industry, and we’re thrilled to show off the best in the Customer Marketing industry. Stick around, because we’ll be hosting these awards each year, with new categories on their way! Keep an eye out for those in your industry who deserve their chance in the spotlight. 🔦 ### From zero to hero: Leveling up our awards program to wow customers URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-zero-to-hero-leveling-up-our-awards-program-to-wow-customers/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:00:03.000Z Celebrating customers shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should be the pinnacle that everything else builds towards. When I took over our Innovation Awards program years back, it was just a small pre-conference event few knew about. But I had a vision for an awards celebration that would wow our customers and executives alike. **Flash forward to today**. Our revamped Innovation Awards program has become a focal point of our global conference, drawing praise from our CEO as his “favorite part.” So, how did we get there? Well, it took six years of patience, persistence, and plenty of roadblocks we had to overcome! In this article today, I’m excited to share my personal blueprint for creating customer celebrations that truly shine. You’ll discover how we gained executive buy-in, fostered cross-team collaboration, and created advocates for life. Join me for an inside look at transforming an under-the-radar program into the high point of your company’s year. Use these lessons to make your own customer celebrations must-attend events! Let’s get started … ## **The origins of Informatica’s Innovation Awards** First, some background, I’m Cathy Jordan, Director of Global Customer Advocacy at Informatica and the Informatica Innovation Awards is an annual program that’s been around for over 20 years. Each year, we recognize a select group of customers who have achieved extraordinary outcomes with our data solutions. The program has always been run by our Customer Advocacy team as part of our Informatica World conference. We celebrate one winner and two honorees in each category, with the categories changing year-to-year based on that year’s messaging. When I first joined Informatica’s Product Marketing team years back, I’ll admit – I had no idea the Innovation Awards even existed. While walking into our conference venue one year, a colleague invited me to an awards luncheon happening that day. I was surprised to learn it was for our Innovation Awards! This small pre-conference event made me realize the program wasn’t getting the visibility it deserved. Fast forward to late 2017 when I moved over to lead Customer Advocacy. With our annual conference around the corner, I decided it was time to level up the awards. I wanted it to be part of our main conference, not just a side event. The only problem? The packed conference schedule left no room for an awards program. But I remained determined! With some persistence, I got approval for a 45-minute executive networking reception on the first day. It was a start. ## **Gaining momentum** In 2018 and 2019, my team and I worked hard to gain momentum for the Innovation Awards program. With a full Customer Advocacy team in place, we: - **Created internal marketing to drive awareness across the company** - **Offered incentives for customer-facing teams to nominate deserving customers** - **Held executive meetings to get nominations from our product leaders** - **Remained “always on” promoting the awards at sales kickoffs and company all-hands** - **Secured promo videos from our CEO to encourage nominations** - **Developed a social media presence and campaign leading up to the event** This multi-channel promotion resulted in major achievements for the program. For the first time, we got main stage recognition at our **3000+** person Informatica World conference! We even introduced a new “Intelligent Disrupter of the Year” category with the winner honored on stage alongside our CEO. This felt like a huge step for the program. We also hosted an exclusive networking reception with our executives in attendance. With photos and details of all nominees displayed, our leaders could personally congratulate the winners and honorees. From no budget to no awareness just two years prior, we finally felt like we had arrived! ## **Adapting through COVID-19** Just as we’d hit our stride, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything in 2020\. With our conference going virtual, how could we still recognize our customers? My team and I decided to embrace the moment as an opportunity. Since our virtual conference essentially had one “main stage,” we gave all our Innovation Award winners main stage honors with custom congratulatory videos. We also held virtual networking receptions tailored to different time zones! Despite the difficult global climate, it was so fulfilling to celebrate our customers’ achievements virtually. Our CEO even joined the virtual receptions and was highly engaged the whole time. The tremendous response we received was validation that we could still connect meaningfully with customers, even online. In fact, the success of our virtual awards program inspired our Chief Product Officer to ask us to launch a new awards program recognizing Chief Data Officers specifically. Having developed an effective playbook, we were able to quickly spin up the new Chief Data Officer (CDO) awards for a virtual CTO event in 2021\. The CDO program provided another way to honor leading data & analytics professionals at customer organizations. ## **Back in person** After two years of virtual events, our in-person conference returned in 2022\. This brought new questions: **How could we maintain the engagement and exposure from our virtual awards while also incorporating the in-person celebrations customers enjoyed?** Here are some key aspects of our 2022 strategy: 📅 **Start planning early** – We began preparations 6-7 months before 💵 **Get budget buy-in upfront** based on previous spend 📝 Create a **detailed timeline** and assign cross-functional tasks 💡 **Engage stakeholder teams** like Product Marketing early on 🎁 **Incentivize nominations** from sales and customer support reps 🎤 **Develop concise pitches and scripts** for executives to easily participate 📢 **Remain relentlessly persistent** in driving awareness! The 2022 awards ended up being our best yet. From 77 nominations, our CEO personally chose the most deserving customers. I joined him on main stage to congratulate the winners, a first for me. We also hosted an executive reception with photos, champagne toasts, and lots of social media buzz. Seeing it all come together left me so proud of my team. Six years of learning and persistence took this program to new heights in terms of exposure, budget, and prestige across the company. While challenges always arise, it’s been so fulfilling to make the Innovation Awards a marquee part of our customer experience. ## **Launching our Chief Data Officer Awards** Given the success of our 2022 Innovation Awards, our Chief Product Officer asked us in late 2020 to launch a new awards program specifically for Chief Data Officers. Thanks to our work on the Innovation Awards, we already had a blueprint to follow. For the inaugural CDO Awards in 2021, we took our virtual know-how from 2020 and tailored it to this new program. Instead of company-based awards, these awards recognized excellence in data & analytics leadership. We honored five outstanding CDOs across regions with personalized congratulatory videos and social media celebrations. When the CDO Awards shifted back to our in-person event in 2022, we had to adjust our approach in just a few weeks’ time. The solution? We focused on having one regional Chief Data Officer winner in each category with targeted honors at the conference. Despite the quick turnaround, this gave a global spotlight to leading CDOs in EMEA, North America, and APJ. Like with the Innovation Awards, the CDO honorees have become advocates for us long after winning. One winner promoted his award on social media a full year later! The CDO Awards created another way to celebrate customer leaders, inspire them to share their stories, and build lasting connections. ## **Key takeaways** After six years developing Informatica’s Innovation Awards and CDO Awards from fledgling beginnings to established programs, I’ve learned a great deal about what makes an awards program truly stand out. While every awards program is unique, I hope these lessons from my experience are helpful as you develop experiences to celebrate your own customers. It takes passion and persistence, but the payoff of thrilled customers and strengthened relationships is so rewarding. If you make the time to create a first-class awards program, you have so much to gain. And remember - always keep raising the bar! Just when you think you’ve perfected it, find ways to take it even higher. Your customers and company will thank you. ### Customer Marketing Awards 2023: Introducing your finalists URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-awards-2023-introducing-the-shortlists/ Last updated: 2023-10-12T10:12:21.000Z You voted, and we delivered. A huge thanks goes out to all those who dedicated their time to nominate the exceptional individuals and companies that stand at the forefront of the customer marketing industry. 🙏 Now, it's time for the excitement to unfold: Save the date for October 25th when we’ll unveil the fortunate winners of these brand-new awards. 🎉 But before we dive into the big reveal, let's take a moment to celebrate those who made it to our outstanding shortlist. 👇 --- ## Customer Marketing MVP of the Year This award is reserved for a customer marketer who is the epitome of going ‘above and beyond'. They’re the full package when it comes to customer marketing, from their inspiring talks to their engaging posts on Slack – this person is the real MVP of customer marketing. Let’s take a look at the shortlist: - [**Victoria LaPlante**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-laplante/), Director of Customer Marketing & Community at **FloQast** - [**Hannah McKeen**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-mckeen-452753112/), Senior Customer Marketing Manager at **Jellyfish** - [**Robert Maddox**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-arnold-ii/), Customer Advocacy & Community Manager at **Delinea** - [**Colette Chavalia**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colettereid/), Senior Customer Marketing Manager at **Databricks** - [**Mark Behar**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-behar-799508a1/), Manager, Customer Marketing Programs at **UserTesting** - [**Ashlyn Paquette**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlyn-paquette-daniel-nuboer-965158112/), Customer Marketing Lifecycle Manager at **Drift** **The winner will be announced on October 25.** --- ## Customer Advocacy MVP of the Year The emerging, fresh talent within CM is something to shout from the rooftops, and this award celebrates the rising stars breaking into the customer marketing industry. Let’s check out our finalists: - [**Meenakshi Lakhwani**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakshi-lakhwani/), Senior Customer Advocacy Manager at **Workday** - [**Dave Hansen**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davewhansen/), Global Advocacy Marketing Director at **LRN** - [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-browning/)[**Katie Browning**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-browning/), Manager, Community Engagement at **Copado** - [**Crystal Anderson**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalmvanderson/), Director, Customer Marketing at **SheerID** **The winner will be announced on October 25.** --- ## Top Company to Work in CM For This award is like the Best Picture category; it’s the one everyone’s vying for. You all voted for the best company to work for in customer marketing and we were floored by the number of nominations for this award. The victorious company is the complete package – it nurtures talent, is innovative, and promotes a sterling company culture. Here are the awesome companies shortlisted: - [**Nutanix**](https://www.nutanix.com/) - [**UserList**](https://userlist.com/) - [**AlphaSense**](https://www.alpha-sense.com/) - [**G2**](https://www.g2.com/) - [**BMC**](https://www.bmc.com/) - [**F5**](https://f5.com/) - [**Workday**](https://www.workday.com/) - [**Cisco**](https://www.cisco.com/) - [**SAP**](https://www.sap.com/index.html) The winner will be announced on October 25. --- ### **What’s next?** Well, first of all, congratulations to each and every one of our finalists! 🎉 We’ll be announcing the three lucky winners at our Customer Marketing Summit on **October 25, 2023**. Don’t forget to save the date, and [**get your free tickets here**](https://summit2023.customermarketingalliance.com/checkout/select-tickets/). 📅 Tune in to find out the results very soon. ### Account research template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/account-research-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T14:34:14.000Z ## What is an account research template? An account research template is a structured way to build a full picture of a target account before you engage them – covering their business overview, strategy, needs, org chart, competitive landscape, and buying process – so outreach is grounded in research instead of guesswork. Researching a new account can feel overwhelming simply because it's unclear where to start or when you've done enough. This template breaks that research into six defined areas, so you know exactly what to look for and when the picture is complete enough to act on. ## What's inside the template? The template covers six areas for a single target account: 1. Account overview 2. Business strategy 3. Needs and motivations 4. Organization chart 5. Competitive analysis 6. Buying process ## How to use the template Work through the sections in order: the account overview and business strategy give you context, needs and motivations tell you why they'd buy, and the organization chart tells you who's actually involved in that decision. Competitive analysis and buying process round it out so you know who you're up against and what could slow the deal down. Duplicate the template for each account you're researching, and revisit it as new information comes in — an account's priorities and org chart can shift between your first conversation and a closed deal. ## Download your account research template ![Account research template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Account-research-template.png) [Account research templateAccount research template.pdf73 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Account-research-template.pdf "Download") [Account research templateAccount research template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Account-research-template.docx "Download") [Account research templateAccount research template Researching a new potential customer can be a daunting task. How do you get started and what do you need to know? Don’t panic - this account research template will help you find and target the right people. \[Account Name\] Account overview Business model and ind…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-88216870-da80-4d02-9bf8-af6c76c16d28.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyK-BG6jV_JvoPyDanigT6wriglkQOM-oXiUpFogoiQAsJ7nwjQ6P6zXP-0owZFmap9gSuJt26330F6qV59u9jLYDkgVk-sqrKHv7GdIB6RyQ6zpFxA-w1200-h630-p-180879f6-15f4-446a-9d53-f2c4b03fc66f)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xeo-hPGoaYZCo55tg%5FKbFpiXZ4r3-sW76Ohm2-xZG0U/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Boost customer loyalty and drive expansion for sustainable business growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/boost-customer-loyalty-and-drive-expansion-for-sustainable-business-growth/ Last updated: 2024-11-08T15:16:18.000Z This article comes from **Alain Mowad**’s talk, ‘*Leveraging customer loyalty & expansion to beat the competition & grow the business*’, at our **Las Vegas 2023 Customer Marketing Summit**, check out his full talk [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=zrv6wp1vtu). Do your customers love using your software, yet fall short of realizing its full potential? Do you struggle to achieve contract renewals and expansions year after year? **You're not alone.** In today's climate of skyrocketing expectations but plummeting loyalty, driving sustainable growth is *harder than ever*. Churn threatens revenues, while unused product capabilities represent missed expansion opportunities. Trust me - I've faced these hurdles myself. As the **Senior Director of Product Services** and **Technical Marketing** at **Talkdesk**, customer loyalty and expansion are my obsession. Talkdesk is a contact center as a service provider and a full stack solution for enterprises to deliver modern customer service. We offer everything from omnichannel engagement, customer experience, analytics, self-service, workforce engagement, and employee collaboration for back-office staff. We’re truly AI-powered! Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks, often through trial and error, on how to inspire customers to fully adopt capabilities, renew contracts, and expand spending. So today I want to share actionable takeaways to help you nurture loyalty, boost retention, and grow wallet share - while avoiding pitfalls I’ve experienced. Ready to turn your users into passionate brand advocates who buy more each year? Let’s get started. ## **The challenges of earning loyalty today** The bar for earning customer loyalty has *never* been higher. The pandemic accelerated changes in buyer behavior, especially among younger demographics, making it easier than ever for customers to switch brands after just one bad experience. Consider these alarming statistics: - **32%** of customers will leave a brand they love after a single negative experience. - **15%** will do so after multiple bad experiences. - **57%** of Gen Zers are less loyal to brands now than before the pandemic. The generations driving these changes in loyalty - Gen Z and millennials - now make up the majority of the workforce. So the same attitudes are shaping B2B buying decisions, with customers feeling empowered to churn if vendors don't continually wow them. At the same time, the SaaS business model has dramatically lowered switching costs. With enterprise software, customers invested heavily upfront in implementations and integrations. They became trapped - unable to leave without massive disruptions. SaaS flips the script. Subscription pricing means smaller, recurring investments. Cloud delivery and APIs make integration easier. While contractual obligations still exist, it's simpler to swap one SaaS provider for another over time. Between generational shifts and SaaS flexibility, **customers have all the power**. To drive growth in this climate, you must increase customer lifetime value - both by retaining customers longer and expanding spend from each one. Growing lifetime value is where customer expansion comes in! ## **What is a customer expansion playbook?** A customer expansion playbook lays out targeted strategies to: - **Drive adoption so customers use more of what they've purchased.** - **Upsell and cross-sell to broaden your footprint.** This makes your solution stickier and harder to leave at renewal time. An effective playbook has three core components: ### **1\. Customer cohorts** You can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Segment users into cohorts based on where they are in the journey, what they use and don’t use, usage trends, and buying patterns. For example, are they increasing or decreasing usage? Have they adopted additional products? Stopped using a product? Customer sentiment is also telling. Do they proactively engage or stay quiet? Are they promoters or detractors? Effective targeting requires understanding each cohort’s specific needs. ### **2\. Targeted outreach** With detailed cohort data, you can craft targeted messages and campaigns tailored to each one. Tactics may include emails, in-app messaging, community outreach, and more. Don't blast the same generic message to all customers. Personalize for each cohort. ### **3\. Targeted assets** Create collateral that speaks directly to what each cohort cares about. For some it's awareness, for others it's education on how to use features, and for others it's the ROI of expanding. Match assets to motivations for maximum impact. ## **A sample playbook in action** Here's an example of how we executed a targeted expansion playbook for digital engagement capabilities. We segmented customers into three cohorts: **Cohort 1**: Has the license but hasn't enabled the digital engagement app. This consisted of approximately 200-300 accounts. **Cohort 2**: Enabled the app but hasn't used it. Slightly smaller cohort of 100-150 accounts. **Cohort 3**: Uses a lower license tier but expressed interest in capabilities like SMS. Large cohort of 500+ accounts. Our outreach used different messaging and assets tailored to each cohort: - **Cohort 1**: Drive awareness of what they already have access to. Emphasize capabilities enabled by their license tier. - **Cohort 2**: Provide guidance on using the app they installed. Offer training and resources for getting started. - **Cohort 3**: Highlight what they're missing out on with the lower tier. Share ROI data and customer success stories. This approach yielded strong results, with engagement rates of **61%**, **52%**, and **58%** for Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 respectively. We also gained valuable insights that fed back into the playbook. For example, in-app messaging worked best for **Cohort 1**, driving the highest click-through rates. But for **Cohort 2**, email and community outreach performed better. Analyzing channel performance for each cohort allows continual optimization. The high volume of MQLs validated interest in expanding to new capabilities. **Looking for more examples?* We have a whole cohort of playbooks and eBooks at your disposal to get an in depth view of how such a resource is structured:* [Customer Marketing Alliance: eBooks and playbooksAre you eager to dive into a classic eBook? How about an enlightening playbook? Consider it done! And remember to stay tuned as we update the list every quarter. 👊![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/Customer-Marketing-Alliance-mission-1.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ebooks-playbooks/) ## **Follow up is critical** An expansion playbook isn't a one-and-done effort. Once you generate interest, you must act quickly to convert MQLs, onboard customers to new capabilities, and plan ongoing nurturing. It's a labor-intensive process requiring tight coordination across the customer success, product, and marketing teams. Specific follow-up tasks include: - **Immediately engaging MQLs to drive adoption** - **Planning nurturing campaigns for "not now, but interested" customers** - **Developing training plans to accelerate feature usage** - **Checking usage data frequently as leading indicators of adoption** - **Managing many complex customer interactions to guide expansion** You also need to keep iterating the playbook based on results and learnings. Improvement is *continual*! ## **Success stories showing growth** Here are a few examples of how this approach has helped us grow accounts: ☁️ **Cisco** Started with one product, then adopted digital engagement, workforce optimization, automation, and more. Expanded both products used and value. 🏥 **Carbon Health** Began with our basic platform, then added phone, automation, and other capabilities as they rapidly expanded. We became their go-to solution. 🚚 **JK Moving** Expanded from voice to workforce management, now exploring automation. Increased product breadth and contract value. 💵 **Washington Federal Bank** Upgraded to our premium platform, then layered on digital channels. Used cross-sell to increase spend. The key is landing accounts with one product, then nurturing them to expand usage and spend over time. This drives **loyalty**, **retention**, and **growth**. ## **Final thoughts** I hope these tips help you start down the path of nurturing customer relationships for growth and loyalty. It’s a journey that never really ends – the work of fine-tuning your approach is ongoing. **But it’s worth it**. When you make customers’ lives easier, solve their problems, and deliver value every day, you build bonds that transcend transactions. Don’t get discouraged if it takes time; **lasting loyalty is built slowly, interaction by interaction**. Stay curious about your customers’ needs, keep innovating, and double down on customer success. If you can become their trusted partner, they’ll reward you with their business. The journey continues, but **you've got this**. Now get out there and turn your customers into fanatics! ### What is customer marketing? And why it's so important | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-and-why-its-so-important-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T12:55:10.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [The A to Z of customer marketingWhile customer marketing may seem like a self-explanatory area of business marketing, there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s new to the way businesses connect with their customers and has a different role in the customer journey than sales, product marketing, or even customer success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/The-A-to-Z-of-Customer-Marketing-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/) [How to leverage customer marketing and impact the revenue cycle meaningfully?Taking on a revenue goal will almost always guarantee a seat at the table and more importantly have a direct tie to understanding the success behind marketing programs. So how do meaningfully impact revenue and where do you start?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceSonal Mane![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/07/nadine-shaabana-ZPP-zP8HYG0-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-leverage-customer-marketing-and-impact-the-revenue-cycle-meaningfully/) [The art of prioritizing voice of customerWhat percentage of your customers could you reach out to individually right now just to check in and say hello? If your answer is less than 20%, you have some work to do!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceHannah McKeen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/06/mike-petrucci-f6Xv0xs9JWg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/) ### Why is customer marketing so important? | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-marketing-so-important-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T12:50:58.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [Customer marketing frameworkFor each of the five fundamental stages: Lifecycle and governance, educate, engage, understand, and expand, we’ve unpacked each of the cogs to arm you all the info needed to boost your understanding of pivotal topics, as you and your team strive to create something truly memorable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/CMA-Framework-Wheel_Meta.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-framework/) [Customer marketing in 2024: Responsibilities, and metricsOur Customer Marketing Industry and Salary Reports will be launching at the end of this year, but we wanted to give you a sample of the kind of data you can expect from theses reports. In this article, we’ll be going through the responsibilities and metrics of customer marketing teams in 2023/24.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/isaac-smith-6EnTPvPPL6I-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-in-2024-responsibilities-and-metrics/) [Customer marketing: Delighting customers at scaleMy goals are to share my formula for delight (which is just a pretentious way of saying, “These are the things I look for whenever I’m trying to create a delightful experience”) and give you a bunch of tactics to make delightful experiences.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AlliancePatrick Kalie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/01/pablo-heimplatz-ZODcBkEohk8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-delighting-customers-at-scale/) ### How to build a powerful customer advocacy strategy with account-based customer marketing | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-and-account-based-marketing-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T12:55:52.000Z ## **Looking for more?** [Event strategy simplified: The right format for your goalsWith so many event formats and types, how do you determine the right approach? Today we’ll explore seven relationship-building event types for marketers. You’ll learn the distinct purpose and best practices for each one - from intimate interviews to large user conferences.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDave Hansen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2023/11/chuttersnap-Q_KdjKxntH8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/event-strategy-simplified-choose-the-right-format-for-your-goals/) [Establishing a customer marketing strategy and developing advocatesLike product marketing, customer marketing can vary a lot from company to company. Customer marketing at Zendesk is a group of programs that focuses on showcasing the stories of our customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceValeria Gomez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/09/skye-studios-NDLLFxTELrU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/) [Perfect customer marketing by prioritizing the customerA huge part of customer marketing is building lasting relationships with your customers and showing your appreciation for all that they do, but how can we do this in a meaningful way?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceChristie Vaughan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/06/marco-bianchetti-vzFTmxTl0DQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-marketing-strategy-by-prioritizing-customer-relationships/) ### Unlocking the power of storytelling in customer marketing | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-the-power-of-storytelling-in-customer-marketing-video/ Last updated: 2024-10-08T11:00:58.000Z ## Looking for more storytelling content? [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) [How storytelling works to perfect customer marketingConstructing a narrative to communicate a message to an audience is one of the backbones of marketing. A gripping story can be used in all sorts of ways, by customer marketers, product marketers, sales, and everyone in between.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/07/joanna-kosinska-B6yDtYs2IgY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) [Authentic storytelling: Attract your audience with Storytelling MastersWant a happy ending for you and your customers? Look no further with our Storytelling Certified course, and become the perfect marketing author.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/CMA_Storytelling_Assets_3.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/master-the-art-of-story-selling/) ### Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco 2023 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-sf-2023-ondemand/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T16:17:47.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco. Elevate your career and enhance your strategy with learnings from BMS, AlphaSense, Adobe, Atlassian, Asana, and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Making strategies work in remote settings URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/making-enablement-work-in-remote-settings/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:07:27.000Z Whether your teams are working in an office, taking a hybrid approach, or fully remote, the ability to drive outcomes from across all of these environments is a key skill to set yourself up for success in today’s world. Each setting poses **unique challenges** and requires **distinct approaches** to be successful. Regardless of the approach your team has taken, the ability to enable teams remotely is an ever present need with the distributed nature of today’s global workforce. Below are areas to consider when setting up your remote teams for success: - Get the right digital tools and solutions - Create a culture of sharing - Use a variety of mediums - Make live virtual sessions engaging - Establish a check-in cadence 👇 ## **Ensure you have the right digital tools and solutions in place** Ease of processes in a remote environment **depends** **heavily** **on the strength of your tech stack and ability to leverage it** in your marketing programs. When building out your tech stack, you'll want: - A centralized location for your customer data. - A shared place to meet, communicate, and collaborate remotely. - A consolidated hub to create and distribute content. - A way to record and store customer-facing and internal calls. - A space to build and facilitate live virtual learning and e-learning programs. - A system of action to streamline your sales processes and ensure remote teams are able to work efficiently. - A tool to track and analyze performance, as well as monitor and report on key metrics. Once you have your tech stack in place, it’s important that you document and share with your teams *how* they should be interacting with these tools to minimize confusion. --- [![](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/content/images/2023/04/C-Suite_Masterclass_Email_Banner_.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) --- ## **Foster a culture of sharing** An emphasis on learning *together and from one another* should be key to any team’s culture. > *To do this remotely, teams must find ways to encourage knowledge sharing across teams, to celebrate wins, and to document best practices.* While there are many sales readiness platforms that can aid in this area, there are also ways to do this in an instant messaging platform. For example, create a dedicated channel in your instant messaging platform and encourage teams to share their wins, best practices, *and* their failures and learnings with the broader team. Consider boosting interaction by offering incentives for those who share often, offer great insights, or engage in productive exchanges with their peers. Ensure leadership and frontline managers are **also engaged** in the channel, while monitoring the space for any negative contributions that put the culture building objective at risk. ## **Provide a mix of live virtual training, e-learning, video, and practice sessions** Mixing up learning modalities to provide an engaging experience is as important in a remote world as it is in an office setting. Consider building programs that offer a mix of the modalities. For example: - Start with a live virtual training to introduce a new topic - Create an e-learning to reinforce what the teams heard during the live virtual training - Share short videos of best practices from the field week over week to keep the information top of mind - Provide managers with resources to conduct practice sessions within their teams to help reps apply what they have learned and receive coaching on an ongoing basis. ## **Conduct engaging live virtual learning** Teams do not have to be in person to experience fun and competitive engagement when prodicing and running your programs. Breakout rooms during live virtual training can provide an avenue for [role plays](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/using-chatgpt-for-sales-and-why-you-need-it-in-your-sales-enablement-toolkit/), experimentation, and collaboration. Bringing in examples from the field is also a great way to make live virtual learning more engaging. Even though many professionals are often great facilitators, those who have **hands-on experience** with the different topics are invaluable. > *Additionally, creating challenges and awarding prizes during live virtual sessions can boost the willingness of reps to engage.* For example, say you are training your teams on how to engage with a particular buyer persona: - Provide your teams with a template and have them complete an individual deal strategy activity before dividing into breakout groups to discuss their plans and receive feedback from their peers and managers. - Then consider having a few reps prepped to “stand and deliver” their plans back with the broader group and receive feedback from leaders to align the group around the attributes of a strong plan. Be sure to highlight both the wins and areas of opportunity. - Prepare a few reps who have had success in the past engaging with this persona to share their experience with the group. Ask them to share context for their deal, what they did, what the outcome was, and what they learned about how to engage with the persona based on their experience. - Share a recorded call in a live virtual training of a great conversation a rep had with the focus persona. Be sure to highlight what it was specifically that the rep did in the call to engage the persona effectively. ## **Set up operating rhythms to support feedback and ongoing practice** Feedback and insight into what is happening out in the field may be captured in different ways in a remote world than it is in an office setting. Consider establishing a check-in cadence with a group of marketers or front line managers to get a sense of how your different initiatives are landing in the field. Then, leverage this input to inform your reinforcement plans or **adapt your approach** in the future. > *Additionally, consistent practice and coaching likely needs to be set into an operating rhythm to remain top of mind for teams.* Therefore, determine a frequency that makes sense for your organization and add either manager- or enablement-led practice opportunities, where reps can try out new skills and receive coaching. Having a **standardized cadence will increase traction** for your programs and offer insight into how reps are retaining the information they have received. ## **The path forward** By implementing the above tactics, you will be on the path to helping your teams thrive in a remote environment. To get started on this path, ensure you have the **right tools** in place as a strong foundation. Then, build on your foundation by offering **avenues for sharing**, creating **engaging training** in a variety of forms, setting up **practice opportunities**, and supporting strong **feedback loops** to iterate over time. --- [*Katie*](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katievanhoomissen/?ref=salesenablementcollective.com) *is Senior Revenue Enablement Manager at Outreach.* --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--7.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) **Carve your path to the C-Suite with our expert-led masterclass. Over 6 weeks, learn from experts who've been there and done it and expedite your path to the top.** [Secure your spot today!](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### 3 pillars of customer marketing | Video URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/pillars-of-customer-marketing-video/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T11:02:11.000Z ## Looking for more? [The 5 Core Attributes of a Killer Customer Marketing StrategyCustomer loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. It’s an outcome of planning, strategizing, and executing a well-crafted customer marketing strategy that relies on clear goals and KPIs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKatya Rozkho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/10/spacex--p-KCm6xB9I-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-5-core-attributes-of-a-killer-customer-marketing-strategy/) [Improve and perfect your marketing practices with CMA CoreCustomer Marketing Certified: Core’s the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/11/brands-people-ZdqSuxl3Lak-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-certified-improve-and-perfect-your-marketing-practices/) [The A to Z of customer marketingWhile customer marketing may seem like a self-explanatory area of business marketing, there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s new to the way businesses connect with their customers and has a different role in the customer journey than sales, product marketing, or even customer success.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1200/2022/04/The-A-to-Z-of-Customer-Marketing-1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/) ### Solo customer marketing: How to scale impact with limited resources URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/solo-customer-marketing-how-to-scale-impact-with-limited-resources/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:00:22.000Z Have you ever tried building IKEA furniture alone? It’s possible, but man is it slower and more frustrating without a partner! That’s exactly how I felt tackling customer marketing initiatives solo in the early days. Exciting but *cumbersome*. So I want to share my hard-won tips for not just surviving but thriving as a customer marketing solo. How do you stay afloat AND move the needle when resources are limited? Stick with me for pro tips on stakeholder and customer insight, priority setting, process efficiency, and cross-functional collaboration. **Let's maximize your impact!** - **My background - The accidental customer marketer** - **Step 1: Stakeholder & customer interviews** - **Step 2: Map Initiatives to the Customer Journey** - **Step 3: Ruthless Prioritization** - **Step 4: Key Tips for Running Efficiently as an Army of One** - **Final thoughts** ## My background - The accidental customer marketer Before joining Dropbox, I co-founded a tech startup called Ideascale with some college friends. For almost 10 years, I was essentially the entire marketing department. I did *everything* \- demand generation, events, social media, email campaigns, website content, and more. Growing and scaling that company from scratch to **$10 million in revenue** taught me that customer marketing is truly the heartbeat of any marketing organization. Our **organic growth was driven by customer marketing** activities. So while I’ve only recently started thinking of myself as a “customer marketer”, I was doing the job of an entire marketing team. ## Step 1: Stakeholder & customer interviews Interviewing both stakeholders and customers gives you 360-degree insight into priorities. This research should be the first step whether you’re just starting as a customer marketing army of one or you’re an experienced solo looking to reset and refine your direction. ### Stakeholder interviews Meet with one person from each key department and come prepared with a standard list of questions for each. Here are three *must-ask* questions: 1. **What do you know about the customer?** Their insights will inform you and reveal knowledge gaps. 2. **What's the most important thing we could do right now to deliver value to customers?** Ask why it's not happening already. Uncover blockers. 3. **If I could do anything in the next quarter to make your job easier, what would it be?** Learn their priorities and desired initiatives. As an example, in Ideascale's early days, our biggest needs were around building out the ICP and generating MQLs. So after my stakeholder interviews, I invested in deep customer research that ultimately became a hugely popular crowdsourced innovation report. Listen closely during the interviews for clues around gaps in the customer journey. If certain touchpoints like onboarding or technical training are repeatedly mentioned as pain points, dig into why. ### Customer interviews While stakeholder perspectives provide helpful direction, the customer's voice is what matters most. Aim to interview 3-5 existing customers. Here are some key questions to ask: 1. **How did you initially come to work with our product? What problems or needs prompted your purchase?** Learn their pain points. 2. **What does your implementation look like day-to-day?** Uncover use cases and workflows. 3. **What do you think of our product overall?** Get honest feedback on their experience. 4. If we could improve in just one way, **what should we prioritize?** Identify desired new features or areas for improvement. At Dropbox, these interviews highlighted that SMBs want to learn best practices from each other. The community was far more valuable to them than training materials. ## Step 2: Map initiatives to the customer journey Armed with insights from both internal and external research, you can start mapping potential initiatives to the customer journey. Look for gaps between what stakeholders think customers want and what customers actually say they want. The opportunities for quick wins exist where expectations and reality converge. Identify the journey stages with the biggest need gaps, whether it's awareness, onboarding, training, or retention. Then brainstorm high-impact projects you could pilot to address those gaps. At this point, you’ll have a long list of compelling initiatives, which is both exciting and overwhelming. Now comes the hard part - narrowing the focus. ## Step 3: Ruthless prioritization The hardest skill for any customer marketing team of one, is **saying no**. My priority setting framework has 3 steps: **1\. Rank by Value** Look across your list and rank each potential project on expected business value, from high to low. Since quantifying value is difficult, use your best judgment based on customer and stakeholder insights. **2\. Cut the List in Half** Once you've ranked your list by value, cut it in half. Those projects aren't fully off the table, but they should be treated as reach goals rather than priorities. **3\. Focus on the Top Half** Now you have a manageable list of 3-5 must-do projects rather than a laundry list of every good idea under the sun. Limit your effort to this top tier only. Avoid the temptation to chase new projects until these are successfully implemented. Be vigilant about protecting personal time as much as professional time. Customer marketing folks often struggle with work-life balance. But you'll burn out fast trying to do everything on your list, ruthless focus on a few priorities will maximize results. ## Step 4: Key tips for running efficiently as an army of one Regardless of which initiatives you ultimately prioritize, here are some tactics critical for customer marketing solos to work efficiently and effectively: ### Find your advocates One of your most valuable assets is a community of engaged customer advocates. They can provide references, reviews, case studies, product feedback, and more. To identify potential advocates: - **Ask stakeholders who their best customers are.** - **Monitor social media for positive brand mentions.** - **Set up search alerts for your brand name mentioned on calls (tools like Gong help with this).** Once you have a list of ideal advocates, personally reach out to them. Have exploratory calls to understand what motivates them to share their positive experience. ### Activate advocates strategically Now that you’ve identified enthusiastic advocates, provide opportunities for them to share their love for your brand. A few options: - **References:** Nominate them for quick reference calls. - **Speaking:** Recommend them for webinars/podcasts/conference speaking. - **Case studies:** Interview them to develop compelling written, video, or audio stories. - **Panels:** Invite them to participate in product feedback panels. - **Reviews:** Ask them to leave honest reviews and ratings. When possible, match activities to an advocate's primary motivation, such as networking or thought leadership. Take notes on participation and business impact. ### Track everything in a CRM Meticulously document all advocate interactions and the value delivered over time. This both maximizes your productivity and prevents over-engaging advocates. Critical fields to track in a CRM include: - **Primary motivation for advocating** - **Date of last activity** - **Details of activities completed** - **Business impact (e.g. "reference call resulted in $20k deal")** Ideally use a purpose-built CRM, but a spreadsheet works too. I've included a simple starter template in my tactical assets download. ### Reward and recognize Expressing thanks and appreciation is the most important thing you can do to keep your advocates engaged. Some simple but meaningful options: - **Send handwritten thank-you notes.** - **Highlight advocates publicly in company meetings or internal newsletters.** - **Give early access to new product features or content assets.** - **Host exclusive dinners or events for top advocates.** If budget allows, branded swag is also a nice perk - just don't let it become expected. Not every reward needs to cost money. ### Work cross-functionally While you’re solo, collaborate extensively across Sales, Support, Product, and more. Treat them like teammates. Encourage team members to "Adopt a Champion" directly, without being a middleman. This helps them build customer empathy and insight. Send peer recognition on Slack when colleagues do something helpful. Public praise builds goodwill across departments. ### Get laser focused With endless competing priorities, the Eisenhower Matrix is your friend. Separate the urgent from the important. I block 30 minutes every Friday for "kudos". I take quick notes throughout the week on people who helped me, then publicly thank them on Slack. This focus and discipline ensures you’re not stuck doing busy work while high-impact activities fall through the cracks. ## Final thoughts Whew, we covered a lot of ground today! If you take just ONE nugget away, let it be this: **Listen first, act second.** Resist the temptation to jump into doing. Sit down with stakeholders, sit down with customers. Listen intently to their needs and pain points. Then let those insights guide your priorities and activities. ### Case studies for community engagement: Engagement in action URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/case-studies-for-community-engagement-engagement-in-action/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:00:43.000Z Calling all, community builders! Ready for some inspiration? We're exploring the concept of community engagement with two engaging case studies that'll spark your creativity and leave you itching to level up your community game. In this article we're covering: - A case study from a group initiative, PMA book club - A case study from Community Manager, Samraj Attwal - Other examples of strategies that encourage community engagement and customer collaboration, like CABs and Ambassadors. ## Case study: PMA Book Club Here’s another real-world example of facilitating engagement from within one of our very own sister communities, Product Marketing Alliance (PMA). PMA’s free Slack community is home to over 40,000+ Product Marketing Managers worldwide who come together to share questions, feedback, ideas, and all-around support for product marketing. Within that, members have created a number of micro-communities or subject-specific channels designed to reflect their more specific interests within the realm of product marketing and to connect more closely with like-minded individuals in the space. **A great example of this is the PMA Book Club.** Each month, members who have joined the community connect to vote for that month’s book of choice. Of course, the books look at different areas within or relevant to product marketing. Then, when the book’s been voted for and everyone’s had a chance to read it, they all meet up virtually to discuss what they’ve learned, and the general experience they each had reading it. This is led by the original member who created the micro-community, and guided by a Community Manager to help make sure everything runs smoothly. ![PMA book club poster](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LvlUMAwmXMv3iHhXVbUkEvoavNd42QKnX1PbJ67vb0LcszsGxYKpeeaZdqoj89TBwWHGTE9Y5ZP4q-_zYz_DEududzS4pQmRXP8U9rGWht7wIno6x9qMLn3G9FAQ8Ph228E5j0FkEl-PvwhBygEr7gQ) Through the use of this micro-community, the avid readers of the PMA group come together to help each other find books they’ll enjoy, hold each other more accountable to actually do the readings as they’ll all be meeting to discuss them, and can grow together in a smaller space with individuals who enjoy the same things they do. ## Case study: Community moderation in action To help us explain how community moderation can work we asked Samraj Attwal, Community Manager at The Alliance, to tell us about a time they had to step in to moderate community activity. We’ll look at how this anonymized situation arose, the steps Samraj took to resolve it, what they learned from it, and how things changed. Here’s what Samraj had to say: > “On this occasion, we had a community member - let’s call him Gary - popping up in our Slack community with the same kind of messaging each time. His messages would always include promotions of his company, and oftentimes he’d post about events with links to lead-gen forms. These are things we don’t want to see. > "My first step was to review our guidelines. I needed to determine if Gary would have been able to know what we expected, from the guidelines we’d provided. After reviewing the guidelines, I knew that they weren’t clear enough. So a problem had been identified, but it was on us for not illustrating our expectations as well as we should have. > “My second step was to delete the post. As a community manager, it’s my responsibility to ensure that we encourage the kind of content we want to see, and leaving that kind of post in might suggest to other members that they can post the same. > “After that, my third step was to message Gary right away to let him know his post had been deleted and why. It’s important that these actions don’t happen quietly, but that we alert our members of our actions and open up a dialogue about community expectations. > “As expected, Gary was disappointed to have had his post removed. But, after an honest conversation in which I admitted that we messed up by not providing a clear enough set of guidelines, he could see where I was coming from. > “Then, my fourth step was to hear Gary out and let him know that I was there to help. I asked for his input on the guidelines, to understand if there was anything else he thought should change. I also told him I was happy to check any of his future posts before he shares them, to make sure they align with our expectations. > “Finally, my fifth step was to make changes based on what I’d learned from this experience. The guidelines didn’t state our expectations as explicitly as they needed to, so I adjusted them to add some clarity and kept in mind the suggestions from Gary as I did so. > “Now - Gary doesn’t need to ask for my approval on his posts. And, the guidelines let everyone know what we hope to see, so we’ve seen a significant reduction in this kind of occurrence.” Imagine how this situation could have gone if Samraj wasn’t there to moderate as needed. Gary would have continued posting the same things, the topic and the focus of the community would likely have strayed, and other members may have begun posting the same sort of thing - not knowing they shouldn’t. With Samraj’s moderation here, they were able to quickly step in on a minor issue and bring the community focus back to where it should be. Not only that, but they were able to foster a relationship with a community member - encouraging them to continue posting and letting them know that their input is valued. That’s a pretty good resolution in our eyes! Following the same style of resolution as Samraj is definitely a good way to start in your community moderation. **Just follow these steps:** > “Consistently offer value to your customers and they will be willing to help you. Don’t overlook engagement strategies and jump straight to asks and sells!” ## Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) Customer Advisory Boards (CAB) is a case of the name ‘doing what it says on the tin’. A CAB is a group of existing customers that helps brief your company on the experience with your product, offers information on what it’s like to be a customer, and advises you on other areas where customer interaction is typical. Customer Advisory Boards usually benefit companies that already have a good customer-to-business connection, as to be effective, it has to begin with a good foundation. That way, CABs can be used to the best of their effectiveness. ### Here are some of the perks: - It offers a direct link to your customers, in a way that is personal and guarantees a more solid and tangible connection to them. - Helps provide direction, both in where to take your company and your products to better align with your customers’ priorities. - Creates champions for your brand. Customer Advisory Boards work well when connected to an advocacy program. - CABs evolve customer engagement. Customer Advisory Boards are essentially an evolution of other customer engagement programs. Customer marketing responsibilities are all about improving customer engagement and customer retention. So, CABs are right up that alley. CABs inform your techniques. CABs ensure a close customer relationship by involving these customers in how you run your marketing campaigns. Their insights into your customer journey are the key to improving customer acquisition and retaining customers in a relatively cost-effective manner. Understanding why they became loyal customers can give you hints into the techniques that work for your target audience and increasing both the number of new customers and customers that make a repeat purchase. ### Set specific goals Knowing you want to connect better with your customers is all well and good, but without a tangible direction, a CAB is going to be more of a hindrance than a help. Like with any board, discussing important topics in a large group can quickly go wrong if there’s confusion and miscommunication behind the goal you’re working towards. So, make sure everyone knows why they’re there, and the goal the CAB is working towards. The aim should be specific and achievable within a specific time period. That way, the CAB will have achievable milestones to prove its success. ### Choose ideal candidates Picking the right people for this kind of board is vital. Intentions must align and, most importantly, there should be a universal desire for your company to succeed. This is why it can be a good idea to set up a CAB that’s connected to your advocacy program. You already know these customers well and their loyalty is near-guaranteed, so you know they have the same passion as you for improving your company’s policies and direction. ### Create an agenda This goes in hand with the first point, but knowing what you want to complete within each meeting will help things from going too off the rails, especially when feelings are involved. A time limit can go a long way to make sure any bigger personalities and issues don’t delay the other points you have planned for discussion. ## Ambassadors Brand ambassadors are individuals that promote your brand or product to their network or community. They’re typically passionate about your brand and are well-versed in its offerings, values, and benefits. Brand ambassadors aren’t only responsible for promoting your brand but also for creating an emotional and human connection between you and your customers. Brand ambassadors can have a significant impact on customer and community engagement as they’re able to speak to customers on a more personal level. These ambassadors will usually be customers themselves, which provides a much deeper connection with your other customers. It’s an age-old fact, but it bears repeating again: Customers are always more likely to trust other customers first, before your brand. In fact, about **88%** of consumers said that they trusted recommendations from people they know, above all other forms of marketing messaging. Ambassadors become that trusted person for your other customers. By sharing their experiences and knowledge of your brand, your ambassadors can help customers feel more connected to your company. This, in turn, can lead to increased customer loyalty and advocacy. Ambassadors can be used to engage with customers in a variety of ways, specifically: - Through social media - Networking at events - Beginning conversations using word-of-mouth marketing They can also provide valuable feedback to your brand about customer needs and preferences, which can help improve the overall customer experience. Engaged customers are more likely to share their positive experiences with others and become loyal to your brand. By nurturing these relationships, brand ambassadors can cultivate a sense of authenticity and trust within the community, leading to increased customer retention, advocacy, and brand awareness. ## These case studies in context These case study examples came directly from our Customer and Community Engagement Playbook. In it, we collaborated with our sister community Community-led Alliance, to really dig deep into the differences and similarities between these two concepts, and how community and marketing can work together to foster a fantastic journey for customers. **Get your free copy below. 👇** ### The dangers of outsourcing SaaS development vs keeping it in-house URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-dangers-of-outsourcing-saas-development-vs-keeping-it-in-house/ Last updated: 2024-07-18T16:40:35.000Z Okay, so you’ve got a really great idea for a SaaS product; now it’s decision time, do you focus on building your solution in-house, spending money and resources on building out teams for each function, or do you instead outsource your product development to agencies? The answer depends largely on the type of product you’re offering. We can’t give you a definitive answer either way, but we can guide you to the solution that might be right for you. So, without further ado, let’s give you the low-down on outsourcing vs in-house development. ## **What is outsourcing vs in-agency development?** When it comes to deciding between hiring an agency or keeping things in-house for your development needs, there are some key differences to consider—like cost, timelines, flexibility, and dedication. Now, if you decide to go with a software development agency, you can save some cash, get your product launched faster, and have more time to focus on other important aspects of your business. But here's the catch: if you want to make changes or pivot down the line, it might be a bit trickier with a fixed scope, and the agency might not be as invested in your project as an in-house team would be. So, you need to make sure that your vision is clearly articulated to agencies. On the flip side, going with an in-house development department gives you more freedom to tweak things on the go, more control over the process, and a team that's fully dedicated to your product and the problem you're tackling. But keep in mind that it might take a bit more money and time to get your product off the ground using this approach. ## **The benefits of outsourcing** ### **Focus on core offerings** When it comes to your SaaS product, outsourcing it to a software development agency can be a game-changer, especially if you don't have the right team in-house. But here's the thing—even if you do have a super slick [UI/UX ](https://www.futureofsaas.io/why-user-experience-is-so-important-for-your-saas-company/)and development department, outsourcing smaller projects can still be a smart move. It helps your team stay focused on core offerings and more pressing matters. ### **More cost-effective solution** Outsourcing is often a more cost-effective option. You don't have to worry about hiring expensive freelancers or setting up a whole in-house team. That means more savings for your business. On average, this approach can slash your costs by up to 50% while still delivering top-notch SaaS products faster than the [competition.](https://www.futureofsaas.io/competitive-differentiation-strategy-how-to-win-in-a-hyper-competitive-saas-market/) ### **Free up your time** But that's not all. By outsourcing the development of your SaaS product, you can free up your time to tackle other critical tasks before the big launch—no need to go through the hassle of hiring, [onboarding,](https://www.futureofsaas.io/customer-onboarding-101/) and managing the project yourself. Instead, you can rely on a trusted partner to handle all the development work. This way, you can invest your valuable time in marketing, business development, and legal matters to ensure a successful and smooth [launch.](https://www.futureofsaas.io/launch-a-showstopping-saas-with-these-6-examples-of-a-minimum-viable-product/) ## **Benefits of in-house** ### **Greater commitment to your product** Having a team of employees who live and breathe your product can work wonders. They're going to have that special spark of passion for your company and what it's all about. Plus, they're bound to be more in tune with your customers' [pain points](https://www.futureofsaas.io/building-profitable-products-with-customers/), which means they can tackle those challenges head-on. They’re willing to go above and beyond for your project because they're totally committed to your company. ### **You have more control over your product** When you keep the development of your SaaS product in-house, you're the captain of the ship, calling the shots and steering the course. Having a dedicated team on board means you have the freedom to smoothly sail through changes, introduce fresh designs, and expand the development as your product evolves. Having an in-house team proves to be a real game-changer when you need to make a quick pivot with your product. They're right by your side, ready to adapt and make those necessary moves like a pro. So, by keeping it in-house, you're not only taking control of your SaaS destiny but also setting yourself up for success in the ever-changing tech world. --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--8.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) --- ## **The dangers of outsourcing** Let's talk about the downsides of outsourcing the development of your SaaS product. Before you make a decision between hiring an agency or building an in-house team, it's crucial to understand the risks involved. ### **Harder to implement changes** First off, outsourcing can make it trickier to implement significant changes when the need arises. One of the risks is that agencies usually provide proposals with fixed deliverables, timelines, and budgets. So, if your product needs to pivot, you might find yourself in a situation where you have to renegotiate the terms of the contract with the agency to redefine the project scope. This shift can impact the timeline and budget, causing potential complications. ### **Possible lack of commitment from an agency** Another thing to keep in mind is that an agency team operates differently from an in-house team. While a development firm's team can certainly be passionate about your project, it's unlikely to match the same level of commitment and interest as an in-house department. Agency teams often juggle multiple projects simultaneously, which brings diversity in experience. However, having an in-house team has the advantage of undivided focus solely on your project, ensuring a dedicated approach. So, before you dive into outsourcing, make sure you weigh these factors and consider the pros and cons carefully. It's all about finding the right fit for your unique needs and goals. ## **The dangers of in-house development** ### **It’s far more costly** First things first, let's talk about the costs. Developing your SaaS product in-house can quickly rack up overhead expenses that surpass the fees charged by an agency. Payroll costs for UI/UX designers and software engineers can really add up, and let's not forget that these costs come with a long-term commitment of several months. For a startup launching a new SaaS product, this can be a major financial burden and a risky move. Even hiring contractors can prove to be quite costly in the long run. ### **It takes a lot longer** But wait, there's more. Developing in-house also tends to take longer. If your company finds itself in the position of needing to recruit talent internally, you'll have to invest time in the hiring and onboarding process. And let's face it, that's time you could have otherwise spent on actually developing the product itself. On top of that, managing the product internally means you'll be more involved in decision-making, task management, and other aspects of project management. This opportunity cost can have some adverse effects, as it may result in neglecting other crucial areas of your business, such as marketing and business development. And believe me, that can have a negative impact on your product launch. Developing in-house can come with some hefty costs and time considerations that shouldn't be taken lightly. Be sure to assess the risks and potential trade-offs before making your decision. ## **Tl;DR** ### **Pros of outsourcing** - It’s more cost-effective - It allows you to focus more on your core offerings - It frees up your time and resources, especially when it comes to training and onboarding staff ### **Pros of in-house development** - A more passionate team that really cares about your product and the growth of your organization - More control over your product - Far greater control of your product so that you can supervise development every step of the way. - More freedom to implement changes to the product along the way In short, there is no right answer, but be sure to weigh up the pros and cons and find the path that suits your product. --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--9.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) While you're here, get the **C-Suite Masterclass** now. Get the help of leading experts and access to our Alliance frameworks and case studies. With this comprehensive masterclass, you'll get the strategies, insights, and skills you need to thrive in the upper echelons of business. [Find out more here!](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### The importance of building a creative culture as a CMO URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-building-a-creative-culture-as-a-cmo/ Last updated: 2024-03-11T11:42:04.000Z Despite all the new tech presenting AI and data-driven insights and ideas, there remains one important trait that needs to be in every marketer's toolkit: creativity. And one of the chief responsibilities of marketing leaders, particularly the ones in the C-suite, is being able to build and maintain a culture that allows your team to get the creative juices flowing. You have to be able to build a culture of creativity. I’m Will, content lead for the CMO Alliance, and host of our podcast, [CMO Convo](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-podcast/). In my role, I’ve interviewed well over a hundred business and marketing leaders, and many of them have shared their insights with me on fostering creativity in their teams. Plus, I actually wrote my master’s dissertation on how best to drive creativity in advertising and marketing circles, so it’s a topic that’s near and dear to my heart. Some of the most effective and beloved advertising and marketing is when it’s at its most creative. And with more and more noise on just about every channel, it’s an imperative now to be able to differentiate yourself with creative ideas. Even when you're speaking to your existing customers, the expectations are for experiences that are [innovative and driven by exciting, creative ideas](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/leveraging-innovative-and-disruptive-practices-to-create-positive-customer-experiences/?ref=cmoalliance.com). But it also can help with other elements. A creative culture isn’t just important for getting the best work out of your team. It can be essential for attracting and retaining talent. Creative thinkers will always be drawn to places where their ideas are valued and rewarded, and they’re given the space to develop them. In this article, I’m going over the best insights from my interviews with CMOs and marketing leaders on creative cultures, along with some of my findings from my own research. ## **Creative culture vs creative environments** A lot of the language around marketing these days doesn’t seem to lend itself to creativity. “We need to make data-driven decisions”, “AI can produce ideas for us”, all that stuff. But saying that “data” or “AI” is going to make all of the creative decisions is like saying that the paint made all the decisions when Michaelangelo was creating the Sistine Chapel. Data and AI simply provide the tools for your marketing team to use. Creativity is what allows marketers to turn those tools into effective campaigns and strategies. In the past, when talking about business practices, we’d probably use phrases like “creative environment”, and there are heaps of examples of offices that have been set up to produce a “creative environment”. You know the ones: pinball machine, pool- and/or foosball table, mini fridge of over-priced craft beers. The classic bro-tastic start-up vibe that’s supposed to say “have fun, let the creative juices flow”, but more likely than not it's just clutter in the office as teams chase deadlines. The concept of a creative environment isn’t a bad one, and the types of things done in this “bro-tastic” model do make sense, as they’re rooted in the idea that being able to have fun fuels creativity. If you think about the time in our lives when we’re probably at our most creative in raw terms, it’s when we’re young children, when we have the most opportunities to play and have fun. But these kinds of environments are only as good as their accessibility. If your team isn’t able to find the time for “fun” with all these activities you’re presenting to them, it’s just clutter in the office while they try and hit deadlines. The various Google campuses around the world are often held up as an example of these kinds of “creative environments”. However, Google goes further than bean bag chairs and slides. They have a “20% rule” where every Google employee is expected to spend at least 20% of their time on side projects, many of which are fun ones that utilize the environment available to them. For example, a team of Google engineers developed “the perfect pizza box” for their cafeteria in their 20%. This is the distinction between a “creative environment” and a “creative culture”. A creative environment is just set dressing. A creative culture is the actions you’re taking to foster and develop creativity in your organization. This difference is even more important in a world of hybrid and remote work. What are you gonna do, give every employee a pinball machine and ship them a case of beer each month (actually, that’s not a bad idea. If my boss is reading this: yes, yes you should do that…)? It’s clearly not practical, and more than a little intrusive to try and control your remote employees’ environments like that. Furthermore, these kinds of environments only really speak to certain kinds of creativity. Not all creatives desire that kind of stimulation, and having it enforced on them is likely to do more harm than good. That’s why a culture of creativity is important, one that gives people the space to develop creative ideas and develop them in a way that suits them best, not just throw lots of distractions at them. --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--6.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) --- ## **Being able to explore creative ideas** In my marketing dissertation, I interviewed several UK marketing leaders on how they encourage creativity. There were two pieces of advice in particular that have shaped my approach to creativity and how I judge the level of support an organization offers the creative process from the late, great Peter Holden, founder of the Holden & Sons’ agency: 1. “You can’t squeeze blood from a stone. If there’s a creative block, people need the room to step away and come back to it.” (Actually, Peter’s first advice was to go to the pub, but he admitted that wasn’t necessarily appropriate in modern business). 2. “Marketers need to be like culture sponges, you never know what kind of reference will be useful.” Providing space for both is key to an effective creative culture. You need to both give people the space on project timelines to allow for overcoming creative blocks and encourage a diverse array of interests and backgrounds across your team, to allow them to bring as many experiences and ideas as possible to the table. Gastón Tourn, CMO of Curio, follows a similar philosophy when it comes to how he leads his team and teaches them to develop creative ideas. For Gastón, the heart of marketing is storytelling, and the way he approaches it is rooted in the lessons he’s learned from his background in literary studies and creative writing, lessons that he shares with his team. When it comes to marketing storytelling, Gastón encourages his team to think about them not just in marketing terms, but how to tell the stories using classic literary and storytelling techniques. In our [CMO Convo: Story Masters](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-podcast/?wchannelid=vmp1p6vrw9&wmediaid=1mo12xaqkx) podcast mini-series, Gastón explains how he advises his team to explore new, fresh ideas when it comes to storytelling, with the goal of engaging the audience by presenting ideas to them in fresh, exciting ways. > [**Gastón Tourn**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/story-masters-1-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling/) Gastón encourages his team to explore new forms of storytelling across different genres of literature, film, television, and just about every genre and medium. He even goes so far as to advise his team *not* to read marketing advice books, but rather advice on literary criticism and storytelling techniques from authors in order to develop their skills. In this way, Gastón encourages his team to take more time over building creative and engaging stories. > “It goes back a lot to the quote I always mention from John le Carré: “‘The cat sat on the mat’ is not a story, but ‘the cat sat on the dog's mat’ is a story.” I love it because I think it's very simple, but it kind of tells you why the antagonist in particular is so important. It's crucial, particularly in brand storytelling, to ask yourself who the dog is. > [**Gastón Tourn**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/story-masters-3-the-characters-in-your-brand-stories/) ## **Creative cultures allow for risks and experimentation** A creative culture doesn’t just encourage your team to be more creative with what’s in front of them. In the ever-rapidly-changing world of marketing and business, with new technologies and channels appearing all the time and macroeconomic impacts changing the landscape, your team needs to be able to try new ideas and experiment with new approaches. For Austin Beveridge, Head of Growth at Arc Technologies, a strong culture of experimentation was what allowed him in a previous role at Bolt to grow the company to a $12 billion valuation. > [**Austin Beveridge**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/5-lessons-on-growth-culture-from-building-a-decacorn/) Austin raises a good point on “psychological safety”. One of the most important aspects of a creative culture is giving your team the freedom and confidence to try things that might not work. That’s not to say they should be able to dive in and break things without worrying about consequences. Experienced CMO, Christy Raedeke, makes it clear that although she is a big fan of taking creative risks with marketing, they need to be calculated and considered risks. > “I think the most important thing is to start at the top and to get buy-in and to really explain what you're doing, I never want to do something just for a stunt. We don't want to do things that feel like they aren't authentic to the brand, all of the risks I've taken have been in service to the brand. > [**Christy Raedeke**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/redefining-risk-how-to-make-bold-moves-as-a-cmo/) It’s clear that a creative culture doesn’t equal an unstructured culture. The whole concept of “experimentation” requires documenting what’s been tried, and keeping track of the results. Marketing Consultant Tim Parkin recommends having formal documentation of all experiments and creative ideas so that each time something new is tried, it can benefit the organization whether it pays off or not. > "This is what I call the book of knowledge. It's basically an internal wiki, a document, that houses everything about your marketing team. > “You want to include your reports, updates, changes, and campaign performance. You want to be able to see what's worked, what hasn't worked, what we can do differently going forward, and how we can improve our operations and optimization – the two areas that really matter – to get better results from the marketing we're doing. > “That book of knowledge grows and grows over time to become a truly valuable resource that people can reference and see what’s already been tried and what hasn’t been tried yet. And have an idea log to show what we need to do in the future. It becomes an invaluable resource, as your team keeps adding to it and maintaining it. > “As a marketing team, there are so many demands on us that we forget the great ideas that we have. We’ll figure out a change we need to make and then get distracted by something else. Having that documented is so important and so valuable. > [**Tim Parkin**](https://www.cmoalliance.com/marketing-inside-out-put-your-team-first/) With this approach, you can ensure creative thinking is shown to be valuable to your team, while also making sure that new ideas and approaches are built on prior experiences. ## **The way forward** In an era of rapid business evolution, the willingness to take risks is more vital than ever for CMOs. However, risk-taking should never be an act of recklessness. Instead, it should be strategic and calculated, backed by research, and aligned with the company's goals. When embraced, even failure becomes a stepping stone to learning and improvement. By fostering a culture that values storytelling, creativity, open communication, learning from failures, and calculated risk-taking, CMOs can position their organizations to stay ahead of the competition and achieve their goals. This approach ultimately helps to build deeper connections with customers, which is the ultimate goal of any successful marketing endeavor. Finally, I should make it clear that although I’ve written this article from the perspective of CMOs and C-suite marketers, the lessons are applicable [across other departments](https://www.productledalliance.com/5-ways-product-leaders-can-create-a-culture-of-innovation/?ref=cmoalliance.com). Creativity is a benefit to almost every aspect of a business, and it's the duty of all C-suite leaders to help foster it. ### **Golden rules for building a creative culture** - Give people the time to be creative. Constant, back-to-back deadlines won’t allow people the time to overcome blocks and will lead them to just pumping out work that’s the bare minimum. - Build diverse teams. Diverse interests and backgrounds will bring more ideas to the table, and when they mix together, that’s the perfect chemistry for creativity. - Support your team in trying new ideas. Experimentation always comes with a risk, but you won’t know what works and what doesn’t unless you try. - Keep records of your creativity, whether it was successful or not, so you can build on it. While it might sound counterintuitive, this kind of structure allows you to keep building on the work that’s been done. --- **The most successful businesses are the ones with the most creative cultures. And the leaders who succeed in them are the ones who can best build and maintain that culture effectively.** **The Alliance’s C-suite Masterclass Course is the perfect resource to build those skills so you can really make your mark in the C-Suite.** [Discover how the course can make you a C-suite master](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=cmoa&utm%5Fmedium=blog&utm%5Fcampaign=content) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--5.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### Why content is key to building a successful community URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-content-is-key-to-building-a-successful-community/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:09:04.000Z It’s no secret that building a community takes a lot of work. But in today’s highly competitive landscape, the benefits of fostering a strong and engaged community far outweigh the challenges. By providing valuable and compelling content to a community, a business can enhance its reputation, brand awareness, customer retention, and long-term profitability. Our sister community, [Community-Led Alliance](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/) spoke to Bryony Pearce, Chief Marketing Officer at Customer Marketing Alliance and The Alliance, about how her role helps to support community-led growth in the organization, and how engaged communities can impact traditional marketing strategies. Bryony chatted to us about: - What her day-to-day role looks like as a CMO - Her professional background and how she ended up at The Alliance - How a CMO at The Alliance differs from a CMO at a traditional company - What community-led growth really means - How to identify a gap in the market for a community - The main barriers and misconceptions regarding CLG - Her top strategies for community engagement - How her role as CMO has evolved during her time at The Alliance - Her top three tips for starting a community Check out the highlights of our interview with Bryony below, or watch the full podcast episode [here](https://youtu.be/tfdEK6WpPrs)! ## The day-to-day life of a CMO **Hi, Bryony. Welcome to the podcast. Please introduce yourself.** Thanks so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here. My name is Bryony, and I'm the CMO here at The Alliance. **What does your day-to-day role look like as a CMO?** Very busy. No day is ever the same. In fact, no hour is ever the same. There’s always lots going on. For a bit of context, in my role as CMO here at The Alliance, I oversee the marketing department, which consists of the straight-up marketing roles. We've also got design and UX in there, as well as the content team. I also oversee the customer success team and the course team as well. So, three very different departments there. I try to split my time as best I can across those three business areas. At this current moment, being the end of November, we’re very thick into the planning season for next year. We’re looking at budgets, how that transcends into KPIs, how that transcends into strategies, and then how that transcends into recruitment in terms of how we deliver on that. So that's very high up in my priorities at the moment and where a lot of my time is being spent. Outside of this hardcore planning season that we're in right now - obviously, there's a lot of that going on year-round, especially on the [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/), the numbers, and the data side - that's something that's obviously very much a day-to-day job. I'm also trying to keep on top of revenue for courses, revenue for memberships, and leads for partner products in the marketing department. **It sounds very number heavy.** Yeah. We’ve got customer success, [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/). We've got a load of metrics in there. [Important factors that impact customer marketing metrics, and how to choose your ownMeasuring customer marketing performance using quantifiable metrics is tricky due to the relationship-based nature of the role. That being said, there’re a variety of metrics to choose from and the ones you go for will depend on your organization and how you run your team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/william-warby-WahfNoqbYnM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) And on the course side of things is actual course delivery, course feedback, and all that kind of stuff. So there's a very big day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month piece in making sure that I'm across that for every single community that we've got, so we can keep on top of those peaks and troughs. So that's very, very big for me, day-to-day. Also, I mentioned that at the moment we’re in planning and strategy season. Once we've built those strategies, it's not then off my plate. I’m also working very closely with the teams to make sure that we're executing on time, executing well, there are no hiccups, and if there are any other opportunities - figuring out what else we need to do there. I'm still very involved in those conversations. I've also got quite a few people reporting into me at the moment. That’s everything from 1:1s to reviews, to just being that support mechanism that anyone needs who’s reporting into me. That obviously eats into a fair bit of time as well. And because of the size of the company, the amount that we have to deliver, and the little resource that we've got at the moment, we've currently got lots of recruitment going on. We haven't necessarily filled all of the roles that we need to yet, so we’re still very much in the thick of a lot of the marketing campaigns and I’m rolling my sleeves up, building the emails, getting the emails out, and building social posts. That's hopefully more of a temporary stopgap at the moment until we’ve got that recruitment in place. But due to the size of the team and the growth at the moment, I’m still very heavily involved in that. And I guess the final one is meetings. Meetings with direct reports. But we've got a lot of communities on the go so I’m still involved in some of those community meetings - more so some of our really new communities as they need the most support, direction, and guidance to get them to that next stage and mature. So I do try and attend as many of those as I can to guide them. So I'd say my day-to-day is a healthy blend between data, meetings, campaigns, and people management - it’s a constant juggling act. ## Transitioning from copywriter to corporate executive **Walk us through your professional background and how that led to your role at The Alliance.** My background is originally in content. I studied journalism at university, and then straight out of university I went into copywriting roles, and that was where my first two to three in-house roles were. After I'd been in-house for a little while doing copywriting, I then went freelance for about a year and did some traveling on the side, and that's what led me to The Alliance. It was Josie, our now COO, who reached out to me on LinkedIn, and I started just by writing a few blog posts a month. That then increased to a day a month, two days a month, then to a three-month contract, and then to full-time employment. My background is definitely very heavy on the content side, but I think that has definitely lent itself well to what I'm doing now. We'll probably touch on this again later, but we're very much a content-led company and when we're growing our communities, that's the first hire we'll make and what we'll prioritize. That's where we start to grow those communities. So it was a bit of an unintentional path, I guess, but one that's aligned itself really nicely. *Like Bryony, our* [*State of Customer Marketing Report in 2022*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) *stated that many customer marketers studied more humanities oriented studies like Journalism.* *This year's version of the report launches *this week*, so keep a close eye out!* ## What’s different about being a CMO at The Alliance? **How does your role as a CMO at The Alliance differ from that of a traditional company?** I've not been a CMO in a previous company, so I couldn't compare it to anything else. But I've worked in marketing departments in previous companies before, and I think there are a couple of key differences - specifically to The Alliance as well, being an umbrella company - in the sense that there's just so much going on. We have 14 communities and lots of different revenue streams within those communities. But also, community is a gigantic piece that sits over all those revenue streams. It's a lot to get your head around, and I know certainly for new starters when they come to this company, there's a big onboarding process and you end up frazzled in those first few days and weeks. I feel that’s sometimes heightened at The Alliance because it's not just one or two products, it's five, six, or seven products across 14 communities, all at different stages. And as a result of all that going on, I guess the way in which the company is structured will be very different to other organizations. And I think some of the roles that we have as well are quite niche in the sense of nothing is pigeonholed. There are some job titles that we all have where it's not necessarily a job title, but it's a bespoke kind of role that we need. So you have to connect the dots between some of these departments and connect traditional roles to the community side of things. I think that's very different. And again, in those onboarding processes and getting to grips with things, that’s a big piece that takes some people a bit of getting used to because it's just not like any kind of setup that they've seen before. And then in terms of the actual marketing and campaigns that we do, I wouldn't say it's hugely different from a traditional company in the sense that we're community-first and most companies are customer-first. I guess it's kind of alternating between customer and community. But I think one really big advantage we have that’s not just limited to the marketing team, is that we do have these communities within The Alliance. Some are at different stages than others, but for our mature communities that are really engaged, it’s such a great source of intel to tap into. And obviously, as marketers, it's really important to be close to the voice of your customer. For us, it's so easy to be close to the voice of our community because we can see them talking and interacting day in and day out. We know what the problems are, we know what the challenges are, and we know what the trending topics are. We know how they communicate with each other. So that then makes it really easy for us to get into the skin of that and also translate that into our marketing and content. And then when we do go into these kinds of planning seasons, all of that is very front of mind, and stuff that we do translates into those plans. ## Why community is such a valuable resource for companies **How would you define community-led growth?** It's a really interesting question and I think there are a few ways to look at it. In terms of community-led growth, there's obviously one big piece of it, which is actually building that community and having an active and engaged community. But I think outside of the community, as I mentioned, it's community-led and customer-led. It's ultimately feeding into the voice of what that community or customer base wants, making sure that's front of mind, and what you’re doing is very much in line with what they want, what they're asking for, and what they need. So I think for me, in many ways, community-led and customer-led are one and the same. I think for companies who don't have a community, it's obviously customer-led, and for us, it's community-led. And in terms of how that impacts our market, it's just making sure that voice is consistently fed into everything that we do and that we don't waste that resource. It's such a valuable resource for us to have. There's not a single department in the company that doesn't benefit from that. If we're building events, what topics are people speaking about? What are they struggling with? Let's get some presentations on the agenda. When we're building our content plans, what's coming up? What's not been covered? What are people asking to be covered? Let's create a blog or a podcast or a report for that. The same goes for sales as well. They're having conversations with people and then asking, what do they want to know about? What do they like? How can we speak to these people in a way that’ll relate? So every single department that we have in the company really benefits from that. And that's quite unique because as I mentioned, with the customer-led side, I think certainly from my experience in companies that I've been in previously, a lot of people speak about being customer focused and wanting to be close to the voice of the customer. How often that actually happens and how easily that happens is certainly not as accessible as it is in a community-led company. As a marketer, you're not going to be on the phone every day talking to your customers. You're also not on the front line like customer support or customer success to actually interact with them. What you end up getting is snippets of information, whether that's bi-weekly, monthly, or even quarterly. And that wasn't done in companies that I've been at previously. But we’ve got that. At any point, any day, we can go to that Slack community and we've got that information. ## Spotting gaps in the market for a community **You’ve had a lot of experience starting communities throughout your time at The Alliance. How do you know when there's space for a community to be built?** When I came in, Product Marketing Alliance, Product-Led Alliance, and Sales Enablement Collective had already been established. I think with product marketing, there was just a big gap in the market, and that was really evident with how quickly that community grew. I think it surpassed anyone's expectations in terms of Slack community growth, but also outside of that from an education and event perspective. It really flew off the shelves. Since then, with the communities that I've been more involved with, it's listening to those Slack conversations. For example, with the customer success community, we could see in our product marketing community that a lot of people were talking about customer success. I'd been in a few conversations with product marketers. They were talking about customer success and they were saying, “There's just nowhere to go at the moment.” So I had a look into it and thought, *Yeah, actually, there isn't anywhere for people in customer success to go.* We know it's an emerging role. We can see on platforms like LinkedIn how many people are in that profession. So in instances like that, we tend to gauge it based on what we're hearing in the market, what we can see is available to those people, and what the opportunity is in terms of how many people we know are in those kinds of roles. And we use that as a bit of a gauge. We also test that before we look to roll it out. Before we launched the customer success community, we actually ran a couple of events with another community of ours, Future of Saas, just to see if we put something out there if it’d stick. And it did. We did our first customer success event. We had thousands of people chomping at the bit and lots of really great feedback from people like, “This is the first time we've had something like this. It’s so great to have people to speak to.” **That must have been a great feeling to know that you were on to something, that people really do need this space and you're the one who’s about to create it.** Absolutely. And that's what we do with a lot of our communities if we think there’s something there. A lot of it’s conversation-based, whether we're speaking to community members or people just outside of the community. It might be vendors, it could be existing customers. People will validate any assumptions that way. We'll never go straight in and create a community with absolutely no idea if the demand is there. But we've obviously got a portfolio of communities. And since my day one, there's always been three or four there. So we do tend to test them out on an existing community, and events are a huge part of how we do that. And then once we’ve run a couple of events and we’ve validated it more, we then put the time, resource, and money into creating a fully-fledged community for that. ## Breaking through the barriers to community-led growth **What are some of the misconceptions you've heard about CLG?** Not necessarily misconceptions, but I think what maybe puts some people off taking that community-led approach is thinking it’s more work than it potentially is. But also one of the big offputting pieces is actually creating a community. It’s not an easy task. You don’t decide to create a community one day and then the next week you've got this really thriving community that you can tap into and make use of throughout your company. It takes months of really hard, manual work, and dedication to make sure that you’re ultimately getting the people into that community and that you're making it a really valuable place for people to want to stay. And also that you're nurturing and instigating those conversations. If you’ve filled a really rife gap, maybe it’ll take you a few months to get to that point. But it can take six, seven, eight, or nine months to get to a point where you've got this really active community of people that are self-sufficient, and where you don't necessarily need to instigate all those conversations yourself. I think that can be a big drawback for some people, not necessarily wanting to put in that groundwork. But I think that once you do put in that groundwork, the benefits are so worth it. So I’m not sure if it's a misconception as such, but I think it's maybe a little bit of a barrier. ## Top strategies to enhance community engagement **Can you outline some community engagement strategies that have worked for you or some wins you’ve experienced during your time at The Alliance?** As I mentioned earlier, content has historically been and will continue to be a huge part of that engagement piece. For a little bit of context, with our first community, [Product Marketing Alliance](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/), we didn't actually offer paid-for products for a good six months after it was launched. It was just blogs, reports, podcasts, whitepapers, and webinars, all for free, all adding value to make sure that when we did have those paid-for offerings, people had that trust and respect for us. They knew that they could get value out of the free content that we’d produce, so then they’d have faith that they could get value out of the paid-for products. And ultimately, without that content, we've not got a magnet to pull people into the Slack community. If we've got no content, what can we share with people in that Slack community? How can we get them to engage? And how do we keep them in there and keep them wanting to come back? Ultimately, these communities are great marketing and content platforms for us to share all this, whether it’s paid-for products or free content. That’s where we want to be sharing that and that's how we want to make sure that we can get in front of people's eyes. So content will always be a really key part for us when it comes to community engagement. Outside of that, it’s not necessarily groundbreaking or revolutionary, but I think it's the small things that really make a difference when it comes to community. It's obviously all about putting the community first and building it based on what they want, whether it's courses, content, or events. Going back to Product Marketing Alliance, we do a lot of courses on this community. When we’re building our course plans for next year, we'll put something out and ask, what courses haven't we got that you want? What do you want to see from us? Before we made our courses live and online, we weren't sure of the best delivery method. Would it be one day? Two half days? Four few-hour sessions? There are so many ways you could slice and dice it. We just put it out there and said, “We're thinking about doing this.” So we're getting them involved in future projects and letting them know what we're working on. “We're doing this for you. How do you want to do it? What options do you want?” **It definitely makes sense to make sure they're on the same page as you because they're the ones that are going to be benefiting from what you're putting out.** Exactly. I think communities also want to be in the loop and they want to know what you're working on. They don't want to just be told, “We've done this, go buy it.” Or, “Go download it and read it.” They want to be part of that process. And I think a big part of building those relationships with the community is having those open conversations and making it a two-way dialogue. So we're really intentional about doing that with our courses and with our content as well. There are lots of ways we can build our content strategies. SEO is a big part of it. But you're not always going to get keywords for specific challenges that people in specific professions are facing. So the other way we can find that is by asking them and building on the back of that. As I say, it doesn't feel too groundbreaking, but I think it's about that dialogue. It's about being transparent with what you're doing and it's not just dictating what you're doing. It's making sure that you're grabbing their insights on a regular basis and feeding them into the outcomes. **I think it's important to note as well that every community is free to join and always will be. And with the courses, the course team makes a real effort to reach out to the communities and make sure that they're giving their input as well, and they're even helping build those courses.** **So it's really a collaborative effort right through to the end, and that's obviously a major part of the engagement because people will want to engage with something that they've had a real part in forming as well.** 100%. As you said, in our courses, when we're interviewing experts for them, they’re experts from our community. And when we're running events, they’re experts from our community, even for meetups and things like that. That's our community hosting that. They're so involved and so instrumental to what we do. But the only way people advocate for you and want to do that for you is if you give them something back. And that maybe translates to the content piece we spoke about and the networking that they get in the Slack community. It's all just a never-ending funnel of giving and taking and giving and taking. ## The evolving role of CMO **How has the role of CMO changed for you since you've been at The Alliance?** I think it's one of those where it happened so gradually yet so quickly. I can't even pinpoint a lot of the change. I just woke up one day and I was here. I started very much in a copywriting role with PMA for the first six months. All we were doing was producing reports and podcasts and blogs. And that was all me. I was the only hire really at that time and I was producing all of that. And that was also really instrumental for me in terms of how embedded I then became in the community because I was conducting all these interviews and podcasts. I was meeting so much of the community and really understanding them as individuals, but also it helped me understand the role and everything that entails. And that was so key for my understanding of the company as a whole. After a few months of being a sole contributor for PMA, we then started growing the content team and we brought copywriters on board for some of our other communities. Growing the content team has been a constant evolution. It started with just me three years ago and now we're a team of 19\. So that's grown an awful lot in the last few years. During the process of that happening, the first department I took on was the course team. So again, it was a one-man band. The course team started with just me building Product Marketing Core, which is our flagship course. And then we started to establish that course team again, and we're now a team of 9 or 10\. So that's been gradually building in the background. And then not too long after that, we started building out the customer success function. As we started rolling out actual paid-for products in the community, we knew we needed to make sure we had people to support that and make sure we had great onboarding experiences. I took that team on 18 months or so after I joined. At the very start of 2022, I then took on my current role and had a more active role in marketing. Prior to that, I'd always been very hands-on with the marketing of PMA, but less so for the other communities. But now, I’m ultimately responsible for the marketing of all the products and all the channels across all the communities. So I've been through quite a few roles since I've been here and taken on quite a few new departments. But I've loved every step of it. ## 3 top tips for creating a community **What would your top advice be for people who want to start a community?** Be patient. It’s not going to happen overnight. It's not going to happen in a couple of months. It's going to be a long process. It can be disheartening at first. When you've got a community and you're trying to drive that engagement, it can feel like you're speaking into a void. That's probably the critical point where most people just think it’s a waste of time and they’re not going to get anything out of it. But if you don't persevere for those first few months, you're never going to get to the point where you’ve got a self-sufficient community. So be patient, I think that would be the big one. The second one is to deliver value. Not all companies have the focus on content that we do. I've been in copywriting roles in previous companies and they didn't have a content mindset. You feel like you have to constantly justify your value because content isn't the type of role like traditional marketing where you bring in x thousand dollars a month. That's not always the point of content. We obviously drive organic revenue, but there’s a lot more to it than that revenue-driving role. So that can be a hard part if you're in a company that doesn't have that content focus, and you're not able to put the time and resource into building that great top-of-funnel content that delivers value to your community and brings them into the process. But this is another way in which we bring our community in. For our blogs, we want to get their input and we want them to produce blogs on our site. We want a lot of contributed content and we don't just want it to be us speaking to them. We want it to be a joint approach. So I guess my second piece of advice is if you're not sold on content or you don't believe in the value of content, start believing because it's essential. As I mentioned, the copywriter is the first hire we’ll make when we create a new community, and we’ll never launch a new community without having a really rich bank of content for people to get stuck into first. And my third bit of advice is, don't forget about your community as it's growing. Don't make plans in isolation. Make the most of that really valuable resource that you've got and make sure that you’re bringing them into it, using them as a sounding board, and making sure that you're headed in the right direction. Just give them that voice that they want and that you need. ### Testimonials from Customer Marketing Summit New York URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/its-just-such-a-great-opportunity-to-be-together-with-so-many-peers-across-customer-marketing-customer-marketing-new-york-summit-attendee-testimonials/ Last updated: 2024-12-19T14:58:23.000Z Did our attendees enjoy [Customer Marketing Alliance Summit New York](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/newyork)? > *“I had an amazing time.”* > *“The event has been tremendously valuable.”* > *“Fantastic! I've actually really loved it.”* We managed to carve out a few precious moments amidst the whirlwind of activities to chat with some of the participants about the summit, and the valuable insights they've gained from their attendance. 0:00 /1:56 1× Don’t miss out on our upcoming events, and check out our [event calendar here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-conferences/)! ## Has this event been as valuable as you had hoped? **Maxwell Bailey, Team and Customer Manager, at Aircall** started us off: > *“I'm just a two-person customer marketing team. So for me to be surrounded by customer marketers all day is like heaven. I love it.”* Continuing this, **Cate Vanasse, Director of Customer Marketing at Cisco**, offered her own in-the-moment thoughts: > *“It's such a great opportunity to be together with so many peers across customer marketing.”* Our Summit seemed to have struck a chord with **Tiffany Raymond, Head of Global Customer Advocacy, PayPal:** > *“I was fortunate enough to be a panelist. But really, I learned much more than I shared, I think. It was a dynamic learning opportunity.”* Some high praise for the event so far. But we wanted to delve a little deeper into the things these attendees have learned during their time at the event. ## What are some of the things you learned at this event? Starting us off, **Cate Vanasse**, summed up her conclusion to the talks she attended: > *“I think it's really important that customer marketers really start to tie themselves to selling impact on revenue versus activities and really be selective about where they can focus and make the biggest impact and kind of embrace saying no at times.”* When asked about her experience, **Tiffany Raymond**, highlighted how attending the event will impact her and her team’s work ethos. She mentioned how valuable attending such events can be in order to share knowledge and connections with others in your own company too: > *“I'm really looking forward to taking a lot of these learnings and sharing them and distributing them out to my team, so that we can all learn and be better together. There were a lot of great sets, some very strategic and some very tactical. I really appreciated that. ”* **Maxwell Bailey**, like Tiffany, spoke at one of the sessions and wanted to sum up his experience as both speaker and attendee: > *“I was so happy when you reached out because I have so many ideas that I wanted to throw out there into the customer marketing universe. But I also just want to hear from everyone else. And I'm a big believer that what you put out, you get back and I want some good karma! So yeah, I was excited to speak today.”* ## Why should others attend our upcoming events? To finish, we asked why others should attend these events, and what it was about them that they consider unmissable for others. **Maxwell Bailey** started us off sweet and simple: "Togetherness. I like the dynamic! It’s a must-have." Starting off strong, we also asked **Tiffany Raymond** and **Cate Vanasse** their thoughts on why Customer Marketing Alliance events are so important: > *“I think it's really the only customer marketing-focused event that I'm aware of that really brings people together across ways of customer, across advocacy and across lifecycle. Why wouldn't you attend?”* > *“This is a great opportunity to really, you know, build a network of customer marketing peers, you know, learn from each other, and really have great growth opportunities.”* ## Looking for the next game-changer? If you've got that inkling that something extraordinary is passing you by, trust your instincts. 😉 Come aboard to: 🛠️ Acquire priceless wisdom from industry visionaries. 🤝 Immerse yourself in our vibrant community. 🎓 Forge connections with seasoned mentors and cultivate profound connections. ❓Tap into collective wisdom to tackle your most pressing dilemmas. [Explore the next unmissable event right here!](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### Video production brief template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/video-production-brief-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T10:48:47.000Z Well-planned videos can be a game-changer for your brand, but without a solid foundation, even the best ideas can fall flat. Our video production brief template ensures that every project starts with a clear direction – helping you align stakeholders, define objectives, and set your creative team up for success. ## What is a video production brief template? A video production brief template is a document that outlines the key details of your video project. It helps teams establish the purpose, audience, messaging, and distribution strategy before production begins. Using a standardized template helps you streamline communication, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure your final video meets your goals. ## How to use the template Getting started is simple: 1. **Fill out project details:** Add basic information such as the video’s title, budget, deadlines, and where it will be distributed. 2. **Define your objectives:** Clearly state the goal of the video and the key performance metrics you’ll track (views, engagement, conversions, etc.). 3. **Identify your audience:** Outline the target persona and what type of video content resonates with them. 4. **Clarify the core message:** Determine what you want viewers to think, feel, and do after watching. 5. **Attach relevant content:** Link to the video script, design assets, or reference styles to guide the production process. 6. **Share it with your team:** Distribute the brief to stakeholders to ensure alignment before production begins. ## Download your video production brief template ![Video production brief template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/09/Video-production-brief-template.png) [Video production brief templateVideo production brief template.pdf114 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/09/Video-production-brief-template.pdf "Download") [Video production brief templateVideo production brief template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/09/Video-production-brief-template.docx "Download") [Video production brief templateVideo production brief - template In today’s digital landscape, video content has become an essential tool for engaging customers and driving brand success. This brief is designed to help you kickstart your video marketing projects effectively. Whether you’re promoting a product, sharing custo…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-51.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJP9STdzara0RbtVrJ2qgpCmOUwcYeo5QTO1kUOPlm4xAt5zmNUO1l5QiJbCCdxlbYBdG09jX39_JR4SRHYADxIpgqlHF4eoDt0vRQ1EnZy_xF1hoO6-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k8-dBzXsTFCivhQ0ojMC22RfFoVd8UhQQOTTQTZaUsc/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Amp up your marketing stack: How to get executive buy-in in 5 key steps URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/amp-up-your-marketing-stack-how-to-get-executive-buy-in-in-5-key-steps/ Last updated: 2024-11-08T15:16:06.000Z This article comes from **Ari Hoffman**’s talk, ‘*How to get internal adoption of VOC tools & technology*’, at our **Las Vegas 2023 Customer Marketing Summit**, check out the full unedited talk[**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=t0edpopzs6). Have you ever felt like a kid with your nose pressed up against the window of a candy store, eyeing the latest tools and technology? But no matter how much you negotiate, you just can't convince stakeholders to unlock the budget you need to level up? I've totally been there! As VP of Customer Marketing and Advocacy at Influitive, I struggled for years to get internal adoption and investment for customer marketing technology. I mastered the art of aligning competing priorities and securing executive sponsorship the hard way, through trial and error. But after refining my approach, I think I’ve truly cracked the code. Now I want to share what I've learned so you can access the tools you need to crush your goals! In this step-by-step guide, you'll learn the process for cementing stakeholder alignment and securing budgets. So, let’s dive in! - **The problem: Misaligned priorities** - **Step 1: Align to company goals** - **Step 2: Tailor messaging for each department** - **Step 3: Assess the impact of current state** - **Step 4: Make the case with credible data** - **Step 5: Build a coalition of champions** - **The result: Scalable success** # **The problem: Misaligned priorities** One of the biggest challenges I faced was that, even though I had an "unlimited budget" in theory, there were always competing priorities. *What do we put in the information security budget first? What will this mean for sales adoption? How will it impact customer success training?* I was juggling 50 balls at once, trying to collect information in scattered spreadsheets. The reality is, many companies have decentralized data collection and disjointed communication between teams. This leads to customers getting fatigued from duplicate outreach and employees churning from misaligned priorities. This vicious cycle continues until we fix the core problem: **lack of cross-functional alignment.** At one company, I spent years being promised investment in a Salesforce integration and advocacy automation tools. But it was always "next quarter." After an expensive audit of our stack, they admitted they didn't know how to build what I needed in-house. I ended up leaving because they kept dangling the keys to effective technology in front of me but never followed through. It was devastating because I knew the value we could bring if properly equipped. # **Step 1: Align to company goals** The first step is aligning your goals to broader company goals. Reference sources like: - **OKRs** - **Conversations with your CMO** - **The company's mission, vision and values** Document how your programs support key metrics like: - **Revenue growth** - **Customer acquisition** - **Retention** - **Customer satisfaction** For example, if overall company goals include 40% revenue growth, show how customer marketing technology will help increase pipeline and accelerate sales cycles. Reference any broader values like "customer-centricity" and connect your programs back to those core principles. # **Step 2: Tailor messaging for each department** Next, tailor messaging for each internal department you need to partner with. Focus on topics that matter most to them: **💸 Sales:** References, referrals, reviews, cross-sell/upsell **🥇Customer Success:** Renewals, retention, satisfaction **🗂️ Product:** Feedback, roadmap input **📣 Marketing:** Brand, events, nurture When talking to sales leaders, focus on how customer marketing can provide more references to help close deals. For customer success, highlight how programs can improve retention and satisfaction. Get into the mindset of each stakeholder and lead with their priorities. Avoid generic messaging - personalize for each audience based on their specific goals and challenges. # **Step 3: Assess the impact of current state** Have in-depth conversations with department leaders to assess current performance on key metrics. Ask: - **How important is this to the company?** - **What would you rate our current performance?** - **What's the impact of doing nothing?** Document the gap between goals and current state. Highlight the cost of not investing in better technology and processes. This consultative approach allows stakeholders to assess and acknowledge current gaps. You can then show how investment would help close those gaps. # **Step 4: Make the case with credible data** Now it's time to make the business case, supported by credible data, avoid relying solely on stats from potential vendors. You should try to incorporate third-party validation like analyst research, case studies from companies similar to yours or published reports on the ROI of customer marketing technology. Then quantify the impact on key metrics like: - **Lower customer acquisition costs** - **Higher retention** - **Increased customer lifetime value** - **Improved product innovation** Use data to connect technology investment to tangible business outcomes - not vanity metrics. # **Step 5: Build a coalition of champions** Finally, identify potential allies in each department and get their input, addressing any objections head on. The people who seem most resistant can become your biggest champions if you empathize with their concerns and incorporate their feedback. Slowly build a coalition of advocates across functions, leveraging their influence to socialize the vision for investing in customer marketing technology and processes. For example, I identified Customer Success Managers struggling with account protection and lack of visibility into advocacy requests. I met with them 1:1, showed how new technology could alleviate pain points, and incorporated their feedback into proposals. They then became vocal supporters. # **The result: Scalable success** After years of playing budget guessing games, I finally unlocked the secrets to getting stakeholder alignment. Now cross-functional partners proudly showcase how our customer marketing technology supercharges their success. No more sailing solo in a leaky boat patched up with duct tape and dreams! Today, with the right tools and processes, I captain a high-tech battleship to amplify our customers' voices. But this transformation didn't happen overnight. It required diligence to quantify needs, tailor pitches, and cultivate influencers. With the steps outlined above, you too can secure executive sponsorship and access cutting-edge martech. With the right framework, you can finally get off the sidelines and score big budget wins for customer marketing tech. The candy store awaits — go grab the goodies you need to delight customers and dominate your market! ### Visualizing success: How effective data visualizations can drive action URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/visualizing-success-how-effective-data-visualizations-can-drive-action/ Last updated: 2024-05-17T14:50:02.000Z Attention all revenue operations professionals! Is your data not engaging your team or shareholders? Is it swamping your ability to deliver valuable insights? Look no further than **the power of effective data visualizations**. In today's fast-paced business world, where **data is king** and **RevOps is the future**, raw numbers alone won't cut it, this is where data visualization comes in. Not only can it transform your complex data sets into clear and concise visuals, but it can also tell a compelling story that drives action. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about data visualization, from why it's important to how to build effective visuals, and how to persuade your team and management to take action. Don't miss out on this opportunity for innovation and **to elevate your revenue operations game**. Read on and visualize your success today! Here’s how we’ll break it down: - What is data visualization and why is it important? - How to build effective data visualizations - Telling compelling stories with visualizations - Final thoughts‌‌ ## **What is data visualization and why is it important?** ‌‌Simply, data visualization refers to the graphical representation of data and information. In revenue operations, data visualization is used to present complex data in a more intuitive and understandable format. This enables RevOps professionals to easily identify trends, patterns, and outliers that may be difficult to spot in raw data. Businesses that implement revenue operations see [19% faster growth and 15% more profits](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/how-to-align-revenue-engine/?ref=revenueoperationsalliance.com#:~:text=Our%20research%20on%20the%20economics,operational%20mindset%20called%20revenue%20operations.) than those that don’t, and **data is the fuel** for this, so harnessing it effectively is crucial. Compelling data visualization is key to helping RevOps professionals make better, objective, data-driven decisions. But if it isn’t presented clearly and visually, it **can be impossible to understand**, especially in the world of RevOps which deals with multiple teams and datasets at the same time. Along the same lines, when dealing with a vast range of data sets and metrics across departments, data visualization can aid revenue operations by identifying patterns and trends, helping to guide the direction of growth tactics. > ***Seeing what is working well and what isn’t can also benefit future forecasting.*** When the data is clearly laid out and you have identified patterns, you can use this framework for analyzing previous years, building a bigger picture, and helping to focus on goals. Another hugely important use of data visualization in RevOps is its ability to make data accessible. Communication is an essential part of the RevOps function and so data should be able to clearly share insights and key information to all departments, shareholders, and directors. **With better communication, understanding, and alignment comes better results and growth.** ## **How to build effective data visualizations** So how can you actually build effective revenue operations data visualizations? Consider the following steps: 1. **Determine the purpose and audience**: Before creating any data visualization, it’s important to determine the purpose of the visualization and the intended audience. This will help guide decisions about which data to include, the type of visualization to use, and how to present the information. 2. **Choose the right type of visualization**: There are many types of data visualizations, including charts, graphs, infographics, and dashboards. Choose the type that works best with your industry and the type of data you’re presenting, making it easier for your audience to understand the information. 3. **Simplify the data**: Complex data can be difficult to interpret, so it’s important to simplify the data before creating a visualization. Remove any unnecessary data points, and use labels and annotations to highlight any key parts. 4. **Use appropriate colors and fonts**: Choose colors and fonts that are easy to read and that make the data clear. Avoid using too many different colors or fonts, as this can make the visualization confusing, and always aim to keep color themes professional. 5. **Test the visualization**: Before presenting the visualization to your team or your board of directors, test it to ensure that it accurately represents the data and that it effectively communicates the message or information you want to show.‌‌ If you can nail all of these steps, communicating complex key information in a way that is easy to understand, your data visualizations are on track to boost your revenue operations function and drive overall growth.‌‌ ## **Telling compelling stories with visualizations** Data visualization bridges data analysis with compelling storytelling. We’ve looked at how it can help with analysis, and now let’s look at how it can boost your narrative message. Presenting your data in a way that tells a clear and engaging story is **crucial for persuading your audience to take action** and further highlight key points. Here are some tips: You should **start with a clear message**, before even creating a data visualization, you need to determine the key message behind the data you want to convey. > *By doing this you can guide your decisions for selecting the right data and the right way to present it to make it most effective.* Try to **use a narrative structure**, to make your data visualization more engaging, build a story, set the scene, present the data, and conclude by summarizing your key message. Make an attempt to include **visual cues**, like color or size for example that will draw your audience's attention to the parts you want them to see, or even **annotations**. --- [![](https://www.revenueoperationsalliance.com/content/images/2023/05/C-Suite_Masterclass_Email_Banner_2.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=revenueoperationsalliance.com) --- Highlight your most important data points strategically in this way, to engage and help your audience understand whilst trying not to overwhelm. **Providing context** is also important to help your audience understand the full picture of the data, you can do this by including benchmarks or historical data. This can then highlight the DNA of the data for your audience and show patterns of improvement or decline. Boost your storytelling with your data visualizations, and **use real-world examples** or case studies to illustrate the impact of the data on the business. Cementing all these steps with a final **call to action** will really encourage your audience, whether that’s your team, shareholders, or board of directors, to take action. This could range from anything to implementing a new strategy, increasing resources, or changing a process. Regardless, by using data visualizations in revenue operations to show data in a way that is easy to understand and by illustrating the potential impact of taking action, you can persuade your audience to make informed decisions that drive business success. ## **Final thoughts** Data lies at the heart of revenue operations and any business growth, so harnessing it effectively is hugely important to secure success. Therefore effective data visualization is a crucial tool for any revenue operations professional and by transforming datasets into actionable, clear, and concise visuals, trends, patterns, and outliers can be quickly identified. For a function so focused on alignment and streamlining, compelling data visualizations only act to boost RevOps, helping you to make better, objective, data-driven decisions. By following the steps outlined in this article, and even using the help of data visualization software like Tableau, you can build effective data visualizations that tell a clear and engaging story and persuade your audience to take action based on the valuable data insights. This stands only to secure better outcomes, drive business and optimize revenue growth. **RevOps success is yours for the taking!**‌‌ --- **So don't miss out on the opportunity for innovation and gain further insight today on our courses!** 👇 [Click here to become a C-Suite powerhouse](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--4.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### CMA TV+ URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cma-tv-plus/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T08:31:17.000Z On-demand premium content from customer marketing leaders, at your fingertips. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The best competitive strategy for each stage in the business lifecycle URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-competitive-strategy-for-each-stage-in-the-business-lifecycle/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:10:00.000Z The first three stages of the business lifecycle go something like this: - Startup - Growth - Maturity From that point on, things get a little shaky. The business can begin to **decline** as other, more agile competitors step up to the plate. Or, it can keep innovating. This **rebirth** stage sees the business transition to keep up with the changing market. There’s one other possible ending, though: **acquisition**. The business owner can cash out of the business, rather than stick around to see it through its next phase. If you’re looking for the right competitive strategy for where your business is at, you’re probably in one of those first phases. Those are the ones almost every emerging business finds itself in. Let’s take a look at which types of competitive strategies you should adopt at each stage of the cycle. - [How businesses win](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/p/22935e17-608a-4245-a962-57b63469e5bb/#how-businesses-win) - [But what about..?](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/p/22935e17-608a-4245-a962-57b63469e5bb/#but-what-about) - [Porter's generic strategies](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/p/22935e17-608a-4245-a962-57b63469e5bb/#porter%E2%80%99s-generic-strategies) - [The company lifecycle (revisited)](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/p/22935e17-608a-4245-a962-57b63469e5bb/#the-company-lifecycle-revisited) - [TL;DR](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/p/22935e17-608a-4245-a962-57b63469e5bb/#tldr) ## **How businesses win** But first (!), let’s take a look at the different ways a business can become successful. First, it wins more **market share**, and sells a larger number of units to a greater number of people across the total available market. Second, rather than sell more units, it increases its profit margins per unit sold, while selling the same number of units. There are typically two ways it can do this: 1. **Cut costs** and sell at the same price. 2. **Improve the product** and charge a higher price. Costs remain constant. All of these generate more profit for the company, which can then reinvest that capital. All other things being equal, a business that’s more profitable will win over the competition. Let’s examine each option in a bit more detail. #### **Win more market share** Businesses that want to win more market share need products or services with broad market appeal. This doesn’t have to mean “appealing to the masses”, although it might. A single product that appeals to everybody is great. But different products for [different market segments](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/four-types-of-market-segmentation/) might work even better. Of course, it’s hard to create a single successful product. Creating multiple successful products demands more staff and more money. Businesses in the startup stage are usually wiser to stick with a single product. #### **Cut costs** A business that cuts its costs without negatively affecting the product makes more money from each unit it sells. It costs less to produce each unit (or to fulfill a service once). Less money out, same money in, more profit! A business can cut its costs by switching, or negotiating better deals with, its suppliers or manufacturers. It can also cut its costs by becoming more efficient, or by employing economies of scale. #### **Improve the product** A business might not reduce its costs by working to offer a better product or service, but it will almost certainly be able to charge more. When you offer a great deal more value, customers will be willing to pay a great deal more. Same money out, more money in, more profit! Even existing customers will be happy to pay more if you make it clear to them how much more value they’re getting from their product now than when they first came on board. ### **What to notice about all of these methods** All of the above methods flow into each other. Make more profit with any of the above methods, and you’ll be able to reinvest that profit into any of the others. If you’re able to cut costs, you can reinvest your profits in improving your product, researching your market, and [identifying competitor weaknesses](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/competitor-swot-analysis/). In turn, you’ll win more deals, start stealing market share from your competitors, and make even more money. In turn, by winning more customers, you’ll learn more about what held them back from choosing you before. You’ll also learn what the final straw was that made them look to leave your competitor. All this helps inform your product development, and tells you where to direct your newfound capital. In other words, there’s a positive feedback loop at play here. Just make *some* progress early, and you’ll find your business accelerating into the growth stage in no time. --- [![](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/content/images/2023/06/C-Suite_Masterclass_Email_Banner_--1-.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=competitiveintelligencealliance.io) --- ## **But what about..?** By now, you should have questions. Because all that sounds neat and tidy, and you know nothing’s ever that easy. When it comes to ways a business can generate more profit, we’re leaving out other things that matter too. Things like the quality of the business’ leadership, the quality of its strategic decision-making, and its ability to close deals. But with the right people, such things should take care of themselves. And a business with more money can afford to hire better, more qualified people. So it should, in theory, win there too. Ok. But what about winning market share? When do you ever get a bunch of “unclaimed” market share just sitting around, waiting for you to come along and win them? You’ll have to win market share from the competition if you’re to win them at all. So, how do you get ahead enough to start generating more profit? For that, [you’ll need a competitive advantage](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/comparative-vs-competitive-advantage/). That’s where Porter’s generic strategies come in. ## **Porter’s generic strategies** First, a primer on Porter’s generic strategies. Michael Porter proposed three distinct competitive strategies: - Cost leadership. - Differentiation leadership. - Focus leadership. Let’s examine those more closely. ### **Porter’s generic strategies explained** #### **Cost leadership** A business that cuts costs while keeping prices the same can make more profit. It can then reinvest that profit into its products, people, and processes. This creates a positive feedback loop that accelerates the business’ growth, widening the gap between it and its closest competitors. Or, a business can look to pass its cost savings on to its customers, lowering its prices. Competing on price is rarely the best strategy for a business, as prices can only drop so close to zero before you’re out of business. While you might attract more people with your lower prices, there are some things to consider: 1. Does your product or service have **broad enough appeal** to actually attract more customers even if the price is lower?s 2. Is your price a **real reason** you’re losing deals? 3. Will the uplift in customer numbers **offset the drop** in prices? 4. Are the customers you’d attract with lower prices **the kind you’d want?** Remember, there’s no limit to how much you can increase your prices. You can offer ever-increasing value to your customers and continue charging more for it. In this direction, you’re limited only by your creativity and willingness to provide value. Try to win by being the cheapest, and you cheapen your product too. For some businesses this is the right strategy. For most, it’s not. ### **Differentiation leadership** Differentiation leadership is where your product or service does a few select things *very* well. Much better than your competitors. You’ve looked at similar products, uncovered where your product is strongest, and doubled down on those strengths. You’ve figured out how to make your product *different*, so it can stand on its own amongst other high value products. By doing a few things very well, your product becomes very good at solving very particular customer needs. The customers who want these needs met more than any others *will* favor your product over your competitors. Some of those competitors might even have you beat in other areas. But for your select cohort, your product solves their unique problems the best. So long as that doesn’t change, you’ll always be their first choice. ### **Focus leadership** Focus leadership comes down to focusing on one, small niche of customers to create what's called a [niche competitive advantage](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/niche-competitive-advantage/). A lot of research will likely have gone into finding and defining this customer segment. From the ground up, you’re able to build a product or service that caters to every need of this small niche. You understand them, and your product caters to them, better than any of your competitors. By virtue of being a small niche, broad market appeal is not what you’re aiming for. Everything from your pricing, to your feature set, and your brand messaging, all of these are geared towards selling your target market on your product. You might think this sounds quite a lot like differentiation. The difference between this and differentiation is that it can apply to both cost *and*differentiation. If price is a core need for your customers, you’ll have to incorporate that into your product or service. ☝️ Note: In Porter’s original framework, these three actually formed a quadrant, with Cost and Differentiation leadership as the two core options, both existing on a scale of focused-to-broad in how niche or broad your target market is. ## **The company lifecycle (revisited)** So (big drum roll) what does any of this have to do with the company lifecycle? At different stages of the lifecycle, a business has different challenges and circumstances. It has more or less cash readily available to reinvest. It has a greater or lesser number of talented staff on hand to push smart new ideas. And, most importantly, businesses at different stages of the company lifecycle can have more or less success with each of the competitive strategies we outlined above. That’s thanks to the unique things about those strategies. ![](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/content/images/2023/06/cycle.jpg) ### **The best competitive strategy for a startup** Here are some of the hallmarks of a **startup** 🌳. - Hasn’t been in business long (months to years). - Low sales. - Negative profit (operating at a loss). - Low efficiency (relatively unable to generate sales with its available capital). The business is at its most *fragile*during the startup stage. Most businesses don’t survive! Product market fit does not yet exist, and there’s not much cash since you’re not yet profitable. Running at a loss, startups are at risk of losing the key people they’ve invested so much of their scarce capital in. Your employees will learn lots quickly, and you’ll have to underpay them. Your best employees are the ones you’ll rely on most for growth, but they’re also the ones most likely to leave in search of higher paying opportunities once they’ve learned enough to move on. However, a business is also at its most *agile* during this stage. Risk is inherent, so startups have little to lose, and benefit from a “move fast and break things” mentality. Risk is high anyway, so there’s little downside to trying bold new things and learning from the outcomes. So what should your priority be as a startup? And what strategy is best to pursue at this stage? 🌳 ****• Suggested focus:** product-market fit. • ****Suggested strategy:** Niche competitive advantage (focus OR differentiation). Finding your product-market fit should be your priority. That includes establishing a customer base. When you do, you’ll start generating enough cash to reward your staff and attract strong new talent. This sows the seeds of true growth, as you’ll have more money and more staff around. You can use both to further develop your products and grow your business. As for strategies, a focused approach works best in the beginning for most. This can’t be a blanket recommendation, as there are always exceptions in the messy world of business. But as a rule, it holds. Most startups barely have enough cash to keep going. So it makes sense to nail a single product or service first. Make it the best it can possibly be for a small group of people (making it the best it can possibly be for everyone is beyond your scope at this point). By making it so good for a select group, it’s likely very valuable to them. This is good, as it means they’ll pay top dollar to use it. *That’s* good, because it means you’ll start generating serious cash once your product starts to sell. ### **The best competitive strategy for a growth-stage company** Here are some of the hallmarks of a **growth-stage** company 📈: - Usually been in business for at least a year. - Higher sales. - Higher profits, positive turnover. - Greater efficiency (better able to convert available capital into more sales). By the time you’ve reached the growth phase, you’ve found your product-market fit. There is demand for what you do. At this point, you’re operating at a profit. This is the time to strategically reinvest every bit of profit you make back into the business, so it can scale. So what should your priority and strategy be as a growth-stage company? 📈 • ****Suggested focus**: competitive positioning. • ****Suggested competitive strategy**: Niche competitive advantage (focus AND differentiation). You have more money at your disposal at this stage, so investing in new, skilled people is key. Sure, continue investing in product development and better tools and software. But a full marketing team is a must at this stage. A skilled marketing team can handle your key focus for the growth-stage: [competitive positioning](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/what-is-competitive-positioning/). As you near the end of the growth stage, growth will slow as you step up to the plate against key competitors. Knowing these competitors and how you’ll position yourself to beat them is key. As for your competitive strategy, it’s important to keep focusing on the niche target market you’re already winning over. Continued investment in your product helps keep existing customers around, while improved positioning and marketing puts you in the best position to win new customers. ### **The best competitive strategy for a business at maturity** Here are some key markers of a business that has reached **maturity** 👨‍🦳**:** - Usually been in business for at least five years. - Growth has begun to slow. - Costs have begun to fall. - Has been profitable, year after year, for a while. - Even greater efficiency versus the growth stage (even better able to convert available capital into more sales). A business that has reached maturity has a key, new advantage. It’s large enough that it is able to begin employing economies of scale. Fulfilling services on a larger scale, putting in orders for manufactured materials at bulk sizes, being able to commit to longer term deals with suppliers … all of these things help a business cut costs. And with lower costs, you can begin pursuing the elusive cost leadership strategy. 👵 • ****Suggested focus**: long-term competitive advantage. • ****Suggested competitive advantage**: cost advantage. Broader focus possible. For most businesses that reach maturity, the next stage is decline. To guard against that, you’ll need to stay on top of market trends and be very aware of changing customer needs. For that reason, your suggested focus at this stage is on establishing yourself for the long term. How can you make sure you’re still *the* in-demand product in five or ten years? How is the market shifting, and how might this affect the ways you offer and deliver your products and services to make sure you remain competitive? These are the kinds of questions you’ll need answers to if you want a sustained competitive advantage. Thankfully, your strategic horizons have broadened. You’re now large enough to lower your costs, so you can begin using these cost savings strategically. You can pass them on to your customers by charging lower prices. Or, you can charge the same prices and reinvest the additional profit. One smart way of investing this additional profit would be in advisors and experts who can help you navigate the business environment. They’ll be expensive, but if they keep you in business, they’re worth every cent. Now is also a good time to start diversifying. If you’ve been nailing a particular niche market segment for a while, you can start to develop a broader focus, aiming to serve a greater total number of customers. ## **TL;DR** - Businesses win by either appealing to a greater number of customers with the same products, or by increasing profit margins while selling to the same number of customers (or both). 📈 - Porter’s Generic Strategies (cost leadership, differentiation leadership, and focus leadership), roughly describe ways businesses can succeed. ♟️ - Businesses at each of the first stages of the company lifecycle (startup, growth, maturity), have different circumstances and opportunities. 👪 - Startups should focus on achieving product market fit quickly, while focusing on a niche market. 🤏 - Businesses in the growth phase should focus on beginning to position themselves competitively in the marketplace, learning how to differentiate their product effectively. 🌳 - Businesses that reach maturity should start securing themselves for the long-term, and can begin employing economies of scale to achieve cost leadership in their industry. They can then reinvest in diversifying their product portfolio and hedging risk. 👨‍🦳 --- ## **New or budding C-suite member who needs strategy training?** [![](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/content/images/2023/06/Alliance_C-Suite_Meta_Assets_.jpg)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=competitiveintelligencealliance.io) Most newcomers to the C-suite don't feel prepared. That's because they don't know how to: - **Steer their psychology** to take care of their mental health, eliminate imposter syndrome, and finally achieve work-life balance. - Quickly **establish a company-wide vision** and framework for developing and implementing a winning strategy. - Deftly **handle cultural differences** to maximize team togetherness. The C-Suite Masterclass will teach you to do all this, plus a *load* more. Click the banner below for more info. See you inside. 🫡 [![](https://www.competitiveintelligencealliance.io/content/images/2023/06/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=competitiveintelligencealliance.io) ### Customer referral tracking template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-referral-tracking-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T10:50:26.000Z ## What is a customer referral tracking template? A customer referral tracking template is a structured tool designed to help you monitor and manage customer referrals effectively. It provides an organized way to track referred customers, their contact information, the products they are interested in, and the current sales stage. ## What’s inside the template? The customer referral tracking template includes several key fields to help you efficiently manage referrals: 1. **Customer name:** Record the name of the referred customer. 2. **Product:** Record the product or service the customer is interested in. 3. **Customer contact information:** Track essential contact details for easy follow-up. 4. **Sales contact:** Document the sales representative responsible for managing the referral. 5. **Sales stage:** Monitor the referral's progress through the sales pipeline (e.g., approval stage, information gathering, rewrite, high target). ## How to use the template 1. **Input referral details** – Start by entering the referred customer’s name, contact information, and the product they are interested in. 2. **Assign a sales contact** – Designate the appropriate sales representative to handle the referral and ensure follow-up. 3. **Track sales progress** – Use the sales stage field to monitor where the referral is in the sales process and adjust your strategy as needed. 4. **Prioritize and manage** – Focus on high-target referrals and ensure timely follow-ups to maximize conversion rates. ## Download your customer referral program tracking template ![Customer referral tracking template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2024/10/Customer-referral-tracking-template.png) [Customer referral tracking templateCustomer referral tracking template.xlsx58 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Customer-referral-tracking-template.xlsx "Download") [Customer referral tracking template - TemplateCustomer referral tracking template - Template.pdf67 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Customer-referral-tracking-template---Template.pdf "Download") [Customer referral tracking template![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/spreadsheets_2023q4-3.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLaBkzOvX1ohuk_1yqTUMldTUWWWXPBsyiVnq8uM1wB6rJbglY6oIZoi5nyhl5Ta0FKD7GRNyPHnraZugsZaIa_3oVW4_sHicmZ_traDLZNVK-p_o5I-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Is5feIKkor31l-ASsGcfLyVIo2ZD4k83r3xIjE-eKUw/edit?gid=198203729#gid=198203729) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Leslie Paterson | How To Approach Executive Conversations: Setting Up A Successful Customer Marketing Team | Customer Marketing Catch-Up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/leslie-paterson-how-to-approach-executive-conversations-setting-up-a-successful-customer-marketing-team-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-11-22T15:23:06.000Z > "When you have these executive conversations, I will close out the conversation by saying, 'can I count on your support?' \[...\] you're going to find out fast who you're allies are; those allies are critical \[...\] the conversations about headcount, budget, support, become so much easier..." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Leslie Paterson, VP of Customer Advocacy & Engagement at BMC, talks to us about how you should approach executive conversations to set your customer marketing team up for success. ## **Key talking points:** - What you should establish between yourself and your executive stakeholders when setting up a team - Main points to communicate the importance of supporting customer marketing and advocacy teams - Handling challenging or resistant executives - An example of a successful executive conversation that helped solidify a new team ## About the guest: Leslie Paterson is an innovative Customer Advocacy and Customer Engagement executive with proven experience building impactful and effective Customer Advocacy and Engagement programs. She believes that the foundation of the program must be not only flexible, scalable and constantly innovative, but also be supported by every LOB within the organization at the highest levels. With the combination of strong organizational support and the best team in the business the possibilities are limitless. ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at** [**influitive.com**](https://influitive.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com)**.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Convince the boss | Customer Marketing Summit London URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/convince-the-boss-customer-marketing-summit-london/ Last updated: 2023-08-22T16:42:20.000Z Use this handy template to get your budget request over the line and mingle with customer marketing peers at Customer Marketing Summit in London on November 29 & 30. ### Google doc. template [Convince the boss: Customer Marketing Summit LondonHey \[insert boss’ name\], I’m interested in attending the Customer Marketing Summit on November 29 & 30, 2023 in London. Full details can be found here: https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/london/ I would like to inquire whether there is a potential for you to offer financial a…![](https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/documents/images/kix-favicon7.ico)Google Docs![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/docs/AOD9vFq4RtY53YjhArn72F64DddOu0ixH26pwprd4wxkAHcyTTP9c0bm28z8vPv0fcwGxg6iLNQDvawI0rHLxSNrxzTC12sXidJJ5zuvDS0UsKk7=w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PyOshLf4-OeWGiOmGLEDHC08BFETlyxlMIGZf-fbJrg/edit?usp=sharing) ### Word doc. template [ Convince the boss: Customer Marketing Summit London Convince-the-boss\_-Customer-Marketing-Summit-London--2-.docx 44 KB download-circle ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2023/08/Convince-the-boss%5F-Customer-Marketing-Summit-London--2--1.docx "Download") ### Empower your employees by building a culture that values every customer interaction URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/empower-your-employees-by-building-a-culture-that-values-every-customer-interaction/ Last updated: 2024-03-11T11:40:13.000Z The overarching goal of any [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success) function is to provide your customers with the best possible experience that’ll help them realize your product or service’s value, and reach their desired outcomes with said product or service. Sure, it sounds simple enough, but the only way for this ethos to be reflected in every customer interaction is if it’s a part of your company’s culture. This is where first-rate leadership comes into play. As a customer marketing leader, there’s a responsibility to set the standard through your actions. A junior member of staff can try to impact or change their company’s culture, but fundamentally, any big change needs to come from the top. To ensure each customer interaction counts and your *whole* company recognizes and values each customer interaction, this needs to come from the C-suite. In this article, we’re going to cover: - What work culture is, and why it’s important, - The importance of every customer interaction, - Ways to build a customer-centric culture, - How to empower your employees and set them up for success, and - How to measure success and continued improvement. Now, let’s get down to business. ## **What is a “work culture” and what is customer-centricity?** To kick things off, it’d serve this article best if we first explained the importance of a positive, encouraging work culture. But what do we mean when we refer to a “culture”? Work culture is the type of environment that exists *within* an organization, usually reflective of shared values, and beliefs that shape the normal run of things in a company. Here are some examples of work cultures: - Positive, friendly, and dynamic work cultures. These promote innovation, well-being, collaboration and retention. - “Fast-paced” work cultures tend to cultivate agility and adaptability, resilience, collaboration and continuous learning. - Work cultures fostered around [diversity, equity and inclusion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-we-need-to-amplify-diverse-voices-in-marketing/) (DE&I) signal to employees that a company values equal opportunities and creates a workforce that reflects the broader society of different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and identities. - In toxic work cultures, where employees feel the pressure to over-perform, there are cases of micromanagement, lack of recognition, and bullying. It’s up to the senior leadership team or the C-suite to set a healthy, supportive, and positive work culture in order to get the best work out of staff. But why are we talking about work culture in an article related to [customer-centric strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/)? As a customer marketing leader, you not only have influence over the day-to-day work culture that affects your employees – that's a given. You’re in a unique position to be able to impact the lives of your customers too – whether that figure's in the thousands, millions, or billions. ### **Why is a customer-centric work culture important?** As a customer marketing professional, your natural propensity is to focus on the customers themselves. But not every function within your business will necessarily be constantly thinking of the customer. In some companies, the big drive is the product itself, or perhaps the number of sales made. A company could be [community-led](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/what-is-community-led-growth/?ref=customersuccesscollective.com) (much like a little-known [customer marketing community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) 👀). When you put your customer at the forefront of every business decision, in every department – regardless of [KPIs and responsibilities](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) – then the customer's own eventual success becomes an increasingly realistic prospect. If you can make customer-centricity and [empathy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-vital-customer-marketing-skills-for-new-and-upcoming-hires/) an integral part of your company’s culture, it can really give your organization an edge in terms of customer conversion and retention. ## **The importance of every customer interaction** Customer interactions play a pivotal role in delivering exceptional service and [building strong relationships](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-build-a-strong-relationship-with-your-customers/) with your customers. Each interaction provides an opportunity to create a positive impression, address customer needs, and exceed their expectations. When your employees understand the significance of these interactions and are empowered to provide outstanding service, it can have a profound impact on overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. Senior leaders have a crucial role to play in building a customer-centric culture that emphasizes the importance of each customer interaction. How? By setting the right example and establishing clear expectations, they can inspire their teams to prioritize customer satisfaction and go above and beyond to meet customer needs. ### **Understanding the value of each customer interaction** It might sound trite, but it's worth noting for clarity: Most companies will agree with this, but whether its culture reflects the gravitas of this realization is another matter entirely. Whether it's a simple inquiry, a support request, or a strategic conversation, there’s no escaping from the fact that every single touchpoint contributes to the overall customer experience. Recognizing the impact of these interactions is essential for cultivating a culture that values customer-centricity. By understanding the value of each interaction, you can emphasize the importance of delivering exceptional service at every opportunity. This mindset should permeate throughout the entire organization, from the leadership team to frontline employees. ### **Identifying touchpoints throughout the customer journey and their significance** To truly build a customer-centric culture, it's important to identify the key touchpoints throughout the customer journey and understand their magnitude. From the first point of contact to post-purchase support, each one of these touchpoints presents a unique opportunity to engage with the customer and deliver the value that was promised pre-conversion. When you pinpoint these critical touchpoints, your employees will be made aware of the moments that matter most to customers. This knowledge enables you to tailor your interactions, provide personalized experiences, and demonstrate a deeper understanding of your customers’ needs. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### **Utilizing data and analytics to measure and evaluate the quality of customer interactions** Your customers won’t realize value and your department won’t be a revenue driver without marrying the [two pillars of customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-balance-between-tech-and-human-touch-during-onboarding/). Just like PB and J are a match made in sandwich heaven, so are empathy and data to customer success. No matter how you cut it, data and analytics play a *huge* role in building a customer-centric culture. By leveraging your customers’ data, you can gain insights into the quality of interactions, identify areas for improvement and feed this information back to your product development team. There are some key metrics you can start adopting, such as customer satisfaction scores, response times, and resolution rates, which can provide invaluable [feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) on the effectiveness of customer interactions. It’s worth pausing here to note that while having this data is just one part of the game – acting on it via analysis is the most important part. When you analyze this data, it allows you to measure the success of your customer-centric initiatives and make data-driven decisions to enhance the customer experience. Regular evaluation of customer interactions enables you to identify patterns, trends, and areas of excellence, which can be used to shape training programs, refine processes, and continuously improve service delivery. ## **Four ways you can build a customer-centric culture** ### **1\. Define a clear vision and mission centered around customer satisfaction** To build a customer-centric culture, it’s essential to define a clear vision and mission that revolves around customer satisfaction. This vision should be communicated throughout the organization, emphasizing the importance of putting the customer at the forefront of every decision and action. A customer-centric vision provides a shared purpose and direction, aligning employees around a common goal. It sets the tone for the organization's culture and serves as a guiding principle for decision-making at all levels. ### **2\. Communicate the importance of customer-centricity to the entire organization** This one will never get old: effective communication is key to fostering a customer-centric culture. It’s *essential* to clearly articulate the importance of customer-centricity to every member of the organization. This communication should emphasize how each employee contributes to the customer experience and how their efforts directly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty. Leaders should regularly communicate the organization's commitment to customer-centricity, share success stories, and highlight the positive outcomes that result from prioritizing the customer. This constant reinforcement helps create a shared understanding and reinforces the significance of customer interactions. ### **3\. Encouraging cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing** Michael Jordan once famously noted that "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." And he’s not wrong. 🏀 [Collaboration and teamwork](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) are an organization’s magic formula for success. When departments work together, share knowledge and break away from the silos that can unfortunately start to form, they can provide a seamless and consistent experience for customers. Your best jumping-off point to get your employees to fully grasp the significance of customer-centricity is by showing the value of what each other department does. This way, they’ll have a well-formed understanding of each customer interaction your company has. When pooling together insights, statistics and notes, employees can leverage their collective expertise and insights to better understand customer needs and address challenges effectively. ### **4\. Aligning internal processes to support a customer-focused approach** This one might be best addressed to your [operations team](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-operations/), but building a customer-centric culture requires aligning internal processes and policies to support a customer-focused approach. This can seem mundane, but it’s integral to long-lasting, systemic change. It can involve reviewing existing practices and identifying areas where changes can be made to enhance the customer experience. By streamlining your internal processes and removing unnecessary archaic barriers, you improve service delivery and set your employees up to make decisions that’ll benefit the customer tenfold. ## **Empowering employees to embody customer-centric values** The term “empower” gets thrown around a lot these days, but what does it really mean? We’re of the belief that empowerment means providing someone with the confidence and authority to carry out a task. If you’re in the business to make your company customer-centric, you won’t stand a chance if your employees aren’t onboard and, perhaps more pressingly, have the right infrastructure to enact this ethos. Empowering employees starts with hiring and training individuals who align with the organization's customer-centric values. During the hiring process, look for candidates who demonstrate empathy, excellent communication skills, and a genuine passion for delivering exceptional service. Once hired, provide comprehensive training programs that focus not only on product knowledge but also on vital skills, such as active listening, problem-solving, and empathy. This investment in employee development sets the foundation for a customer-centric culture. ### **Providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities** Empowerment is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and development. Provide employees with **regular training sessions** and **professional development opportunities** to enhance their skills and keep them updated on industry trends and best practices. Encourage employees to seek feedback, participate in workshops and conferences, and pursue relevant certifications. By investing in their growth, you empower them to provide exceptional service and develop as customer success professionals. 🎪 Leadership is the cornerstone of success in the C-suite. Are **you*ready to take your executive skills to the next level? Enter ****the** [****C-Suite Masterclass certification**](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=customersuccesscollective.com). From developing your leadership abilities to understanding the unique challenges faced by C-level executives, you'll gain the knowledge you need to drive results, inspire teams, and achieve your career aspirations. [Learn today. Lead tomorrow](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=customersuccesscollective.com) ### **Encouraging autonomy and decision-making authority at all levels** Empowering employees means granting them the autonomy and decision-making authority to serve customers effectively. Trust your employees to make decisions aligned with the organization's values and provide them with the necessary support and resources to do so. By empowering employees to take ownership of customer interactions and make decisions that benefit the customer, you foster a sense of ownership and accountability. This autonomy leads to increased employee satisfaction and enables them to deliver personalized and impactful experiences. ### **Recognizing and rewarding exceptional customer service efforts** Recognition and rewards are powerful tools for reinforcing a customer-centric culture. When you acknowledge and celebrate employees who consistently go above and beyond to deliver exceptional service and are responsible for outstanding customer interactions, you foster a culture of excellence that inspires others to follow suit. Whether this is through peer nominations, customer feedback, or performance metrics, a great way to empower your employees is by publicly recognizing these employees and rewarding their efforts. ### **Creating the right systems** Implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system to track interactions To effectively manage and track customer interactions, implement a robust CRM system and you’ll be laughing your way down Retention Road. You’ll know that a CRM provides a centralized platform to record and analyze customer interactions, ensuring that no valuable information slips through the cracks. But a powerful CRM system that works with your business model and size will allow your employees to access customer data, history, and preferences, and provide them with the ability to personalize all customer interactions and provide proactive support. It also facilitates collaboration among teams, allowing for a seamless handoff of information and ensuring continuity in the customer experience. ### **Utilizing technology for customer feedback and sentiment analysis** Technology can play a significant role in gathering customer feedback and sentiment analysis. Implement tools and platforms that enable customers to provide feedback easily, such as surveys, online reviews, and social media listening. Leverage sentiment analysis tools to monitor customer sentiment and identify areas where improvements can be made. These insights help you understand customer perceptions and make data-driven decisions to enhance the customer experience. ### **Providing employees with access to relevant customer information and insights** Empower your employees with access to relevant customer information and insights. This can include data on customer preferences, previous interactions, and any specific needs or challenges they may have encountered. By equipping employees with this information, you enable them to provide personalized and proactive support, anticipating customer needs and exceeding expectations. Access to customer insights empowers employees to deliver tailored solutions that drive customer success. ## **Measuring success and continuous improvement** ### **Establish KPIs to measure customer satisfaction and service quality** Measuring success in a customer-centric culture requires establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) that focus on customer satisfaction and service quality. These KPIs can include metrics such as customer satisfaction scores, net promoter score (NPS), customer retention rate, and customer lifetime value. Regularly monitor and evaluate these metrics to assess the impact of customer interactions and the effectiveness of your customer-centric initiatives. Use the data to identify areas for improvement and set goals to drive continuous enhancement of the customer experience. ### **Gathering customer feedback** Direct customer feedback is invaluable for understanding their needs, preferences, and satisfaction levels. Implement surveys, conduct interviews, and leverage social listening tools to gather feedback from your customers. Encourage customers to share their thoughts and suggestions, and actively listen to their feedback. Analyze the feedback to identify trends, pain points, and areas of improvement. This customer-centric approach ensures that you are continuously aligned with their needs and expectations. Analyzing customer data, feedback and customer interactions via metrics will identify areas for improvement, allow you to implement necessary changes and gain insights into the customer experience. What’s more, you’ll ensure your organization is consistently evolving to meet customer needs. ## **Overcoming challenges and roadblocks** When you’re beginning to implement a customer-centric culture, you may face resistance from employees who’ve become accustomed to existing practices or are perhaps reluctant to change. This is natural, and a very common theme in change management. You can overcome this resistance by fostering a customer-centric mindset through communication, training, and leading by example. When you’ve got employees who are taking more persuading to come round to these new systems, try to emphasize the benefits of a customer-centric approach, such as improved customer satisfaction, increased loyalty, and business growth. You can support these employees by offering resources to help them adapt to new ways of working and create a supportive environment that encourages experimentation and learning. ### **Resource constraints and budget limitations** Unfortunately, like many other aspects of life, lack of money can be a real blocker for realizing your goals. And in businesses, resource constraints and budget limitations can present challenges in building the customer-centric culture of your dreams. But it’s not all doom and gloom! You can harness creativity and prioritization to overcome these pesky financial obstacles. One way to get around a less-than-ideal budget is to proactively identify cost-effective initiatives that’ll have a significant impact on the customer experience. After all, *you*, the CS leader, are most in-tune with the customer’s thoughts and desires. *You* know what they’re after. Let the rest of the C-suite know that. You can focus on training and development programs that empower employees to provide exceptional service without requiring substantial financial investments. Seek opportunities to leverage technology and automation to streamline processes and maximize efficiency. ## **Okay, let’s wrap things up** Delivering exceptional service through every single customer interaction is a central tenet of any successful business. But building a customer-centric culture can only be achieved if your whole company is behind this ethos. By recognizing the value of each customer interaction, identifying key touchpoints, and leveraging data and analytics, organizations can continuously improve the quality of customer interactions. As a CS leader, you have your ear to the ground of every post-sales interaction. You live and breathe helping your customers, by understanding their feedback and walking them through your product’s uses. It’s therefore integral that customer success leaders can define a clear vision and mission centered around customer satisfaction, aligning internal processes and policies, and empowering employees through hiring, training, autonomy, and recognition. By utilizing the right systems and measuring success, organizations can overcome challenges, continuously improve, and provide exceptional service that drives customer success. We’ve said it once, but we’ll say it again. We’ll say it until the cows come home: > **Through customer-centricity, organizations can foster strong relationships, inspire customer loyalty, and differentiate themselves in today's competitive landscape. Empower your employees and they’ll take care of your customers.** [![](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/size/w1000/2023/06/q-ybL2TK.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ## **Secure your seat at the big table.** So much of your time is spent grafting to make your customers realize value, why not invest the same in yourself? Whether you’re a Director or VP of Customer Success, the **C-suite Masterclass** is your answer to professional progression. If you’re serious about taking your career to lofty heights, this certification will certainly help expedite your career by offering you strategies, insights, and skills necessary to take a seat at the big table. [Join the C-suite at your company!](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### What are the best practices and challenges when hiring internally for developer marketing roles? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-are-the-best-practices-and-challenges-when-hiring-internally-for-developer-marketing-roles/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:10:54.000Z Innovation is key in the rapidly evolving tech landscape, as it helps you capture market share and drive product adoption. Developer marketing has emerged as a crucial discipline that bridges the gap between technical products and their technical audience – developers. Hiring internally is a great strategy to help orgs succeed, since they’re making the most of their most valuable resources. Tapping into your existing talent means that, not only are you providing a platform for employees to learn and develop, but you also get benefits that external hiring may not provide. So, whether you’re hiring a developer marketer or advertising for developer relations jobs, let’s take a look at the best practices you should follow, as well as the challenges you can expect to face. 👇 - [The benefits of hiring internally](https://www.developermarketing.io/best-practices-challenges-hiring-internally-for-developer-marketing-roles/#the-benefits-of-hiring-internally) - [Best practices when hiring internally for developer marketing roles](https://www.developermarketing.io/best-practices-challenges-hiring-internally-for-developer-marketing-roles/#best-practices-when-hiring-internally-for-developer-marketing-roles) - [Challenges of recruiting developer marketers](https://www.developermarketing.io/best-practices-challenges-hiring-internally-for-developer-marketing-roles/#challenges-of-recruiting-developer-marketers) ## **The benefits of hiring internally** > *“Acquiring the right talent is the most important key to growth. Hiring was – and still is – the most important thing we do.” – *Marc Bennioff, CEO at Salesforce** Developer marketers are versatile, as they possess a unique blend of technical expertise and marketing know-how, which allows them to more easily communicate with developers. When trying to hire for these roles, you may be faced with a crucial decision: should you hire externally or look within your own talent pool? While there’s no denying that external hiring has a lot of merits, there’s a lot to be said about promoting internally – so, here are the **reasons why recruiting internally can be a game-changer**: ### **Familiarity with your company** Internal candidates already have a deep understanding of your org’s culture, values, products, and audience, as well as your mission and vision. They can hit the ground running a lot faster than an external hire. ### **Product and technical knowledge** Developer marketers need to have a strong understanding of the products they’re marketing, as well as the technical elements behind them. Your existing employees often have a solid grasp of this and can leverage their existing knowledge to create more accurate and compelling marketing messages. --- [Types of DevRel jobsOkay, so you’re looking for a developer relations job – do you know which keywords to search for on job boards? Or what types of developer relations (DevRel) roles even exist in the first place?![](https://www.developermarketing.io/content/images/size/w256h256/2021/07/DMC-33_logomark_square-02-1.png)Developer Marketing AllianceTeresa Garanhel![](https://www.developermarketing.io/content/images/2023/01/pexels-anna-shvets-4226140-1.jpeg)](https://www.developermarketing.io/types-of-devrel-jobs/) --- ### **Existing relationships** Internal candidates will have established relationships within your company, and may already have connections with your target audience too – this makes for smoother collaboration and communication and can lead to better integration between the teams. ### **Faster onboarding** Existing employees will require less time to get up to speed with the org’s processes, tools, and systems. They’re already familiar with the internal structure, which reduces the learning curve associated with an external hire. This allows them to start contributing to marketing efforts quickly. ### **Increased staff morale** Promoting internally can boost your employee’s morale and motivation, since it shows you value internal talent, encourage career growth, and provide opportunities for advancement. This can lead to higher job satisfaction and increased loyalty among existing employees. ### **Most cost-effective** Recruiting externally tends to involve significant costs, such as advertising, recruiting agencies, and onboarding. You save on these expenses when you look internally. ## **Best practices when hiring internally for developer marketing roles** When identifying best practices for hiring developer marketers or DevRel pros, consider the following: --- [Developer marketing best practices you need to adoptWe’re already touched on some developer marketing best practices when we wrote our guide to developer marketing. Now, we’re offering an in-depth look at the most efficient ways to market to developers, so you can get the results you’re searching for.![](https://www.developermarketing.io/content/images/size/w256h256/2021/07/DMC-33_logomark_square-02-1.png)Developer Marketing AllianceTeresa Garanhel![](https://www.developermarketing.io/content/images/2023/02/red-megaphone-against-red-background.jpeg)](https://www.developermarketing.io/top-developer-marketing-best-practices/) --- ### **Clearly define the role** I.e., consider what makes a good developer marketer. It’s crucial you start by defining the responsibilities, skills, and qualifications required for the developer marketing role. This includes understanding the specific needs of the position, such as technical knowledge, marketing expertise, and familiarity with developer communities. There are many skills you can consider when hiring for a developer marketing role, such as: - Technical skills - Communication skills - Independence and initiative - Customer acquisition skills - Resilience - Adept at analyzing and using data - Storytelling abilities - Business acumen - Content creation skills - Project management skills - Creativity - Marketing skills - Understanding of API design and development - Leadership skills - Sales - Community-building skills - Problem-solving - Analytical skills - Strategic thinking **There are many different types of roles involved in marketing to developers**, so you should have a clear idea of what’s really needed at your company. For example, you can hire someone who will focus on marketing strategy, on implementing a developer relations program, on community management, on product evangelism, on subject matter expertise, and so much more. **A well-defined job description allows you to effectively communicate the expectations to internal candidates and hiring managers alike**. ### **Promote internal applications** Communicate the availability of the developer marketing role to existing employees through internal channels like email, company newsletters, or intranet. Make sure you’re providing a detailed job description and specifying any necessary qualifications or experience. ### **Establish a fair selection process** It’s paramount to treat internal candidates with the same level of fairness and impartiality as external candidates. Create a selection process that ensures consistency and objectivity. Develop a set of criteria against which all applicants will be evaluated, and utilize skills assessments, interviews, and relevant exercises to assess their suitability for the developer marketing role. It’s crucial to avoid any bias or favoritism when making the hiring decision, and ensure equal opportunities for all internal candidates. ### **Leverage existing performance data** One of the advantages of internal hiring is the ability to access past performance data of your current employees. Review their performance evaluations, feedback from managers or colleagues, and any relevant metrics that can shed light on their capabilities, work ethic, and alignment with company values. You should also consider the candidates' track records, their ability to work in cross-functional teams, their communication skills, and their overall performance within the organization. This information provides valuable insights into their potential fit for the developer marketing role. ### **Development opportunities** You can also provide training and development opportunities for internal candidates who may have the necessary technical skills but lack marketing expertise, for example. This can include workshops, courses, or mentoring programs to help them acquire the required knowledge for the developer marketing role. ### **Consider people’s career aspirations** Understand the career goals and aspirations of internal candidates. Determine how the developer marketing role aligns with their long-term objectives and consider the potential for growth within the position. ### **Conduct structured interviews** During the interview process, use a structured format that includes standardized questions. Ask candidates about their experiences in working with developers, their understanding of [developer pain points](https://www.developermarketing.io/how-to-nail-pain-points-for-your-target-developers/) and needs, and their strategies for creating effective technical content. Assess their ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and gauge their creativity in developing developer-focused marketing campaigns. A structured interview format helps ensure consistency in evaluation and enables a fair comparison among candidates. **Examples of interview questions** you can ask when recruiting internally are: - How has your current role at the company prepared you for this position? - In your opinion, what makes our products or services unique? How would you communicate these unique features to our technical audience? - How would you apply your current understanding of our company culture and objectives to this new role? - Can you share an instance where you worked with our development and marketing teams? What was the project, and what was your role? - Given your understanding of our current developer community, what improvements or changes would you suggest in our marketing strategies? - If you were to pitch our products/services to a developer right now, how would you do it? - How would you handle a situation where there is a disagreement between the marketing team and the developer team regarding the product? - Can you describe an instance where you had to explain a technical concept to non-technical colleagues? How did you approach this situation? - Given your existing relationships within the company, how would you leverage those to make this role successful? - Based on your understanding of our product roadmap, how would you align the marketing plan to it? - Can you describe a situation in your current role where you were able to successfully incorporate feedback from the developer community? - Considering your existing workload, how would you prioritize and manage your responsibilities in this new role? - How would you improve communication between the marketing and development teams? - From your perspective, what challenges might you face in this role, and how do you plan to overcome them? - Why are you interested in transitioning into this developer marketer role, and how do you see it aligning with your career progression? ### **Feedback and communication** Throughout the hiring process, maintain open and transparent communication with internal candidates. Keep them informed about the stages of the process, the expected timelines, and any updates or changes. This transparency helps create a positive candidate experience and reinforces trust within the organization. Also, whether an internal candidate is selected or not, provide constructive [feedback](https://www.developermarketing.io/how-to-get-developers-to-test-out-your-product/) on their performance and areas for improvement. Encourage them to apply for future opportunities and offer resources or development programs that can support their growth. ### **Support the transition process** Once an internal candidate is selected for the developer marketing role, it’s important to provide them with the necessary support for a smooth transition. Offer training programs that focus on developer marketing strategies, [developer persona](https://www.developermarketing.io/the-complete-guide-to-developer-personas/) development, content creation, and campaign management. Assign a mentor or coach to guide the internal hire through the early stages of their new role, helping them understand the nuances of developer-focused marketing and integrating them into relevant teams and projects. This support ensures a successful transition and sets the internal hire up for long-term success. ## **Challenges of recruiting developer marketers** When recruiting for a developer marketing role, whether internally or externally, you may face several challenges, including: - **Technical expertise**: it can be tough to find the right candidate who has a strong understanding of software development, programming languages, and technical concepts, along with marketing skills. - **Niche marketing understanding**: developer marketing requires a deep understanding of the developer community, their needs, preferences, and challenges. This can make it hard to find the right person for the job, as it’s a specialized niche within the broader marketing field. - **Limited talent pool**: there may be fewer experienced developer marketers when compared to other marketing roles. The demand for skilled developer marketers may exceed the available supply, which leads to increased competition among employers for qualified candidates. - **Evolving landscape**: because the developer marketing landscape is constantly evolving, with new technologies, tools, and platforms emerging regularly, candidates must be adaptable and quick learners to keep up with these changes. Finding individuals who are up-to-date with the latest trends and can leverage emerging technologies can be a challenge. - **Cultural fit**: another thing to consider is that developer marketing often involves working closely with engineering teams and developers. It’s important you find candidates who can seamlessly integrate into a technical environment, understand the developer mindset, and effectively collaborate with technical teams, though this can be tough sometimes. ## **To conclude** Hiring internally for a developer marketing role can be a strategic move that offers many benefits to your company. It can help to enhance collaboration and communication between the marketing and development teams, as employees shifting roles internally are already well-acquainted with the company's values, culture, and products. Given their unique understanding of the org, internal candidates can often identify opportunities for innovation and improvement that an external candidate may overlook. Their familiarity with the product and the development process also makes them more effective at communicating the value proposition of your offering to both technical and non-technical audiences. However, successful internal hiring requires a careful approach. It's important to be transparent about the expectations of the new role, and to provide support to the candidate during their transition. Ask pointed and relevant questions during the interview to gauge the individual's readiness for the role and to understand how they plan to apply their existing knowledge to their new responsibilities. Lastly, remember that even though the candidate is already part of the team, they will still need some time to adjust to their new position. A thoughtful onboarding process can be incredibly beneficial in this regard, even for internal hires. In the end, the decision to hire internally should be driven by the candidate's potential to grow within the role and contribute to the success of your company. --- *Looking to climb the ladder all the way to the top? Learn from the best in the business with our* [*C-Suite Masterclass*](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=developermarketing.io) *cohort and boost your leadership skills!* [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--3.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) [Find out more here!](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### Upsell email templates URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/upsell-email-templates-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T14:27:09.000Z ## What is a customer upselling email template? An upsell template is a pre-written email designed to help you increase revenue by encouraging existing customers to upgrade to higher-tier plans or products. These templates are specifically crafted for different [upselling](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/10-upselling-best-practices-every-csm-needs-to-know/) scenarios, such as behavior-based, time-based, or discount-based offers. ## What’s inside the template? The upsell template includes three primary email templates that cover a variety of up-selling opportunities: 1. **Behavior-based upselling** – Triggered when a user attempts to access a feature outside their current plan. 2. **Time-based upselling** – Sent to customers who have been using your product for a set period, inviting them to enhance their experience by upgrading to a higher plan. 3. **Discount-based upselling** – Offers an exclusive discount to motivate customers to upgrade their plan on the spot, emphasizing the benefits they’ll gain from the new package. ## How to use the template 1. **Identify up-sell opportunities** – Use customer behavior data or time-based milestones to determine the best opportunities for up-selling. 2. **Personalize the emails** – Customize the email templates by inserting the customer’s name, the features or pricing plan they’re currently on, and the key selling points of the upgraded plan. 3. **Send and track performance** – Schedule the emails based on customer activity or time triggers, and track the conversion rates to see which approaches are most effective. 4. **Refine your strategy** – Use customer feedback and conversion data to adjust the timing, messaging, or offers to optimize your up-sell campaigns. ## Download your customer upsell email templates ![Up-sell templates](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2024/10/Up-sell-templates.png) [Up-sell templatesUp-sell templates.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Up-sell-templates.docx "Download") [Up-sell templatesUp-sell templates.pdf67 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Up-sell-templates-1.pdf "Download") [Up-sell templatesUp-sell templates It’s an incredibly well-known fact that it’s easier (and cheaper!) to sell to existing customers than it is to sell to new prospects, and up-selling products is one nifty way to go about maximizing these kinds of opportunities. Here are some templates to get you goi…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-20.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyLoXk0tdoP2MtvszF5A7r3BIjIt5RXeuwyI7Qmp9S7UwLA3rz_XKuW8sxVVADlbluU70drQ5EsaRUXgMw8JyPvwlDofMmSFVglUVrw-RTWfwbV66q1b-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rz5ABv5mURBeAwDgtze%5FBl8Jm5Juzszg1QxrxzgXs10/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Competitor SWOT analysis URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/competitor-swot-analysis-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T12:58:40.000Z ## What is a competitor SWOT analysis template? Our competitor SWOT analysis template is a resource used by competitive intelligence professionals to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of your company in comparison to your competitors. This template aims to help businesses understand their competitive landscape, identify areas for improvement, and uncover potential opportunities and threats. ## What's inside the template? Four quadrants, each covering both sides of the comparison: - **Strengths:** Yours and your competitors' - **Weaknesses:** Yours and your competitors' - **Opportunities:** Yours and your competitors' - **Threats:** Yours and your competitors' ## How to use the template Gather data on your company and competitors from customer feedback, industry reports, and market research. Then work through each quadrant for both sides: your strengths and weaknesses versus theirs, then opportunities and threats for both. Use what you find to decide where to double down, where to fix gaps, and where to move before a competitor does. ## Download your SWOT analysis template ![Competitor SWOT analysis](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6f/66/6f66cab9-7939-4355-91c0-409dddffd4d9/content/images/2024/10/Competitor-SWOT-analysis.png) [Competitor SWOT analysisCompetitor SWOT analysis.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Competitor-SWOT-analysis.docx "Download") [Competitor SWOT analysisCompetitor SWOT analysis.pdf71 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/files/2024/10/Competitor-SWOT-analysis.pdf "Download") [Competitor SWOT analysisCompetitor SWOT analysis Date last reviewed: DD/MM/YYYY Company Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Your company Out of everything you listed in your competitor intel worksheet, what do you outrightly do better than your competitors that distinguishes you? For exa…![](https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/documents/images/kix-favicon-2023q4.ico)Google Docs![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docs/AHkbwyLdzELGvfGC9b06thyfCyaAeKEvJHkmOjY59jOaJZmKgkfdCUQV7H0Jh9b8hHSit_CcpKavju9Z215Ny-6Bf87hpKKWGuxoqQwEe829FLwhkIckBRYN=w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W7rRl7p4VYx1sXocAtQJ%5Fd9Mmtj-t2b%5FbD%5FYm04d9Ac/edit#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Campaign planning template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/campaign-planning-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T09:56:35.000Z ## What is a campaign planning template? A campaign planning template is a structured project tracker that takes a marketing campaign from planning and research through prep, launch, and post-launch evaluation, with a built-in RACI chart so every task has a clear owner. Instead of a campaign living across scattered docs and messages, it becomes one tracked plan with priority, dates, status, and who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, or Informed on each task. ## What's inside the template? The template covers six stages, each broken into specific tasks with a RACI column for accountability: 1. Planning and research 2. Campaign prep 3. Marketing launch prep 4. Pre-launch testing 5. Actual launch 6. Post-launch testing ## How to use the template Work through the stages in order, filling in what to include, priority, dates, and status for each task before moving to the next stage. Assign a RACI role to every task so there's no ambiguity about who's actually doing the work versus who just needs to know about it. Treat it as a living tracker, not a one-time plan: update status and dates as the campaign progresses, and use it to spot what's overdue or on hold before it becomes a bigger problem. ## Download your campaign planning template ![Campaign planning template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Campaign-planning-template.png) [Campaign planning template - Campaign planning template (1)Campaign planning template - Campaign planning template (1).pdf64 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Campaign-planning-template---Campaign-planning-template--1-.pdf "Download") [Campaign planning templateCampaign planning template.xlsx71 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Campaign-planning-template.xlsx "Download") [Campaign planning template![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/spreadsheets-2026-v3-9f4530bd-8901-423c-b5bb-f35adae8b81e.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKbsdXLuFphL5Kfqqid1K_TOB-hvUOlmv9Z9kYbli_bV3M96hcWuTX-555Idj1xF-WRd8bSi4l3ukuRrncAk_MWYNSRGdoRx9TMIyMJ6pLHnyAF44fx-w1200-h630-p-043aebb8-11c1-4249-a307-bd41053893d4)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pVwYNGsv5IVNkaBWSDSoAJl1TDIRcW9BLJBUyMnrbE0/edit?gid=0#gid=0) ### Content for each stage of the buyer's journey URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content-for-each-stage-of-the-buyers-journey-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T10:10:37.000Z ## What is the content for each stage of the buyer's journey template? This template is a reference guide that maps content formats to the three stages of the buyer's journey, so you know which asset does which job and stop producing content that lands at the wrong moment. It sets out what prospects need at each stage, then explains fourteen content formats and where each one earns its place. Useful whether you're auditing what you already have or filling gaps in a content plan. ## What's inside the template? A stage-mapping table followed by a breakdown of fourteen formats: 1. The three stages at a glance: what prospects need and how to provide it 2. Awareness content: articles, whitepapers, eBooks, podcasts, social posts 3. Consideration content: online demos, product brochures, downloadable guides, webinars, explainer videos 4. Decision content: case studies, FAQs, reviews and testimonials, free trials ## How to use the template Start with the summary table and audit what you already have against it. Use the format breakdown to fill the thinnest stage first rather than producing more of what you're already good at. The stage a piece of content serves should be a decision you make before you brief it, not something you work out afterwards. ## Download your content for each stage of the buyer's journey template ![Content for each stage of the buyer's journey](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Content-for-each-stage-of-the-buyer-s-journey.png) [Content for each stage of the buyer’s journeyContent for each stage of the buyer’s journey.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Content-for-each-stage-of-the-buyer---s-journey.docx "Download") [Content for each stage of the buyer’s journey (1)Content for each stage of the buyer’s journey (1).pdf141 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Content-for-each-stage-of-the-buyer---s-journey--1-.pdf "Download") [Content for each stage of the buyer’s journeyContent for each stage of the buyer’s journey Whether you’re looking to acquire leads or increase sales and conversions, content plays an essential role in the buyer’s journey. From comprehensive articles, audio content like podcasts, or educational webinars, content marketing helps your prospe…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/docs-favicon-2026-v2-8d71db94-8496-44bc-a0c8-21b0eefa05a2.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJeLz0f_7EG2sWpEYoXK9o2RgOIhZXfpLO2kV-Sc0AVqcSmwihWiWviSTwfbKOvmA69kw5Z1Jro3pnnfIuKgtNYYNQL23pk0cIDZvX8G6oL2Aya-I36-w1200-h630-p-cc860cc5-0d81-4bd2-863e-10d5c74d2b0d)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yrE90FYjqtlXu%5FT4jQHyqtx%5FiCA7LiDU2OyEQlEO9so/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.sacb774069pb) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Beyond references: How to find and grow invested customer advocates URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-references-how-to-find-and-grow-invested-customer-advocates-2/ Last updated: 2024-08-15T14:03:28.000Z This article comes from the panel, *‘The revenue-driving secret weapon: How to win & maintain advocates’* , at our **Las Vegas 2023 Customer Marketing Summit**, check out the full discussion [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=kspv3lniu3). Want to know the revenue-driving secret weapon winning over today's leading tech brands? **Customer advocacy**. Passionate users are a marketer's dream - they voluntarily promote your product, provide insights, and drive growth. In this can't-miss panel, customer advocacy experts from *Cisco*, *Yubico*, *Upwork*, *VMware*, and *ShoutOut* shared their top tips for advocacy success. With our industry leaders, **Preston Ritter**, **David Olsen**, **Jessica Noland**, **Erin O'Quinn** & **Dan Gable**, you'll learn how to identify true advocates, prove program value, nurture relationships over time, and maximize content reuse. Join these advocacy all-stars as they pull back the curtain on their secrets to customer loyalty. Whether you're new to advocacy or a seasoned pro, you'll leave inspired to turn your customers into raving fans. So let’s dive in! - [**Defining the field**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0104f143-fc07-4650-9be6-a9af83636c97/#defining-the-field) - [**Distinguishing advocates from references**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0104f143-fc07-4650-9be6-a9af83636c97/#distinguishing-advocates-from-references) - [**Proving the critical value of advocacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0104f143-fc07-4650-9be6-a9af83636c97/#proving-the-critical-value-of-advocacy) - [**Nurturing advocates over time**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0104f143-fc07-4650-9be6-a9af83636c97/#nurturing-advocates-over-time) - [**Key recommendations and takeaways**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0104f143-fc07-4650-9be6-a9af83636c97/#key-recommendations-and-takeaways) ## **Defining the field** **Jessica Noland, Customer Advocacy Manager at Upwork** loves the highly cross-functional nature of customer advocacy. Her team works closely with groups like sales, product, investor relations, marketing, and more. This gives her exposure to parts of the business she wouldn't normally interact with day-to-day. **Preston Ritter, Americas Customer Marketing Leader at Cisco** is the self-proclaimed "chief fun officer" in addition to his official role. Working at Cisco for 10 years, his passion lies in the community-building aspect of customer advocacy. Cisco even has an "insider advocate" program that keeps their most loyal users engaged through both private reference opportunities and fun social interactions. For Preston Ritter, advocacy is all about making real connections with customers, not just using them as marketing assets. Building genuine relationships is the key to success. **Dan Gable, Founder of ShoutOut** unsurprisingly is a huge believer in the power of customer story videos. For Dan, he feels that the short-form user-generated video content is an underutilized way for advocates to share their expertise and stories. Video campaigns don't have to be expensive productions - things like one-word compilations or slideshows set to music also work great. **Erin O'Quinn, Global Director of Customer Advocacy at VMware** has been tied to customer advocacy for 7 of her 10 years at the company, but loved the experience and thrives on sharing her insights with those newer to customer marketing roles. **David Olsen, Director of Customer Advocacy at Yubico,** believes content is king when it comes to advocacy programs. With 7 years of experience in customer advocacy at Adobe before joining Yubico, David has seen firsthand that case studies are the most critical type of content. Under David's leadership, the Yubico advocacy program expanded into new content types like video and speaking opportunities. Through this he recognized quality content creation as the core of customer advocacy success. ## **Distinguishing advocates from references** A key part of managing an advocacy program is understanding what actually makes someone an advocate versus just a reference. Let’s dive into our expert’s definitions of this: Jessica Noland has a clever example to illustrate the difference - say two people are asked about their experience with a fitness app like Peloton. One person simply confirms "Yes I use it, it's a great app. I have the bike at home and use it around 3 times a week." *This is a reference.* Whereas an *enthusiastic advocate* would say: "Oh my gosh let me tell you about Peloton! I've been using it for six years and it's completely changed my workout routine. It's not just spinning classes - they have strength training, yoga, outdoor running, you name it. I went to Peloton Homecoming and met the instructors. I have the apparel, and I tell literally everyone I know that they need to try Peloton!" **Advocates actively and continuously promote the brand, not just when asked for a reference.** For a display of incredible brand passion, take a look at Preston Ritter’s example from a Cisco customer in Latin America. The individual actually got a tattoo of the Cisco logo after the company's training programs helped him launch his technology career! This exceptional level of brand loyalty makes someone an advocate rather than just a transactional reference. Overall, the key distinguishing factor is **advocates feel real passion for the product and care deeply about the company's mission**. References are simply willing to provide information when asked. Building emotional investment is *key* to creating advocates rather than just references. [Customer marketing and advocacy: A two-way streetWe all know that when it comes to promoting our business, the best testimony is a customer testimony. But how can we build effective co-marketing partnerships with our customers so that they’ll want to shout from the rooftops about how amazing we are?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceMeaghan Sullivan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/marissa-eric-TcWE0IQatTw-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-should-be-considered-a-two-way-street/) ## **Proving the critical value of advocacy** One of the major challenges our experts named with customer advocacy is proving the tangible value of programs. Marketing budgets are tightening across the board, so demonstrating clear ROI is crucial. Luckily, our experts have several tactics and examples to quantify the impact of advocacy on revenue: 📋 **Leverage credible research on advocacy's benefits.** Erin O'Quinn’s company VMware cites studies by research firms like IDC that show customer advocacy leads to a 25-40% faster deal progression. 📣 **Use comprehensive voice of the customer insights to shape positioning, messaging, and sales strategy.** Preston Ritter chooses to gather feedback from multiple sources - surveys, interviews, discussions, social media, and channel partners. This well-rounded perspective provides actionable insights across the business in product, marketing, and sales. 📊 **Conduct sentiment analysis on customer content to quantify impact.** David Olsen highlighted the significant opportunities for companies to expand their advocacy content when switching from long-form case studies to snackable social media videos. Tracking views and engagement will also further demonstrate value. 💵 **Analyze reach of advocacy content as equivalent ad spend replacement.** For Jessica Noland, featuring a customer story in a campaign can replace expensive paid media. Assigning a dollar value to that content reach demonstrates hard savings. [Customer advocacy and its positive impact and influence on revenueIn an increasingly crowded marketplace, a good customer advocacy program can put you head and shoulders above your competitors by ensuring that your customers’ needs always come first. But how can we build a customer advocacy program, and how can we show its value?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceDavid Oragui![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/jungwoo-hong-cYUMaCqMYvI-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/) ## **Nurturing advocates over time** Managing an advocacy program isn't just about recruiting - you need to actively nurture relationships over time. Here our the explored best practices for sustaining engagement our experts shared: - **Start wherever the advocate has interest, then expand from there.** David Olsen works with new advocates to quickly build on whatever level of participation they feel comfortable with. Presented with a speaking opportunity, one customer created their first video to use in the talk. David Olsen then expanded the relationship further by traveling onsite to film a case study video featuring the happy advocate. - **Help advocates build their personal brand through platforms like TikTok.** Dan Gable highlighted user-generated social content as a huge opportunity for advocacy programs. Followers want to learn from real users, not just paid influencers, and short videos allow advocates to share their expertise. - **Set clear expectations upfront about the time commitment and value to them.** According to Jessica Noland, being transparent about requirements is hugely important in preventing advocate burnout. A specific pitch leads to higher willingness and retention vs a vague "would you speak at our event?" invitation. - **Check in regularly and gather feedback after engagements.** PrestonRitter uses post-activity reviews to continuously improve advocate experiences. This builds loyalty and uncovers any lingering frustrations or challenges. - **Closely manage incoming requests and be protective of advocate time.** Demand for "high value" advocates can quickly lead to fatigue. Make sure cross-functional teams aren't overwhelming advocates even with well-intentioned asks. - **Focus on genuine relationships, not transactions.** Incentives and rewards should be meaningful to that specific individual. Building a relationship can involve shared interests, like how David Olsen bonded with an advocate over a shared love of bourbon. ## **Key recommendations and takeaways** Here are the most important lesson or piece of advice for customer advocacy professionals from our experts: > **Package advocacy content for maximum reuse across teams.** David Olsen urges marketers to make content modular and plug-and-play. For example, create a short video version of a case study along with summarized slides and social posts. Sales, social media, and other groups can then easily access and leverage the content. > **Proactively explain and "market" customer advocacy across the company.** Jessica Noland finds herself constantly explaining the function to colleagues. Take time to educate teams on what customer advocacy is and how to best collaborate. Treat it like an internal marketing campaign. > **Start small and focus on quick wins, don't overextend early on.** Even though Cisco already had strong advocacy in place, Preston Ritter admits he still tried doing too much too fast when he joined. New leaders should take time to learn and build relationships first. > **Shift from paid influencers to user advocates on social platforms.** Dan Gable would like to see more real users sharing their experiences rather than celeb-style influencers. Creative campaigns can enable this authentic expertise-sharing. **The future looks bright for customer advocacy.** With a strategic approach to winning and maintaining brand loyalists, the advocacy program can become a company's competitive advantage. What are you waiting for? Get out there and turn your customers into advocates. --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Newsletter_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/subscribe-to-customer-marketing-dispatch/) ### The STP customer segmentation model for competitive advantage URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/beyond-the-basics-the-stp-customer-segmentation-model-for-competitive-advantage/ Last updated: 2025-01-15T09:56:39.000Z In today's super competitive marketplace, brands need to get smart about connecting with their ideal customers. One proven strategy? The STP model for customer segmentation. Standing for **Segmentation**, **Targeting**, and **Positioning**, it’s a simple but powerful framework to identify your best customer groups, focus your efforts on the most valuable segments, and tailor your messaging and offerings specifically for them. But mastering STP requires going beyond the basics. In this article, we’ll explore advanced segmentation strategies to take your marketing to the next level, so let’s dive in! - [**Unraveling the STP model**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/aca4607a-7c64-4252-99fe-bced12632dfd/#unraveling-the-stp-model) - [**Why use the STP segmentation model?**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/aca4607a-7c64-4252-99fe-bced12632dfd/#why-use-the-stp-segmentation-model) - [**Final thoughts**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/aca4607a-7c64-4252-99fe-bced12632dfd/#final-thoughts) [Ultimate guide to customer segmentation.Customer segmentation is a tool used by businesses that sorts and categorizes your existing customers by certain characteristics. This tool has a multitude of benefits, which we’ll be going over in this comprehensive guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/dil-8OECtq8rrNg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) ## **Unraveling the STP model** By following the STP marketing model, businesses can ensure that their marketing efforts are customer-centric, focused, and relevant. Embracing the segmentation process allows companies: - to **understand the diversity** within their market, - targeting enables them to **concentrate resources** effectively, - and positioning helps them **differentiate** and connect with customers in a **meaningful** way. Adopting this model approach boosts the chances of delivering the *right* message to the *right* customers, fostering customer loyalty, and driving business growth, here’s how we break it down: ### S - Segmentation Consider a sprawling digital marketplace, where each user is a unique blend of interests, challenges, and desires. Segmentation acts as a prism, refracting this vast customer base into discernible, manageable spectrums. By categorizing potential customers into distinct groups—whether by **demographics**, such as age or gender, **psychographics**, such as values or lifestyles, **behaviors**, or even **geography**—businesses gain the ability to craft strategies that resonate on a more personal level. By segmenting the market, companies gain insights into the diversity of their customer base, allowing them to create more targeted marketing initiatives. > *For example, a fitness apparel brand may divide its market into segments such as active gym-goers, yoga enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and casual joggers.* ### T - Targeting With a segmentation map in hand, the next step is to prioritize. Targeting sharpens the focus, allowing companies to evaluate and **select specific segments that best align with their goals** and have the highest potential for profitability and growth. Through target market analysis, businesses assess the attractiveness of each segment based on factors such as size, growth potential, competition, and compatibility. By focusing their efforts on a well-defined target market, companies can optimize their marketing resources, enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve a competitive advantage. > Using our fitness apparel example, the brand might decide to target active gym-goers and yoga enthusiasts due to the rising trends of gym fitness and mindfulness practices. ### P - Positioning This is the culmination of the process, where you meld understanding and focus into a **unique brand narrative**. It's not merely about delineating product benefits; it's about **etching a brand's essence meaningfully into the minds of consumers**. With effective positioning, businesses can convey not just what they sell, but *why they matter*. Effective positioning takes into account the specific needs and desires of the target segment, aligns with their perceptions and preferences, and communicates a clear and consistent message that will resonate. > *Our fitness apparel brand, for instance, might position itself as the go-to brand for sustainable, high-performance wear that supports both rigorous workouts and meditative yoga sessions.* [How to use demographic segmentation: Improve your marketing personalization techniquesDemographic segmentation separates your existing customers based on some basic factors of their identity but doesn’t include things like geography, purchasing behaviors, and personality.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/charlesdeluvio-oAa4BY3b-vo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) ## Why use the STP segmentation model? This widely-used marketing strategy can help businesses identify and better understand their target market, customize their marketing efforts, and position their products or services effectively. Here are several reasons why your business should adopt this model: **🔮 Customer insight mastery** - The STP model is like a magnifying glass, amplifying nuances in customer behavior and preferences. - It doesn't just offer data; it offers actionable insights. Businesses can better anticipate market trends and customer shifts, ensuring they're always one step ahead. **💸 Leverage on resources** - Every business, regardless of its scale, operates within resource constraints. - The STP model, with its targeted approach, ensures that every marketing dollar is invested, not just spent. - This focused approach invariably leads to better ROI and minimizes wasteful expenditure. **🫵 Hyper-personalized marketing** - Today's consumers crave experiences, not just products. - Personalized marketing, fostered by the STP model, crafts messages that don't just inform but resonate. - By tailoring campaigns to distinct segments, businesses can evoke emotional connections, which are far more lasting than transactional interactions. **👀 Forge a distinctive identity** - In a cluttered marketplace, differentiation is the lifeline. The STP model serves as a scaffold, enabling businesses to elevate their offerings and identity. - It's not just about avoiding being a face in the crowd, but about being the face that everyone recognizes. **💡 Drive Product Evolution** - Deep insights into customer segments can lead to innovative product development. - By understanding the intricacies of each segment's needs, companies can innovate proactively, often unveiling products the market didn't know it needed. - *Our hypothetical fitness brand might launch a yoga pant line made from all sustainable materials that also support high-impact workouts, thus addressing the wellness and mindfulness niche within its target segments.* **💬 Efficient communication channels** - The STP model refines not just what businesses communicate but also how they do it. - Tailoring channels to match segment preferences—like social media campaigns for millennials or email campaigns for older consumers—ensures better engagement and conversion. 🔐 **Discover hidden markets** - An in-depth dive into market segmentation often reveals underserved or overlooked niches. - These latent opportunities, when harnessed, can become significant revenue streams. ⚖️ **Diversify and mitigate risk** - Relying on multiple customer segments provides a safety net. While one segment might face economic challenges, growth in another can offset downturns, ensuring business stability. 📣 **Foster loyalty and advocacy** - A business that resonates with its audience and consistently meets their unique needs invariably transforms customers into brand advocates. - This organic promotion is invaluable in an age of skepticism towards traditional advertising. **📈 Iterative refinement** - The dynamic nature of the STP model promotes continuous learning. - It's a framework where businesses can measure, learn, refine, and iterate, ensuring that strategies evolve in tandem with market shifts. ## **Final thoughts** The STP customer segmentation model isn't a mere marketing tool; it's a compass that charts the course towards sustainable business growth. It promotes a customer-first approach, where decisions are rooted in deep insights and an understanding of the ever-evolving marketplace. For businesses seeking not just to survive but thrive in today's competitive landscape, understanding the STP model is paramount. By doing so, you can transition from being mere market participants to influential market leaders. **So what are you waiting for?** --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### How to build a culture that values customer interaction in product-led growth URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-success-values-in-your-product-led-growth-business/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:11:43.000Z In product-led growth (PLG), giving your customers value is the number one driver of growth and success. It all comes down to your business’s perception, and by building a solid relationship with users, you’re creating brand trust. Customers who trust a business are more likely to stick around and become long-term subscribers. So how do you prioritize customer satisfaction, and how does that relate to product experience? ## **What is customer success in PLG?** A large part of customer success comes down to your organization's culture. When you empower your employees, you give them a sense of authority and autonomy to make the [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/) the best it can be. Think of it as giving your employees the right tools to handle customer interactions quickly and smoothly. Now you have the building blocks of positive customer service. But, what are the specific ingredients to create a work culture that embraces positive customer interactions? Read on ahead, you customer guru. ## **Have clear expectations with goals and metrics** You want to make sure everyone in your company understands the value of good customer service. If people aren’t on the same page, goals can’t be aligned, and direction is immediately lost. You want to ensure you’ve effectively stated the company vision with [measurable goals and KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) focusing on customer satisfaction. It’s important to lay out what you expect from your employees from the beginning. Changing desired outcomes often can give employees whiplash and make them feel directionless. Consistency creates boundaries people know to stay within, so be clear and stick to them. ## **Hire the right people** If you want employees who’ll treat your customers right, you need to find ones who align with your values. When interviewing, you want to scout for passionate, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent people. These are the people who will foster and embrace a customer-centric culture. Ideally, you need the right temperament and [communication style](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) to handle customer interactions. These people should be able to take constructive criticism well and adapt to situations quickly, as you never know how customers will react. But don’t forget to nurture these people. Handling different personalities all day can be exhausting, and if you want your employees to thrive, you need to take care of them. That means providing them with the right environment to succeed, where their emotional needs are being addressed. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **Train and empower employees** The best employees are the ones who are given the proper tools to handle any situation. You want to empower your people with the proper training and resources to deal with adversity should it come their way. Think proactivity. By empowering, you’re giving employees the ownership to make decisions based on their training that benefits the customer. Autonomy to act means employees don’t always have to escalate issues to higher management. They have the knowledge to deal with and satisfy customers or have the tools available if needed. Highly trained employees are also less likely to feel overwhelmed and will feel backed by their company. You’re investing in them and their continued development, which will, in turn, make them feel more supported, motivated, and valued. And that will increase happiness, which will then be passed on to the customer. When employees are empowered with knowledge, they can pass that along to the customers. It’s a trickle-down effect and gives customers a sense of ease, knowing they’ll get the information they need. This fosters a positive relationship with the company, as the customer feels confident that, when they have a problem, they know who they can turn to for help. ## **Foster a customer-centric culture** If you want the best customer service experience, you must make sure your business has the fundamental shift to approach it. This goes beyond metrics and policies and taps into the company's ethos as a whole. Everyone needs to understand customers are priority number one. Without them, there is no audience to sell the product to, after all. Customer satisfaction drives business growth. So, how do you create that culture? A few ways. You can reward those who prioritize [customer satisfaction](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/) either through bonuses or acknowledgment. It gives people a solid goal to strive towards. You can also celebrate customer success throughout the company, which creates a positive work environment. And you can focus on customer satisfaction metrics over others to drive your company’s compass in that direction. The name of the game is all about reinforcing customer value. So, find what works best for you and go for it! ## **Continuously improve** Customers need change, and you need to be on top of that. Employees are your first point of contact with the customer, so listen when employees share their feedback on improving things. The best way to do this is by personalization. Your goal is to adapt the customer experience based on customer preferences. Know how and when to engage with them and what they want. What are some ways to personalize? - Use customer surveys to get their opinion - Use past purchases to see their wants and needs - Make recommendations based on user profiles - Use customer journey mapping to understand issues and opportunities As your business grows, you might be able to identify new methods of offering customer service, as well as optimize wait times and responses to queries. You want to make your customers feel like they’re getting VIP treatment, which means constantly trying new things when the opportunity presents itself. Just keep a close look at the data to make sure something new is working for you and not against you. ## **Lead by example** Your employees look up to you, so set the right tone as the leader. Your actions towards customers should inspire as you lead by example. A great way to do this is for leaders to be accessible to customers. They want to know everyone in the business is working for their satisfaction. When leaders take accountability for customer issues, it's vital for employees to watch how they handle it. You’re responsible for making positive customer interactions a priority. Don’t let it slip. ## **Use data to drive decisions** Metrics are a great way to keep your company focused on the customer journey. Not only does it allow you to understand customer behavior, how to fix their pain points, and what they like, it shows you how to improve your customer experience if something is lacking. We’re all about continued improvement here. So, what are some great [KPIs to measure customer success?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) Here are a few you should always be checking on. **Customer retention rate (CRR)** CRR is a crucial metric for gauging loyalty and the effectiveness of your business strategy. CRR is the number of customers who continue to do business with you over time. [Retaining existing customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/) is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, and a 5% increase in CRR can lead to an ROI increase of 25% or more. And, since happy customers are more likely to refer your services to others, you’re essentially getting free marketing for your business. **Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)** CSAT measures overall customer satisfaction through surveys or feedback, often using a scale of 1-10 or emojis. CSAT provides quantitative data for qualitative feedback and can help identify areas for improvement. Surveys can be delivered through websites, email campaigns, or in-store kiosks, but timing is crucial to avoid oversaturating customers and to ensure their voices are heard. **Net Promoter Score (NPS)** NPS measures customer loyalty and satisfaction through surveys asking how likely a customer is to recommend a product, usually on a scale of 1-10\. Specific follow-up questions about demographics and product quality can provide tailored data to improve your NPS. A high NPS can predict company growth through positive word-of-mouth advertising, and calculating NPS only requires survey software, well-crafted questions, and an irresistible product. ### **Conclusion** Customer interactions should be a positive experience that employees are well equipped to handle. It’s a top-down approach, where leadership offers the goals, mindsets, and training for employees to thrive in customer service. So, once you’ve made sure you’ve hired the right people and you’ve given them the space to flourish, keep nourishing that culture. It’ll only continue to pay off. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1-.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) While you're here, get the **C-Suite Masterclass** now. Get the help of leading experts and access to our Alliance frameworks and case studies. With this comprehensive masterclass, you'll get the strategies, insights, and skills you need to thrive in the upper echelons of business. [Find out more now!](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### Make every interaction count: 4 key success strategies for tailoring customer experience URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-every-interaction-count-4-key-success-strategies-for-tailoring-customer-experience/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:01:12.000Z This article comes from **Sara Steffen**’s talk, ‘*Strategically approaching reference activities & tailoring customer experiences*’, at our **Las Vegas 2023 Customer Marketing Summit**, check out her full talk [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=lrjt0qzyis). Engaging with customers is not just about transactional exchanges; it's about curating a journey, an experience. With this article, I hope to shine a light on how to approach reference activities strategically and tailor experiences that **keep customers coming back!** Before we begin though, let me give you a brief overview of my journey. I spent a good decade at Cisco, where I worked in numerous roles, before finally finding my calling leading the customer marketing team. Joining Nutanix five years ago, I continued to focus on customer marketing, which expanded to a broader customer experience role. Today, I manage a team focused on customer marketing, advisory boards, user groups, and our Nutanix University, making it a thoroughly customer-oriented team. I can safely say that over the years I've learned a thing or two about shaping customer experiences and building brands. I'm truly passionate about the potential that lies in customizing activities and meeting customers exactly where they are on their journeys. **After all, each customer is unique, and their journey should reflect this individuality.** So today, I am thrilled to share some insights I’ve learned along the way on how we approach reference activities and tailor our customer experiences. We'll dive into four key strategies for success, customizing activities for our customers, building personal brands, avoiding the Do Not Call list, and measuring our progress from a customer perspective. So, grab a coffee and settle in for a hopefully enriching discussion on all things customer experience! 1. **Customizing the experience** 2. **Building customers' personal brands** 3. **Avoiding the "Do Not Call" list** 4. **Measuring progress** ## Customizing the experience The key to successful customer engagement lies in meeting them where they are in their journey and providing them with a personalized experience. I’ll give you two examples of our approaches to two distinct experiences that were hugely successful because of our tailoring to their exact needs, characteristics, and goals. So the first one is Isaiah Nathaniel, the CIO of Delaware Valley Health, who came to our attention right when COVID hit, and he had to transition his team to remote work within a day. Thanks to Nutanix's technology, he managed to do that seamlessly, so he became a great advocate for us. We cultivated this strong relationship with Isaiah by aligning with his ambition to build his personal brand and his desire to be an industry leader in the healthcare space. So by giving him the platform to do that, he's been a fantastic and enthusiastic partner, consistently engaging with us for over three years. The Wounded Warrior Project, another one of our customers, on the other hand, was more reserved, declining multiple offers for events or videos. So instead, we took a different approach, coming to them with a GivingTuesday opportunity, allowing them to maintain their narrative while promoting their connection to Nutanix. By customizing this approach and appealing to their position as a non-profit, we made charitable giving the driving force in this relationship. ## Building customers' personal brands Building our customers' personal brands can be an effective way to solidify our relationships with them. Thought leadership opportunities can be a key part of this strategy. For instance, Christian, the CIO of USC Keck Medicine, was not interested in doing a case study or a video, but he was all in for a byline article. It’s all about coming to customers with thoughtful opportunities they’re going to say yes to. One of my favorite initiatives we've undertaken is the Nutanix Select program. This program was created to stay connected with our advocates during the pandemic, offering non-sales related experiences and discussions. We've hosted conversations on a variety of topics ranging from social media best practices to work-life balance, to whiskey tastings, offering our advocates a chance to learn, network, and have fun! We also provide social audits and training certifications for our advocates and their teams. These opportunities allow them to build their careers while strengthening their understanding of Nutanix. Lastly, we also offered professional headshots at one of our events as a token of our appreciation for their continued partnership, further aiding them in their personal branding efforts. ## Avoiding the "Do Not Call" list Okay, the “Do Not Call” list. I talk to my team about this a lot because preserving our relationships with customers is paramount. That's why we avoid exhausting our advocates by reaching out too often or with unsuitable requests. To do this, we focus on being the gatekeeper of these relationships, monitoring frequency, understanding their personal and professional goals, and aligning our requests accordingly. We also conduct integrated planning with their PR and legal teams to plan potential activities and get things approved smoothly. This has been particularly helpful for our bigger customers. ## Measuring progress Finally, we measure our progress from the customer's perspective, amplifying their participation in our activities across our social channels and sharing this data with them. This allows us to not only express our appreciation but offer them a chance to amplify the content on their channels and give them a clear view of the results of their participation. Another important thing to consider is applying this tailoring to the way you express appreciation. Personally, I like to handwrite thank you cards, but I know they’re time-consuming so they may not work for everyone! Working in the B2B space, I know a lot of customers sit on boards of nonprofits, so consider a donation or even a gift based on interest, do they like golf? Do they have a favorite restaurant? Or a favorite red wine? ## Final thoughts Crafting a memorable customer experience is all about the journey, not just the transaction. It's about recognizing each customer's unique story, meeting them where they are, and weaving together an experience that resonates with them. It's like being a good friend - you need to understand their goals, passions, and where they are right now. From customizing experiences, and boosting their personal brands, to avoiding overdoing your asks and measuring progress, every interaction counts. Remember, customers aren't just purchasers, they're partners, champions, and pals. So, let's treat every interaction as a golden chance to deepen our relationships, drive loyalty, and make our brand shine brighter in their eyes. I hope these thoughts have sparked some inspiration for your own customer experience strategy. Always remember, it's a learning journey, but one that's worth every step. Let's make every interaction count together! ### Virginia Bryant | The next stage of evolution for customer marketing | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/virginia-bryant-the-next-stage-of-evolution-for-customer-marketing-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-07-26T11:08:48.000Z > *"Something that works great today, may not work great in six months. So, even things that you believe are successful, think about what are those new, next level improvements, next expansion to continue to grow it...."* In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, Virgnia Bryant, Director of Customer Marketing at Github talks to us about the next stage of evolution for customer marketing. ## Key talking points: - The future of customer marketing - Analysis of trending topic's longevity - The impact of cross-functional relationships - How customer relationships will change ## About the guest: Virigina Bryant is a marketing leader who is consistently focused on building and managing best-in-class customer programs that deliver measurable benefits to the organization and customer. She is passionate about up-leveling the voice of the customer to drive loyalty, retention, and revenue. She is also the Executive Producer of The ReadME Podcast. ## ****Our sponsor:** ****This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at [influitive.com](https://influitive.com/?ref=customermarketingalliance.com).** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## ****Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### What is burnout and how you can prevent it URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:12:11.000Z In any role, at any company, it’s normal to feel a certain level of stress or anxiety about the work you’re doing from time to time. What’s not normal, though, is feeling intensely overwhelmed with this type of stress for an extended period of time. After a while, this level of overwhelm can develop into **burnout**, a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that not only affects work but our personal lives and general mental health. Burnout can be a *significant issue* that comes about as a result of chronic workplace stress. It’s important for *any worker* to understand what burnout is, recognize the signs, and avoid getting to a place where it becomes unbearable. Without this, it can lead to a major decrease in our ability to do any work at all and can have a negative impact that lasts for months, if not years. It’s particularly necessary, though, for those operating at the C-suite level or in senior management roles to be able to spot the signs and know how to tackle burnout, for their own sake as well as that of the workforce that they lead. If those at the top of the business are unable to mitigate the risk of burnout or act accordingly when it seems to be having an impact, not only can it negatively affect the business objectives but it can be detrimental to the mental health of a number of their employees. In order to do our best work possible and support the productivity of others, we need to prioritize good mental health and take workplace stress seriously. No job is worth sacrificing your mental health for. In this article, we’re going to explore: - [What is burnout?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/#:~:text=let%E2%80%99s%20dive%20in.%20%E2%8F%AC-,What%20is%20burnout%3F,-Burnout%20is%20a) - [The symptoms of burnout](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/#:~:text=So%2C%20what%20are%20the%20symptoms%20of%20burnout%3F) - [What causes burnout?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/#:~:text=mitigate%20the%20stress.-,What%20causes%20burnout%3F,-Burnout%20can%20come) - [Burnout risk factors](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/#:~:text=Risk%20factors%20for%20burnout) - [How to stop feeling so burned out](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-burnout-and-how-you-can-prevent-it/#:~:text=How%20to%20stop%20feeling%20burned%20out) It’s time to kick burnout to the curb, so let’s dive in. ⏬ ## **What is burnout?** Burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion that occurs as a result of long-term stress in a job, or from working in an emotionally or physically demanding role for an extended period of time. What is key is that this comes about as a result of unsuccessful management of this stress or failure to intervene at the first signs of burning out. The [World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases?ref=communityledgrowth.com) (WHO) characterizes the main three features of burnout as follows: - "Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; - Increased mental distance from one’s job, feelings of negativism and/or cynicism related to one's job; and - Reduced professional efficacy." Burnout itself is not a medical diagnosis, however, it *can* negatively impact one’s health, relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life. It stretches beyond just affecting our work, which is why it’s important to be able to recognize the signs and intervene early when work-related stress becomes more significant. ## **So, what are the symptoms of burnout?** The most common symptoms of burnout can appear much like clinical depression in that it presents an overarching feeling of defeatedness, hopelessness, and lethargy. Common symptoms can be broken down into physical, emotional, and behavioral - as follows: ### **Physical symptoms** - Feeling tired and drained most of the time. - Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses. - Frequent headaches, muscle pain, or aches. - Changes in appetite or sleep habits. ### **Emotional symptoms** - Sense of failure and self-doubt. - Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated. - Detachment, feeling alone in the world. - Loss of motivation. - Increasingly cynical and negative outlook. - Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. ### **Behavioral Symptoms** - Withdrawing from responsibilities. - Isolating from others. - Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done. - Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope. - Taking out your frustrations on others. If any of these sound or feel familiar to you or any colleagues or employees, you or they may be experiencing burnout and it’s vital that steps are taken to mitigate the stress. ## **What causes burnout?** Burnout can come around as a result of numerous factors, including but not limited to the following: ### **Lack of control** At work, if we feel unable to take some ownership or shape certain aspects of our job, such as a schedule, projects, or workload, it can lead to burnout. For example, if you find yourself in a position where you are being told to produce a lot of work or need to be involved in a number of projects, while not actually having the time or capacity to complete them, this can be the start of a dangerous workload. This can then be impacted by an expectation that you have to get all of it done, and an inability to deprioritize anything. ### **Unclear job expectations** In order to work successfully, we need to have a clear understanding of what is expected of us. This can be illustrated through [Key Performance Indicators (KPI)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) that define deliverables on a regular basis, or any goal-setting exercises with your team or management. Not having access to this understanding can make working life uncomfortable, uncertain, and difficult, because it’s impossible to tell if we’re doing our job correctly or heading in the wrong direction without this knowledge. ### **Dysfunctional workplace dynamics** In every aspect of life, we are bound to clash with certain personalities or find ourselves in chaotic situations. This becomes a problem when it’s someone you have to be around significantly more, or when they have the power to influence your working life. This could look like an office bully, colleagues who undermine what you do, or a boss who micromanages your work. All of these examples can compound your feeling of not being good enough at work or increase your stress levels about the work you’re doing. ### **Extremes of activity** When a job feels monotonous or chaotic, you’ll need to keep up a constant level of energy in order to keep up and remain focused. This can lead to a feeling of fatigue or anxiety. For example, if you find yourself constantly worrying that something unexpected is going to happen, or you don’t know what may come up for you next, work can become a source of constant stress. ### **Lack of social support** Loneliness, in any part of our lives, [is bad for our health](https://time.com/6183058/loneliness-health-effects-what-to-do/?ref=communityledgrowth.com). Having friends at work can help to boost our job satisfaction and performance because it gives us a sense of belonging and provides an outlet for us to speak about anything work-related with someone else who *gets it*. This isn’t limited to complaining to a work friend over drinks either. It can look like a friend taking over on a task for you if they know you’re busy or overwhelmed, a manager giving you a shoutout in your team meeting when you’ve been performing well, or a colleague offering some guidance on how to approach a project. A lack of these support sources at work, and outside of it, can make you feel isolated and alone - all of which can increase the chance of burning out. ### **Lack of work/life balance** It’s not uncommon to have a couple of days, here and there, where you spend a little longer than usual working. Or you may need to step in to take over from a colleague and have a somewhat larger workload than normal for a few days. However, when it becomes the norm, and you are consistently working longer hours than you are meant to be, then this will quickly become a problem. So if you find yourself spending the majority of your time working, and sacrificing your personal life or time with family and friends to continue your work - burning out becomes a lot more probable. ## **Risk factors for burnout** In order to **beat burnout to the punch**, you should look out for the following risk factors in your role: - Heavy workload - Regularly working very long hours - A struggle with work/life balance - A lack of control over your work If you are in a situation where you recognize any of these risks in your role, you should be mindful and keep track of those feelings or situations, so you can know if things need to change from early on - rather than after you find yourself burning out. ## **How to stop feeling burned out** ### **Self-care** The first step when it comes to stopping feeling burned out, is to prioritize self-care. Self-care can manifest itself in a variety of ways but ultimately it boils down to making sure you’re looking after yourself as best you can. This could include making sure you eat a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and doing things you enjoy or that help you relax and stay grounded. ### **Boundary-setting** Setting boundaries at work and establishing a clear split between your personal and work life is a key way to stop burnout. It could look like setting yourself specific work hours and making sure to stick with them, not having your emails or work communications on your personal phone (and not checking these outside of your work hours), or making sure you take regular breaks from work throughout the day. Boundary-setting can also mean having conversations with colleagues or management to say, “Hey, I can’t prioritize this project right now - let’s work together to find a time when I can.” or “Going forward, I need 5 working days’ notice in order to complete these tasks”. It’s not just about creating a work-life balance, but also letting others know that your time is valuable and you can only do so much in a day. ### **Seek support** Don’t be afraid to reach out for support when you need it. This can be to friends and family, but it can also be to [colleagues and management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) and in some cases, a mental health professional. While our managers are there to oversee our work and guide us professionally, they also have a duty to help us manage our workload and stress levels - so it can be incredibly useful to reach out and alert them that you are beginning to see signs of burnout. As for friends, family, and colleagues - they can offer a listening ear, advice, and guidance on how to manage your stress. ### **Mindfulness** In a broad sense, mindfulness is a process in which you focus on being acutely aware of experiences occurring in the present moment, and the feelings those experiences create - without interpretation or judgment. Benefits of mindfulness include improved focus and concentration, reduced stress, enhanced self-awareness, increased patience, and better emotional control. A way to use mindfulness at work could be to pay attention to the first feelings of heightened anxiety and step away from what you’re doing to conduct a breathing exercise. What you want to avoid doing is ignoring the feeling of anxiety, but instead try to acknowledge it without interrogating yourself about the feeling. Imagine that feeling of anxiety as a cloud of smoke in your mind, and use the breathing exercise to gently waft it away and clear the air before you step back into working. ### **Take time off** If you’re able to, taking time off from work can be very beneficial. This doesn’t have to mean you’re taking a vacation - it could be as simple as taking a day or two and just allowing yourself to spend that time doing the things you love. If your burnout is at a point where it’s becoming impossible to deal with work and it’s causing physical or mental health conditions, it may be a good idea to talk to a medical professional and enquire about stress leave. Mental health is just as important as your physical health, so taking time off for sickness or stress is absolutely okay and can help you to take that much-needed time to recover. ### **Re-evaluate your priorities** If you’re feeling burned out, it can feel incredibly overwhelming to think proactively about what needs to change in order to feel better - after all, it comes with a real sense of defeatedness. Despite this, taking a step back to really consider what’s important to you can be a great way to start understanding what steps you need to take in order to get rid of burnout. **Identify what matters to you** most, whether it’s advancing in your career, spending time with your family, developing a certain skill or focusing on your health. Then, **look at your current situation** and assess what you’re spending most of your time on. Next, compare your ideal situation to your current one. Are you spending your time on the things that matter most to you? Does your current situation look like the ideal situation? If you answer no to both of these questions, then you can start to identify what may be contributing to those feelings of burnout. With this re-evaluation, you can start to make changes that will bring your current situation closer to the ideal situation. This could involve delegating tasks, saying no more often, or reorganizing your schedule to better reflect your personal and professional priorities. ### **Seek professional help** If feelings of burnout persist, consider seeking the help of a mental health professional. They can provide strategies and techniques to help you cope with burnout and manage stress. They can also help to unpack deeper-rooted issues that you may not have been entirely aware of, which can be contributing factors to your burnout. ## **Let’s sum up** Burnout is a serious issue that can result from chronic workplace stress. It's not just a state of physical exhaustion but also a state of emotional exhaustion that can significantly impact our personal lives, work performance, mental health, and overall quality of life. To ensure we’re at our best, we must understand and recognize burnout, and take proactive steps to prevent it. Fortunately, burnout can be prevented and mitigated through various strategies. Prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries, seeking support, practicing mindfulness, taking time off when needed, and re-evaluating priorities can significantly help in managing and reducing burnout. In severe cases, professional help might be necessary to effectively address the problem. Remember, no job is worth sacrificing your mental health for. Prioritize your well-being, and do not hesitate to seek help when you need it. By understanding and acknowledging burnout, we can all contribute to a healthier and more balanced work environment. --- Understanding and knowing how to tackle burnout is just one of the many abilities any C-Suite executive or senior leader should possess. That’s why we explore it in our [C-suite Masterclass](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?ref=communityledgrowth.com). If you’re a Director or VP-level professional who wishes to or is expecting to transition into a C-suite leadership role, this course is for you. But, if you’re a newly appointed C-suiter who’s keen to explore how other like-minded professionals have led teams or sustained organizational performance levels, then you’ll thrive in this program, too. From developing your leadership abilities to understanding the unique challenges faced by C-level executives, gain the comprehensive understanding you need to drive results, inspire teams, and achieve your career aspirations - all in this industry-leading course. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/C-Suite_Ghost_Banner_Assets_--1--1.png)](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) [Find out more here](https://certified.thealliance.io/course/c-suite-masterclass?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=banner&utm%5Fcampaign=content-) ### Building a customer-led COE: The 6 key steps to success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-a-customer-led-coe-the-6-key-steps-to-success/ Last updated: 2024-08-15T14:03:17.000Z This article comes from **Kevin Lau’**s talk, ‘*How to build the case for a customer-led COE’* at our **2023 Las Vegas Customer Marketing Summit**, check out his full talk [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/?wchannelid=yeu3kymmg4&wmediaid=ic6l80cy60). Customer marketing often falls into the trap of focusing merely on increasing numbers, looking for more testimonials, more references, and more merchandise. But as customer marketers, we need to remember to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, focusing on the deeper impact, fostering genuine relationships, and prioritizing customer retention. Luckily, within the customer marketing space, we are uniquely positioned to manage this, driving growth and expansion, if we harness our strategic potential effectively. So today, I’d like to discuss how to position for greater success and the different steps needed for establishing a center of excellence (COE)🎖️. Having navigated the high seas of the corporate world, from the realms of Adobe to the territories of Marketo, and now holding the helm at F5, I've been extremely fortunate to gather a treasure trove of experiences. A common theme across all with the most significant impact? **The power of prioritizing the customer**. I'm here today to break it down into **six key steps** to building a successful customer-led COE from scratch. We'll be talking about everything from asking yourself the right questions, identifying the customer friction points, focusing on impact versus activity, to finally rolling out a comprehensive success system. So, whether you're just dipping your toes in customer marketing, or you're a seasoned professional looking to innovate and shake things up, there's something in here for you. Ready to take the leap and explore how you can lead the change in your organization? Let’s begin! 👇 - **Step 1: Asking the real questions** - **Step 2: Building with data** - **Step 3: Aligning your program** - **Step 4: Identifying friction points** - **Step 5: Impact over activity** - **Step 6: Creating a success system** ## **Step 1: Asking the real questions** This is the starting point to everything important, and it’s usually the most overlooked step - asking the real questions about yourself, the resources you have today, and what you need to accomplish. It begins with what are specifically the **jobs that need to be done** and what are we **trying to solve** here within this team? ⬇️ Then, what is it ultimately that your **CMO or your executive leadership team cares about**? How can you make your **boss's job easier**? ⬇️ Following on from that, how can you **execute your programs within 90 days**? And how can you get those **quick wins**? ⬇️ Then finally, and arguably most importantly, how do you **measure your impact and success** for your team? ## **Step 2: Building with data** Once you’ve worked through those questions, this should give you a good foundation for creating your COE charter. Think of your charter as a roadmap – it helps you to understand where you're headed and what you need to do to get there. The second piece of this is really looking at the data. It’s crucial to build strong relationships with folks that have the insights, whether it's data, it's the finance team, or it's marketing operations, these are the people that can help you unlock the untapped potential sitting in your data. From sharing the actual win-loss reports, and the churn models, and allowing deeper understanding, these teams can highlight the gaps for you, discussing things they’re hearing from their field. Therefore, by fostering good relationships with the people who understand the data best, you’re able to harness the power of these insights, giving you even more opportunities to scale and learn from customers 🤝. ## **Step 3: Aligning your program** And now, onto our third step, actually talking to our customers and aligning our strategies with their desired outcomes. In an industry built on relationships, we're already pros at this! But there's always room to fine-tune our approach. When I venture into a new company, one of my favorite starting points is to create various avenues for customer communication, be it one-to-one, one-to-few, or one-to-many. Now, the golden question: what keeps our customers up at night? Unearthing their pain points and challenges is an invaluable opportunity to align our strategies with their specific needs. But it's not just about identifying the issues; it's about crafting a vision that resonates with them. We want to enroll our customers in our initiatives, ensure they see the value we see, and validate that vision against their expectations, ultimately making it effortless for them to get involved. ## **Step 4: Identifying friction points** The next key step is identifying the friction points, taking the insights you’ve learned directly from your customers, and starting to circulate that information internally. Drawing from my experiences at our company, but also from my time at Adobe and other organizations, one thing is clear - there’re always some challenges that you need to figure out. Let's take the onboarding process, for instance, the handoff process could always be a little bit better, don't you think? Then comes the big leagues of renewal, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities. Sometimes, our demand teams can jump the gun a little, pushing the next shiny product before our customers have truly extracted value from their current one. So the challenge at this stage is to map out the 'now' and the 'where-to'. What's our current state, and where do we want to head? Think of it as enrolling everyone into change management. For example, if your teams are working in silos, how do you seamlessly transition from disjointed experiences to a fully integrated center of excellence, covering every customer touchpoint? Picture it - you're bolstering their personal brand and reputation, unlocking more potential, and making them want to expand and grow with you over time. Isn't that a vision worth pursuing? ## **Step 5: Impact over activity** ​​I want to stress that this step is all about focusing on impact over activity, zeroing in on those actions that bring the most value to the customer journey. This means enriching their onboarding, lifecycle, renewal discussions, and upsell and cross-sell initiatives, which are all areas where we can make a substantial impact on the customer journey. We've noticed that this **customer-centric approach not only helps in retention but also drives growth within our organization**. Aligning our priorities with those of the leadership team is another essential strategy. To do this, I recommend tuning in to analyst calls to better understand leadership and organizational priorities, getting a clearer picture of our goals and how to align customer marketing efforts effectively. When it comes to reporting success, it's high time we moved away from simply reporting numbers, such as advocates or reviews generated. Instead, we should be discussing **the impact our customer marketing efforts have on the company's bottom line.** For instance, how have our initiatives influenced churn? Have we managed to create more customer advocates? I can't overstate the importance of retention in the current economy. Doubling down on customer retention can have a substantial impact, and I advocate for launching initiatives that focus on customer needs. When I joined Marketo in 2017, we concentrated on three key pillars: **customer advocacy, community engagement,** and **customer adoption**. I found these pillars invaluable as they served as a blueprint for our customer marketing efforts, even as we expanded into Adobe. In building our "Advocate Nation", we drew inspiration from successful customer programs from other organizations. We focused on creating excellent experiences for our customers and developing a strong fan base, which was hugely successful and helped prove value to our internal stakeholders. Building a successful COE, in my view, should center on community programs, retention initiatives, and customer advocacy. By using this language and framework, you can start to build your case and rally your teams around your goals. ## **Step 6: Creating a success system** Lastly, it's time to tie it all together by creating a predictable, repeatable success system. This system should focus on the customer journey, from onboarding to advocacy, to support your NRR and boost overall company growth. Remember, your success system isn't just a set of processes. It's a reflection of your commitment to your customers and of your dedication to enhancing their journey. It's about creating a customer-centric culture that permeates every level of your organization. When my CMO asked me to pinpoint one area of this lifecycle that would be most impactful for customers, I said 'onboarding'. Without a solid onboarding experience, the likelihood of a customer churning within the first 30, 60, or 90 days is high. Hence, the most significant impact we can have is in close partnership with our customer success team, support, and product organizations. The challenge is how to build scalable customer success initiatives. From the first day, a customer gains access to the technology, they need clear steps to start seeing immediate value. This could be complemented by sharing tips and tricks over subsequent weeks and months. The big picture involves not only measuring success but also being very clear about what you need to build your dream team. Make a case for how customer marketing sits within the organization and its potential growth. I firmly believe that retention is the new growth driver, and this is something we need to rally behind as an organization and as an industry. The journey is long and complex, but with the right steps, partnerships, and understanding, it's possible to build a robust customer marketing team that not only drives success but also sustains growth in the long term. ## **Final thoughts** Building a customer-led COE isn't easy, but the rewards are well worth the effort. A robust, well-structured COE can save your company money, improve the customer journey, and become a rallying point for your C-suite executives. Remember, at the heart of a customer-led COE is a commitment to your customers. It's about putting them at the center of everything you do, understanding their needs, and striving to meet them. Building a customer-led COE is an exciting, rewarding journey. I hope that you found my insights helpful and that you're now inspired to take the first step toward creating your own COE in your organization. Remember, the customer is always at the center of every successful business. **It's time to let them lead the way.** ### Tips for community and customer marketing collaboration URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-marketing-and-customer-marketing-collaboration-and-success-metrics/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T17:01:34.000Z While customer marketing and community marketing are each rock-solid strategies in their own right, they can complement each other - like macaroni and cheese - both versatile and important in their own right, but even more brilliant together. Through collaboration, customer marketing teams can provide community marketing teams with valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences, while community marketing teams can provide customer marketing teams with valuable feedback on what is resonating with customers. For example, customer marketing teams may use data from community marketing activities to create more targeted and personalized promotions for their customers. ## 1\. Goal sharing and alignment Customer and community marketing teams can work together by aligning their goals and objectives, ensuring they both support the overall vision and mission of the company. [Ways customer marketers can work with their organization.Customer marketers and product marketers will often make reference to the cross-functional nature of their role - it’s something that’s critical to ensure that the customer is at the beating heart of an organization.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/marah-bashir-yCy29TG4j88-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) ## 2\. Collaborative Planning Both teams can come together to plan and execute marketing initiatives, leveraging each other’s expertise and resources to maximize impact and efficiency. ## 3\. Cross-promotion Customer marketing can promote community engagement opportunities to its audience, while community marketing can highlight customer success stories to build trust and credibility. ## 4\. Joint analytics By sharing data and insights, both teams can gain a better understanding of customer behavior and preferences, enabling them to optimize their marketing efforts. ## 5\. Campaign integration Customer and community marketing teams can collaborate on integrated campaigns that bring together the best of both worlds, providing a unified experience for customers and creating a stronger connection with the brand. ![Pyramid of perks for customer marketing and community marketing alignment](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/Screenshot-2023-07-18-at-15.52.05.png) ## Success metrics ### Customer engagement metrics It’s important to understand the value of monitoring customer engagement. By measuring how engaged customers are with your brand, you can gain valuable insights into their behavior and preferences, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your marketing strategies. Monitoring engagement can help you track how customers are interacting with your brand online, and identify opportunities to improve your community and social media presence and drive engagement. Other ways of tracking engagement, which’ll give you concrete numbers and data, rather than relying on sentiment, are as follows: Taking it even further, developing online courses and tutorials is a powerful tool, too. You can work with members or your own team to create or curate online courses, tutorials, or video series that cover specific topics related to the community’s interests. Make these resources easily accessible to members and encourage them to share their progress or learnings. Then, you can factor in the community gamification aspect to further reward the progress your members have made, and encourage other members to get involved. ### Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score This metric measures the level of satisfaction customers have with their overall experience with your brand. It can be obtained through surveys, feedback forms, or post-purchase evaluations. A high CSAT score indicates positive customer Satisfaction. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/CMA-Infographics_Hub_Page_Formulas_--1-.png) ### Customer Retention Rate This metric measures the percentage of customers who continue to engage with your brand over a period of time. A higher customer retention rate can be a good indication of successful customer engagement, as it means customers are returning and continuing to do business with your brand. ### Net Promoter Score (NPS) NPS measures the likelihood of customers recommending your brand to others. It is a good indicator of customer advocacy and engagement. NPS is typically obtained through surveys that ask customers to rate their likelihood of recommending the brand on a scale from 0 to 10. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/CMA-Infographics_Hub_Page_Formulas_7.png) ### Conversion Rate This metric measures the percentage of customers who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. A higher conversion rate indicates successful customer engagement, as customers are taking the desired actions and moving along the customer journey. ### Engagement Metrics These include various metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), open rates, social media engagement, and website traffic. These metrics indicate the level of customer engagement with your brand’s marketing campaigns, content, and social media activities. These can also be applied to any community forums and channels you’re currently running. ### Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) CLV measures the total value a customer brings to your brand over their entire lifetime as a customer. Higher CLV indicates successful customer engagement, as it means customers are making repeat purchases and staying loyal ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/CMA-Infographics_Hub_Page_Formulas_6.png) ### Customer Feedback and Reviews Monitoring [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) and reviews, both positive and negative, can provide valuable insights into customer engagement. Positive feedback and reviews indicate satisfied and engaged customers, while negative feedback can highlight areas that need improvement. ### Customer Complaints and Returns Monitoring customer complaints and returns can provide insights into areas where customer engagement may not be optimal. High volumes of complaints or returns may indicate issues with product quality, customer service, or even things like brand presentation and identity. ### Social Media Mentions and Sentiment Monitoring social media mentions and sentiments about your brand can provide insights into customer engagement. Positive mentions and sentiments indicate engaged and satisfied customers, while negative mentions and sentiments may indicate areas that need improvement. ### Referral Program Performance If your brand has a referral program in place, tracking the performance of the program can indicate the level of customer engagement. Higher referral rates and successful referral conversions indicate engaged customers who are willing to refer your brand to others. It’s important to customize these metrics based on the specific goals, objectives, and industry of your brand. The chosen metrics should align with the overall customer engagement strategy and provide actionable insights to improve customer engagement efforts. **Dave Hansen, Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN**, and [Ones to Watch Nominee](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/23-in-2023-ones-to-watch-in-customer-marketing-in-2023/), spoke about his tips for developing a customer marketing program: > *“Be intentional and set priorities. This seems obvious, but when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. The same goes for your community. You will NOT be able to accomplish everything that a community can deliver in your first year. Build a roadmap for your community and what you want to accomplish… share that with your team and set expectations.* > *“As you create priorities, remember that membership and engagement drive all. As engagement builds, layer in additional goals. It’s okay to say no to some priorities, but have a plan for how to get there and a sense of your timeline.* > *“It takes a lot of planning to be spontaneous. Much like setting your priorities for scaling your community, you also need to plan for the client experience within your community. Build an editorial calendar and engagement plan.* > *“What do you want/need to know about your customers? When/how do you recognize them? Setting up some guardrails and content plans will help you find those spontaneous moments of delight much easier!” *\- Dave Hansen, Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN** [23 in 2023 - Ones to Watch in Customer Marketing in 2023This report isn’t just a list of names. Download to get exclusive tips, tricks, and predictions on customer marketing processes, advocacy, case studies, and more in 2023.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/CMA_Ones_to_Watch_Report_2023_Blog_2_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/23-in-2023-ones-to-watch-in-customer-marketing-in-2023/) ## Measuring community engagement To measure community engagement, in addition to the above metrics used by customer marketers, you can use [Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/). Key performance indicators, or KPIs, are performance metrics designed to measure the success of a project, activity, or business. Objectives and Key Results, or OKRs are a goal-setting framework that outlines high-level objectives and notes measurable key results that articulate what it means to have achieved the objectives. They’re open-ended and aspirational, designed to push you to be the absolute best. Here’s an example of each: ### KPI example **KPI:** Increase the Monthly Active Users (MAU) in the online community forum. **Definition:** Monthly Active Users are the unique users who have engaged with the community forum at least once within a month. Engagement can include actions such as posting, commenting, liking, or sharing content. **Target:** Achieve a 15% increase in MAU over the next quarter. To track this KPI, you can use community management or analytics tools that provide insights into user activity. Regularly monitor the growth in MAU and analyze the impact of different community initiatives on user engagement, such as hosting webinars, AMAs, or implementing gamification elements. ### OKR Example **Objective:** Strengthen community engagement and foster a sense of belonging among members. **Key Results (KR):** KR1: Achieve a **20%** increase in the number of users who contribute content (posts, comments, or shared resources) in the online community forum over the next quarter. KR2: Increase the average number of comments per post by **10%** over the next quarter, indicating deeper engagement and conversation among members. KR3: Organize at least 2 virtual events per month, such as webinars, workshops, or meetups, and achieve an average attendance rate of **70%**. To track these OKRs, you would monitor the relevant data points for each Key Result, such as the number of users contributing content, average comments per post, and event attendance rates. By doing so, you can assess progress toward your objective and make adjustments to your community engagement strategy as needed. 💡 ****Top tip:** Make sure you stick to the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) method when creating these objectives, so you don’t end up with entirely unachievable goals. ## Level up your customer and community engagement This was just a small snippet of the invaluable resources you can find in our playbook collaboration with [CLA](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/). Inside, we discuss: 🔥 Top tips for a powerful customer engagement strategy. 🏋️ Detailed exploration of successful community engagement tactics. 👯 Customer and community team collaboration: Learn ways to synergize. 📈 Success Metrics: understand how to know if your engagement strategy is effective. 💭 Case studies: Real-life engagement examples from The Alliance. 🤓 and much more. [Get your copy of the playbook here!](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-guide-to-customer-and-community-engagement-download-the-playbook/) ### The elements of customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-elements-of-customer-marketing-key-strategies-and-tactics-glossary/ Last updated: 2025-10-27T12:02:56.000Z [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2023/07/CMA_Periodic_Table_Colour_meta.jpg) ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2023/07/CMA%5FPeriodic%5FTable%5FColour%5Fmeta.jpg) [Get the poster in A3 size](https://product-marketing.docsend.com/view/syc5b43ctwdvn34u) --- [Get the post in 24" x 18" size](https://product-marketing.docsend.com/view/wvuha8sagi7r4qwa) Customer marketing is a science. Along with needing to do research, conduct experiments, and prove findings, customer marketing also has its fair share of specific concepts and lingo you'll have to learn. Here you'll find Customer Marking Alliance's comprehensive and close-to-complete customer marketing glossary table. While the dictionary of customer marketing lingo will always be expanding as the role evolves, here's what we have so far: ## **Factors affecting approach:** ### Ss - SaaS SaaS, or Software as a Service, is a business that offers software as their product, and is usually provided on a subscription basis. Some SaaS customer marketers may use, are platforms that enable them to streamline and automate various marketing processes, such as email marketing, [customer relationship management](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-ways-saas-companies-can-leverage-their-happy-customers/) (CRM), analytics, and more. ### Ph - Physical This refers to businesses that produce physical products ### B2B - Business to business (B2B) Businesses that cater toward other businesses. [The B2B roadmap to an engaged, happy customerWhen you think of the three keywords in the title – engaged, happy, successful– which one seems the most significant? Actually, the only one that really matters is success. Once you have a strong roadmap for customer success, those other traits will naturally follow.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceSarah Li![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/B2B-roadmap-for-a-happy-customer--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-b2b-roadmap-to-an-engaged-successful-and-happy-customer/) ### B2C - Business to customer (B2C) Businesses that cater toward individual customers rather than organizations. ### B2H - Business to human (B2H) This is a concept that is consciously chosen by companies to emphasize the [importance of catering to the individual](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-b2b-to-b2h-building-customer-connection/) rather than a customer segment or organization. ### Su - Start-up A start-up is a company in the [early stages of development](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/), often driven by a small team or individual entrepreneur. ### Sc - Scale-up Once a business has successful passed the start-up faze, they are now in a stage of significant growth in terms of revenue, customer base, and market presence. This is scale-up. ### G - Growth Growth is when a business is experiencing an increase in customer acquisition, retention, and revenue for a business. [Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/9.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### E - Enterprise Enterprise refers to a large-scale organization known for their complex structures, resources, and capabilities. ### Cl - Customer-led Customer-led is a an approach where the needs, preferences, and feedback of customers play a central role in shaping your businesses strategies and initiatives. ### Sl - Sales-led Sales-led businesses have the primary focus on generating revenue and driving sales. ### Pl - Product-led A product-led approach focuses on providing the best product experience. Your product or service will take a central role in driving customer acquisition, engagement, and retention. ### B2D - Business to developer (B2D) Businesses that specifically cater toward developers. ## Skills of a strong customer marketer: ### C - Communication Communication can refer to the ease and ability to form and maintain a dialogue both internally and externally. [Effective communication in customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/) specifically wants to fostering positive relationships to support growth through retention and advocacy. ### Em - Empathy Empathy is one of the most important skills for a customer marketer to form meaningful connection with customers, so it's crucial to understand their needs and motivations. ### Sp - Strategic planning skills Strategic planning is crucial for leveraging customer collaboration and solving problems. This is a skill that uses past experiences to inform new strategies. ### Ps - Problem-solving This skill involves effectively addressing position-specific challenges and learning from them for future solutions. ### Ct - Creativity Customer marketers must have creativity in order to generate innovative ideas, concepts, and strategies that engage and resonate with customers. ### COC - Content creation Customer marketers produce and develop valuable, relevant, and engaging content to attract, inform, and engage the target audience. ### Cw - Copywriting Copywriting in customer marketing is the art and skill of crafting persuasive and compelling written content that resonates with the target audience. ### Cn - Collaboration Collaboration for customer marketing is the act of partnering and working closely with internal teams, stakeholders, and even customers to create content, campaigns, and initiatives. ### Da - Data analysis Data analysis involves examining and interpreting customer-related data to gain insights and make informed marketing decisions. ### Pm - Project management Project management is the practice of planning, organizing, and executing marketing initiatives to achieve specific goals ### L - Leadership Customer marketers should have the skill of creating a leadership style that guides, inspires and influences the team towards achieving marketing objectives.. It involves setting a clear vision, providing strategic direction, and empowering team members to excel in their roles. [Katie Meeker | Vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams | Leadership Accelerator ProgramIn our second episode of Learning with Leadership: A Customer Marketing Podcast, we talk to Katie Meeker, Director of Customer Marketing at ICIMS, about the vital leadership skills you need when structuring your marketing teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/04/Copy-of-CMA_Leadership_Accelerator_Podcast_Assets_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/katie-meeker-vital-leadership-skills-you-need-when-structuring-your-marketing-teams-leadership-accelerator-program/) ### Or - Organization Organization is how you [structure your marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/) activities, resources, and processes to achieve desired outcomes. ### Ag - Agility Agility in marketing is your company's ability to quickly and effectively adapt to changing market conditions, consumer behaviors, and emerging trends. ### Pr - Prioritization ranking the order of marketing tasks, initiatives, and objectives by importance and urgency. ### Mt - Multitasking The ability to work on multiple objectives at once without having to compromise. Its a careful balancing of resources and efforts to acheive effective ROI for all projects. ### Rb - Relationship building This is one of the most important skills for a customer marketer. Bruilding relationships will help foster customer loyalty, retention, and increase overall customer lifetime value. It involves nurturing these relationships based on trust, communication, and mutual value. ### O - Optimism Maintaining a hopeful and confident attitude despite challenges and setbacks is a valuable trait of a customer marketer. Such an outlook will fuel creativity, resilience, and the ability to see potential opportunities. ### Hu - Humility Humility is the quality of approaching marketing with a modest and open mindset, recognizing that there is always more to learn and discover. ### Pa - Passion Passion for customer marketers involves a deep connection and commitment to understanding and meeting customer needs and desires. ### H - Holistic A [holistic approach to customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/heres-why-all-customer-marketers-should-be-aiming-to-build-a-holistic-customer-advocacy-community-2/) involves taking in a 360-degree view of the customer, considering their needs, preferences, and interactions across various touchpoints with the aim to create a seamless and consistent customer experience. ## **Customer organization tools:** ### Sg - Customer segmentation This involves dividing the customer base into distinct segments to better understand their unique needs, motivations, and purchase patterns based on shared characteristics, behaviors, and preferences. [Ultimate guide to customer segmentation.Customer segmentation is a tool used by businesses that sorts and categorizes your existing customers by certain characteristics. This tool has a multitude of benefits, which we’ll be going over in this comprehensive guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/dil-8OECtq8rrNg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) ### Gs - Geographic segmentation Geographic segmentation divides your target market based on different geographical areas. It helps you tailor you strategies and offers to better suit the specific needs and preferences of people in each location. ### Be - Behavioral segmentation Behavioral segmentation categorizes your customer base depending on their observable behaviors and actions. It involves analyzing things like purchase history, product usage, website interactions, and response to marketing campaigns. ### Py - Psychographic segmentation Psychographic segmentation is when businesses categorize their target market based on shared personality traits, values, interests, attitudes, and lifestyles. It helps them understand what makes people tick and craft marketing messages that resonate with their unique mindset and preferences. ### Ms - Market segmentation Market segmentation slices up your market based on things like age, location, or interests. Think of it as breaking down a big crowd into smaller squads for a more personalized approach. Market segmentation can include things like geographic, psychographic, and behvaioral segmentation within it. ### Ds - Demographic segmentation This segmentation is based on characteristics like age, gender, income, and education. This'll ensure your products and messages are reaching the right crowd. ### P - Personas Personas are fictional characters that represent different types of customers. They can be used to [represent different segments of your audience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/prioritizing-personas-as-an-investment-in-building-a-comprehensive-lifecycle-framework/). Giving these groups names, personalities, and needs, means you can start to imagine who you're selling to make strategies that connect with real people. Remember that personas will not work at the individual level. ### T - Target audience The[ target audience is the specific group of people](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-understand-your-target-audience/) that your team aims to reach with its strategies and messaging. It's like the bullseye of your marketing efforts. ### Up - User persona User personas are a more specific part of personas. These are personas created with only your product users in mind. By fleshing out these personas you can make better decisions for your existing customers. ### Bp - Buyer persona Buyer personas fictional representation of an ideal customer. This'll encompass key characteristics, behaviors, motivations, and preferences of a target audience segment. Unlike user personas, buyer personas cover both existing and potential customers. ## **Core marketing variations:** ### Cm - Customer Marketing Customer marketing is [marketing for existing customers to nurture and retain them](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/). It's like giving a little extra love and attention to the folks who already believe in your brand. Personalized experiences, upselling, and relationships produced by customer marketers, will keep your customers coming back for more. ### RM - Customer Relationship Marketing This is all about building and [maintaining strong connections](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/) with customers for the long haul. It's like being best buds with your customers and showing them that they're valued by your business. Doing so will improve retention, engagement, and the longevity of your customers. ### ABM - Account-Based Marketing Account-based marketing focuses on targeting specific accounts or companies, rather than a broad audience. It'll prioritize personalized marketing campaigns and messaging that are tailored to the unique needs and interests of each account. ### EM - Customer Education Marketing This is a strategic approach equips customers with the knowledge and skills they need to get the most out of your product or service. [Create educational content](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/saas-customer-education-marketing-requires-solid-customer-profile/), resources, and experiences to empower customers and support their success. ### LM - Customer Lifecycle Marketing This strategy is built to nurture relationships with customers at every stage of the customer journey, from initial discovery to post-purchase loyalty and advocacy. These practices will increase the longevity of the relationship too, improving customer value too. [What is customer lifecycle marketing and how is it used?Engaging with your customers is a basic building block when marketing your business. Where other processes become involved only once a sale has been made, customer lifecycle marketing plans interactions throughout the whole customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/alexander-schimmeck-PBwnVjl0Axg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) ### RCM - Customer Reactivation Marketing [Rekindling relationships with dormant or inactive customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/) is an important component to stabalizing customer growth. Entice them with irresistible offers and personalized messages to reignite their interest and loyalty. ### CCM - Customer-Centric Marketing This means putting [customers at the heart of everything you do](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/). From how you evolve your products, messaging, and marketing techniques to ensure you business growth alongside your customers. ### COM - Customer Obsessed Marketing [Customer obsession is customer-centricity to the extreme](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-obsession-a-new-way-to-build-businesses/). This means going above and beyond your customer's expectations with every interaction to ensure retention, loyalty, and advocacy. ### CEM - Customer Expansion Marketing This marketing aims to [maximise the value of your existing customers ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/)using upselling and cross-selling by offering them additional products and upgrades that align with their needs and desires. ## **Core customer marketing topics:** ### I - Consumer Insights Consumer insights help you understand what makes your target audience tick. These nuggets of wisdom are gained through research, surveys, and data analysis, and serve as the guiding marks to create products, messaging, and experiences that connect with your audience on a deeper level. ### Cp - Consumer psychology Consumer psychology is the science that figure out the "why" behind consumer's buying decisions. [It studies how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that impact their purchase decisions](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-marketers-should-think-more-about-consumer-psychology/). These insights can help you tailor your marketing to influence these choises. ### Cb - Consumer behavior Like consumer psychology, consumer behavior studies customers actions, but specifically how they select, purchase, use, and dispose of products and services. ### Rs - Retail psychology This is like the secret playbook that retailers use to manipulate store layouts, product placements, and even scents to influence consumer buying decisions and create a more enticing shopping experience. ### FOMO - Fear of missing out [FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-fomo-on-consumer-psychology/), is that nagging feeling that urges us to join the party, buy the product, or be part of the trend, for fear of being left out. It's one of the reasons customers make impulse purchases. ### Cg - Cognitive load Cognitive load refers to the [mental load required by your customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-reducing-customer-cognitive-load/) to process and comprehend your marketing messages or content. Minimizing cognitive load means simplifying and optimizing how you present the information used in your marketing to make it easier for customers to understand, remember, and make decisions. ### R - Customer Research The umbrella term for the process that gathering information about customers through surveys, interviews, and data analysis. This'll include segmentation, consumer psychology, and more. [Understand customer market research: What is it and how to do itCustomer research or consumer research is a vital component of customer marketing’s most fundamental role: to understand and market to your chosen target audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/ran-berkovich-kSLNVacFehs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) ### F - Customer focus It's the mindset of prioritizing and catering to the needs, wants, and satisfaction of your customers above all else. ### CON - Consumer choice The consumers ability to make decisions based on personal preferences, tastes, and needs. ### Bs - Brand storytelling Brand storytelling uses a brand's values, purpose, and identity to produce narratives that captivate your target audience. It involves [crafting compelling stories that connect on an emotional level](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/), fostering brand loyalty and deeper connections. ### S - Storytelling Storytelling is a narrative, usually one in which a change happens, either concluding in a positive or negative end. Through [these narratives](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/), you can explore ideas, beliefs, experiences, and certain events. ### Hj - Hero’s journey It's a story pattern where the hero faces a call to action, encounters obstacles, discovers inner strength, and ultimately returns transformed; From Frodo's quest of destroy the ring to Luke Skywalker's battle against the dark side. [How to power up your brand storytelling with the hero’s journeyStorytelling is a massive subject and can turn into a lifelong journey of studying stories, especially in marketing. Stories are in everything. Not just advertising and brand storytelling especially is a science that anyone can utilize; anyone can do it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/ricardo-cruz-DCqvWkXF74Q-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-power-up-your-brand-storytelling-with-the-heros-journey/) ### Wh - Storywheel The storywheel is like a storytelling roadmap that breaks down the elements of a story, from setting the stage to introducing characters, building tension, and resolving conflicts. It's a visual representation you can use to get an overview of your story and its possibilities. ### St - Story Structure The blueprint that outlines the beginning, middle, and end of a story, organizing key elements like plot, characters, and conflicts. ### Sd - Story delivery This is how you present and share your story, whether through spoken word, written text, visuals, or multimedia. ### M - Meaning It's the people, experiences, or things that resonates with you. Whether it's finding meaning in relationships, work, or personal pursuits, it's that intangible ingredient that provides a sense of fulfillment to your journey. ### P7 - Seven basic plots Christopher Booker argues that you can boil every single story down to one of seven basic plots: Overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy, and rebirth. ### Oc - Order Chaos Framework It's a storytelling approach where a structured order is established, only to be disrupted by chaos or conflict, leading to transformation and resolution. ### Nd - Narrative design This is the act of crafting of narratives to convey a desired message or experience. ### Ba - Brand awareness Brand awareness refers to the level of recognition and familiarity that consumers have with your brand. It measures the extent to which a brand name, logo, or product is known and remembered by the target audience. ### Cs - Customer stories Customer stories are firsthand accounts about customer experiences with a product, service, or brand. They serve as testimonials that help build trust, credibility, and connections with prospective customers. ## **Customer marketing metrics:** ### OKR - OKRs Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is a goal-setting framework used to define and measure progress towards achieving desired outcomes. Specifically, they are ambitious and qualitative statements that represent your team's aims. ### KPI - KPI Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable metrics used to evaluate your performance and progress over a given time. They serve as measurable benchmarks that reflect the success or effectiveness of a particular activity, process, or goal. ### Mm - Marketing metrics Marketing metrics enable marketers to track progress, evaluate success, and make informed decisions to optimize strategies and drive business growth. This can include conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI), retention and churn rates, and more. [Important factors that impact customer marketing metrics, and how to choose your ownMeasuring customer marketing performance using quantifiable metrics is tricky due to the relationship-based nature of the role. That being said, there’re a variety of metrics to choose from and the ones you go for will depend on your organization and how you run your team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/william-warby-WahfNoqbYnM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) ### NPS - Net Promoter Score Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric that measures how willing customers are to recommend a product, service, or brand to others. It asks customers to rate their likelihood of recommending on a scale of 0-10. ### ROI - Return on Investment Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial metric used to evaluate the profitability and efficiency of an investment. ROI provides insights into the [effectiveness of an investment, helping organizations make informed decisions and allocate resources wisely to maximize returns](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/). ### CTR - Click-through rate CTR or click-through rate measures the percentage of people who click on a specific link or call-to-action within a marketing campaign or advertisement. It indicates the level of engagement and effectiveness of the marketing message used. ### Br - Bounce rate Bounce rate refers to the percentage of website visitors who leave a site without engaging with it, or navigating to other pages. A high bounce rate generally indicates that visitors are not finding your website or content engaging enough to stay on the site. ### Rr - Retention rate [Retention rate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/) is the percentage of customers or users who continue to engage or stay with a product, service, or organization over a certain period of time. ### CNR - Conversion rate Conversion rate is the percentage of people who take a desired action, like making a purchase or filling out a form, out of the total number of visitors to a website or users of a product. It helps measure how effectively a company can turn potential customers into actual buyers or subscribers. ### ICR - Invitation conversion rate This is the percentage of people who accept an invitation or request to join a specific event, program, or community, out of the total number of invitations sent. It measures the effectiveness of the invitations in convincing people to participate or join. ### CSAT - Customer Satisfaction Score CSAT is a metric used to measure how satisfied customers are with a product, service, or interaction with a company. CSAT helps companies understand how well they are meeting customer expectations. ### Ch - Churn [Churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/) is the rate at which customers discontinue or cancel their connection to your company. ### CPL - Cost per lead Cost per lead (CPL) is a metric used in marketing to calculate the average cost of acquiring a potential customer's contact information or generating a lead. It represents the amount of money spent on marketing and advertising efforts divided by the number of leads obtained. ### Ts - Traffic sources These are the channels or platforms through which visitors or users arrive at a website or online platform. They can include search engines, social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, direct visits, or referrals from other websites. ### Tp - Time on page This refers to the time a visitor spends on a particular web page before navigating to another page or leaving the website altogether. It is a metric used to measure user engagement and the level of interest in the content. ### Us - User satisfaction This measures how well your offers [meet or exceed user expectations](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), addresses their needs, and provides a positive user experience. ## **Customer journey stages:** ### Rp - Repeat purchase Repeat purchase refers to the act of a customer making a subsequent purchase of a product or service from the same company or brand. Repeat purchases are important for businesses as they contribute to customer loyalty, revenue growth, and long-term success. ### Ly - Customer loyalty Customer loyalty refers to the tendency of customers to consistently choose a particular brand or company over its competitors. It reflects the degree of attachment, trust, and [preference that customers have towards a specific business](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/). ### Cj - Customer Journey This is the [entire path or sequence of interactions](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) and experiences that a customer goes through when engaging with a company or brand. ### A - Customer Advocacy This is when [satisfied customers become advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/) for your brand by sharing positive experiences, providing testimonials, or referring new customers. It's valuable for businesses as it leads to word-of-mouth marketing, increased credibility, and the potential for acquiring new customers through trusted recommendations. ### Cr - Customer retention This refers to the ability of a [business to maintain and keep existing customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactics-for-improving-customer-retention/) over a certain period of time. It involves strategies and efforts aimed at ensuring customers continue to engage with and make repeat purchases from the company. ## **Research and outreach strategies:** ### Vc - Voice of the customer VOC involves gathering and analyzing customer insights through surveys, reviews, feedback forms, and other channels to understand their needs, expectations, and satisfaction levels. [The importance of VoC in your customer and market research“We’re really looking for the voice of the customer when it comes to feedback when it comes to their experience and their sentiment around your organization and how that impacts their willingness to collaborate with you on things that extend beyond just buying your products or services…”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research/) ### CAB - Customer Advisory Board A customer advisory board is a group of selected customers who provide insights, feedback, and guidance to a company regarding its products, services, or strategies. They serve as a representative voice of the customer, offering valuable perspectives and recommendations. [Setting up your CAB strategy and getting business buy-inCustomer Advisory Boards are a part of both customer marketing and product marketing responsibilities. But getting buy-ins can be a challenge since companies still prioritize acquiring new customers rather than nurturing existing ones.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceBree Bunzel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/11/etienne-boulanger-erCPgyXNlto-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-up-your-cab-strategy-and-getting-business-buy-in/) ### Rc - Referral campaign A referral campaign is a marketing initiative that encourages existing customers to refer new customers to a company or brand. It typically involves offering incentives or rewards to customers for successfully referring others. ### SDY - Case study A case study refers to a examination of a customer's experience with one of your products or services. They're valuable tools to highlight success stories, build credibility, and inspire potential customers by demonstrating real-life examples of the benefits and value a product or service can provide. ### Pz - Personalization This involves tailoring and customizing experiences, content, or offerings to meet the specific needs and preferences of individual customers. ### Re - Referrals This is an act of recommending or suggesting a product, service, or brand to others based on positive experiences. It involves customers sharing their satisfaction with others and encouraging them to try or purchase the offering. ### Rf - Customer references Customer references are individuals or companies who have used a product or service and are willing to vouch for its quality, benefits, and positive outcomes. They serve as testimonials or examples of successful experiences with a particular offering. Customer references are commonly used by businesses to showcase their credibility, build trust, and influence potential customers in their decision-making process. [Why customer references are important, and how best to use them | Customer Marketing Catch-up“Customer references really are about bringing someone in and starting them on that journey toward customer advocacy.” We talk to Collette Johnson about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discuss some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/06/6.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/) ### Cc - Customer collaboration This is the process of any strategy actively involving customers in the development, improvement, or decision-making of products, services, or strategies. It involves seeking input, feedback, and ideas from customers to co-create or shape business initiatives. ### Cf - Customer feedback This refers to gathering insights and perspectives directly from customers to understand their satisfaction levels, identify areas for improvement, and make informed business decisions. [Customer feedback helps companies enhance their offerings,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) address issues, and deliver better customer experiences based on the input received from their customers. ### Ce - Customer engagement This refers to the[ level of interaction, involvement, and emotional connection](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketers-should-improve-their-engagement-and-storytelling-for-2022/) that customers have with a brand, product, or service. It involves capturing and maintaining the attention and interest of customers through various channels and touchpoints. ### CRP - Customer reference program Customer reference program is a structured initiative by a company to leverage satisfied customers as advocates and sources of positive testimonials. It involves identifying and recruiting customers who are willing to share their experiences and endorse the company's products or services. ### Fr - Community Framework Community framework is a structured approach or model for developing and managing an online community. It involves defining the guidelines, rules, and structure that govern the community's interactions and activities. ### Ab - A/b testing A/B testing compares two versions of a webpage, app, or other digital asset to see which performs better. Users are presented with two variations of the same asset at random, and the one that leads to higher engagement, conversions, or click-throughs will inform the messaging that your target audience responds to. ### Rw - Community rewards [Community rewards](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/) are incentives or benefits offered to members of an online community for their active participation, contributions, or engagement. They can include perks such as exclusive content, access to special events, discounts, or recognition within the community. ### Sw - Swag This is the name for promotional merchandise or goodies your company or gives away as a form of branding or marketing. It often includes items like t-shirts, hats, pens, stickers, or other promotional materials with a memorable logo or message. ### So - Social proof This is a psychological phenomenon where people look to the actions and behaviors of others to determine what is correct, popular, or trustworthy. When individuals see others engaging with a product, service, or brand positively, they are more likely to perceive it as valuable and reliable. ### Mr - Market research Market research involves gathering and analyzing information about a specific market, industry, or target audience. This can include things like customer research within it. [Five ways to support your work with market researchMarket research covers a broad variety of strategies that work toward improving business techniques that better cater to your chosen target market. In this article, we’ll cover: What market research is, and different types of market research.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/shane-aldendorff-mQHEgroKw2k-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) ### Rt - Research tools Research tools are resources, software, or techniques used to collect, analyze, and interpret data for research purposes. ### Af - Community affiliations These are relationships your company will have with certain individual people who will be involved in, and support members of your community based on shared interests, values, or goals. ### CAN - Cancellation Cancellation is the act of terminating or discontinuing a service, subscription, reservation, or agreement. ### Ul - Upsell This is a sales technique of offering customers a higher-priced or upgraded product or service in addition to their original purchase; these will be ones that compliment and support the use case of the individual. [Cross-selling and upselling: An introduction and best practicesYou’re at the checkout process on a website, a message comes into view ‘have you forgotten this?’ or ‘customers also purchased x y or z’. This is a tried and tested cross-selling strategy - it encourages customers to buy additional, or ‘’add-on’ purchases.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/cross-sell-and-upsell--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) ### CRS - Cross-sell This is the strategy of recommending or offering customers related or complementary products or services to go along with their original purchase. This is usually a horizontal expansion, rather than the upgrades usually suggested in upselling. ## Know any we missed? Can you think of any concepts you think we've missed in this list? If so, why no join Customer Marketing Alliance's Slack channel to let us know. And while you're at it, why not start a conversation with the hundreds of customer marketing professionals in our community? [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### “Can I describe the benefits of attending? You need to be here to see it for yourself.” | Customer Marketing Las Vegas Summit Attendee Testimonials URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/can-i-describe-the-benefits-of-attending-you-need-to-be-here-to-see-it-for-yourself-customer-marketing-las-vega-summit-attendee-testimonials/ Last updated: 2023-07-12T09:47:18.000Z *“Engaging”* *“Homecoming”* *“Informative”* These three words were chosen by our attendees to capture the atmosphere of the Customer Marketing Alliance Summit at Las Vegas this year. Though there was little down time with so much going on during the event, we took a few spare minutes to ask some of the attendees for their thoughts on the summit, and the befits they’ve discovered from attending. [Check out our current event calendar here!](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) 0:00 / 1× ## Do Customer Marketing Alliance events live up to the hype? **Jessica Noland, Customer Advocacy Manager at Upwork,** told our team about her experience at the conference: The event has been wonderful. It really exceeded my expectations. Everyone's been really warm and friendly, and the content has been incredible. The lineup of speakers and content here is really suited to the needs I have right now in my role, so I've learned a lot. Overall it’s been really fantastic! **Jessica Day, Customer Marketing Manager at Dropbox,** let us know her thoughts on the unique atmosphere at the event: It's been a really great way to see our programs in relation to other programs, a lot of things are very similar. But then there's also all these new dimensions that get revealed when you talk to other people and see what they're doing. ## The benefits of attending Customer Marketing Alliance events **Dave Hansen, Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN** had this to say: Can I describe the benefits of attending? The answer is no, you need to be here to see it for yourself. That's the short answer to it. There isn't anything better than being able to brainstorm live to shake hands. I was a remote worker before COVID, and I can tell you, I missed the office for the same reason I miss live conferences. To have that live experience, being able to bounce your ideas of what you're doing off of other people - It's priceless. **Jessica Day** also added: I think especially in the last few years, it's been really hard to find community, particularly as customer marketing is starting to be this emerging practice. Having a space where we can all come together and share what's working, and what keeps us up at night, is really nourishing. ## Looking for this year’s next big thing? If you have a nagging feeling that you’re missing out on something great, you're absolutely right. 😉 Join us to: 🛠️ Gain invaluable knowledge from industry leaders. 🤝 Become an integral part of our thriving community. 🎓 Connect with experienced mentors and establish meaningful relationships. ❓Crowd-source answers to your most pressing challenges. [Check out this year's calendar here!](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### Customer Marketing Connection | Cassie Sneed URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-connection-cassie-sneed/ Last updated: 2024-05-29T09:54:37.000Z The next Customer Marketing Alliance webinar, the Customer Marketing Connection is here! This time with **Cassie Sneed, Senior Manager of Customer Marketing at Reputation,** on **expansion and usage campaigns for customers to encourage product adoption.** **Register below 👇** **🗓 August 10** **⏰ 12:00 CST | 17:00 GMT** **💻 Live - register below** ### **Meet your host:** [Cassie Sneed](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-sneed/), Senior Manager of Customer Marketing at Reputation Cassie Sneed is a trailblazing marketer with a passion for customer experience. Her career highlights include developing award-winning customer marketing campaigns for global brands, leading cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences, and spearheading the adoption of customer obsession as a core value for organizations. ### How to leverage customer marketing and impact the revenue cycle meaningfully URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-leverage-customer-marketing-and-impact-the-revenue-cycle-meaningfully/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:02:20.000Z Revenue projections and commits come in many shapes and sizes. From **Opportunities sourced** to **won** and from **pipeline influenced** to captured and sometimes simply **qualified leads**. Taking on a revenue goal will almost always guarantee a seat at the table and more importantly have a direct tie to understanding the success behind marketing programs. So how do you meaningfully impact revenue and where do you start? Here’s a simple strategy to meaningfully build a program that focuses on a stellar customer experience without feeling too transactional. ## **Cross-sell and upsell** Pick your **top 3 upsell and cross-sell scenarios** that will land expansion opportunities — these could be reliable, tried and tested ways that your Sales team pitches your product. Codified through the human touch but, translated to meet the requirements of the marketing funnel. Let’s use some of the Microsoft SaaS products to play out this example. Azure is a leading product line to land for SMB and Enterprise customers. The universal use cases such as cloud storage, ease of deployments, cross-OS support, and low costs make building for the Azure cloud fast, secure, and easy to manage. In this case, Azure storage and Azure backup have separate pricing, and a simple upsell scenario would include exposure to both services. On the other hand, a cross-sell scenario could be as varied as going from Azure to Bing. Let’s assume, you’re building a mapping solution and want to access Bing APIs, in this case, you’ve purchased Azure storage and then looking to integrate Bing APIs into your solution. Either scenario would need to be rooted in data and existing affinity from customers. Purchase and customer activity can help validate these scenarios. ## **Use your customer cohorts** Next, pick your **top 3 customer cohorts that are ripe for disruption**. This assumes you have segmentation, demographic, commercial, and product usage data for these cohorts. Meaningfully applying a marketing lens, determine if you can truly influence these cohorts. In our prior example, if you’re looking to upsell Azure backup, customer cohorts that don’t already have a storage solution may be a good fit. Chances are in this scenario you’re almost always selling both these services together and so your customer cohort could include accounts that don’t already have a service or that have a competitive service that isn’t as robust. Picking a cohort for cross-selling however is an interesting approach. In this case, you’re evaluating the target customer base that has purchased Azure storage for affinity to Bing first. From there you’re designing cohorts that may have a use case. Land a core product and expansion from there may work well but, without a target beachhead to go after, expansion via cross-selling is often hit or miss. ## **Plan your content strategy** Finally, **plan your content strategy** carefully to unlock the value prop in a way that resonates with your cohorts across the two dimensions of adoption and expansion. Done right, you can expect a minimum **15–20%** conversion to a qualified lead. Often, brand-building content is great at catching eyes and helps improve click-thru and open rates. Sustained customer nurture involves telling strong value prop stories with technical deep-dive demos. Customers who are in the product, want to get better at their job, be perceived as influencers, or simply get to the business outcome they’re working towards. How can the features that you’re cross-selling unlock this value? Going back to our example, to cross-sell Bing APIs, you’d need to understand what the customer cohorts care about and who the decision-makers are. Digitally influencing these decision-makers means more than just a single campaign or webinar. It’s a concerted program across sharing the value prop of Bing APIs likely in the context of their current Azure storage purchase, incentives to trial some APIs, and then a combination of 1\. many and 1\. few educational and demo events. Follow that up with a personalized human-touch effort. ## **Use estimates to inform your impact** After you have your cohorts and content, the last thing you’d need is **estimates on what you can impact w.r.t revenue**. In this case, let’s assume each cohort represents a certain upsell or cross-sell value or a downgrade value in the case of high-risk customers. Considering the absolute Base ARR will often lead to inflated projections. What you really need here is something along the lines of, > Total revenue impact = > > No\_of\_licenses\_impacted > > \* > > (Average\_Base\_ARR + Expected\_Expansion\_Revenue + Expected\_Winback\_Revenue) In the formula above, we’re asserting that a projected increase in the base will be relative to the average Base ARR per license. You’re welcome to tweak this based on Total Base ARR as well. And there you have it, three simple steps to get started with your customer marketing strategy. ### Why we need to amplify diverse voices in marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-we-need-to-amplify-diverse-voices-in-marketing/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T12:14:26.000Z *This article is adapted from Patrick's appearance on CMO Convo, "*[*It's a diverse world. Marketing should be too.*](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-its-a-diverse-world-marketing-should-be-too-patrick-reynolds-jade-warne/)*"* I’m Patrick Reynolds, and I’m the CMO of a company called BlueConic, which is a technology company in the customer data platform space. BlueConic is a portfolio company of Vista, which is the largest technology investor in the world. I’ve always been an observer of people in life, which is an expression that I learned quite early on. I try to be a cultural anthropologist of humans in the wild, as it were. So on the subway, in the park, when they don't know that you're observing, you're observing (in a non-creepy-weird way). I always keep an ear open and my eyes open to how people look, behave, and interact. And I think that's always been really core to me. I take a journalistic perspective on how to do marketing, I guess. It's important to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from a marketing perspective and make sure that we’re building the kinds of organizations that represent us as people and our businesses well. I’d also like to speak secondarily as a human who recognizes the dramatic and desperate need for a more inclusive, multicultural, multi-palleted world. And then I’d also like to speak to you as a cisgender, middle-aged white guy, because I think that persona is critical to making everything else work better, faster. [CMO Convo | It’s a diverse world. Marketing should be too.Across almost any industry, the audiences you’re marketing to are likely becoming more and more diverse. Does your marketing team reflect that?![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2021/02/CMO_Alliance-Colour-Logomark_tiny.png)CMO AllianceWill Whitham![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2023/06/3.png)](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-its-a-diverse-world-marketing-should-be-too-patrick-reynolds-jade-warne/) ## **Defining diversity, equity, and inclusion** To me, DEI is about creating a space where everyone is welcome. And a different way to say that is that I want to create an environment that broadly looks like the world we live in. Up until quite recently, the business world was a little cocoon nested within this increasingly diverse world, but immune to it. It was a little white bastion in the middle of a very multicolored ocean or constellation. But that dog won't hunt anymore. So we need to figure out a way to make what happens inside the four walls of the business more closely mirror what happens outside of them. ## **Business is integral to a better society** *“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. And belonging is dancing like no one’s watching.”* It's important to be fluent in all of the idioms of the audience that you’re candidly marketing to or selling to. So, even though we're selling enterprise-level software, we're seeing the buyers of that kind of product change. Ten years ago, they looked a lot like me. And that's still the case in certain places. Now, though, we're finding people who are younger, more diverse, and have a different background. And if I come at them with a series of Seinfeld references, dad jokes, and baseball terms, it's probably not going to land. So it's enlightened self-interest for me to have people who can make us fluent in the language of our customers. If you want to be purely financially motivated, that's one way to look at it. The other way is that we need to create a better society, and business is integral to creating a better society for better or worse. We can't fix the fact that business has a large outsized presence because it does. So let's capitalize on it and try to advance the ball as much as we can. So there's both a financial and business motive. I also believe that a more diverse set of marketers is preferable and better over time than a less diverse set of marketers for business results. I’d also like to create a world that I'd like to work and live in, and that's one that welcomes and celebrates the diversity of everyone. Another thing that's really interesting is that younger people are currently making very interesting employment decisions. You read a lot of things that’ll say a lot of people are opting to work less or more remotely, or they'll take less money for more latitude of schedule. I believe that a lot of that has to do with the fact that the business doesn’t map to their values, and they almost want to limit their exposure to something that's contrary to their values. If your work life is just too different from your life-life, you're going to want to shrink it so that you can have your life-life. So if we can make work life a little more like the outside world, then maybe we can have a more harmonious relationship between work and personal life. ## **Establishing authentic DEI in marketing** When it comes to DEI, companies have been talking the talk for a long time, but it’s only recently that they're beginning to walk the walk. Optics have always been essential. You needed to look suitable for a company. So people would make great efforts in their advertising campaigns to show a vast array of people. But behind the scenes, the people making those things were typically much more like me than what the company was portraying. Now, I think that’s starting to change. I think it’s changed dramatically in the case of women, but I don't think it's changed as much as it frankly needs to in the case of people of color. I think that it’s happening, but it's just not happening at the rate and pace that I think anyone would be comfortable with. It's very ironic because marketing is typically the canary in the coal mine. It'll put it out there that this is where we need to be. But then if you actually pull back the covers on the people making the marketing, they're talking the talk but not walking the walk. It's a lot of white people making commercials about how important diversity is. Now that’s changing, and I think that's critically important. But that's another irony that sticks in my craw a little bit. A lot of the startups I've been a part of are very clubby. You have a small number of people in the venture capital community giving money to a small number of people that they can rely on. And it perpetuates this handing off the baton within a circle so it really just goes around. Most of these people are really good people, in my experience. But again, it's a very small circle. When I worked for MasterCard, which is obviously a large, publicly traded global company, diversity was real there. I’d literally be the token straight white guy in the room, and I’d be amongst all of God's creatures. It was fantastic; the ability to harmonize that energy and get that thinking together and all those broad perspectives. We also have a terrible fault in the US of thinking in red, white, and blue terms and thinking of a very US-centric world, which is becoming less the case all the time as well. So for all those reasons, just hearing people, hearing how they talked, hearing their stories, hearing about their families, seeing their pictures and all that, it was an awakening, and it made us better at what we did. ## **DEI initiatives and their impact on customers** If we look at some examples of DEI initiatives from other brands and how those initiatives have affected customers, I guess we'd be remiss to not talk about the Bud Light fiasco. Just because you say it, doesn't mean it’s so. I’d just file that under that heading. I think that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Bud Light did. In fact, I could find a lot of things that are admirable about it, providing it was coming from a genuine place and it wasn’t something they did so that they could get a good DEI grade in their board meeting. I don't know if the average consumer, much less Kid Rock, has privy into what they're talking about when they're creating that kind of campaign. So I think it's a little self-serving for the haters as well. But it just goes back to the idea that you’ll make things that work for your audience, provided you know those inputs. I can market to a diverse array of customers better if I have a diverse array of people helping me market. You can also think about cosmetic companies like Fenty Beauty, who came in with a wide collection of makeup that suits all skin tones. And now this is the norm in the cosmetic industry. I don't think the initial people who created these kinds of cosmetic products and marketing campaigns were doing it from a place of exclusion. I think they just didn't know. They're more like sins of omission than commission. I don't think anyone ever intended to make makeup that wouldn’t work for people of color. I think it just never occurred to them that it wouldn't work for those people because they look like me. If it's all super single-threaded, elitist, white, or American. We're not doing it from a bad place. It's just the language that we speak and the culture that we grew up in. But it doesn't work anymore. So you need to bring other people into the room and they can sanity check your stuff. How is it plausible that you can ask a very small group of people who aren’t what you want them to be, to be more like what you want them to be? Imagine I'm going to tell a room of 10 people who are all white, six went to Stanford, and four went to Harvard, “I want you to now be of the people and go out and cast a big net for the people in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Brixton, London.” How is that going to ever work? It won’t. So the question is, do you actually want that? Or do you want to look like you want that? If you actually want that, you need to bring in people who have some understanding of those places. [Diversity and the customer marketing positionWe analyze our customer marketing salary survey results to consider how average salaries are impacted by disability, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/cardmapr-nl-5x7Zl8QXFvg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/diversity-and-the-customer-marketing-position/) ## **Twitter’s role in DEI discourse** Twitter has recently been going through a bit of a chaotic time under Elon Musk's management. Personally, I view the platform as a vast wasteland that I’ll occasionally glimpse into on my own time just to see how crazy the world is. And then I quickly slam it shut and run away. I think that Elon Musk is trying to make the argument that it's plumbing. He’s saying, “Put whatever you want on there. We're not here to sanction it. We're not a publisher.” And yet on the 2nd of June, the second day of Pride, he was actively promoting anti-trans rhetoric. Twitter wants us to think that it's not a publisher, like the New York Times, promoting hate and filth and exclusivity and all these other things. It's a forum, it's a message board, and people put what they want on it. I don't think that’s going to hold true anymore, especially if you're going to charge people to put things on there and you're profiting from that, and you have the owner of the company actively amplifying toxic and harmful rhetoric. It's pretty transparent. It's also not a place where I think serious business should be done. I'm not sure anything should be done on it. If wishes were fishes, I’d rather it didn't exist. But it’s drawn into a stark conversation about how powerful a weapon Twitter can be. A weapon is a word that I use intentionally. Words can be weaponized to turn people from pretty sane, normal people into pretty fringy people, just through a constant stream of misinformation and bad information. And it's great that Twitter throws its hands up and says, "We're not posting anything, we're just passing it along," but they're making money from it. That's what's so bothersome about it. People should just use Twitter very seldom, and never for serious business. In other words, I don't think running B2B software marketing campaigns on Twitter is time well spent. "Do I need software, let me see what Twitter thinks?" It’d just never occur to me as a buyer. There are LinkedIn, forums, B2B review sites, Gartner, and Forrester. I’d go to those places to do my research. There are other kinds of forums that are specific to the topic. I wouldn’t go to Twitter to do serious business myself. It's going to be an incredibly wild political season here in the US. With Trump now being reapproved to be back on Twitter, it's just going to be a mudslinging mess for several months. And all of this will initially harm DEI as a concept because anybody who's for those ideals, these loudmouths, will be against them and they'll denigrate them. Then they'll bring in all their sheep behind them to put more wood on that fire. I think long term, it's good because I’m an optimist. I believe that with all of this hate, for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. I think in time, there’ll be a cry to put down these people. But I think that fire’s going to have to burn out first. I actually think it’ll advance the case for a more tolerant, diverse, inclusive world. It's just going to take a minute. What's really frightening though is when you think about what’ll happen with the proliferation of AI. You now have big machines that can smell the soft spots, can see where the demographics are, and can see in real-time or near real-time where an election is trending. For example, "We're losing in the state of Louisiana, let's now gin up some message that we know will resonate with voters because we're damn near omniscient. And then let's just put it into everyone's feed down there unsolicited, and try to turn these outcomes." It's literally Mary Shelley's monster come to life, but the monster is now running the experiment. And it's crazy and vaguely terrifying and horrible all at the same time. ## **Upholding DEI values beyond financial gain** At BlueConic, we have really, really tight alignment amongst the leadership team and amongst Vista around our values. I think our values and values alignment was one of the big reasons that Vista was attracted to BlueConic and BlueConic to Vista. We’ve celebrated Mental Health Month, Women's Month, and Native Indigenous Peoples Month. We’re really into that, not because it helps us sell any software (it doesn't do a single thing for software), but because it sends out a beacon to the world that these are our values. And if your values map to our values, if you want to talk, cool, and if you don't, that's cool, too. Doing the right thing when there's no financial gain is something that’s really, really important to us. It's not lost on me that BlueConic is interesting in many different ways, but we have a young female CEO, a female CRO, and a female Chief People Officer. We also have high-ranking women in product, in engineering, in everything. First of all, I don't think it’s by design. But secondarily, it prevents us from going into some of these dark corners that maybe some of our competitors go into. We stick to the sunny side of the street at BlueConic. ## **Overcoming DEI obstacles: Strategic approaches for marketing teams** When looking to overcome some of the obstacles of implementing DEI, you just have to work backward from, "What do you want?" Let’s say you’d like to have an inclusive team that’s representative of the audience that you’re marketing to. Okay, so how do you do that? Let's just say in this case, "I need to find more people of color than we have presently in the company". How do you do that? The first thing is you’ll recruit in places where people of color actually go to school. And it might not just be Stanford and Harvard. It might be state schools or tech schools. It might be all kinds of different places that are non-traditionally recruited from. How do we make sure that diverse candidates get into those schools? You have to have community outreach programs, you have to do days of charitable work, and you have to talk about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). When you're doing your community days, make sure that it's not just for the suburban kids, that it's also for the kids right smack-dab in the middle of the city. It's root and branch, all the links of the chain have to connect in order to get the outcome you want. So that's something that we're hard at work on, there's tonnes of work to be done. The other thing is that you have to KPI it. It's an objective of mine. It's not like, "Hey, if you find somebody that's diverse, that'd be cool". It's, "You're being evaluated on your ability to cast a broad slate and bring in the kinds of people that we want to bolster up." Just like I am for pipeline creation, bookings, revenue, cash, all of those things. DEI is also part of that letter set. ## **The power of diversity in self-enlightenment** In my view, there’s a very small fringe component of the world that wantonly and knowingly does the wrong thing. If you talk to 80% of the world and ask, "Should workplaces be diverse? Should they be inclusive? Should they be equitable?" They go, “Of course!" Most people aren’t actively unfair. And most people think that they manifest DEI in their private life and their work life. It's only when you’re exposed to someone not like you, who gives you the eyeball when you say something or you overhear a conversation. You don't know what you don't know until you know. And you'll never know if you don't bring people into your circle who force expose you to it. My children are an amazing foil for me. I think I’m a liberal, enlightened, progressive, wonderful human being. But not a day will go by that I won’t get called to account for something I’ve said. At the time, it hasn’t even occurred to me that what I’ve said might be offensive to anybody. It could be something around pronouns or expressions that I learned from TV as a kid that now makes my kids’ heads explode. Until somebody is different than you and you hear how they do it, or they call you out on how you do it, you just don't know. And when you do know, you go, "That makes so much sense." And you actually do move closer to enlightenment. You’ve still got a long way to go, but you’ll move closer to it. But you'll never ever read about that. You can't search websites or attend conferences about it. Your circle must be inclusive of people who are very different from you, or you're just never going to get it, in my view. And that's why it's so important to hire people who are broadly representative of the world so that you go, "I’m learning so much every day, and I was supposed to be the teacher". I learn 10x what I teach because I'm surrounded by people that I’ve not been around before, and I'm so much better for it. --- **Diversity is essential for marketing. What role are you taking as a marketing leader to champion it? Do you need help finding the way forward? Share your story with a global network of marketing leaders on the** [**Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) **channel** [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### The customer health score: How to master this metric URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-customer-health-score-how-to-master-this-metric/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:02:39.000Z For those of us who thrive in pragmatism and proactivity, having the means to judge whether an aspect of your life was going good, bad, or just plain average, would be a blessing sent from above. Whether this was for work or in your personal life, with an indicator like this you’d be able to jump into action before things turned sour and prevent a situation that could cause further damage. While you might have to be a little less control over your personal life, there are ways to implement this foresight into your work. Enter the almighty **customer health score**. 💪 In this article, we’re going to take a deep dive into: - What a customer health score is - Why it’s important - How to calculate a health score - How to best utilize and improve health scores Shall we crack on? 👇 ## **What is a customer health score?** If you’re here for a customer health score definition, you came to the right place. So, what is the function of a health score? A customer health score is a predictive metric used by [SaaS](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-saas/) businesses to indicate the likelihood of your customer leaving ([churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/)), staying ([retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/)), or growing (renewals) in your organization. This metric offers an absolute goldmine for customer intelligence. When analyzing your accounts (your customers) the customer health score offers you the ability to predict the longevity of this business relationship. Those with a low score are prioritized as high-risk with the likelihood of succumbing to churn. These customers instantly flag as a high priority for the dedicated customer marketer to start planning their strategies to [pre-empt customer churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/simple-strategies-for-reducing-customer-churn/). ### **A customer health score is a comparative metric** By combining factors like frequency of product use, the number of support tickets open, and whether the customer is using a wide breadth of product features, you can ascertain a score to reflect the customer’s current health status. Typically, the health score can range from 1-10 or 1-100, with lower scores addressing at-risk customers and higher scores indicating greater revenue opportunities like [upselling and cross-selling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/). It’s up to the customer focussed teams to categorize the scores and determine the actions you’ll take. For example, if an account scores 25/100, the you should take immediate action and reach out to them. Accounts that are given a thumbs up usually will bag a score of 70-100 and will be color-coded in green; customers who score between 40-70 are at risk of churning and are usually color-coded in yellow; those who score less than 40 are in the red zone, and are likely to churn. ## **Why calculating customer health scores is important** While the customer health score forecasts what’s to come, it’s no Mystic Meg metric. 🔮 It's based on reality, allowing customer success teams to act fast to nip poor customer satisfaction in the bud, reduce churn, increase [customer retention rates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-improve-retention-by-making-your-customers-your-growth-priority/), and ward off negative feedback. We wouldn’t throw caution to the wind, mind you. It’s worth remembering that calculating a customer health score isn’t a problem-eradicator. A health score is a [valuable metric](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) to have in your remit, but it doesn’t solve everything there and then. It needs to be monitored continuously as the post-conversion journey for the customer can be volatile and susceptible to the elements. Anything can change for the customer from the point of sale, which is why a watertight, carefully considered [customer onboarding](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/) process is integral to actualizing [time-to-value (TTV)](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-definitive-customer-success-glossary/) and sustaining product appreciation. But let it be said, the customer health score isn’t all doom-and-gloom; it’s not solely a last-minute scramble used to catch at-risk customers from churning. A high customer health score can alert you to a treasure trove of possibilities. For example, an engaged customer – who uses your product frequently and demonstrates an interest in your company – will likely want to increase their subscription and buy additional products or services. A high customer health score is a godsend, offering the possibility for expansion and repeat purchases. From a commercial perspective, keeping an ear to the ground by consistently monitoring customer health scores is a shoo-in for increasing revenue by identifying upsell and cross-sell opportunities. **NB: This is particularly important for high-value customers.** An account plan may be necessary to ensure your high-value accounts continue to renew and expand. Not only will this life-saving piece of admin help you to keep all your account information and actions in one place, but, hopefully, it’ll keep your high-value accounts happy. ## **How do you calculate a customer health score?** Several critical indicators form the basis of the customer health score, the majority of which reflect the customer’s overall engagement with your product and your organization as a whole. Here are some factors that contribute to calculating a customer health score: - How frequently your customer is using your product or service - The depth in which your product is being used - How many people are using your product or service - How many customer support tickets are open for this account - Whether the customer engages with your in-app surveys - The total number of add-ons purchased by the customer - If the customer has upgraded their subscription - If the customer uses the in-app chat feature ### **How do companies calculate customer health scores?** But depending on your organization’s customer success strategy and product or service offered how you define ‘health’ is entirely subjective to your company’s needs. We spoke to **Smith Puerto**, Director of Customer Success at **Verb**, about their thoughts on this coveted metric: > *“We’re building out a super basic health score that weighs a customer’s monthly active use of our platform, the number of support tickets per account (we use ZenDesk and JIRA), and then a one to three gut check by the CSM on the admin relationship.* > *“After this, we have those three data points weighted differently for different customer segments; in some segments, the admin relationship is considerably more significant than product adoption, and vice versa for different segments.”* Similarly, at **Stripe**, their team uses customer engagement in their overall scores and looks if they’re participating in key activities like [QBRs](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-definitive-customer-success-glossary/). This was noted by **Melissa Hatter**, Enterprise Customer Success Lead at **Stripe**, during a panel discussion at **Future of SaaS**’[ 2022 SaaS Metrics Summit](https://www.futureofsaas.io/future-of-saas-ondemand/?ref=customersuccesscollective.com). > *“We look at product utilization and optimization – that's probably similar across a lot of organizations. And then there's payment utilization and optimization, which is very specific to But I also think there’s a portion of health that’s hard to track with data – there's absolutely no substitute for CSM sentiment.”* Melissa touches on a glaring tension in customer success: the delicate balance between data and human traits like empathy and intuition. For Melissa, your teams should have incredible and intimate knowledge of their accounts, and this gut instinct is usually the strongest signal of health, despite all the data available. If your customer segment is [high-touch](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-high-touch-and-low-touch-engagement-models/) and has a dedicated customer marketing team, nothing can replace talking to the client themselves, and forming a relationship. For lower-touch customers, with a greater emphasis on a tech-first approach to onboarding and [customer relationship management (CRM)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-ways-to-build-a-strong-relationship-with-your-customers/), relying on data will probably be your best friend here. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## **How to best utilize and improve customer health scores** Once you have decided upon the factors informing your customer health score, you’re able to extrapolate this intel to provide direction for your anti-churn and revenue-driving strategies. For **Smith** **Puerto**, health scores “provide insights that allow teams to make strategic decisions around prioritization, resource allocation, and forecasting”. They also note that you can then present these performance indicators to key internal stakeholders, noting that leaders can “communicate account status and health to the leadership team and board on a bi-weekly basis”. How to improve? Well, that’s a constant work in progress. If you want to share a hot tip for improving the rating of your customer health score, reach out to your peers in [our community on Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/). But for now, here are three ways to improve your health scores. 👇 ### **1\. Speak to customers** Telling a customer marketer to talk to their customers to better understand their feelings, is like telling an Olympic swimmer to remember to put on their goggles before diving into the pool. It’s a no-brainer – of course, it’ll enhance their performance! The same can be said for regularly communicating with your customers. Health scores are indicators of a customer’s current status, but it’s up to you to intervene, to make things right. ### **2\. Use in-app guides** With the rise of automation, there are quick wins that you can adopt to better serve their customers. If a customer is found to have a mid-low health score, they would be deemed unhealthy. Then the customer marketing team can act by using automation to specifically target these low-scoring accounts. In-app guides can replicate previously successful cases by walking the customer through how to use the product. These guides can be slightly different from the product’s current onboarding process, highlighting different challenges for the seasoned customer who hasn’t been engaging with the product. ### **3\. Multiple scoring systems** Implementing a range of health scores can help to prioritize your efforts and be more specific about success or failure patterns. You can use patterns to replicate the success with in-app guidance or reduce frictions that lead to failure. At the other end of the spectrum, high scores can find the right moment to ask freemium users to upgrade. Multiple scoring systems can help to prioritize efforts and be more specific about success or failure patterns. To get a clearer picture of your customer base, you can run different scoring systems for different user segments e.g. new vs. old customers, and individual vs. enterprise accounts. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **TL;DR** **✅ There’s not a one-size-fits-all formula for customer health scores.** Pick factors to make up the health score – whether that’s product usage, support tickets, etc. – that are right for your business and reflect your product. There’s no point copying what another company does if they have a completely different product. **✅ Lean into automation.** Incorporating [artificial intelligence](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/) into your health score strategy can be a lifesaver. Health scores need to be continually monitored and to be kept abreast of new changes. The best way to do this is with an integrated tech stack. **✅ Talk to your customers.** Above all, health scores try to predict patterns of future behavior. But the only way to benefit from this metric is to communicate with your customers and listen first-hand to what can be done to improve their experience. ‌‌ ### Robert Maddox | How to connect your customers to the product team using events | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/robert-maddox-how-to-connect-your-customers-to-the-product-team-using-events-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-06-21T13:52:00.000Z > "My aim specifically is to **nurture the customers to advocates** through education and engagement... and for the product team, I definitely want to **get \[customer\] feedback and make it easily accessible for the products team** and make it light lifts for everybody else to leverage the relationships that I have..." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Robert Maddox, Customer Advocacy & Community Manager at Delinea, on how to connect two sides of the product lifecycle with your customer and product team through events. ## **Key talking points:** - How these events are conceptualized - Why connecting these two parts of your company is so important - How such events can support company growth - An example of how these events can be successfully conducted ## ****About the guest:** Robert Maddox has experience in planning and executing strategy & operations in community, advocacy, and engagement programs. He has built communities from scratch while producing & curating content to keep them engaged, bringing the voice of the customer to different teams’ decision-making tables through interviews, testimonials, and feedback surveys. ## ****Our sponsor:** ****This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at [influitive.com](https://influitive.com/).** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## ****Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### The art of prioritizing the voice of the customer URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/ Last updated: 2026-01-19T13:24:51.000Z What percentage of your customers could you reach out to individually right now just to check in and say hello? If your answer is less than **20%**, you have some work to do! As a customer marketing team of one like me (shoutout to the mighty teams of one!), it isn’t always easy to get customer face time. I can hear you asking: "How am I supposed to find time between a plethora of other priorities to chat with customers on a weekly basis?!" Hopefully, I’ll be able to help you with that as we go on. In this article I'll be covering: - [How the customer voice drives program creation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/#:~:text=And%20more.-,How%20the%20customer%20voice%20drives%20program%20creation,-I%20challenge%20myself) - [The importance of creating personal connections with your customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/#:~:text=rich%20customer%20stories.-,Creating%20personal%20connections,-Now%20let%E2%80%99s%20keep) - [Why a community should be customer led](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-art-of-prioritizing-voice-of-customer/#:~:text=of%20my%20job.-,Building%20a%20customer%20led%20community,-We%20recently%20launched) ## How the customer voice drives program creation I challenge myself to spend at least two hours each week learning new customer stories. These stories don’t always have to be scheduled interviews. Sometimes I listen to Gong recordings, gather learnings from Gainsight, or join check in calls with the Customer Success Manager. The 1:1 time I spend with customers makes a huge difference in how I create programs. It gives me the opportunity to ask some of my most burning questions: - Do they like certain messaging? - Did they hate a recent incentive? - Do they want to see different information included in our customer newsletter? All of these insights help me gut check current programs and make updates to keep things interesting. Creating customer emails and webinar programs can become muscle memory, but it’s important to keep things new and fresh. Your customers' stories are constantly changing and evolving. It’s crucial to meet customers where they are and understand what they set out to do with your product and how they’re progressing towards those goals. Ask yourself: "How does their story align to the core use cases of our product?" Connecting the two helps craft rich customer stories. ## Creating personal connections Now let’s keep things real for a second - of course you’ll never be able to address every single customer need, but compiling feedback on a regular basis helps draw broader insights about your user base. Interviewing users with different job titles and backgrounds uncovers some really interesting information that you might not have known before. There are likely a lot of cool use cases outside of your top personas that are good to document. Making note of these helps with pulling niche sales reference requests, blog quotes, webinar speakers, and more. Not only do I learn how our top customers use our product, but I also learn about their personal lives and their hobbies. So come the holidays, I send them a personalized jersey from their favorite sports team, or a monogrammed cheese board if I know they like to entertain. Customers really appreciate that I take this time to get to know them. It is a very low risk, high reward part of my job. ## Building a customer-led community We recently launched a customer community and the first thing I did after I got budget approval was bring together our customer advisory board and ask them what they’d want to see in a community. This made the vendor evaluation process so much easier because I had an idea of what our “need to haves” were thanks to customer feedback. The main questions I asked were along the lines of: - What would you want to see within a community? - What type of content within the community would prompt you to engage? - What role would you want to play in this community? (Discussion leader, helping hand, etc.) We had over **25%** of our customer accounts register for the community within the first week of launch. The response has been overwhelmingly positive about the UI, content, and structure which I largely attribute to the [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) included in the strategy. ## Socializing customer stories across the team Understanding customer stories is important for other people on the marketing team, too! It allows any person on the marketing team to better align to what customers (and prospects!) want from your product and brand. I encourage all teams across the company to share customer stories, quotes and feedback with me regularly. We have a specific Slack channel where folks are encouraged to share customer quotes and feedback. **It’s a gold mine in there!** I’m easily able to identify our newest and happiest customers and reach out to the account manager to see how we can work with the customer to get their story shared externally. Piecing these insights together helps me keep a pulse on what folks are loving, what they don’t like and what they want to see next. We also have an internal customer stories matrix that categorizes all of our [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/steph-mills-case-studies-how-to-connect-to-your-customers-using-their-own-voice-leadership-accelerator-program/), video testimonials, and blogs by use cases, industry and company size. The matrix really helps our team understand what customers are specifically happy about and also helps identify story gaps so we know who to go after for net new content. Everyone at your company knows what you sell and why people buy, but the customer is so much more complex than that. Sharing out customer anecdotes on a regular basis through all-hands meetings or via a recap email can be instrumental in ensuring that everyone is inside the customer’s head. ## Being an active listener More than anything, humans want to be heard and understood in all aspects of life. Leading with **curiosity, actively listening, and following up with these customers** enables them to positively move along their customer journey. Tying customer needs back to your product vision helps you evolve with customer-led growth. ### 5 essential tips for demonstrating respect and driving engagement URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/5-essential-tips-for-demonstrating-respect-and-driving-engagement/ Last updated: 2024-08-15T14:03:12.000Z This article comes from **Jennifer Susinski** and **Jeni Asaba**’s panel talk, *Five Tips on How to Show Your Community Respect*, at our 2022 Customer Marketing Summit, check out the full version [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-april-2022-ondemand/?wchannelid=o1jdawtskt&wmediaid=knebvuqr9d). In today's interconnected digital landscape, building a strong and engaged community is paramount for businesses and organizations seeking to cultivate brand loyalty, gather valuable insights, and drive meaningful customer interactions. However, creating an exceptional community experience goes beyond surface-level interactions. It requires a solid foundation of respect, trust, and personalized engagement. In this article, our industry experts **Jennifer Susinski**, *Global Customer Advocacy & Experience Manager at Taulia* & **Jeni Asaba**, *Senior Manager of Community Engagement & Advocacy at Jamf*, will share **five actionable tips** that can help you create a vibrant and inclusive community. By implementing these strategies, you will not only enhance customer engagement but also foster a sense of belonging and strengthen the bonds between your organization and its community members. Our experts will delve into the practical insights and proven techniques that can promote respect, meaningful engagement, and personalization within your community, empowering you to create an environment that thrives on genuine interactions and mutual respect. As we explore each tip in detail, you will discover how **leading with value**, meeting community members in their **comfort zones**, helping them grow and **develop**, setting **clear internal expectations**, and **infusing fun** into community initiatives can transform your community into a vibrant hub of **connection and collaboration**. By following these tips, you can create a community experience that resonates with your members on a deeper level, **fostering loyalty**, and **advocacy**, and ultimately **driving the success of your organization**. So, let's dive into these essential strategies and unlock the full potential of your community 🔑. 1. **Lead with value** 2. **Meet advocates in their comfort zones** 3. **Help your advocates level up** 4. **Set expectations internally** 5. **Infuse fun!** ## 1 - Lead with value Value lies at the core of any successful community and to cater to the diverse needs and wants of your advocates, it’s vital to offer a wide variety of value-driven initiatives. Our experts Jennifer Susinski and Jeni Asaba, emphasize the significance of this, explaining how leading with value can strengthen relationships, foster trust, and enhance community engagement, highlighting 2 approaches: ### 🔍 Focus groups - Jennifer Susinski highlighted the importance of organizing focus groups within the community. By involving advocates in these groups, community managers can gather open and honest feedback on topics that hold significance for the members. - This approach not only demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement but also ensures that the community's solutions and experiences align with the advocates' expectations. - Jeni Asaba adds that they implemented a similar strategy, bringing in their CTO, CEO, and other leaders to virtual meetups. Their customers were impressed that the CEO was willing to dedicate time to answering their questions, as it demonstrated their value to the company. ### 🧪 Beta programs - Beta testing serves as another valuable opportunity to engage advocates. Jennifer Susinski shared her experience of hosting a focus group of roughly 20 customers who agreed to conduct a beta test in their live production environment. - This level of trust is earned through an advocacy program that prioritizes building strong relationships over time. Engaging advocates in beta testing allows them to play an active role in testing new offerings or enhancements to existing products, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration within the community. - Jeni Asaba also mentioned that one of their customer heroes secured his current job due to his connection with the community at Jamf. She shared that witnessing customers grow in their careers and knowing they played a part in that success was incredibly rewarding. ## 2 - Meet advocates in their comfort zones To foster a sense of belonging and active participation within a community, it is crucial to meet advocates in their comfort zones. Just as individuals have their own preferred ways of engaging with others, community members also have unique preferences. Here Jennifer Susinski and Jeni Asaba, discussed why meeting advocates in their comfort zones fosters inclusivity and strengthens community engagement, and how best to do this. 🖥️ Respecting different engagement preferences - Jennifer Susinski highlighted the importance of understanding that customers have specific ways in which they prefer to engage with organizations. Some advocates may feel most comfortable interacting one-on-one through platforms like Slack, while others may prefer thoughtful emails. - Virtual meetups, where hot topics are discussed, may be the preferred choice for some advocates, while others may prefer to participate as silent listeners. Recognizing and embracing these diverse modes of engagement creates an environment where all forms of participation are valued. ### ⚖️ Personalization and adjustment - It’s crucial to take the time to understand each advocate's preferences and adjust your approach accordingly. Jennifer Susinski suggested gathering information about advocates' preferred modes of engagement as soon as they join the community. - This personalized approach sets both sides up for success and ensures that the relationship between the community members and the organization is fruitful. Adjusting to advocates' comfort zones not only enhances their experience but also strengthens the relationship overall. ### 🫱 Supporting reservations - Jeni Asaba emphasized the importance of not brushing aside shy advocates but finding ways to help them overcome their reservations. For example, offering Toastmasters sessions as a group activity can help shy advocates build confidence and strengthen bonds within the community. - By providing opportunities for personal growth and success, community managers create an environment where advocates feel supported and motivated to contribute their voices. - Jennifer Susinski shared a success story of a shy customer who, over the course of three years, became a confident speaker and actively contributed to product development. - By involving advocates in discussions with internal stakeholders, community managers empower advocates to speak on behalf of the organization and foster a sense of partnership. ## 3 - Help your advocates level up Empowering advocates to develop new skills and grow personally and professionally is a powerful way to demonstrate respect and invest in their success. Our experts shared the importance of offering opportunities for learning and growth within the community, emphasizing how helping advocates level up enhances their engagement and elevates their impact within the community. ### 📖 Training programs - Jennifer Susinski emphasized the importance of providing advocates with training programs that keep them informed about product updates, features, and functionalities. - By equipping advocates with the knowledge and confidence to represent the brand effectively, community managers enhance their impact within the community. - Interactive training sessions or workshops can be launched to allow advocates to delve into specific areas of interest and receive in-depth guidance. ### 📣 Spotlighting advocates - Acknowledging advocates' expertise and giving them a platform to share their insights and experiences is a powerful way to support their personal growth. - Jennifer Susinski mentioned the use of hero BIOS, where advocates' level of experience and expertise is highlighted, creating a space for learning from each other. - Additionally, community managers can feature advocates in company blogs, invite them to speak at events, or involve them in thought leadership initiatives. These opportunities not only showcase advocates' abilities but also foster a sense of pride and loyalty within the community. ### 💭 Collaborating for thought leadership - Jeni Asaba highlighted the significance of collaborating with advocates who are interested in being thought leaders. - Involving them in social media teams or seeking their suggestions for collaboration can help elevate their status and amplify their expertise. - Sharing their blogs on the company's platforms allows their successes to be highlighted and builds credibility for their professional careers. - Recognizing and showcasing advocates' achievements can have a lasting impact on their growth and the community's engagement. ## 4 - Set expectations internally To ensure the success and longevity of your community program, it's crucial to set clear expectations internally. Here are some of the best approaches to help you get started: ### 📈 Educating internal teams - You should clearly communicate the benefits of the program to different departments within your organization. For sales teams, emphasizing how advocates contribute to less stressful sales cycles through reference calls and valuable insights is crucial. - Product and engineering teams should understand the value of customer input in shaping enhancements and new features. - Support teams can benefit from proactive engagement with advocates to reduce support costs and enhance the overall customer experience. - By educating each department about the specific benefits, community managers ensure a unified understanding of the program's value. ### 📝 Defining expectations and involvement - To maximize the benefits of the community program, community managers should define the expectations and involvement of each team. - This alignment clarifies the role of each department in supporting and collaborating with the community. For example, sales teams may be expected to nominate customers to the community and participate in reference calls. - Clear expectations foster effective engagement with advocates and streamline collaboration. ### 🔄 Routine communication - Jeni Asaba highlighted the significance of regularly educating the organization about the purpose and goals of the community program. - This can be achieved through department training, all-company presentations, frequent updates in Slack channels, and even LinkedIn messages. - Proactively reaching out to colleagues and sharing information using various channels ensures that the messages about the community program are effectively delivered. ## 5 - Infuse fun! While building a community is a serious endeavor, it's important not to overlook the element of fun. Creating enjoyable experiences and infusing fun within your community fosters stronger connections, boosts engagement, and keeps members coming back for more. ### 🎉 Diversify fun opportunities - You should think outside the box and offer diverse opportunities for fun and lightheartedness for your community. This can include hosting quizzes related to current holidays, organizing virtual events, or arranging activities. - The goal is to provide moments of relaxation and enjoyment for community members, allowing them to unwind and connect with each other. ### 👋 Treat people as individuals - Infusing fun into community initiatives is crucial because it treats community members as individuals rather than accounts. - Recognizing that everyone needs a break from work and appreciating the value of diversified experiences helps create an environment where advocates can have fun and relax. - By offering fun options, you are showing you acknowledge the human element and are providing an outlet for community members to enjoy themselves. ### 🫶 Forge deeper relationships - Infusing fun into the community experience fosters stronger connections among community members. - Shared laughter and enjoyable activities create memorable experiences that forge bonds and cultivate a sense of belonging. - By providing opportunities for community members to have fun together, you are facilitating the development of deeper relationships within the community. # **Final thoughts** Building a respectful and engaging community requires deliberate effort and a commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of your advocates. By following these five tips shared by our experts, you can create a community that thrives on mutual respect, meaningful engagement, and personalized experiences. Remember, showing respect to your community members goes beyond the transactions. It's about building meaningful connections, valuing their input, and nurturing their growth. When done effectively, these efforts lead to enhanced customer engagement, increased loyalty, and ultimately, the success of your community and organization. So, go ahead and implement these tips, embrace the power of respect and engagement, and watch as your community flourishes into a vibrant and supportive ecosystem! ### NPS analysis template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/nps-analysis-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T10:24:43.000Z ## What is an NPS analysis template? An NPS analysis template is a structured tool that helps you categorize and analyze customer feedback from your NPS surveys. By segmenting respondents into **promoters (9-10 scores), passives (7-8 scores), and detractors (0-6 scores)**, you can pinpoint key drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The template allows you to track trends, uncover actionable insights, and create a strategy for improving customer experience. ## How to use the template Using the NPS analysis template is simple: 1. **Collect your NPS survey responses:** Gather customer feedback and categorize responses into promoters, passives, and detractors. 2. **Identify key drivers:** Analyze common themes behind customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. What’s working? What needs improvement? 3. **Extract actionable insights:** Use the provided framework to turn data into strategic improvements, whether it’s refining your product, enhancing customer support, or amplifying positive sentiment in marketing. 4. **Track changes over time:** Compare scores across different time periods or customer segments to measure the impact of your efforts. By consistently analyzing and acting on your NPS data, you’ll strengthen customer relationships, boost retention, and drive long-term business success. ## Download your NPS analysis template ![NPS analysis template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/NPS-analysis-template.png) [NPS analysis templateNPS analysis template.pdf157 KBdownload-circle](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/01/NPS-analysis-template.pdf "Download") [NPS analysis templateNPS analysis template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/01/NPS-analysis-template.docx "Download") [NPS analysis templateNPS analysis template This handy tool is designed to help you dive deep into understanding what your customers really think about your service or product. Whether you’re new to NPS or looking to refine your approach, this template is your go-to resource for gathering insights and driving positiv…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-53.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e8/42/e8425f10-c6bc-4266-b03f-495034377a60/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyIMEgMz6NG9f0ahZ43jFQ69KohL-HOd7tC_6xZU7QEnr-OeiarxnmnMLI2RF7zqWUtTeSxu61oD2nyDIzh8Bg-y89FTJSgxkT4vv5tPky8WC8cWG5k0-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EBhfT0ZHThOxEjKLoJtzJcFSfi3lXCCVKBt09qmT8Bc/edit?usp=sharing) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Advocacy strategy template URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/advocacy-strategy-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T09:50:01.000Z ## What is an advocacy strategy template? An advocacy strategy template is a structured planning tool designed to help businesses turn satisfied customers into passionate brand advocates. It guides you through aligning internal goals with customer needs, ensuring you’re not just delivering great products, but also creating champions who willingly promote your brand. Whether you’re looking to boost referrals, enhance credibility, or build a stronger community around your product, an advocacy strategy helps you do it with intention and clarity. ## What’s inside the template? This easy-to-use template walks you through the core components of building a targeted advocacy plan, including: - **Problem definition:** Identify the key challenge you're solving to better align with your loyal customers. - **Overall aim:** Clearly state what success looks like for your advocacy initiative. - **Specific objectives:** Break your aim into SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) that track progress. - **Progress tracking table:** Monitor the status of each objective with built-in fields for status, dates, and comments. By filling out this template, you create a living document that aligns your team, clarifies priorities, and keeps your strategy focused and outcome-driven. ## How to use the template 1. **Start with the problem:** Clarify what you're trying to change or influence through advocacy. 2. **Define your overall aim:** Set the north star for your initiative so your team knows where you’re heading. 3. **Outline up to four SMART objectives:** These are your actionable targets—realistic steps toward your advocacy goal. 4. **Track your progress:** Use the included table to record achievements, monitor progress, and stay accountable. 5. **Iterate as needed:** Advocacy is dynamic. Revisit and refine the strategy as you gather feedback and results. ## Download your advocacy strategy template ![Advocacy strategy template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/06/Advocacy-strategy-template-scr.png) [Advocacy strategy templateAdvocacy strategy template.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Advocacy-strategy-template.docx "Download") [Advocacy strategy templateAdvocacy strategy template.pdf91 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Advocacy-strategy-template.pdf "Download") [Advocacy strategy templateAdvocacy strategy template An advocacy strategy is a plan of work designed to turn loyal customers into active spokespeople for your brand. It’s about inciting change in your common practices to better align your business with your loyal customers to turn them into raving advocates. The purpos…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-1.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyJRCecxoCjri2twZINIWpFGiH_7wmenwFqplsSDL87BSEZW7Wyqk7FkF_U2EwwuyCCYuV-xirubeVCoGJPO6Oh9jZnIJW4kwTbsdcJ33ZmoZAvTT1OS-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JGoQ8krOqpjO42J%5FC%5FCE6gJCqrKEfshTHOlSKYpqYhE/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Customer Marketing Summit Las Vegas | 2023 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-las-vegas-2023-ondemand/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:33:43.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit Las Vegas. Elevate your career and enhance your strategy with the likes of Slack, PayPal, Cisco, F5 and so many more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The best of Customer Marketing Catch-up: Our top 5 must-listen episodes! URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-best-of-customer-marketing-catch-up-our-top-5-must-listen-episodes/ Last updated: 2023-09-27T13:56:58.000Z Why did the marketer bring a ladder to the podcast recording? Because they wanted to 'reach new heights' in customer marketing🥁 Put on your headphones, because we've curated a top-five list of must-listen episodes from *Customer Marketing Catch-up*, the podcast that brings you conversations with some of the biggest names in the customer marketing field! Sponsored by **Influitive**, this podcast is your ticket to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of customer marketing. We’ve finally breached double digits with our eleventh episode being released last week, so, **let's celebrate the episodes we've released so far by uncovering the most valuable gems from our guests ✨**. *Customer Marketing Catch-up* is dedicated to providing you with the latest strategies, trends, and real-life scenarios in the realm of customer marketing. Our goal is to empower professionals like you to excel in the competitive world of customer-centric business, so read on to find out more! - ****Why Customer-Marketing Catch-up matters** - ****The top 5 must-listen episodes** - ****Implement the insights from the podcast** - ****Final thoughts** ## **Why Customer Marketing Catch-up matters** In today's fiercely competitive landscape, customer marketing has become an indispensable strategy for businesses striving to build strong relationships with their customers. Staying up-to-date with the **latest trends** and tactics in customer marketing can make all the difference in driving [**customer loyalty**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/)**,** [**advocacy**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/)**,** and ultimately, [**business growth**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) 📈. By tuning in to *Customer Marketing Catch-up*, you gain access to a **wealth of knowledge from industry experts** who share their experiences and expertise. It's an opportunity to learn from the best and apply their insights to **elevate your customer marketing game**. We'd also like to extend a special thanks to **Influitive**, the world's number one customer marketing and advocacy platform, for sponsoring our podcast. Influitive's innovative platform empowers businesses to supercharge customer engagement and deliver social proof at scale. Through challenges, referrals, product reviews, and more, Influitive enables you to build a community of advocates who actively promote your brand. With a customer-first approach, Influitive helps you close more deals and cultivate a loyal customer base and their support has played a vital role in making *Customer Marketing Catch-up* possible. ## **The top 5 must-listen episodes** Now, let's dive into the top five must-listen episodes from *Customer Marketing Catch-up*, picked especially due to the **sheer level of engagement** with these specific episodes, they must be doing something right! These episodes feature in-depth conversations with industry thought leaders, providing valuable insights and practical strategies for your customer marketing endeavors. Here are the episodes that made it to our highly recommended list: 1. ****[Collette Johnson | Why customer references are important, and how best to use them](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=xc4o8cv1vw)** 2. ****[Cassie Sneed | The foolproof process to getting the right case studies for your brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=2jtmaazk63)** 3. ****[Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=p7w5ntzbae)** 4. ****[Kevin Lau | Three essential tenets that instantly improve your customer advocacy plan](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=i2sj58eisb)** 5. ****[Meaghan Sullivan | How to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=xyzxgxolvy)** Let’s get into a little more detail! Here are the key takeaways and insights summarized just for you: ## **Collette Johnson | Why customer references are important, and how best to use them** In this episode, we spoke to Collette Johnson, Product and Strategy Consultant, about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discussed some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into. ### **📣 Key takeaways:** - **Customer references** are vital for building trust and credibility in marketing by providing social proof and allowing potential customers to hear directly from satisfied customers. - **Authenticity and relevance** are key in collecting and using customer references. References should be representative of the target audience and showcase specific use cases. - Continuous collection and **updating of references** is important to keep the content fresh and engaging. - **Objectivity** and obtaining permission is crucial when using references to ensure credibility and transparency. - **Pitfalls to avoid** include writing references for customers without their approval, lack of relevance, and insufficient traceability. - Customer references have **multiple uses beyond external marketing**, including internal education, sales enablement, brand elevation, and feedback for product development. - **Using references internally** helps teams understand the customer perspective and demonstrates that the company listens and responds to customer needs. - Refreshing and using **different formats for references**, such as videos and case studies, keeps the content engaging and relevant. - A **successful example of customer referencing** involved organizing ‘lunch and learn’ sessions where potential customers could ask questions directly to satisfied customers, resulting in conversions and significant business growth. Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the **essential elements of a customer marketing plan**. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up. ## **Cassie Sneed | The foolproof process to getting the right case studies for your brand** In this episode, we spoke to Cassie Sneed, Senior Manager of Customer Marketing at Reputation, about her process for getting the right cast studies for your brand. ### **📣 Key takeaways:** - **Case studies are powerful tools** that showcase real customer experiences and demonstrate the value and impact of a product or service. They build credibility, provide social proof, and help potential customers make informed decisions. - To create effective case studies, it's crucial to **identify the ideal customers** who have achieved significant success with your product or service. Look for customers who can provide compelling [stories](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/), and measurable results, and align with your target audience. - **Developing strong relationships** with customers is key to successfully creating [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-a-case-study/). Regular communication, establishing trust, and nurturing partnerships can lead to enthusiastic participation and willingness to share their success stories. - When **conducting customer interviews** for case studies, it's important to ask the right questions to extract valuable insights. Focus on understanding their goals, challenges, solutions, and measurable outcomes. Incorporate storytelling elements to make the case study engaging and relatable. - **Data and metrics** play a crucial role in case studies. Incorporating quantifiable results, such as revenue growth, cost savings, or improved customer satisfaction, adds credibility and demonstrates the value of your product or service. Supplement internal data with customer-specific data whenever possible. - To **maximize the impact of case studies**, make them easily accessible to internal teams and external audiences. Create a central repository or library where case studies are categorized by industry and product. Promote case studies through various channels, including websites, social media, email campaigns, and sales presentations. - **Regularly review and update case studies** to ensure they remain relevant and accurate. Remove case studies of churned customers to avoid potential negative associations. Consider creating updated versions or refreshes of case studies to reflect new data or developments. - Case studies are **valuable for SEO and digital marketing efforts**. Optimize case study content for search engines and leverage them in email nurtures, live events, and third-party platforms to drive traffic, conversions, and brand recognition. ## **Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey** In this episode, we spoke to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey. ### **📣 Key takeaways:** - **Data** plays a crucial role in customer marketing, helping to understand customer behavior, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. - The **customer journey** consists of different stages, including onboarding, adoption, retention, expansion, and advocacy. Customer marketing strategies should be tailored to each stage. - **Personalization and relevancy** are key in customer marketing. Understanding customer personas and utilizing data points like health scores and sentiment can help create targeted and effective campaigns. - **Collaboration with cross-functional teams** such as customer success and product teams is important in customer marketing. It allows for better alignment, shared insights, and more impactful customer experiences. - **Automation and AI** can greatly support customer marketing efforts, especially with a large customer base. Tools like Gainsight, HubSpot, and Slack offer features that help streamline processes, analyze data, and improve efficiency. - Customer marketing professionals should **proactively identify gaps** and opportunities within the customer journey and collaborate with other teams to provide value and support. - **Value realization** and avoiding value erosion are crucial in the growth stage of the customer journey. Ensuring customers are adopting and realizing value from the product/service before focusing on upselling or cross-selling is essential. - Customer marketing professionals should strive for **continuous learning** and professional development to stay informed about industry trends, tools, and best practices. ## **Kevin Lau | Three essential tenets that instantly improve your customer advocacy plan** In this episode, we spoke to Kevin Lau, Global Head of Customer Advocacy at Adobe. He spoke in detail about the value of customer advocacy, and how to measure the performance of your advocacy programs, and shared a little about his own journey and what he has learned over the years of specializing in this topic. ### **📣 Key takeaways:** - **Customer marketing and customer advocacy** are often used interchangeably but can be seen as different aspects within the larger discipline of customer marketing. Customer marketing focuses on customer adoption, value realization, community-building, and customer advocacy, which is about turning customers into raving fans of products and solutions. - Kevin Lau discussed **three key pillars of customer advocacy**. First, personal branding opportunities help customers elevate their careers and gain exposure through their relationship with a company. Second, rewards and recognition, such as titles, tangible goods (like swag), and awards, play a role in incentivizing customer advocacy. Finally, peer-to-peer networking allows customers to connect with like-minded individuals who use the same products and share their experiences. - **Measuring the impact of customer advocacy** efforts can be challenging. To measure the effectiveness, it's important to align the metrics with the overall objectives of the organization. The ultimate goal is to show how customer advocacy programs positively impact customer retention and reduce churn over time. This can be achieved by using data-driven decision-making, tying in various marketing and sales technologies, and developing dashboards or scores that tell the story of the impact of customer advocacy. - **Developing strong cross-functional relationships** within the organization is crucial for customer marketers. Educating internal teams about the value of customer marketing and advocacy is essential to gain support and collaboration. Building these relationships and ensuring stakeholders understand the value can take time but is necessary for success. - When **developing customer advocacy programs**, it's important to begin with the end goal in mind. This means considering how the programs will make an impact and how the results will be reported. By having a clear vision of the desired outcomes and the metrics to measure success, customer marketers can align their efforts effectively and demonstrate the value of their programs. ## **Meaghan Sullivan | How to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer** In this episode, we spoke to Meaghan Sullivan, Marketing Customer Programs Lead at Google, about how to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer. ### **📣 Key takeaways:** - The **digital workplace** provides adaptability and accommodates human resourcefulness, especially in dealing with challenges like COVID-19. - **Regular meetings over digital tools like video conferencing** can help build partnerships and connections with customers. Using chat or messaging tools allows for ongoing effective communication and collaboration and building informal relationships. - **Hybrid events** (combining physical and digital elements) provide inclusivity and enable a more diverse set of voices in panels and discussions. - Finding a **balance between physical and digital** strategies is crucial in customer marketing. This balance allows for both physical connections and the benefits of digital engagement. - **Lifecycle marketing**, focusing on the entire customer journey from adoption to advocacy, is gaining importance. Supporting customers from the early stages and helping them become advocates and subject matter experts fosters long-term loyalty. - **Building a two-way street with customers**, facilitated by digital connections, is essential in establishing strong partnerships. Celebrating customer milestones and being accessible throughout their journey strengthens the relationship. - **Unified experiences** across different platforms and tools, along with gamification and incentives, enhance customer engagement and loyalty. - Customer marketing is **evolving** to include a broader focus on the entire customer lifecycle, loyalty, and seamless experiences that hide the seams between different tools and platforms. ## **Implement insights from the podcast** Now that you have a glimpse of the fascinating topics covered in these top episodes, it's time to put these insights into action! In *Customer Marketing Catch-up* and **all eleven** of our released episodes (woo-hoo!), our experts provide practical tips and recommendations for implementing the knowledge gained from these conversations. You'll discover actionable strategies to enhance your customer marketing efforts and drive better results. Remember, these episodes are just the beginning. For a deeper understanding of the concepts discussed, we encourage you to listen to the full episodes and unlock a wealth of knowledge to propel your customer marketing endeavors. Get ready to be inspired, and learn from our experts! ## **Final thoughts** In these top five episodes, we've gathered insights from some of the brightest minds in customer marketing. From the importance of customer references and case studies to leveraging customer data and building effective advocacy programs, each episode offers actionable strategies to enhance your customer marketing efforts. **So take these insights and put them into action!** Start by collecting authentic and relevant customer references, creating compelling case studies, and leveraging customer data to personalize your marketing efforts. Build strong cross-functional relationships, measure the impact of your customer advocacy programs, and find the right balance between physical and digital strategies. [*Customer Marketing Catch-up*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/) is your go-to resource for staying at the forefront of customer marketing. By subscribing to the podcast, you'll receive regular doses of inspiration, knowledge, and practical tips from industry experts. Keep up with the latest episodes to stay updated on the evolving landscape of customer marketing and gain a competitive edge in the industry. Subscribe to [*Customer Marketing Catch-up*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/), apply the insights from the top five episodes, and unlock the potential to excel in the customer-centric business realm. **Your customers will thank you, happy listening 🎧** ### Marketing ROI calculator URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/marketing-roi-calculator-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T12:12:19.000Z ## What is a marketing ROI calculator? A marketing ROI calculator is a ready-built spreadsheet that turns your campaign numbers into a clear return on investment, comparing up to three marketing initiatives side by side. Plug in cost, audience size, conversion rate, and average sales revenue, and it calculates ROI and ROI% automatically. ## What's inside the template? The calculator covers four inputs and two calculated outputs, across three initiative columns plus a total: - Total marketing cost - Total circulation/audience - Conversion rate (% of leads that will purchase) - Average sales revenue - ROI (calculated) - ROI% (calculated) ## How to use the template Enter your figures into the boxes for each initiative, everything else is calculated for you, including the totals column. If you want your ROI shown as a percentage, copy the ROI figure into the ROI% row and it converts automatically. Run the same initiatives through side by side rather than one at a time, since the real value of this calculator is comparing them against each other, not just checking whether one cleared zero. ## Download your marketing ROI calculator ![Marketing ROI calculator](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2026/08/Marketing-ROI-calculator.png) [Marketing ROI calculator - MROI calcMarketing ROI calculator - MROI calc.pdf85 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Marketing-ROI-calculator---MROI-calc.pdf "Download") [Marketing ROI calculatorMarketing ROI calculator.xlsx43 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2026/08/Marketing-ROI-calculator.xlsx "Download") [Marketing ROI calculator![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/spreadsheets-2026-v3-ba0c7f9d-06ff-4e06-ad6f-c19d6e44abd3.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyI6HhDvfo-1vRRk_c5oFW6liEWf_1Kfwmc_TyRxzOg2D6apEf4ua3LiCvn4K42NOeyHO_j6FGEyRwtcXBDPQ8-YvLvlGT1WndnBCdqThM7USqPhUSTK-w1200-h630-p-57b61597-c4eb-448e-bdc1-a070a63f0a06)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P5A2fllmmt7iJeQUnVttUFGqoPk9pcSKE6O0HJU47FM/edit?gid=1821924417#gid=1821924417) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How customer marketing can be used to impact the revenue and sales cycle URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T10:44:19.000Z Ready to become your company's favorite superhero? From acquisition and retention to upselling and advocacy, this article delves into the transformative ways customer marketing can influence the entire revenue journey. Organizations can maximize revenue growth and foster long-lasting customer relationships by harnessing data-driven insights, personalized experiences, and targeted campaigns. Discover the secrets behind leveraging customer marketing to drive revenue like never before, as we dive into: - [What revenue marketing is.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/#:~:text=the%20sales%20cycle.-,What%20is%20revenue%20marketing%3F,-Revenue%20marketing%20involves) - [How customer marketing uses revenue marketing.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/#how-can-customer-marketing-use-revenue-marketing:~:text=blog%20here.%29-,How%20can%20customer%20marketing%20use%20revenue%20marketing%3F,-Retention) - [The impact of customer marketing on the sales cycle.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-can-be-used-to-impact-the-revenue-and-sales-cycle/#customer-marketing-and-its-impact-on-the-sales-cycle:~:text=revenue%2Ddriving%20initiatives.-,Customer%20marketing%20and%20its%20impact%20on%20the%20sales%20cycle,-Customer%20marketing%20and) ## What is revenue marketing? Revenue marketing involves using data-driven tactics and strategies to identify, target, and nurture leads, convert them into customers, and maximize customer lifetime value. Unlike traditional marketing, revenue marketing focuses on generating measurable revenue and aligning marketing efforts directly with business goals and financial outcomes. It prioritizes strategies and tactics that directly impact the bottom line, such as lead generation, conversion optimization, customer retention, and upselling, with a keen focus on driving revenue growth throughout the entire customer lifecycle. Revenue marketing aligns both the marketing and sales teams toward the common goal of generating revenue. Relying on a results-driven approach, it's all about measuring the results of marketing campaigns to improve them with a continuous feedback loop of data between marketing and sales. By aligning sales and marketing, you can close more deals. Additionally, revenue marketing can provide you with better data for decision-making, so you can fine-tune your campaigns for even greater success. (This explanation was taken from our sister community [Revenue Marketing Alliance](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/). You can read the full blog [here](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-revenue-marketing/).) ## How can customer marketing use revenue marketing? ### Retention Customer marketing’s specialty comes in once a customer has made their first purchase. Once [product marketers](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/beyond-the-basics-a-product-marketers-journey-through-successes-and-setbacks/), [revenue marketers](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/revenue-marketers-motivations-and-greatest-achievements/), and the [sales team](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/building-effective-sales-teams-driving-yield-and-ramp/) successfully get a [client onboarded](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-core-fundamentals-of-customer-onboarding/), it’s the customer marketer and their work that’s responsible for nurturing such leads. With the relationship between marketing and sales teams, customer relationship management is built to consistently build and develop the revenue cycle, encouraging a consistent level of financial sustainability. As the revenue cycle is totally dependent on feeding income into your business, keeping customers as habitual visitors to your site, and making sure they regularly interact and purchase from your business is vital. One of the main ways this is done is through personalized experiences. Personalization can: - **Encourage customer loyalty** by making them feel valued by your business to drive repeat purchases. - Personalized recommendations based on a user's website history can **support successful conversion rates** by informing them of other products and services your company offers that support their needs. - Analyzing customer preferences can also help with existing customers by providing **complimentary products or features you can** [**cross-sell**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/) to your repeat and loyal customers. - Personalization can support more positive customer relationships giving more **valuable feedback on specific pain points** that affect current and potential customers. - Personalization improves customer relationships which makes them far more likely to engage in **word-of-mouth marketing**, creating a connection between current and future customers that’ll help start your business's sales cycle with an already positive sentiment about your company. [Maria Braune | Perfect personalization: Why human connection is vital for your marketing | Customer Marketing Catch-upIn this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Maria Braune, Director of Client Advocacy at DailyPay, about perfect personalization and why human connection is vital for your marketing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/04/Copy-of-CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Speaker_.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/maria-braune-perfect-personalization-why-human-connection-is-vital-for-your-marketing-customer-marketing-catch-up/) ### Upselling [Upselling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) is a strategy that supports both customer marketing and revenue marketing goals. Focussed and targeted campaigns such as this work well to prove their impact via a visible increase in revenue. It also: - Improves [**customer satisfaction**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/), by solving specific needs with your other products and services. - Upselling can promote products or services with higher profit margins. By steering customers towards these offerings, you can **improve your overall profitability** and generate more revenue from each sale. - One strategy feeds into another. Upselling can open doors to different cross-selling opportunities doing so will **generate additional revenue streams** and expand your customer's overall purchase value. ### Advocacy Advocates will usually have the highest customer lifetime value of your whole customer base. These’ll be the customers who prioritize your business over any others and actively encourage other prospects to join. Advocacy also supports: - Advocacy may seem miles away from customer acquisition, being at the end of the customer lifecycle. In actuality, advocates are the **main generators of positive word-of-mouth experience** and referrals, leading to the successful acquisition of new customers without the need for extensive marketing efforts. - As recommendations from trusted individuals carry more weight than traditional advertising, advocates can be the main ones to **nurture a positive brand image** for your business. - Since referrals and word-of-mouth marketing are relatively inexpensive compared to other marketing channels, advocates can also **lower the overall cost of acquisitions** for your business. Doing so can enable you and your sales team to allocate resources more efficiently, freeing up budget for other revenue-driving initiatives. ## Customer marketing and its impact on the sales cycle ### Customer marketing and the sales cycle #### Customer segmentation [Customer segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) is a strategy that is conducted by a variety of teams, but customer marketers can approach it with a ton of insights from the customers that make up these segments already. Using customer data such as demographics, behavior, preferences, and purchase history can allow for some good insights, but customer marketers will be the ones who know customers in these segments personally. As such they’ll be able to support the sales teams by giving them insights into how to target their efforts more precisely, tailoring [messages](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-update-you-customer/) and offers to specific customer segments, resulting in higher conversion rates. #### Lead scoring and qualification Customer marketing provides data-driven insights that help in [lead scoring](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/what-is-lead-scoring-and-can-it-help-your-sales-reps-succeed/) and qualification. By leveraging data on customer interactions, engagement, and purchase intent, you can assign scores to leads and prioritize them based on their likelihood to convert. This ensures that sales teams focus their efforts on high-value leads, improving efficiency and conversion rates. #### Sales funnel optimization Analyzing customer behavior and engagement patterns can identify bottlenecks, refine messaging, and streamline the sales process. This type of collaboration ensures a smoother and more effective journey for potential customers, leading to increased conversion rates and shorter sales cycles. # How customer marketing is evolving Last year, in partnership with Influitive, we heard from hundreds of customer marketers across various industries and learned about the challenges and opportunities they faced. This year, we want to dig deeper and explore how customer marketing has evolved. The report will cover: 💯 Major responsibilities, 💵 Customer marketing budgets, 🥇 Industry environment, 🏗️ Team structure, 🤝 Cross-functional collaboration ⭐ Reflections from our community, 🧠 Career ambitions. Plus much more… Offer your insights to shape this report. 👇 [Take the survey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-survey-2023/) ### Convince the boss | Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/convince-the-boss-san-francisco/ Last updated: 2023-05-31T17:31:06.000Z Use this [handy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ljdKDcg6kFy%5FQrgU26HFNRDW9MaSQGS5fCrRBDqk74M/edit?usp=sharing) to get your budget request over the line and mingle with customer marketing peers at the Customer Marketing Summit in San Francisco on September 21 & 22. **Google doc template** [Convince the boss: Customer Marketing Summit San FranciscoHey \[insert boss’ name\], I’m interested in attending the Customer Marketing Summit on September 21 & 22, 2023 in San Francisco. Full details can be found here: https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/sanfrancisco/ I would like to inquire whether there is a potential for you to offe…![](https://ssl.gstatic.com/docs/documents/images/kix-favicon7.ico)Google Docs![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/docs/ADP-6oHqLBiuIG6aEvRFNE_pWwvb8SudqeeAp_tNHI58c2AM33ToQ5jV1wyZqRGFEwPp9N7f8C-zTQpt3U8WHIOIxZx_HqGqHhRnWJ9KhWSFADER=w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ljdKDcg6kFy%5FQrgU26HFNRDW9MaSQGS5fCrRBDqk74M/edit?usp=sharing) **Word doc template** [ Convince the boss | Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco Word doc. template Convince the boss\_ Customer Marketing Summit San Francisco .docx 48 KB download-circle ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2023/05/Convince-the-boss%5F-Customer-Marketing-Summit-San-Francisco-.docx "Download") ### Introducing the ultimate playbook for customer and community engagement URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/introducing-the-ultimate-playbook-for-customer-and-community-engagement/ Last updated: 2023-05-31T11:14:06.000Z In a world where engagement is more crucial than ever, the [Customer Marketing Alliance](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/about/) (CMA) and [Community-Led Alliance](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/) (CLA) have joined forces to create the definitive guide to customer and community engagement. This playbook is a culmination of our experience, expertise, and dedication to fostering a strong sense of community within our businesses and beyond. ## Why this playbook? During this challenging year of economic uncertainty, the importance of community has taken center stage. Community is our bread and butter, our secret sauce, the magic ingredient that transforms customers into advocates. The Alliance, a business grown from a community, has successfully built an engaged, meaningful community that converts members into paying customers. But we don't just want to showcase this - we want to share our secrets of success with you. This playbook is not just about us, but about the communities and businesses that are looking for ways to strengthen their engagement strategies. For [Community Managers](https://www.communityledgrowth.com/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-a-community-manager/) and [Customer Marketing Managers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-and-why-is-it-so-important/) alike, this playbook will illuminate the overlaps and distinctions between these two roles and demonstrate why they are essential for business growth and resilience. ## What's inside? The playbook dives deep into the core aspects of [customer and community engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-supports-your-business-community-framework/), providing a detailed analysis of the most important steps for devising a powerful strategy. It covers: 1. **Introduction:** An overview of the playbook and its purpose. 2. **Definitions:** Clarifying the jargon and terminology around customer and community engagement. 3. **Differences between community and customer engagement:** An in-depth comparison to better understand these two crucial areas. 4. **Customer engagement:** A comprehensive guide to customer engagement strategies. 5. **Community engagement:** An exploration of successful community engagement tactics. 6. **How community teams and customer teams can work together:** Strategies to synergize these teams and boost overall engagement. 7. **Success Metrics:** Key indicators to track the success of your engagement strategies. 8. **Case studies:** Real-life examples from The Alliance for a pragmatic understanding. 9. **How-tos/Tips:** Practical advice and strategies that can be implemented immediately. 10. **Conclusion:** A wrap-up and a look ahead into your community-led growth journey. Get your copy! ## Value statement Our mission with this playbook is to provide an ultimate guide to engagement success. We aim to **push boundaries**, offer **actionable advice**, and **promote transparency** in **creating**, **maintaining**, and **growing a community** and turning community members into paying customers. This playbook is a testament to our commitment to sharing our knowledge and helping others succeed in their community-building efforts. ## Who is this playbook for? This playbook is designed for anyone who wishes to [optimize their engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/jeni-asaba-how-to-find-the-right-customer-passion-topics-to-engage-customer-interests-leadership-accelerator-program/) strategy, from newbies looking for guidance to seasoned veterans seeking fresh insights. While we approach the topic from a customer marketing and community managing perspective, the playbook is packed with useful information and resources for a broad range of roles. Whether you're a Chief Community Officer, a Community Specialist, or a Community Coordinator, you'll find strategies to elevate your community engagement. If you're a Customer Marketing Manager, Advocacy Consultant, or Head of Marketing, you'll discover ways to strengthen customer relationships and advocacy. ## The first step to your engagement success This playbook is the first of its kind for the Customer Marketing Allance (CMA), and the first collaborative project between CMA and Community-Led Alliance. The playbook is **more than a guide**; it's a tool to help businesses navigate the ever-evolving landscape of customer and community engagement. It's a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the desire to constantly improve and grow. By harnessing the expertise and insights from both Customer Marketing Alliance and Community-Led Alliance, we aim to empower businesses, community leaders and customer marketers with the knowledge and tools they need to excel in their engagement strategies. This playbook is not just a resource; it's a catalyst for change and a roadmap to success. So, whether you're just starting out on your community-building journey or you're looking to fine-tune your approach, this playbook is the perfect resource to guide your way. With its mix of insights, case studies, and practical advice, you'll be well-equipped to create, maintain, and grow an engaged, thriving community. Get access now! ## What’s in it for you? This Customer and Community Engagement Playbook serves as a bridge between community managers and customer marketing teams, enabling them to work together towards a common goal: fostering meaningful engagement that drives business growth, increases customer retention, and strengthens customer advocacy. Don't miss the opportunity to elevate your engagement strategy and unlock the full potential of your community. Download the playbook today and embark on the journey to become a master of customer and community engagement. Download your copy now! ### Jeni Asaba | Building relationships at scale: Vital tips to help you tie people to your community | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/jeni-asaba-building-relationships-at-scale-vital-tips-to-help-you-tie-people-to-your-community-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2024-07-24T11:50:43.000Z > *"Our customers want different things from us... you need to provide options, some people will want to engage in person, some people won't, and some people will act incredibly different in person... so that's creating opportunities for our customers to just be more themselves when you're in person - if you've done your work in a virtual environment..."* In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, sponsored by Influitive, we talk to Jeni Asaba, Head of Community at Jamf, about some of her vital tips to help tie people to your community. ## **Key talking points:** - How to begin the processes of engaging a variety of customers - Ways to ensure your engagement strategies develop alongside your customers - How engagement changes between in-person and virtual events - What strategies are most often forgotten in customer engagement ## ****About the guest:** Jeni Asaba's life, for the past 15 years has been newspaper reporting, copywriting and customer advocacy. They’ve given her the chance to use her love of writing and passion for people to create a library of powerful stories and build a thriving community in the form of Jamf Heroes. ## ****Our sponsor:** ****This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at [influitive.com](https://influitive.com/).** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## ****Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Diversity and the customer marketing position URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/diversity-and-the-customer-marketing-position/ Last updated: 2023-05-30T16:48:41.000Z In this article, we consider how identity impacts the level of salary available. We analyse the results of our customer marketing salary survey to consider how average salaries is impacted by disability, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. We first look at whether hours worked and having subordinates have a bearing on salary earnings. ## Managing other employees The first area we looked into was whether or not managing a larger number of employees has any bearing on the base salary awarded. We asked our survey responders whether they managed any employees, and how many they managed. ![Graph showing percentage of participants manage each number of people between 0 and 10+.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.23.42.png) While the assumption may be that those who manage more employees (and, therefore, have more responsibility) have a higher base salary, our data doesn’t quite reflect this. The highest average salary came from those who manage over ten employees **($134,722)**, with the second highest being those that manage 3-5 employees **($127,777)**. Where the assumption doesn’t correlate is with the other ranges. The next highest average salary shown in the graph was from those who don’t manage any other employees. It’s also important to note that out of this group the majority of responders, **36%,** are working solo. Smaller teams, teams of two to five people, were among the most common, making up a combined **36.2%** of answers. **24.3%** of customer marketers surveyed came from one-person teams. This will be explored further in section nine of this report. **Note**: It is worth considering that, due to the small sample sizes for some of the answers represented, the averages above may not be indicative of the global whole, but are representative of the group we surveyed. ## Hours worked per week Again, when we look at the correlation between salary earnings and hours worked, there was not an accurate correlation between our assumption of the connection between hours worked and the salary awarded. The band with the highest average salary was the one that said employees work 30-40 hours, with an average of **$127,648**, which is **$2,202** more than those that work 50+ hours, and **$9,306** more than those working ‘full-time’ hours (40-50 hours), which made up the largest percentage of answers at **60.8%**. ![Graph showing the percentage of answers working between 20 - 50+ hours of work.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.25.20.png) Those who work 50+ hours a week earn the second most with an average salary of **$125,446**, **2%** higher than the global average. Of those who worked **50+** hours a week, marketers based in North America earned **1%** more than the average, while those from other parts of the world earned **4%** less than the global average. Outside America, these working hours should be reflected in a higher salary. # Diversity, equity, and inclusion The impact of social discrimination in the workplace is a subject hotly debated in recent years. We wanted to see how much of a bearing social discrimination had on salary. We consider the disparity between men and women, white people and people of color/ethnic minorities, and those with and without disabilities. ## Pay and gender Interestingly, **75.8%** of our respondents identified as female. While there isn’t a lot of data currently available for gender disparity in the customer marketing profession specifically, looking at similar positions, customer marketing is unique in its female-identifying majority. ![Chart showing our participants categorised by gender](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.27.11.png) While our survey did provide options for other gender identities, we did not receive responses from people who identified as outside of the two gender identities listed or who were willing to submit that information. Though we didn’t have any respondents select other gender identities, it bears consideration that customer marketing is a position in need of more LGBTQ+ representation. The customer marketing community must be representative of those that make up their audience, in order to best understand and address their needs. ### Average salaries Interestingly, the average salaries for male and female customer marketers go against the trend, with the average for female customer marketers being about **5%** higher than the average salary for males. The male average was also about **5%** lower than the global average, compared to the female average which is slightly higher than the global average. ![Average salaries by gender](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.28.05.png) The disparity comes when we look at the average yearly monetary bonus, which female customer marketers receive significantly less than their male counterparts, especially in comparison to the relatively even current and starting salary averages. Male customer marketers get an average bonus of **$6,100** more than their female counterparts per year. This may explain the difference in salaries and may indicate that male customer marketer earnings rely more on bonuses than on a baseline salary. ### Gender and location Digging deeper, we broke down the average male and female salary by location too. Asia, Australia, and Europe followed the trend above, with their female customer marketers earning more than their male counterparts. But, for North America, female customer marketers earn a slightly lower average salary than male ones. ![Average salaries by gender from North America](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.28.37.png) Breaking it down further into states, we found that the states with the most disparity were California, Colorado, and New York. For each of these three states, female customer marketers make up around **80-90%** of our data pool. And yet, for each state, females make less than the male average: - For New York, female customer marketers make **61.8%** of the male salary for their state. - For Colorado, female customer marketers make **92.2%** of the male salary for their state. - For California, female customer marketers make **83.5%** of the male salary for their state. ![Average salaries by gender and state](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.29.23.png) ![Average salaries by gender and state](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.29.33.png) Female customer marketers had a higher earning average than their male counterparts within the other states in our data pool. That being said, it’s important to note that these numbers and percentage differences reflect our data pool for this report, rather than the total population of customer marketers for each state. **Note:** Georgia and Washington were omitted from this data pool as they were only represented by female customer marketers. ## Pay and ethnic minorities Of the people we surveyed, **15.4%** considered themselves part of an ethnic minority. The majority hailed from North America **(82%)**, with the remainder, **18%**, coming from Europe. ![Chart showing the percentage of our audience that considers themselves part of an ethnic minority](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.32.05.png) ### Average salary Interestingly, those who are part of an ethnic minority in our data pool have a higher average salary **($132,065)**, with those who don’t consider themselves a part of an ethnic minority earning slightly less **($118,686)**. ![Average salary by association with if they consider themselves part of an ethnic minority](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.32.54.png) It’s good to see that there isn’t much of a difference when it comes to average salaries. However, this is likely because of the uneven distribution of the data, given that only **15%** of our data pool do consider themselves a part of an ethnic minority. **Note:** When we broke down the results by location (and by state for participants in North America), the results followed the trend for the global average. ## Pay and the LGBTQ+ community Of the people we surveyed, only **6.7%** identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community; the vast majority do not **(89.6%)**. ![Chart showing how our audience identifies with the LGBTQ+ community](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.30.38.png) When compared to the percentage of those that identify as LGBTQ+ in the general population, this number is relatively similar. In the US, LQBTQ+ make up about [7.1% of the the general population](https://news.gallup.com/poll/389792/lgbt-identification-ticks-up.aspx). There is a slightly higher average when surveyed globally, with around [10% identifying as something other than heterosexual](https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2021-06/LGBT%20Pride%202021%20Global%20Survey%20Report%5F3.pdf). This shows that there is a good representation for LGBTQ+ in customer marketing positions, but could also be a little higher to be more indicative of the global average. ### Average salaries ![Average salaries by association with LGBTQ+ community](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.31.30.png) The average salary rate for those in the LGBTQ+ community was higher than those who weren’t part of this community, but slightly lower than those who identified as part of an ethnic minority. ## Pay and disability Out of our group of respondents, **9.4%** said they had a disability of some kind (either invisible or physical), with **88.3%** saying they didn’t. ![Chart showing percentage of our audience that has a disability](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.33.50.png) ### Average salaries ![Average salary and disability](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.34.40.png) As shown in the graph above, the salary average is higher for those with a disability than those without. It’s encouraging to see that the equal pay is observed for those in customer marketing positions. At base pay, our data shows that customer marketing positions do not award salaries based on preconceived biases. However, the overall representation of these groups could be much higher. POC, LQBTQ+, and those with disability, only make up about **30%** of our data pool. ## Pay and higher education From our data pool, the majority of our responders have the higher education level of a Bachelor’s degree **(65.4%)**, with those that have achieved a Masters/other post-graduate degree coming in second **(28.5%)**. Only **3.4%** of our respondents didn’t go to college. ![Educational history of our audience](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.35.08.png) ### Average salaries As with the other factors in this section, the assumed trend, this time being the higher the education level, the higher the average salary, doesn’t fit with our data. ![Chart comparing average salaries between education levels](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.35.37.png) As with the others, it’s important to consider that the data pool disparities between the different sections will have an impact on the end result; however, it’s interesting that, even though we had a decent representation of Masters/post-graduate participants, their overall average salary was lower than those with a Bachelor’s. When we look at starting salary, however, the trend is more like what we’d expect, with those that didn’t go to college beginning their customer marketing career with a lower starting salary when compared to the others. This can not be said of those with Master’s or post-graduate qualifications, who began with a lower starting salary than those with a Bachelor's degree. ### Experience vs education However, this can perhaps be explained by the factors in the following section, specifically years of experience. We’ll go more into detail in the next section, but when comparing education and years of experience, we found that those with a Bachelor’s degree had more years of experience in customer marketing itself than those with a higher degree. ![Education level and years of experience](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-30-at-17.36.16.png) This may be because these participants are entering the workplace earlier, and therefore, have a chance to garner experience in other areas of the industry first, resulting in a higher starting salary when they do turn to customer marketing. ## **Get the full report** This article was a sneak peek into Customer Marketing Alliance's [Customer Marketing Salary Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report-2022/), sponsored by Influitive. 🎉 Delve into the deep-cut analysis of the factors currently impacting wage levels, and stay in the know about how much your experience and position are worth. Get your free copy below. 👇 Get the report ### Discover the power of the voice: Strategies for successful customer listening URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/discover-the-power-of-the-voice-strategies-for-successful-customer-listening/ Last updated: 2024-08-15T14:03:04.000Z This article is inspired by **Cate Vanasse**’s talk, *Bringing the Megaphone to the Voice of the Customer*, at our 2022 Customer Marketing Summit, check out the full unedited version [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-april-2022-ondemand/?wchannelid=o1jdawtskt&wmediaid=cg4fa6xndi). --- Hello there, fellow customer marketers, and anyone who appreciates the art of customer insight! I'm **Cate Vanasse**, your guide in today's exploration into how to **improve your customer listening strategy**. As the **Head of Customer Marketing at Cisco**, my passion revolves around tapping into our customers' voices. I'm intrigued by their perspectives, unique experiences, and insights that shape our strategies, and guide our teams to make more informed customer-driven decisions. But one of the issues I’ve come across in my years of experience in the industry is that **customer feedback** can oftenget **trapped in silos**, isolated and underutilized. It's a frustrating reality that can feel like trying to understand an elephant while blindfolded. You might feel a wall, a tree, or a snake —but you're missing the full picture. That's what feedback trapped in silos can feel like, disjointed, fragmented, and confusing, causing what I like to call **‘proximity blindness’**. I want to explain how you can change that with an **optimized customer listening strategy**, enabling your business to hear what your customers are saying more clearly and respond to them more effectively. I'll share how to identify your key stakeholders, understand current feedback channels, centralize your insights, and most importantly, close the feedback loop. I hope you're as excited to dive into these insights as I am to share them with you. Let's jump in and discover the **power of truly listening to the voice of your customers! 📣** - [**Step 1: Identify your key stakeholders**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/2ba67b40-9152-4deb-a118-36c9fec9c017/#step-1-identify-your-key-stakeholders) - [**Step 2: Understand your current feedback channels**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/2ba67b40-9152-4deb-a118-36c9fec9c017/#step-2-understand-your-current-feedback-channels) - [**Step 3: Centralize your insights**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/2ba67b40-9152-4deb-a118-36c9fec9c017/#step-3-centralize-your-insights) - [**Step 4: Close the feedback loop**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/2ba67b40-9152-4deb-a118-36c9fec9c017/#step-4-close-the-feedback-loop) - [**Final thoughts**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/2ba67b40-9152-4deb-a118-36c9fec9c017/#final-thoughts) ## Step 1: Identify your key stakeholders ## In our journey towards better customer listening, the first step is to build a dedicated team – your **'Voice of the Customer' squad**. You should aim to get the backing of your VP of Product Support, Customer Success, and Marketing, to give your initiative strong executive support from the get-go. However, if you're just starting out and don't have a team like this in place, don't panic! The most important figure you need on your side is an **influential executive champion**. This person will drum up enthusiasm for the cause and help set the expectation that this initiative is a priority. It could be your president, CMO, or a leader from your technology, product marketing, or customer success teams. Once you've found them, it's time to map out other crucial stakeholders across your business. Identify the teams that **own a customer feedback channel**: this could be the ones managing social listening, customer advisory boards, executive briefing center experiences, or various surveys. You’ll also want to bring in representatives who might not own a feedback channel but will be **significant consumers of the insights** – think product marketing, audience marketing, solutions marketing, or your sales teams. [Merge voice of the customer into your marketing strategyWhether it’s interviews, surveys, listening to the voice of the customer through forums, or product feedback pages on your website, you’re part of customer communities. I think at one point in my career, I’ve probably done all of these.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKristina Volovich![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/incorporate-voc-into-strategy--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-incorporate-the-voice-of-the-customer-into-your-product-marketing-strategy-2/) ## Step 2: Understand your current feedback channels ## With your dream team assembled, the next stage is to dig deep into your existing feedback channels. Try asking yourself: > 💡*How are they currently functioning? What type of insights are they capturing? How are these used, and shared, and how often? Importantly, how are you closing the feedback loop with customers through these channels?* This understanding will help you **collaborate more effectively** with your voice of the customer squad, and pave the way for the centralization of your insights. A more **unified voice of the customer** begins to emerge when you bring together insights from various channels and start to see the **bigger picture**. At Cisco, we took an MVP (minimum viable product) approach as our foundation for our voice of the customer hub and identified two distinct audience types to analyze for the findings from the VoC program. One is the individuals that go to VoC, roll up their sleeves, and dig into the data, whereas the other group just wanted a very succinct summary of what our customers are telling us each month. As well as considering these audience types and building a function that worked for them both, we worked out that we also needed someone to take a **narrator** role, looking across all feedback channels and what we’re hearing in the voice of the customer hub and **reporting a summary** back. This feeds nicely into my next point. ## Step 3: Centralize your insights Once we had a good grasp of our current channels at Cisco, we knew the next logical step was to **centralize all the feedback** we were receiving, bringing together all the channels across the various silos into **one place**. To facilitate this, we selected a **third-party technology platform**. This wasn't a simple task. We needed something versatile enough to ingest all types of customer feedback - from qualitative comments on social media and discussion boards to case studies and structured survey responses. We also needed the platform to help us categorize, analyze, and report on this data. In the end, the effort was worth it. With all our customer insights consolidated into one place, we began to see **patterns** that had been previously obscured by the siloed nature of our data. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## Step 4: Close the feedback loop The last, but certainly not the least, step in the journey is **closing the feedback loop** with your customers, and it’s a **vital step** in unleashing the power of customer listening. It’s crucial for customers to feel as if they’re being heard and acknowledged, that you aren’t just collecting their feedback for the sake of it, but were **actively using it to improve their experience**. Beginning this task can feel overwhelming, like staring at a blank canvas, but fear not! Let's apply the **"good, better, best" principle** to conquer this challenge. Start small by enhancing the in-the-moment experience for your customers. When feedback comes through surveys, don't overlook the opportunity to **customize your thank you pages** based on their input. It's simple to do and can make a significant impact. Strike while the iron is hot by tailoring the thank you page for interested customers, inviting them to **participate in a beta test right away**. This can work in the same way for detractors, offering a **personalized follow-up**, and triggering the support or product team to **reach out** and address their concerns. Moving up to the **"better"** category, go beyond automated responses. Craft **tailored replies** and inject a token of personalization using your marketing automation system. By fine-tuning just **25%** of your message, you can create a **highly personalized experience** for your customers. In the realm of **"best,"** embrace the power of **genuine human interaction**. Follow up personally with customers, especially detractors or those who have shifted from being loyal promoters to passive participants. Then you can summarize your conversations and bring them back into your **CRM system**, making sure that your follow-up workflow is well-defined, and providing clear guidance and talking points for your outreach team. Remember, you don't have to limit yourself to a single approach, feel free to **mix and match** strategies based on customer types or topics. Also, establish processes for **categorizing customers**, this way, when you address customer feedback, you can reach out directly to customers who expressed relevant needs, showing them the value of their input. Keep in mind that your customer listening strategy is an **ongoing journey**, it's never truly complete, continuously **optimize, iterate**, and **scale** the process as you go. ## Final thoughts There you have it, folks! Hopefully, these **four key steps** can revolutionize your customer listening strategy or help you to reflect on your current strategies, perhaps even sparking some new ideas. If anything though, this should **signal the start of your journey**, as actively listening to customers is truly a continuous process of learning, adapting, and growing. **Just remember to centralize your insights, close the feedback loop, and show your customers that their voice matters. It's time to elevate your customer listening strategy to the next level.** --- [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### Marketing inside out: Put your team first URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/marketing-inside-out-put-your-team-first/ Last updated: 2024-03-11T11:42:22.000Z Think marketing is all about your customers? According to Tim Parkin, marketing advisor to a portfolio of multimillion-dollar brands, you're thinking about it all wrong. Instead, you need to be looking inwards and focusing on marketing internally to get everyone engaged, motivated, and on brand. Ready to fly in the face of everything you've been told about marketing? Then read on, because Tim's ideas aren't as crazy as you might think. Originally an episode of [CMO Convo](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-marketing-inside-out-put-your-team-first-tim-parkin/), but now you can read at your leisure. We cover: - Tim’s background in marketing inside out - Internal marketing in hybrid teams - Empowering marketing teams to think outside the box - How to build a culture of experimentation - Proving the value of internal marketing - Getting C-suite buy-in for marketing inside out - The golden rule of marketing inside out ## **Tim’s background in marketing inside out** **Hi Tim, thank you for joining us. We’re going to be talking about the importance of marketing internally and the ability to align the rest of the organization using marketing. We often think of marketing as being very external, but it's important internally as well. Whether you're in B2B or B2C, you need to be making sure your organization's aligned.** **But before we get down to talking about that, maybe you can tell us a bit about yourself and why we're talking to you on this subject today?** Absolutely. I'm an advisor to marketing executives around the world, including at some billion-dollar brands you’ve probably heard of. I help them and their teams increase their revenue and their marketing results. I've seen a lot internally – good and bad – so we have a lot to talk about here. I'm fortunate enough to work with huge companies with massive marketing teams. When I first started out, I thought, “They know what to do. They have all the processes, and they're experienced and skilled at doing marketing.” Their problem, I thought, was that they just couldn't reach the customers or understand what they really wanted. Once I got inside these companies, I realized pretty quickly that it's not about the customers at all. We have to ignore the customer. Forget about the customer because the real problem here is the internal fundamentals – the skills, the collaboration, the strategy. Internally, it’s a mess! And the bigger you are, the more of these problems reveal themselves, and the more intricate and tangled in politics and hierarchy they become. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise-level company, the team and how they operate is so important. And that's why I talk about “marketing inside out” – we need to focus on the inside first. If we can nail that, that's how we can best serve the customer and have the best result. **What kinds of processes can be refined through inside-out marketing?** There are so many, including some fundamentals like project management. Most marketers are more creative, and they don't have that kind of project management skill set. We also often need to refine how we do marketing. Marketing, even inside of its own department, is pretty siloed. You have the paid channels over here, SEO over there, and PR over there. They don't work cohesively, so the strategic collaboration aspect needs work. Another thing I've found is that people think they know what’ll work. They see what our competitors do, and they think that if they copy that they’ll succeed, or they think they know the customer better than other people. The reality is that nobody knows what will work. I don't know what will work, despite being an advisor. You don't know what will work. Your agency doesn't know what will work. Your customers don't know what will work. That's what led me to realize that testing is fundamental to marketing and that we have to develop those skills internally. I call it test-driven marketing. We have to test our way to success because no one knows what will work. Internally, there's often this assumption that we've done the research, we have the experience, and we've been doing this as a company long enough. We have to throw that notion out because if there's one thing marketing does, it's change. ## **Internal marketing in hybrid teams** **Definitely. Our entire marketing ecosystem has changed in the last couple of years. The way people live their lives has changed. The way we consume media has changed. The way people work has changed.** **That also ties into the importance of inside-out marketing – if everyone's working remotely or in hybrid teams, you could have teams split across continents, so it's got to be hard to align people. Having a more formalized process for internal marketing must be important in the world we're living in at the moment.** Absolutely. It's so spot on that most companies are not used to the idea of working remotely, and they still don't accept the idea. I’ll often hear clients say, “No, we're not going to have remote employees – we're going back to the office.” That's a crazy idea. I've been working independently from home for 15 years now, but there are still big companies that don't accept that notion. On the flip side, some of my clients will have headquarters in one country and offices in other countries. That's a big challenge because there's communication happening in that home base that's hard to share outside. After all, you're not walking down the halls and having that conversation. You can easily forget to formalize that communication to share it out. There are a lot of intricacies to how we operate and collaborate as marketers, and that's where most of the waste in marketing is. We talk about wasted spend on ads that don't convert – that's half of it. The other half of marketing waste is inside – it's in your team. It's how your team is not operating efficiently and effectively together. That's a massive, massive waste. Fortunately, that’s something you have control over. **We've talked a lot with previous guests about the importance of having independence in remote or hybrid settings. Still, being disconnected can make you less willing to experiment and be adventurous with your ideas because you don't have a support network backing you up.** **You can't just go to your boss and say, “Let's try this out.” You have to go through quite a few formal steps before you can have a face-to-face meeting to get the go-ahead.** **Inside-out marketing and test-driven marketing have got to be quite intrinsically linked to an atmosphere where people are willing to take risks, and that's essential for marketing.** 100%. When I first started out, I thought culture was just a buzzword, or that culture is just what happens if people are nice to each other and you enjoy hanging out with them. I’ve since learned that the opposite could not be more true. You can create a culture, and the culture you create, whether you do it intentionally or accidentally, is a real thing that impacts the whole team, your performance, and your results. We need to create a culture where we reward testing because the reality of testing is that it's not about getting it right; it's about learning something. Testing is not about the results and the outcome; it's about the insights that you get. If we can create a culture where people are willing to try things and fail, that's a net positive. Marketing is about figuring things out. It's about learning what works and what doesn't, how people respond, and how they won't. That's a capability that most marketing teams lack. They lack the ability to generate powerful and useful insights. It's a huge problem, and it costs companies millions and millions of dollars a year. They're “doing marketing,” but it's not effective because they have no insights, and they've never looked internally to develop those capabilities and ask, “What are we really doing, and how do we do it better?” We need to pause and reflect before we keep running faster and faster, with no reason or direction. ## **Empowering marketing teams to think outside the box** **There's the old piece of wisdom that you learn more from your failures than you do from your successes. But you can't do that in the working world easily. It's a hard thing to get people behind because it can cost money to make these mistakes. Even if having this knowledge pays off in the long run, you still have to get the buy-in initially, and then you might lose trust if it's a failure.** **That’s another part of marketing internally – marketing the need to take these chances. CMOs have to work with the rest of the C-suite, particularly the CFO, to get buy-in on projects. You've got to market to them why you need to run these experiments and take these chances.** Yeah, and this is the reason the CMO tenure is so short – because marketing is seen as an add-on to a company. There’s a tendency to think, “We're a company; we sell something; we have a sales team – let's add on marketing and hope that it helps us and support sales.” That's a terrible approach. Marketing is not something you do; marketing is who you are as a company. Look at Apple – they embody marketing. Everything they do is marketing. They're not selling products – you buy their products because their marketing is so good. That's what we need to learn. We look at Apple and think they're cool and hip, and they are, but we forget the brilliance of their marketing. Steve Jobs laid the foundation for the whole company, but they're brilliant marketers. When companies tack on a marketing function and then hire a CMO and say, “You better figure it out,” that's not sufficient. Marketing being seen as the core of the company needs to start at the top. In companies that are driven by marketing, it's apparent. You can see it clearly because they're so successful as a result. I’m gonna tell you one of my favorite marketing stories. My mom had a dog – his name was Buddy – who was very old and had been through surgeries. She’d ordered some special dog food for him from this well-known pet company called Chewy. Right after she got the food, Buddy, unfortunately, passed away. And so she wrote to Chewy and said, “I got this dog food I can't use. Will you take it back and give me a refund?” They immediately refunded her, and they said, “We don't want the food back. Donate it to a shelter – they need it more than we do.” Amazing, right? But then a couple of days later, she gets a knock on the door, and 1-800-Flowers had come and dropped off a bouquet from Chewy, with a note that said, “Hi, Marge. We're sorry to hear about Buddy. Hope you're doing okay.” She's told everyone. I've told everyone. You can’t beat that kind of marketing. And what’s wonderful is Chewy does this with every type of situation you can imagine. That's how companies and CMOs need to think, but that type of marketing is only possible if you can sell it internally because what's the ROI of that? It's infinite, but it's also immeasurable. What we have to realize is that there's a case to be made internally that marketing is about treating people the way we want to be treated as a customer. If we can believe that, and if we can accept that culturally, then we'll have huge success. There's too much focus on marketing delivering an ROI, but we have to accept that [you can't always calculate that](https://www.cmoalliance.com/the-truth-about-marketing-attribution/). Internally, there's a huge sales conversation to have about what marketing truly is and how we want to embrace it. Leadership is key here. You have to demonstrate how this is possible, and you have to help your team be creative with this as well. Another great example is TripAdvisor. The CEO created what he called “404 tests.” They would come up with an idea for a product or a page for the website, and they would put a link on their website to that page or that feature, but they wouldn't build it. So people come to the site and click the link, and it says, “404 not found.” They’d realized that when people saw that error message, they thought it was their internet or their computer; they didn't blame TripAdvisor. But TripAdvisor could see how many people clicked this link, and if enough people clicked it, they would say, “Aha! This is a good idea. Let's go and build the thing now.” And it cost them nothing. You can get creative like that as long as you can get the buy-in internally. You need your leadership to say they’re okay with this temporary discomfort to get a better result, save money, and learn something. There are a lot of ways we can experiment with things, but we also need to change the culture and the perspective of what marketing is in order to be successful. It’s about equipping the team to be creative and to try things that are unconventional or against best practices, or that simply might not work. If we just operate like robots – “You go do the SEO, and you run the ads, and let's just hope everything works” – that's not sufficient. We're focusing on the customer, sure, but we can't serve the customer well until we're serving ourselves correctly. On the plane, they say if the oxygen masks pop down, put yours on first before you help somebody else. The reason for that is, if you don't, you'll pass out, and then you can't help anybody else. This is how marketing teams need to think – we need to help ourselves, build our skills, and get our ducks in a row before we can serve the customer. We're too focused on serving the customer first and putting ourselves last, and that's hindering our ability to truly serve our customers, make a difference, and fight the competition that's out there. Companies like Chewy, who are building internal capabilities and then putting the customer at the center, are doing an exceptional job, but if you try to do the opposite, you're going to struggle. **Employee retention is important in that as well. If your employees are happy and empowered, they're going to stick around, and they're going to keep doing good work. If they're not able to put their skills to good use, they're gonna get bored, they're gonna be unhappy with their work, and they’re gonna take their skills elsewhere.** **By building a positive culture and supporting your team through internal marketing, you're going to get better work out of them, would you agree?** That's a brilliant point. It's funny that you mentioned that because I do a lot of assessments of marketing teams to figure out their problems and how can they improve. As part of that, I interview many people on the team. Because I'm an outsider, they implicitly trust me and they tell me a lot of things they wouldn't tell their boss or colleagues. Just this morning, I was talking to a member of a marketing team at a global company, and they were expressing to me exactly that – their frustration that they see the needs internally, they have the vision, and they've expressed several opportunities for improvement, but nobody’s listening because they’re a newbie. That person might be a flight risk. There are so many disadvantages when people’s talent is not fully utilized. We need to embrace our team’s skills. They’re smart people – that's why we hired them, right? We have to get out of the way and help them work together effectively because there's a lot of frustration among marketing teams in particular about the inefficiencies of how we work, what they can say and can't say, and how they can collaborate. This is why we need marketing inside out more than ever. It's so important, especially right now with the great resignation, with people leaving and competitors poaching your employees. It's expensive to get new people, and then there's a whole timeframe to onboard someone new, get them acclimated to the team, to just have the same issues. So we need to, again, pause, look internally, and fix these issues. ## **How to build a culture of experimentation** **We've talked a lot about why it's a big advantage to market internally and encourage this culture of experimentation. What are some practical steps that CMOs and marketing leaders can take to create this kind of atmosphere?** There are two really practical steps you can take immediately today that I'd recommend. The first is to just be real with your team. I see this all the time with marketing teams – everyone knows when there are problems or when there are opportunities to improve. And there's room to improve in every marketing team, no matter how big you are, or how well you're doing. So the first step is to have a conversation with your team. Have a town hall meeting and say, “Here's the situation. We're sure there are issues, and we want to know what they are.” And you can have people submit those anonymously or however you want to do it. Let your team know that the company wants to improve, you want to constantly be doing better, and you’re gonna take that seriously, so you need those ideas for improvement. But more importantly, make this a regular thing. I recommend my clients do this every month, or at least every quarter. Have a day, even if it's two hours on that day, where you get together or you work individually to find ways to improve your processes, your process documentation, your collaboration, and your communication. Those internal fundamentals will help you tremendously, but we never take the time to work on them. That's the first thing. The second thing is what I call the book of knowledge. It's basically an internal wiki, a document, that houses everything about your marketing team. It starts with the basics of who's on the team and what they do. If you have a responsibility matrix, that can be helpful too. Then you list all of your processes, so a new person could go in there and reference that. You put all your onboarding documents and links in there too, as well as your vendors, your tracking and targeting lists, and links to reports and dashboards. I could go on and on, but you get the picture – anything and everything related to how you do marketing goes into this book of knowledge. Most importantly, you want to include your reports, updates, changes, and campaign performance. You want to be able to see what's worked, what hasn't worked, what we can do differently going forward, and how we can improve our operations and optimization – the two areas that really matter – to get better results from the marketing we're doing. That book of knowledge grows and grows over time to become a truly valuable resource that people can reference and see what’s already been tried and what hasn’t been tried yet. And have an idea log to show what we need to do in the future. It becomes an invaluable resource, as your team keeps adding to it and maintaining it. As a marketing team, there are so many demands on us that we forget the great ideas that we have. We’ll figure out a change we need to make and then get distracted by something else. Having that documented is so important and so valuable. As the team comes up with insights, they can add them to this book of knowledge, then the rest of the team can apply those insights and scale them throughout all of your marketing, so whatever little thing you learn can be amplified and multiplied. It makes everything so much better. ## **Proving the value of internal marketing** **Marketing inside out has the word “marketing’ in it and that means it's gotta be measured – you've got to have some KPIs. So how do we measure internal marketing?** That's a great question and a fair question too. I'm a huge fan of [the OKR framework](https://www.cmoalliance.com/are-you-ok-with-okrs/) – objectives and key results – that's used by Google and IBM. OKRs are just so simple and so effective. Essentially, for those who don't know, OKRs are objectives and key results. The objective is your direction or where you want to be. The key results are the measurable components of that. If we achieve those key results, we'll know we're headed toward our objective. One of the benefits of OKRs is that they’re hierarchical, so you can have marketing organization OKRs, those can be broken down into individual functions on the marketing team, and then those can be broken down into the individual roles within that function. That way, you have full accountability from the top to the bottom of the team. That's, to me, one of the simplest, most effective ways to monitor, measure, and manage the performance improvement of the team. A lot of those OKRs will be centered around the things we talked about, like communication, collaboration, project management, and things of the like. **One of the great things about the OKR model, which ties into what we're talking about today, is the transparency. Everyone in the company knows about these OKRs, and they know who's working towards what and why.** **That ties into internal marketing because it’s part of building a working culture. It's quite hard for people to feel like they're aligned and working towards the same goal when they're in remote or hybrid situations, so having the kind of Northstar that OKRs provide can be very valuable for any kind of organization**. That's true. There's this acronym I have, and it's kind of cheesy, but I'll tell you anyways: TEAM. It stands for transparency, expectations, accountability, and metrics. Those are four of the things that every team needs. Transparency is paramount. We have to see what each other is doing. Also, we have to make that visible outside of marketing so other functions know how we’re contributing. OKRs help bring that transparency and that visibility. The second part is expectations. When we collaborate internally, we have to be clear about our expectations. It's not just “Hey, go and do this.” We need to be clear about how it should be done and why we're doing it. Too often – especially in marketing because it’s more creative – there's a lack of expectations. It's just, “We're going to do this thing – who knows how or why – but let's just try it and hope something comes of it.” The third part is accountability. Again, being creative, in my experience, a lot of marketers need more accountability. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to instill that. And the fourth part is metrics – high-level OKRs to manage people and processes. Functionally, however, there's often a lack of understanding of what numbers we should be looking at, what they mean, and how often we are looking at them. ## **Getting C-suite buy-in for marketing inside out** **Lots of CMOs and marketing leaders will be thinking, “This all sounds great. I want to do this, but how am I going to get buy-in from the top? How am I going to convince them to invest time and resources into it?” How would you recommend they go about it?** In my experience, it's a lot easier than you may think. Everyone realizes the amount of waste and struggle that can happen in marketing teams, even in large companies. On top of that, marketing teams are traditionally underfunded. It's a question of how you can do the most with the least, and that's a tough place to be in. You can't get more money to spend more money, and so it comes down to the people and resources you have, and you have to maximize those. Marketing inside out is the most effective way to do that. All you can do is improve how you operate and the efficiency with which you operate. Both components are so important – improving your team, your collaboration, and your processes, and improving how you do what you do. The other element is test-driven marketing. If you can test and validate things like TripAdvisor has, you can expedite the process. You can get the insights that you need to do great marketing and have the biggest result with the least effort and the least investment. Thinking about it conceptually like that is often enough of a case for CEOs or whoever you’re trying to get buy-in from. They probably already realize it if the team doesn't have the right skills or is being stretched too thin and we need to make the most of it. And so the question becomes, what's the best way to do that, that's not going to cost us a lot and will have an annualized return? The last part is the most important – if you improve your team, you can improve all of your marketing now and in the future. There's this infamous, perhaps made-up conversation between a CEO and a CFO, where the CEO says, “What if we invest in our people and they leave? And the CMO says, “What if we don't and they stay?” That's the reality of marketing inside out – we have to invest in our people and we have to invest in our process. If we don't, every day that goes by, every dollar that we spend on marketing has more and more waste. If you're not willing to invest in your people, then how are you willing to invest in your customers? It's a paradox that we're willing to put money into getting customers, but we neglect the people who are doing the work. The team has to come first and then the customer. That's the only way to approach this. If you ignore your team and hope you can reach customers and sell things, you're mistaken. ## **The golden rule of marketing inside out** **We normally ask our guests to wrap things up with a golden rule, but you've hit the nail on the head there – if you're not investing in your team, you're not properly investing in your company, and you're not investing in your customer. Are there any other golden rules CMOs need to have in mind when it comes to marketing inside out?** Absolutely. Forget about your customers. There's too much focus on customers and not enough focus on teams. Marketing, despite being creative in nature, is more of a process than most people realize, and that is more true today than ever before. There's too much noise out there. We have to approach this methodically, and to do that we have to put our oxygen masks on first before we can go and help our customers. That's not selfish. It’s how we can better serve our customers. It's how we can reach more customers so we can be more profitable and have the best results, so it's really important that we stop, pause, reflect, and look inside before we look outside. **That’s a great note to end on. Thank you so much for joining us today, Tim.** ### Evolving customer marketing strategies: Insights from industry experts URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/evolving-customer-marketing-strategies-insights-from-industry-experts/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:04:05.000Z **Are you ready to revolutionize your customer marketing strategies?** In today's competitive landscape, where customer engagement and loyalty are paramount, traditional case studies and testimonials just don't quite cut it anymore. The field of customer marketing has evolved, and it's time to explore the exciting new frontiers that lie ahead in this rapidly expanding industry. Join us as we dive into the minds of industry experts who are reshaping the customer marketing landscape. Speaking at our Customer Marketing Summit, it was an honor to be joined by: - **Dan Cote**, Chief Marketing Officer at Influitive - **Gillian Farquhar**, Global Head of Customer Marketing at Qlik - **Sterling Jackson**, Vice President of Customer Marketing at UserTesting Let’s investigate some of their valuable insights, practical tips, and actionable strategies that will take your customer marketing initiatives to the next level. Their key takeaways will cover: How has customer marketing evolved? - Our expert’s responsibilities - Measuring the value of customer marketing - The power of advocacy and community - Securing budget growth - Final thoughts Read on to find out more! 👇 ## 💡 How has customer marketing evolved? Gone are the days when customer marketing solely revolved around static case studies and testimonials. Budgets are increasing, and there are opportunities for customer marketing professionals to advance their careers, it's **time to embrace a new era of customer marketing** that goes further. Today, it's all about creating immersive experiences, fostering meaningful relationships, and building vibrant communities. By tapping into the power of storytelling and leveraging the voices of your satisfied customers, you can **drive engagement, loyalty, and business growth like never before**. As Dan Cote neatly summarized, *‘customer marketing is in the mainstream, and it is maturing and growing faster than ever’*. He’s absolutely right here, as a role and function, customer marketing has seen **significant** growth in recent years as businesses have come to recognize its importance. In fact, he recently asked his audience how important customer marketing is to the overall success of an organization, and received an almost unanimous response of either **important or very important**. For Dan, he pinpoints three key reasons for this evolution and growth of customer marketing. Firstly he highlights the way that the pandemic accelerated digital transformation, **refocusing everyone’s attention on the customer**. It is this customer-driven model that is extremely successful and profitable for businesses, leading to more businesses investing in customer marketing. Secondly, buyers are more in control these days, doing their own research and self-educating online, with **up to 80% of buyers making their decisions before ever reaching out to sales**. Thirdly, experiences matter, every touchpoint matters and customer marketing plays a very pivotal role in orchestrating these touchpoints across an organization, keeping customers coming back, and growing business. Gillian Farquhar stresses that **customer marketing is the only part of marketing that has adjusted to the way people buy today**, and this is why its growth has been so rapid. Similarly to Dan, she points out that, aided by [social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/), high-speed internet, and developments in tech, people **have more control** of their own buying process. This has also aided customer marketing, as a huge part of the role is exposing customers to existing customers that are happy and getting a lot of value out of your product who use social media and other **platforms to expose potential customers to the market in organic, credible ways**. Sterling Jackson, citing his background in customer marketing, has seen its evolution and expansion into a broader set of content and programs that drive customer adoption, renewal, and advocacy. For him, these programs and a **focus on authentic customer evidence** are the driving force behind the evolution of customer marketing. He explained that ‘they are able to **connect with people in a very human way**’ and executives and management have ‘realized the return on investment that customer marketing programs deliver’. So it is the heightened awareness in recent years of the importance of the expanded customer marketing function that has aided its evolution further. ## ⚖️ Our expert’s responsibilities In this discussion, our industry experts all highlighted the need to go beyond traditional activities like case studies and testimonials and focus instead on creating experiences that build loyalty and advocacy. Gillian Farquhar mentioned how case studies, although important, can sometimes feel antiquated and limited in their reach. Instead, she emphasized the importance of exposing and empowering successful users to share their experiences in ways that resonate with potential customers. Her organization, Qlik, focuses on creating experiences through community building and targeted relational events. By leveraging networks and facilitating connections between users and prospects, they aim to foster loyalty and advocacy organically and where it doesn’t feel transactional. Sterling Jackson also shared insights from his work at UserTesting, highlighting the importance of customer communication and engagement throughout the [entire customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-expectations-for-customers-throughout-the-journey/), getting real-time human feedback. His customer marketing team focuses on communications, ensuring customers are aware of available resources, driving adoption, and providing opportunities for advocacy. They also have focused on building a community for their customers that provides an experience for customers to connect and grow with each other, ranging from a library of shareable feedback to an awards program. Our experts also emphasized the partnership between customer marketing and customer success teams as a key responsibility, citing this alignment as crucial for creating impactful experiences and telling compelling stories that resonate with customers. ## 📊 Measuring the value of customer marketing To truly understand the impact of your customer marketing efforts, it's essential to focus on [meaningful metrics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/). Our experts all agreed that while volume metrics may provide some insights, they don't capture the full picture. Instead, customer marketing professionals should prioritize measuring engagement and its tangible effects on revenue, customer retention, and renewals. It's the quality and depth of engagement that truly drives business outcomes and showcases the value of your initiatives. Farquhar stressed the importance of defining and measuring engagement in meaningful ways. She explained that engagement should be tied to specific customer behaviors that correlate with increased revenue, customer retention, and higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS). Qlik measures engagement by tracking how customers participate in their community, contribute to support processes, and engage in the ideation process. They then correlate increased engagement in these areas with higher attachment rates and renewal rates. Jackson shared his perspective on the value of customer marketing insights and his introduction of a customer marketing insights program at UserTesting, to drive focus on renewals and growth. This program utilizes both qualitative and quantitative feedback to optimize touchpoints, ensuring they are effective, easy, and enjoyable for customers. By measuring the impact of these touchpoints, they can gauge the value delivered to customers. Both experts emphasized the need to align customer marketing metrics with overall business goals. By **demonstrating the direct impact** of customer marketing efforts on revenue generation and customer retention, you can **showcase the value you bring** to the organization. ## **🤝 The power of advocacy and community** Advocacy and community are not isolated elements but interconnected pillars of successful customer marketing strategies, with advocacy standing as the natural outcome of a thriving, engaged customer community. Our experts highlighted that when customers come together, sharing their positive experiences and becoming brand advocates, the impact is exponential. By nurturing a sense of belonging and facilitating interactions, customer marketing professionals can unleash the full asset potential of advocacy and amplify brand reputation. Farquhar further emphasized the interdependence of advocacy and community, stating that they cannot exist without each other, with a strong community fostering [organic advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/). Qlik, by bringing customers together and facilitating connections, has seen a direct correlation between community engagement and high renewal rates. Jackson also shared UserTesting's success in leveraging their user community, seeing a **300%** growth in the past 18 months. He also highlighted the role of the community in driving high renewal rates, citing a staggering **99%** renewal rate for customers who were active in their community. Here both Farquhar and Jackson highlighted the need to shift from a transactional mindset to a relational mindset when it comes to customer marketing. Building a community-centered approach allows companies to create deeper connections with their customers, fostering loyalty, and long-term partnerships, and strengthening their position as trusted advisors in their respective industries. ## ✅ Securing budget growth One of the final points of this discussion was looking at how customer marketing professionals can make a compelling case for increased budgets and resources to match the expanding role. Farquhar shared her excitement about the growing recognition of customer marketing as a vital function within organizations, mentioning that just a few years ago, customer marketing wasn't even on the radar, but now it has become a key driver of growth. Though she emphasized that there is still more work to be done and many opportunities for professionals to advance their careers within the field. Jackson discussed the importance of cross-functional collaboration in driving the perception of value for customer marketing. By nurturing relationships with champions from various departments, customer marketing professionals can amplify their impact and gain support across the organization, using internal communication to remind colleagues of the value of customer marketing. In terms of making a case for [more budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/), both experts emphasized the need to **tie customer marketing efforts directly to business outcomes**. By demonstrating how customer marketing drives revenue, customer retention, and advocacy, professionals can **showcase their value** and influence decision-makers. They also stressed the importance of focusing on the narrative of value rather than simply trying to prove it. Engaging in strategic conversations with senior leadership and highlighting success stories can help customer marketing professionals secure the necessary resources for growth. ## 💭 Final thoughts The conversation shed light on the evolving landscape of customer marketing and hopefully provided valuable insights for fellow customer marketers. From redefining the scope of customer marketing responsibilities to measuring program value, and harnessing the power of advocacy and community, customer marketers have numerous opportunities to drive business growth and foster customer loyalty. By aligning with customer success teams, focusing on meaningful engagement metrics, and effectively communicating their impact, customer marketing professionals can secure the budgets and resources needed to execute successful strategies. As the customer marketing field continues to evolve, professionals in this space have an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact on customer relationships and business growth. --- **If you enjoyed this run-down of our panel discussion and want access to even more videos, articles, and other resources, become a member of the** [**CMA community today**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)**!** ### 8 steps of a successful ambassador program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/8-steps-of-a-successful-ambassador-program/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T09:26:51.000Z As you plan to create a brand ambassador program, I’ve mapped out an 8-step approach that you can follow to create a highly engaging program for your customers. Let’s dive into it: ### Step 1: Talk to your diehard customers This gives you an opportunity to find out what your customer hot buttons are and how you can align your program to things your customers care about. - This is where personal branding, peer networking, and rewards and recognition become paramount. ### Step 2: Create exclusivity Make sure the program is 30-50 members MAX - limiting the size of the program to just 30-50 will create exclusivity. And the reason why you want exclusivity is because you want to emphasize that becoming a brand ambassador takes commitment, time, and expertise. It's not open to everyone by design. ### Step 3: Establish a program charter You want to think about what criteria you have for selecting members: - What are some of the benefits? - What are some of the opportunities for each of the members that get involved? And it also sets the cadence and outlines what’s planned for the year. I also think it’s helpful to include criteria for how long the engagement should be - I recommend at least 1 year and refresh it regularly so you can bring in new people and remove customers that may no longer be motivated or it wasn’t a great fit. ### Step 4: Shock and awe opportunities What I mean by shock and awe, is that it all comes down to customer experience. - How can you surprise and delight these members? - How can you keep their attention and engagement for an entire year? Part of that is providing opportunities for them to connect with each other, with product leadership, your executive leadership team like your CMO as well as mentorship opportunities. And at the end of the day, it’s having fun and pushing the envelope - hosting experiential events like bringing in a mixologist or having a 1-2 day forum that’s completely white glove treatment. *Fill out the form below to download our ebook on *the essential elements of a customer marketing plan*. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up.* Download the eBook ### Step 5: Establish an engagement cadence How often will the customers be required to connect - Is it monthly? Quarterly? Bi-annually? - What are the time commitments that they should be aware of? ### Step 6 Determine communication channels Will you engage via email, slack, and webinars? And how often? ### Step 7: Require online applications to vet candidates Once you have an established brand ambassador program, you can create an online application process to help you weed through the very best customers that should participate. This also helps you create a pipeline of future advocates you can use for your other programs like references, peer reviews, or user group meetings. This also helps you with picking customers based on product expertise and tenure using your solutions, location, and geography. This helps to ensure you apply a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens so you can have a well-rounded group of ambassadors. The end goal is to be very thoughtful in who you select for your 30-50 customers. ### Step 8: Repeat Repeat the process year after year to refresh the customers participating in the program. ## Brand ambassador engagement strategies Now as you look to provide opportunities for your ambassadors to lean in and engage with your team and the broader company, here are a couple of ways you can think about focusing them on initiatives that will drive the greatest impact. The first is giving them access to some kind of product sandbox that they can essentially tinker with to create content for you. The sandbox should also include all the latest product enhancements and upgrades so they can really experience the very best of your technology and can help you create content, guides, etc. from there. In addition, a few engagement opportunities I want to highlight include: - Hosting quarterly or bi-annual Product Feedback sessions between your ambassadors and your marketing teams to go through the roadmap. - As part of this you can also host regular CX feedback sessions and perhaps loop in your support, sales, and CS teams to take notes and ask how they can make the buying experience better for these customers. - You can also present a number of speaking opportunities each quarter and work with your events team to flush these out - everything from user conferences, and webinars to field marketing events. - It goes without saying but leverage these ambassadors for participation in reference calls, writing a peer review and actively posting tips/tricks content in your community. - They can also be great resources for event promotion and referring advocates - you can even host fun competitions so they can earn swag for referring future advocates. - You should also leverage these ambassadors for customer stories and user-generated content to help with product adoption for new customers that are just getting started with your products. ## **The next steps** This was a little preview into **Customer Advocacy Certified** which will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. ### **By the end of this course, you'll be able to confidently:** 👊 Learn the fundamentals & exact blueprint for **creating highly engaging** customer advocacy programs. 🔥 Leverage your advocacy toolbox to **help you scale** and avoid potential pitfalls before launching your programs. 🚀 Understand how to align your customer engagement initiatives to strategic drivers within your organization. 💰 Successfully measure your program ROI to get more budget & headcount. [Get certified today!](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters) ### Customer Marketing Connection | Dean Lindsay URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-connection-3/ Last updated: 2023-06-08T15:26:22.000Z Our second webinar is all about customer advisory board best practices. Whether you're just starting in your role or a seasoned veteran, you don't want to miss out on these insights from... **[Dean Lindsay](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-lindsay-b01ab817/), Customer Marketing Lead at Soldo** *I’m a customer-focused marketer, focused on putting the customer's story at the forefront of an organisation's brand story, loyalty, retention, and growth strategies. Focused on driving customer advocacy, driving lifetime value, utilising reviews as a social proofing mechanism, as well as launching and delivering regular customer advisory board sessions to give organisations key customer insights, which organisations use to help shape future business strategy, approach, and product direction.* **Register below 👇** ****🗓 June 20** ****⏰ 11:00CST | 16:00 GMT** ****💻 Live - Register below** ### **Meet your host:** **[Dean Lindsay](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-lindsay-b01ab817/), Customer Marketing Lead at Soldo** Stay tuned for more about Dean 👀 [RSVP here](https://my.demio.com/ref/Fl0jgjuJBCMERdzP) ### The power of narrative design in customer marketing: Why storytelling matters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-power-of-narrative-design-in-customer-marketing-why-storytelling-matters/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:29:38.000Z This article is based on the event panel *Infinite Scale: How Coupa's Customer Marketing Team Creates Content & Stories*, hosted by **Evan Huck, Co-founder & CEO of UserEvidence,** and featuring **Charlotte Lilley, Head of Global Customer Marketing at Coupa**. Check out the full discussion [**here**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-ondemand/). As a customer marketer, I'm passionate about creating engaging content that tells our brand's story and connects with our customers. In my years of sales and customer marketing experience and time in my current role at Coupa, I've learned the importance of content marketing, brand storytelling, and narrative design in building strong relationships with our customers. But with the rise of content marketing and the need to stand out in a crowded digital landscape, the importance of narrative design has only grown. In this article, I want to share my insights on how to use data, brand storytelling, and narrative design to create content that resonates with customers, builds brand loyalty, and ultimately drives business growth. So let’s dive in! Here’s how I’ll break it down: - **How to create valuable content** - **How to solidify customer relationships** - **Final thoughts** # **How to create valuable content** Content creation is one of the most effective routes for scaling up your customer marketing function, and here I’ll explain how to optimize and maximize your resources to meet growing demand. Before you even start to plan your storytelling and content creation you need to analyze what you already have and where the gaps are. At Coupa when I first started, we didn’t have an exact index, so I started by using Tableau, a data visualization software, to look at what we had in terms of open opportunities, to begin prioritization. Then I went through and looked specifically at which opportunities had high annual contract value (ACV) and their close rates, deciding to prioritize those with high ACV, pushing for quality over quantity. Looking at the data and specific metrics like ACV can help you to determine a course of action, allowing you to build content for the opportunities that are worth it. So now you have established your baseline, let’s begin to think about content creation. ## **Content marketing** Again, one of the most critical components of customer marketing is content creation, you need to create content that is both relevant and valuable to your customers. It's no longer enough to just write about your products and services; you need to create content that answers your customers' questions and provides them with valuable insights. At Coupa, we use a variety of content formats to engage with our customers, including case studies, blog posts, webinars, and events. We understand that different customers have different preferences when it comes to content, so we create a range of content types to appeal to a broader audience and engage all of our customers. ## **Brand storytelling** Brand storytelling is about crafting a compelling narrative that communicates who we are as a company and what we stand for. It's not just about telling a story; it's about telling the right story. At Coupa, we focus on telling stories that showcase our customers and how they're using our products and services to achieve their goals. Here we are strategic with how we go about this and we have specific people on the team working on specific segments. This means context switching is limited and you can really hone in on each specific type of customer and personalize your work. One of the ways we do this is by using UserEvidence to capture the stories of our customers. It’s a really handy tool for casting a wide net and seeing what stories are out there and what customers are interested in. This then allows us to pre-qualify these stories to determine which ones are worth pursuing. This approach helps us to create a strong narrative that resonates with our customers. ## **Narrative design** As a customer marketer, you’ll know that there is a wealth of customer stories that you can tell, so the difficult part is knowing just how to organize it and make it relevant. Narrative design is about creating a cohesive story that ties all of your content and messaging together, constructing a clear and consistent narrative that communicates your brand's values and vision. At Coupa, we believe that narrative design is a critical part of creating a strong brand identity. To achieve this, we focus on creating engagement across the customer journey. I believe that customer marketing is the most integral place where customers can see the full picture, and so it’s our job to lay it out for them. We create content that is relevant and appropriate for each stage of the customer journey, from pre-sale to post-sale. We also work closely with our sales and customer success teams to ensure that our messaging is consistent across all touchpoints. We also run a blog called *Customer Chronicles*, to solve the challenge we had (and one I know a lot of other customer marketers will struggle with) with sales asking us to do a press release on each new customer. As we all know in marketing, you can’t do a big press release on every customer, there needs to be a strategic reason behind it. So *Customer Chronicles* allows us to scale storytelling. We send the same 5 questions to new customers and then promote and share their answers on the blog and social media. This creates the perfect middle ground between a simple social welcome post and an entire press release, making each new customer feel valued whilst also providing content that is engaging and informative for existing customers. # **How to solidify customer relationships** Springboarding off of the vital work of narrative design and storytelling in customer marketing content creation, now you’ve hooked your customer, how do you get them to stay and build brand loyalty? ## **Advocacy programs** One of the ways we build strong relationships with our customers is through advocacy programs. These programs allow us to engage with our customers, nurturing them through their journey and providing them with opportunities to showcase their success. Content is key here and as a customer marketer, you can strategically create opportunities for advocacy through engaging and interesting content. **Opportunity creates advocacy.** One way we’ve already started to do this is in our catalyst event series, which is a series of events for customers primarily to engage them and provide the opportunity for them to connect and network. At Coupa, we're also launching a new advocacy program later this year, which we believe will be a game-changer for our customer marketing efforts and a foundation for structuring advocacy. The goal of our advocacy program is to create a community of brand advocates who can help us tell our brand's story. We want to build a structured network of customers who are passionate about our products and services and are willing to share their success stories with others. All in all, **customers need to feel like they’re part of something**. ## **The future of customer marketing** As customer marketing continues to evolve, we need to embrace technology and automation to help us to stay ahead of the curve. We need to find ways to streamline our processes and make our workflows more efficient that are more user-friendly. This is especially important as we continue to scale our customer marketing efforts. I believe that there are steps that technology needs to take to fully support the growth of the customer marketing function. We're looking for tools that will allow us to create content more efficiently and engage with our customers more effectively. We know how to tell the customer story, we know what’s going on with them, and we’re cross-functional, we just need technology to catch up. # **Final thoughts** I truly think that it’s a great time to be a customer marketer and it’s exciting to see the field of customer marketing evolve and expand so rapidly. To be successful however, it's necessary to have a deep understanding of your customers and their stories. Creating a compelling narrative is essential, as it not only showcases your brand but also humanizes it. By incorporating customer feedback and stories into your content marketing strategy, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and industry expert. This will help to build trust and credibility with your audience and ultimately drive sales. Additionally, as technology continues to advance, automation and data-driven marketing will become increasingly important. Overall, **the future of customer marketing is bright**, and I'm excited to see where it will take us. ### Meaghan Sullivan | How to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/meaghan-sullivan-how-to-excel-in-the-digital-workplace-as-a-customer-marketer-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:41:32.000Z > "We owed it to our customers to give them a great experience... we learned about digital fatigue, we learned about engagement with online events... so we're all learning how we can create these experiences at digital events..." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Meaghan Sullivan, Marketing Customer Programs Lead at Google, about how to excel in the digital workplace as a customer marketer. ## **Key talking points:** - The core differences between interacting with customers digitally versus in person - How customer marketing adapted to this rapidly changing digital environment - Go-to strategies for supporting your work in the digital space - Tools to make interacting with customers easier ## **About the guest:** Meaghan Sullivan is Marketing Customer Programs Lead at Google and a comprehensive speaker on customer storytelling, voice of the customer, and navigating customer relationships throughout the digital landscape. She stands by the mantra: *Anything we can say, our customers can say better. More credibly. More persuasively. More authentically. More effectively.* ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at influitive.com.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## ****Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the[ Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Mastering customer marketing: The best strategies for measuring success URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mastering-customer-marketing-the-best-strategies-for-measuring-success/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:15:27.000Z Want definitive confirmation that the work you’re doing is paying off? Want to make sure you’re on course to achieve your goals? Track your performance now! Measuring success is a crucial element of all customer marketing operations and our panel discussion between industry leaders sheds light on the best practices for doing so. The Customer Marketing Summit’s panel ‘*Building & Structuring Your Team for Success*’ provided invaluable insight and this article will look at how success is measured, the key KPIs that industry leaders track, and why they are so crucial to overall growth. Our panelists included: **Aunalisa Arellano**, Head of Customer Marketing Manager at Filevine, **Chad Mack**, Director of Customer Marketing at Dell Technologies, and **Elizabeth Raffa**, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at HackerOne. Here’s how this insight will be broken up, read on to find out more 📈 - What are KPIs? - What do industry leaders say are the most important? - The right KPIs for your organization - Common mistakes and how to avoid them - Final thoughts # **What are KPIs?** Key Performance Indicators or KPIs are a set of specific, quantifiable measures used to determine the performance of your business in relation to defined goals over a certain period. Within an industry like customer marketing, tracking the journey of your customer from start to finish is crucial, and KPIs show in real time just how this is reflected in your business. As well as showing numerically how you are performing, KPIs are also equally as important for identifying opportunities for improvement and further growth. For customer marketing, some examples of the key metrics to track are pipeline assets, customer advocacy, engagement, and reach. # **What do industry leaders say are the most important?** In this panel discussion, our customer marketing leaders working across a variety of industries provided unparalleled insight into their most important KPIs. On our panel, we had Aunalisa Arellano, Head of Customer Marketing Manager at Filevine, Elizabeth Raffa, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at HackerOne, and Chad Mack, Director of Customer Marketing at Dell Technologies leading the discussion. Here is what each of them said: For Chad Mack, KPIs form the lifeblood of the work he does, and measuring how much value is added back to the business reinforces the importance of the work he and his team do. Measuring pipeline assets is a key indicator, tracking just how many are in the pipeline at any given time is crucial to assessing exposure and engagement, blending metrics to get a more accurate picture. Similarly, another crucial KPI is analyzing how the field uses created content, looking at if they are downloading that content or sharing it with other potential customers, as all influence revenue. For Chad, the key takeaway has always been to focus on specific ones at each moment and track them continuously, sharing data with stakeholders so everyone is on the same page. He also highlights the importance of dividing up KPIs between the team to streamline focus, stating: ‘It’s good to have different focus areas for your team to keep them agile too’ Aunalisa Arellano agreed on a number of these but also highlighted the importance of advocacy for her company. Tracking how often people are completing reference calls, case studies, events, and more and structuring her department accordingly. By structuring around acts of advocacy, Aunalisa can use this data to better support other departments. Also, as her role relies heavily on events, KPIs like customer satisfaction are also hugely important to understanding performance and success. Elizabeth Raffa also cites the importance of tracking reach, acts of advocacy, and MQLs in particular. Measuring what is influencing these Marketing Qualified Leads, whether it is through events, online advertising, or customer support and PR initiatives, can help to keep customers at the forefront and drive engagement. Elizabeth also recommends staying focused on your goals, but being willing to pivot when necessary. As your organization evolves and business goals shift it is important to align and change your KPIs. # **The right KPIs for your organization** Don’t be afraid to try new things and take risks to see what works best for your organization. Every company is unique so it’s important to tailor your KPIs to fit your specific goals and needs. Some KPIs in customer marketing such as engagement and reach apply to everyone, but there are others more closely aligned with your needs and you should track them consistently. Selecting the right KPIs will take time and will vary, but data should drive all core decisions, whatever KPIs are the most relevant, use this data to inform any choices for improvement and growth. In an industry like customer marketing that spans multiple channels, such as email, social media, and events, you should track KPIs across all channels, that way you can get a clearer, broader picture and identify where any work is needed. # **Common mistakes and how to avoid them** There are several common mistakes that customer marketing managers can make when measuring success, but luckily they can be avoided! Many CMMs fall into the pattern of only measuring success on short-term results, such as the immediate sales or response rates to social media or email marketing campaigns. KPIs are the most successful in aiding growth when looking at the bigger picture, so long-term brand-building should be the focus instead. On a similar note, this approach should also be taken for the customer journey, it is essential to consider the entire journey, as simply basing any measurements of success on single interactions will not provide accurate insight. Customer marketing managers must establish clear and measurable goals for KPIs to work best and determine what success looks like numerically or growth-wise, without this it becomes impossible to gauge business success. Most importantly, tracking the right metrics and KPIs! Using the tips in this article you can understand how to monitor the KPIs that relate most directly to your organization, as without them you are missing out on a wealth of data and information to boost growth. # **Final thoughts** In today's competitive business landscape, measuring success is essential for customer marketing managers to stay on course and achieve their goals. Using the invaluable insights provided by customer marketing leaders across a variety of industries, you can see firsthand the importance of KPIs for driving sustainable growth. By tailoring these KPIs our speakers listed and others that fit your specific goals and needs and using data to inform decision-making, you’ll be well on your way to measuring success and subsequently driving growth and engagement for your business. So don’t wait, start tracking your performance now to achieve your goals! ### Let's hear it: Magnify your voice of the customer program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/lets-hear-it-magnify-your-voice-of-the-customer-program-2/ Last updated: 2024-07-29T13:23:26.000Z “What does the ‘voice of the customer’ mean in business?” you might ask. Voice of the customer programs are methods created by companies to best understand the [experience and needs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/) of their customer base through feedback. We sat down with Andrea Greco and he answered your questions on the best ways to manifest these strategies in your day-to-day work. ****👇** ## **Q: What processes can be implemented to help a product team better understand the customer’s request?** ****A:** It’s important to have a process in place that allows the requester access to a template, which gives the product team what they need to understand the feature in question. My first bit of advice is to ensure transparency, above all. In your feedback form, I would suggest you include fields to capture the precise information about what the product team needs to implement the right changes. These fields are critical for the product team to understand the feature in question correctly, avoiding any unnecessary back and forth. Secondly, ensure you have regular meetings with the product team - on a monthly to quarterly basis - to review the features. Sometimes a product team doesn’t always fully understand every feature request, or they push back in some capacity. In my experience, some product teams can be left unconvinced by customer requests, partly due to having their vision and strategy. It helps to have regular meetings with them to review the features and help them understand their significant role in this process. Transparency plays a vital role to help customers stay updated, and helps your team know the progress made by the product team. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## **Q: Have you experienced a situation where the product team feels reluctant to be transparent with the CS team regarding the feature updates?** ****A:** I have. However, for the most part, this reluctance has been caused by busy workloads, and decisions to prioritize other major releases. If you feel a member of your product team is reluctant to share updates, my suggestion would be this: take a step back and empathize with them. Try to understand what's going on, maybe they feel the feature isn't important. One potential reason for this miscommunication is the medium of the feature request. Ask yourself whether the medium of communication is reflective of the integrity of the task. Are you reaching out to them with this request through a transparent, finely-tuned process, or have you notified them with a rushed, brief message on Slack? Let’s be honest, if somebody requested something important and urgent from you via Slack, wouldn’t you be irked too? The gravity of the request must follow the appropriate medium. While it may be frustrating from your perspective, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes. Like you, they too will have a roadmap that they adhere to, and without the proper [project management processes](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/the-best-project-management-tools-for-customer-success-leaders/) in place, you’ll inevitably have some fractious moments between teams. This is why cohesive, transparent [cross-departmental collaboration is crucial](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/). In general, product teams prefer to have requests that are planned, so my advice is to implement a defined process and stick to the process like superglue! In my experience, if you share a monthly meeting to discuss feedback, and consider what to prioritize in the future product-customer success roadmap, I don't think you're going to get a lot of pushback. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1600/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) ## **Q: Do you time surveys at particular points during the customer journey based on business milestones?** ****A:** Normally, we try not to be too trigger-happy with surveys. Instead, we try to identify particular segments of clients. For instance, whenever we release a new feature, we have a population or a [segment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) we think it's going to be interested in that feature. We send surveys to collect feature requests from the customers who adopt a feature. If they don't have the feature, we want to understand whether they know it existed, or if they didn’t understand how the setup works. In essence, those are our two main angles for surveys. ## **Q: Can customer success drive impact with a public roadmap?** ****A:** Public roadmaps are tricky topics. For instance, there are great SaaS companies like ****HubSpot** that don’t have a public product roadmap, but they do have a product roadmap blog. External product roadmaps are great at creating transparency, but you need to have somebody whose job is to follow them closely. Otherwise, it can easily become a toxic environment where anybody can ask questions about anything they want. Overall, I believe customer success can drive impact with a public roadmap. Since clients are always asking about feature releases, having a public roadmap would alleviate a lot of questions asked and force CS teams to be more proactive. Effectively, public roadmaps aim to put the customer in the driver's seat, or they at least provide a greater level of transparency. I would urge caution when implementing public roadmaps, making sure you have someone to monitor it. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **Q: How can voice of the customer programs tackle diversity, equity and inclusion best practices?** Often a company’s largest customer base is in the ‘home market’ and the foreign market - the customers in Asia - are considered a minority. Sometimes the APAC customer feedback is brushed aside or not addressed because the ROI doesn’t benefit the majority. But how can we help our minority customers have [their feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) put forward and adopted? Three words (or one, depending on your use of acronyms): **[return on investment (ROI)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-an-effective-customer-marketing-function-and-prove-roi/)**. You’ve got to remember: *little drops of water make a mighty ocean*. So, while smaller customers may be considered to be the minority, they shouldn’t be ignored. In reality, the bigger the customers, the more complex and demanding the customization tends to be. Usually, if you have one client requesting a feature update or something, it will normally only apply to them, as opposed to small clients who tend to have use cases that apply to other clients. But if you have a product roadmap you can identify clients who are interested in raising suggestions and log their requests. In effect, putting together say 5, 10, 15, or 20 smaller clients, you automatically have a stronger, more proportional argument than basing your decision on a feature request from one big client. If you are to take away one point from this interview, it would be this: focus on the process of logging your request. Put them on a board and make sure you know what your clients are interested in and quantify the ROI, the subscription, or whatever revenue target your company follows. Then you can quantify what is the expected ROI or how that feature would benefit a segment of our population of clients. --- *Like what you read? Unlock a treasure trove of customer success-related knowledge with a *[Customer Marketing Alliance membership plan](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/)*. Access **100+ hours of exclusive video content*, **articles*, **templates*, and **frameworks* today.* ****📝** ### How to structure a customer marketing team for maximum impact URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/unlocking-customer-marketing-success-insights-from-industry-leaders-on-structuring-your-team-for-maximum-impact/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:15:07.000Z A well-structured customer marketing team is a crucial part of achieving success and growth and our panel discussion, *Building & Structuring Your Team for Success*, at the Customer Marketing Summit provided key insight. Our panelists included: **Aunalisa Arellano**, Head of Customer Marketing Manager at Filevine, **Chad Mack**, Director of Customer Marketing at Dell Technologies, and **Elizabeth Raffa**, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at HackerOne. Together, they highlighted several factors that make a successful customer marketing team, focusing on structure, they also touched on the importance of cross-functional collaboration and providing growth opportunities for their team. This insight can be split into two main themes: - Maximizing team performance and growth - Building a strong foundation for your team # **Building a strong foundation for your team** Defining roles and responsibilities within a team is key to creating a working culture that promotes and encourages collaboration and growth. Our panelists here share their insights on their own experiences building and nurturing their teams. One key takeaway they shared is that setting the right expectations and goals is absolutely crucial. Elizabeth Raffa stresses the importance of keeping an eye on larger business goals and ensuring that the team's efforts align with these objectives. A huge part of this, she highlights, is setting the right expectations, building up your team whilst keeping in mind what is realistic and achievable, and communicating this all back to leadership to ensure streamlining and transparency. A key message Elizabeth integrates into this strategy to keep her and her team focused is thinking of herself as: > *‘The advocate for the advocate, advocating for our customer advocates and making sure that we're looking at the big picture, instead of being reactionary to things as they come up.’* Chad Mack similarly emphasized the need to prioritize requests and parse through the noise to focus on what is most critical to achieving success. By creating a sub-structure with leadership levels he further narrowed the scope. This structuring of his team also allowed for leadership opportunities and growth and cross-functional exposure. He expands on this by saying: > *‘I shuffled the deck, and gave people opportunities to work on different product sets, expand their skills, and their subject matter expertise and different products in the tech space.’* Another important aspect of team structure is building trust with the organization and stakeholders. Aunalisa Arellano shared how she had to build trust with her organization and establish foundational elements to ensure success. This trust also is key in structuring your team and providing opportunities for career advancement, fostering an environment for growth and development. Aunalisa Arellano encourages her team to select projects that interest them and offers stretch opportunities. She told us: > *‘I always like to make sure that there's ample opportunity for people on my team to select which projects interest them so that they can either take on tasks that are a challenge or stay in the realm that they felt the most comfortable in, because I know that success to everybody is different.’* In highlighting the value of customer marketing at her company, Hacker One, Elizabeth Raffa explains the opportunities for growth that come with it. Placing education at the forefront of these opportunities, her company encourages learning, as it benefits her, her team, and the company as a whole. In conclusion, customer marketing leaders understand that structuring a customer marketing team requires setting clear goals, building trust with stakeholders, prioritizing requests, and providing opportunities for growth and career advancement. These insights are absolutely invaluable for any marketer looking to maximize their team's impact and achieve success. # **Maximizing team performance and growth** When it comes to unlocking customer marketing success, our panel had some crucial tips for how to maximize team performance and growth, based on their own experiences. This included providing opportunities for skill development, cross-functional collaboration, and ongoing feedback and coaching. According to Aunalisa Arellano, finding a mutual goal and providing value to stakeholders is key, she said: > *‘If people aren't caring, and that common goal isn't working, I try and find somewhere where I can provide value to them.’* Elizabeth Raffa emphasized the importance of having cross-functional collaboration to streamline messages, keeping the tone of voice and information consistent, and ultimately saving time. Following this, Chad Mack stressed the value of partnering for success to prioritize customer relationships, not only within organizations but the field as well for identifying potential customer advocates and showing their value. Focusing on the field allows the company to show the value of customers, Chad explained: > *‘We don't want to just tell the rosy beautiful picture at the close of the implementation. We'd rather be with them throughout the course of their experience, and then understand their pain points and document those and share those in some way with our other customers in the community.’* These customer marketing leaders shared some final key takeaways to help other customer marketers structure their teams effectively. Aunalisa shared some great tips on setting the baseline for customer marketing success. She recommended tracking every act of advocacy and rewarding top customers, setting standards to ensure customer-generated content is being diversified, and reporting metrics to the leadership team. This sets teams up for success by streamlining them, helps avoid customer fatigue, and fosters customer advocacy. Elizabeth's advice was all about staying fully focused on goals and priorities to set yourself up for success. She stressed the importance of having a strategic plan handy and referring back to it as new initiatives are introduced, pulling attention continuously back to the main goals. And finally, Chad's number one takeaway was to: > *‘Do what you do best and outsource the rest’* This piece of advice particularly is so important for customer marketing teams, as safeguarding customer relationships needs to be the number one focus, everything else can be determined by focusing separate teams on what they do best. # **Final thoughts** The information and advice that these customer marketing leaders provided on our panel discussion hopefully has given you new ideas for how best to optimize your team! Investing in the ongoing education and professional development of your team fosters a culture that encourages creativity and rewards innovation. Additionally, it's important to establish a cross-functional team that collaborates successfully with other departments as this ensures streamlining and that the whole organization is working together towards common goals. By adopting a strategic plan to stay focused on the main goals and priorities, you can clearly define your team’s objectives. As well as this, your team must have the ability to be flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing needs, trends, and technologies of the customer marketing industry. Making sure these strategies are being continually reassessed, keeps your team ahead of the curve. ### We asked ChatGPT how it can help with customer marketing: Is this the future? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/we-asked-chatgpt-how-it-can-help-with-customer-marketing-is-this-the-future/ Last updated: 2024-02-05T15:48:04.000Z ChatGPT has the power to revolutionize the way you engage with your customers, but it prompts the question, is ChatGPT the future of customer marketing? One of the newer AI tools that has been gaining traction ever since it was released in 2022, ChatGPT offers possibilities for completely transforming the marketing landscape. It remains a trending point of discussion for marketers and customers alike. Is it a smart helping hand or is it the beginning of the end? To avoid bordering on technophobia, let’s read on! This article will break up this discussion into these main points: - [What is ChatGPT?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/be7c5b67-b1cb-4cef-b5cc-e69f4d96c8a6/#what-is-chatgpt) - [How can it help with customer marketing?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/be7c5b67-b1cb-4cef-b5cc-e69f4d96c8a6/#how-can-it-help-with-customer-marketing) - [Where ChatGPT can fall short](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/be7c5b67-b1cb-4cef-b5cc-e69f4d96c8a6/#where-chatgpt-can-fall-short) - [Final thoughts](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/be7c5b67-b1cb-4cef-b5cc-e69f4d96c8a6/#final-thoughts) ## **What is ChatGPT?** The American Marketing Association revealed in 2019 that the [implementation of AI had grown by **27%** ](https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/august-2019-cmo-survey-hiring-ai-on-the-rise/)in the previous year and a half, causing many to ask the question of how AI and tools like ChatGPT will factor into their work. It’s about to get meta, here’s how ChatGPT describes itself: > *"ChatGPT is an AI language model that can understand and generate human-like text … Think of ChatGPT as a digital assistant that can answer your questions, provide information, and carry out tasks, all through written communication. It can understand and respond to a wide range of topics, from general knowledge to specific industries or niches."* ChatGPT is an AI tool that is far more advanced than the usual chatbots we are familiar with. Using a type of machine learning called **deep learning**, it mimics the processing of a human brain to produce near-human responses. This means it can handle even the most complex requests, answering jargon-heavy industry questions, making a blog title more punchy, or even generating code. Freaky I know… ## **How can it help with customer marketing?** Customer marketing[ focuses on customer feedback and data ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-a-to-z-of-customer-marketing/)to foster customer relationships and loyalty, hinging on engagement and customer segmentation. In an industry focused on constant communication, whether in the form of social posts, or email marketing, a tool like ChatGPT seems invaluable, able to revolutionize marketing strategies. So, we asked ChatGPT how it can help with customer marketing, and here’s what it had to say: > Here are some ways in which I can help: > Customer segmentation: I can help you identify different customer segments based on demographics, psychographics, and behaviors. This can help you tailor your marketing messages and campaigns to specific groups of customers and increase your chances of success. > Content creation: I can assist you in generating ideas for content that resonates with your target audience, including blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, and more. > Data analysis: I can help you analyze customer data and extract insights that can inform your marketing decisions. This includes data related to customer behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns. > Competitor analysis: I can provide you with information on your competitors' marketing strategies, including their strengths and weaknesses, so you can develop a strategy that sets you apart from the competition. > Personalization: I can help you develop personalized marketing messages that resonate with individual customers. This includes using data to tailor messages to customer preferences and behaviors. > Campaign optimization: I can help you analyze the performance of your marketing campaigns and identify areas for improvement. This includes analyzing metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer engagement. > Overall, my abilities can help you gain a deeper understanding of your customers and develop more effective marketing strategies to reach and engage with them. As a starting list, these are all key areas in which AI could support a customer marketing team. Also, as an example, it highlights **the readability of ChatGPT in comparison to other AI-generated content**, which can often seem clunky and far too technical. However, this list lacks some of the more crucial ways in which ChatGPT can help, namely, email marketing, supporting content creation, automating repetitive tasks, and enhancing customer service. We’ll outline these important ways in which ChatGPT can benefit customer marketing below: 👇 ### **Email marketing** Effective email marketing campaigns aim to engage and **convert subscribers into loyal customers** and future customer advocates, focusing on things like click-through rates, customer engagement, and customer retention. However, sometimes it’s difficult to strike a successful balance between quantity and quality with this form of marketing. If you want consistent customer engagement without having your emails identified as spam, here’s where ChatGPT can help. **ChatGPT can generate personalized email marketing campaigns,** tailored to each customer’s interests and purchasing behavior. One of the ways this can be done is through **subject line optimization**. This is what your customers will see first; it’s the most important part of the email and can be produced or tested through ChatGPT to enhance engagement. ChatGPT can also use **A/B testing to analyze performance and make suggestions** for email design, content, and layout, keeping customers hooked well past the subject line. Another important aspect of email marketing that ChatGPT can assist with is **email segmentation**. It can identify patterns in behavior and help segment your email list accordingly. Based on these customer demographics, preferences, and interests, a segmented email list means you can send out personalized emails that’re more likely to resonate with, and engage your customers. [Improve and perfect your marketing practices with CMA CoreCustomer Marketing Certified: Core’s the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/11/brands-people-ZdqSuxl3Lak-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-certified-improve-and-perfect-your-marketing-practices/) ### **Content creation** One of the most crucial parts of marketing today is **content creation**, made harder by the ever-changing nature of industry trends, and knowing where to start can sometimes feel impossible. ChatGPT can produce ideas that you can then springboard off from, helping to write original, engaging, and SEO-driven content from only a few keywords and demands. It can also recommend meta tags and keywords that’ll boost SEO and discoverability. The human-like responses that ChatGPT creates can also help to generate social media posts for platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, adjusting according to each platform’s audience. You can direct it to rewrite any responses or edit your drafts in a snappier way or with a more informative tone, that again prioritizes keywords and trends for social media in a human voice. ![robot hand palm up](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/04/chatgpt_customermarketing_future.jpg) ### **Automate repetitive tasks** One of the more time-consuming parts of any marketing job is the constant scheduling of posts for social media, content creation, and sending out emails. According to a [2021 Hubspot report](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketers-routine-tasks-data?utm%5Fcampaign=blog-rss-emails&utm%5Fsource=hs%5Femail&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=24874134), **marketers spend almost a third of their time completing repetitive tasks**. Here, ChatGPT can work as your own personal assistant, freeing up time for you to focus on more important tasks. Using the vast database of ChatGPT, it can automate the processes that you usually manually complete, sending personalized emails, updating content, and creating posts for you, all on schedule. ### **Enhance customer service** As an AI tool that excels in its human-like conversational manner, ChatGPT can be trained to interact with customers and respond to frequently asked questions, making it far more appealing than a traditional chatbot. As well as being able to handle complex queries, ChatGPT works 24/7 and can be trained to operate in different languages, accessing and engaging with a wider customer base, improving customer service and satisfaction. [Seven proven tactics to hit home runs with your customer marketing and advocacy programsThe CEO and Co-founder of Crowdvocate talks about the seven tactics that will help you hit home runs with your programs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGal Biran![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/maciej-pienczewski-mi-tM1XMF84-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/seven-proven-tactics-to-hit-home-runs-with-your-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-programs/) ## **Where ChatGPT can fall short** But what about the human element of a role like customer marketing? Despite the appealing possibilities of ChatGPT, there are also places where ChatGPT lacks the same touch as a human marketer, such as accuracy, creativity, and emotional intelligence. ### **Accuracy** While ChatGPT accesses a wealth of data and is extremely intelligent, this data comes from the internet and so lacks complete assured accuracy. As it’s a recently developed tool and relies on learning over time, it can also sometimes provide incorrect information or flat, generic responses. In the same way, ChatGPT may also fail to understand the context, and with no source information, it becomes difficult to work out if the provided response is credible or not. ### **Creativity** ChatGPT is an AI tool and software that cannot understand the human emotions or humor that fuel many customer marketing campaigns. It’s therefore unable to echo actual human creativity, only providing ideas based on data research that needs human creativity to turn into a realized idea for content. ### **Emotional intelligence** Though the machine learning of ChatGPT generates near-human responses, it’s unable to ever match human decision-making or show emotional intelligence. Human experience, personal connection, and character are all fundamental to successful customer marketing. In an **industry that focuses on connection and engagement** between existing customers and the business, it’s the human touch that keeps these relationships meaningful. ## **Final thoughts** With tools like ChatGPT constantly emerging, offering to revolutionize your business or industry, it can sometimes feel as if your role may soon become obsolete. However, as this article hopefully shows, there’s no replacement for the human component in the world of customer marketing. ChatGPT is an extremely useful tool, and it should remain just that, a tool, implemented to support existing marketing teams and processes, not replace them. Nevertheless, the dawn of ChatGPT promises to optimize the customer marketing process, enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction, helping to provide new ideas, and assisting with repetitive tasks that can slow down operations. --- ### **Continue the conversation!** Talking to other customer marketers about the role of ChatGPT within your industry is key to staying ahead of the trends and getting crucial insight into how others are using the tool. Connect to our community of customer marketers here to join these important discussions. [Connect Here](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Customer Marketing Summit | April 2023 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-april-2023-ondemand/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:32:06.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit. Elevate the way you advocate your customers and enhance your strategy with the likes of Meta, Google, Dropbox, and more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Converting freemium users to paid users URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/converting-freemium-users-to-paid-users-template-framework/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T13:58:02.000Z ## What is a converting freemium users to paid users template? This template is a ready-to-use set of email and messaging examples designed to help product-led growth companies convert active freemium users into paying customers. Freemium is a powerful acquisition model, but the real value comes when those users upgrade. These templates are tailored to nudge engaged users over the line, using personalized messaging, timely offers, and strategic in-app prompts to drive conversions without being pushy. ## What’s inside the template? The template includes three high-impact messaging formats that speak directly to freemium users who are already seeing value from your product: - **Email Template #1:** A friendly check-in that segues into an upsell, prompting the user to think about long-term benefits. - **Email Template #2:** A time-sensitive offer that creates urgency and incentivizes users to act before a deadline. - **Email Template #3:** A short, effective in-app pop-up message triggered when the user tries to access a premium feature. Each message is crafted to convert users who are already active and engaged, ideal for maximizing ROI on your freemium user base. ## How to use the template 1. **Identify your engaged freemium users:** Use product analytics to segment those who are active and likely to convert. 2. **Choose the right message:** Match the template to the user behavior, whether it’s ongoing usage, engagement with premium features, or likelihood to convert with a discount. 3. **Personalize the copy:** Swap in your product name, feature references, and user name to give it a personal touch. 4. **Deliver through the right channels:** Use email, in-app pop-ups, or CRM tools to automate the message at the right time. 5. **Test and optimize:** Experiment with timing, subject lines, and CTAs to see what drives the highest conversion rate. This is a lightweight but powerful way to turn your freemium model into a revenue engine. ## Download your converting freemium users to paid users template ![Converting freemium users to paid users template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2025/06/Converting-freemium-users-to-paid-users--1-.png) [Converting freemium users to paid usersConverting freemium users to paid users.docx1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Converting-freemium-users-to-paid-users.docx "Download") [Converting freemium users to paid usersConverting freemium users to paid users.pdf87 KBdownload-circle](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/content/files/2025/06/Converting-freemium-users-to-paid-users.pdf "Download") [Converting freemium users to paid usersConverting freemium users to paid users Freemium plans are an increasingly popular acquisition tactic. In fact, according to OpenView, almost half (47%) of businesses offer a free trial to acquire new customers. But, at the end of the day, those freemium users need to convert into paid users to…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/icon/kix-favicon-2023q4-2.ico)Google Docs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/thumbnail/AHkbwyKDknXmAwM8UjX9FXwVjJmDCcdM73d9v6DNMo1n_M6I3IsHNUN0tA0xBGPofShk-9I1sjiFCy0e6Q6W--2MCl0ijpquIyihFwxS0s79PQ0Lg0VP_SCF-w1200-h630-p)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1laGYiifGY4rHXs7N%5Ffb7zTeOCgMZG1c65id3pNfCHLE/edit?tab=t.0) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Maria Braune | Perfect personalization: Why human connection is vital for your marketing | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/maria-braune-perfect-personalization-why-human-connection-is-vital-for-your-marketing-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:42:30.000Z > "People go through different stages... it's super important to really look at the data to fuel this personalization. Why? Because people are going to start to realize 'Hey, you know what I do like and what I don't like'. People tend to go toward that brand more..." In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Maria Braune, Director of Client Advocacy at DailyPay, about perfect personalization and why human connection is vital for your marketing. ## **Key talking points:** - Where you should implement personalization first, - How personalization supports growth, - Why it's more sustainable than acquisition - The impact of global events on personalization ## **About the guest:** Maria Braune, Director of Client Advocacy at DailyPay is a professional with a customer-first mentality. She is passionate about building programs that deliver customer value and can be scaled to meet the needs of a rapidly growing business. She is also a skilled cultivator of both customer and internal relationships and work closely with internal stakeholders to understand and meet their business goals. ## **Our sponsor:** **This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at influitive.com.** Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## ****Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the[ Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com?ref=customermarketingalliance.com). ### Customer marketing, all grown up: Integrating all customer advocate motions into a comprehensive vision URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-all-grown-up-integrating-all-customer-advocate-motions-into-a-comprehensive-vision/ Last updated: 2024-08-15T14:00:57.000Z Customer marketers, thanks for joining us as we talk about customer marketing all grown up. The inspiration for our topic came from working with customer advocate programs with highly integrated models. They are, in our view, the unicorns of customer advocacy. We believe more companies can and should be as advanced and impactful, but there aren't a lot of role models. We see a lot of programs with a variety of the customer marketing bases covered, such as reference management, community advisory boards, and so on, but these functions often don't know what the others are up to. It doesn't help that they may also reside in different departments. And too often the leaders of the departments don't give much thought to how their puzzle piece fits into the greater customer advocate puzzle. They're siloed, each limited in their respective potential. As you might guess, the silo effect only grows more prolific and gets more complicated in larger organizations. The lack of integration can be unintentional (due to a lack of vision, perhaps) or intentional (the result of organizational territorialism). There's a thread that connects all these advocate activities, but it's essentially invisible when there are silos. Meanwhile, unicorn programs are interconnected and coordinated. They operate as a system and their impact is exponential by comparison. There is no single correct way to organize a customer advocacy program, but there are common attributes among unicorn programs: 1. **Leadership** internalizes the vision of an integrated model. 2. **Coordination** is an operational imperative among the teams and departments that work with each other. 3. **Collaboration** processes are established and followed. 4. **Enabling technologies** are tightly integrated. If the value of an integrated model is crystal clear to you, then your mission is to share this vision with your leadership. Fortunately, sharing compelling stories is in essence what we do in this field, right? So without further ado, here's a story you'll want to share. ## **Silos = advocacy fatigue** The advocacy program at Genesys has an interesting and enviable origin story. The program as it exists today is nothing like it was even three years ago. In the before times, it was very siloed. We had reference fulfillment under sales, content creation under marketing, and various other stakeholders looking for references, case studies, and so on from our customers. As you can imagine, that created a lot of fatigue for the customer because they were being contacted by various stakeholders within Genesys for all kinds of asks. It also caused internal fatigue because sourcing customers and asking them questions takes time. ## **Global Customer Advocacy and Engagement** We knew we had a problem on our hands and we needed a more advocate-friendly way to approach our customers with requests, so we took people from sales enablement, customer marketing, and content marketing and pulled together a team called Global Customer Advocacy and Engagement. We chose the name of our team very strategically because not only do we want our advocates advocating on behalf of our company, but we also want them engaged. We don't just want to be asking from them; we want to be offering something that's of value to them. This team is now the one customer touchpoint, so they don’t have requests coming at them from all directions anymore. They're only getting asks from us, which allows us to build very deep relationships with our customers – that's paid off in spades for our advocacy program. Let's get into a quick overview of how the program is organized and staffed today. We have a VP over our program, and underneath her, we have four engagement directors. Each one is dedicated to between 30 and 50 strategic accounts in a certain territory. ![Advocacy and engagement hierarchy in organizations](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Psj03iFLvFxhxlLPUUKKXkYBK5YBV5uKaxi8Au-Rcr_QAuLvkyW7GlP_iF6JyiA8qYxBquaZBavJTQjOnGoSS-icpTVl4HNGj_wA7sc0RPOHjM5Uooqk9A0HUqrnICXnQae0-KfGshHdenXC) We are an extension of the account teams, working with sales and CS. We are in the QBRs in front of the customer, and they see us as part of the account team just like the other members. We're making sure that the experience that they have, both from a marketing perspective and a product and executive access perspective, is just stellar. Also on our team, we have a customer stories manager. This person is responsible for case studies, videos, and all those public-facing assets that you would expect to come out of a customer marketing team. She also does our customer innovation awards every year, which are very popular. Within this team, we have a couple of people who are dedicated to our voice of the customer programs, which entail things like customer roundtables, user groups, focus groups, advisory boards, and any program that collects feedback from our customers. Also on this team is somebody who manages our Genesys Customer Advocacy Program (GCAP). That person is also responsible for our review sites, including TrustRadius, G2, and Gartner Peer Insights. There are two people managing our Global Reference program – one in North America and one in EMEA so they’re able to cover the globe. They fulfill all of sales’ requests for references. Plus, there’s a customer engagement manager who works with several different territories. When new technology comes into the fold, she works on bringing those into our advocate program. Finally, one of the special things is that we are very lucky to have a dedicated admin that sits with our team on various calls, is up-to-date on everything that our team does, and can support us in a real-time fashion. ## **Our advocate journey** Our Global Customer Advocacy and Engagement team is engaged in the entire lifecycle of an advocate – right from the prospect phase. Let’s take a closer look at that lifecycle and what each phase involves. ![Lifecycle phases - prospect, new customer, and advocate](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wpKrmH3YXABURYq25-jJN_Iesb-cIn-UEyxmfoXInckzDqKm9kGrVAErodYkm_PSA3dggEYXG4kKyeYXoAceJ-CJaP9WmznO5lfEJhbkvlyzishGLvG1Js4fmOpwbx7fWfb1yTukaoCSaqbG) **Stage one: Prospect** – At this stage, they’re consuming content. They may be doing reference calls with us, or going to review sites to gather information. **Stage two: New customer** – Here, they can start to get involved in some awesome programs like go-live events. We also like to get new advocates involved with their peers through user groups or roundtables. **Stage three: Advocate** – As we look to do activities on a more regular cadence, we aim to build a deeper engagement through things like case studies, webinars, and speaking with the press and analysts. ## **A real-world example of customer engagement** Now we’re going to take a look at a real-world example of a recent customer engagement with Xerox. Right after we won the deal, we engaged the account team and outlined the value of our program not only to the customer but to the account team. We engaged Xerox in some of our voice-of-the-customer programs such as executive roundtables and user groups. This helped them connect with their peers and our product executives and get entrenched in the product. Plus, we submitted them as a candidate for our Customer Innovation Awards, which they won. We also had a cool opportunity to sponsor an IndyCar race driver last year and feature some of our customers in a logo pass-through on the car, and we were able to get the CTO, an avid IndyCar fan, to participate. We filmed an on-site video with them and engaged in a lot of different activities, celebrating and capitalizing on the Customer Innovation Awards and the IndyCar race. Through all this, we’ve deepened our relationship with Xerox, and we’ve created a success story and a customer video with them to celebrate that. ## **Advocacy program goals and measurement** We’ve had so many different KPIs throughout the years, but really, our overarching goal is to provide a seamless experience for advocates, as well as for our lines of business and stakeholders within Genesys. So, how do we showcase that? We showcase that through all of our metrics and dashboards. One part of our dashboard tracks acts of advocacy, but as you can imagine, that's not the flashy piece. The flashy piece is the revenue influenced. This truly shows the value of what our team does and how we impact revenue for the company as a whole. Those are just two examples of metrics that we track. You can also track metrics by product line, region, and vertical. Tracking everything you achieve in your CRM allows you to provide those metrics back to your company to highlight the success that your team has and show the value of what your team does. ## **Key learnings from building our program** It’s time to share some hard-learned lessons that we took from building out our Global Customer Advocacy and Engagement team. 1. **Align with sales and customer success orgs** – You absolutely have to have sales’ buy-in to support a program like this because they're one of your primary stakeholders within the organization. They’re the ones who are going to open their accounts up to you and trust you with those customers. They’ll also become your biggest champions when you're able to pull off successes with uour advocates. 2. **The engagement director role is the secret sauce** – Too often, advocacy teams let AEs and CSMs be the liaison between them and the customer. That's not our goal. Our goal is to have a one-to-one relationship with the customer, and the engagement director role allows us to do that. 3. **Be strategic with the programs you support** – What we've outlined today is the result of a growth process. We weren't doing all this from day one. You have to determine where to start – don't try to do everything at once. 4. **Have designated liaisons for other marketing functions** – As an example, we have an analyst relations team here at Genesys and a liaison for that team within our team. That means anytime they need a customer to talk to Gartner or Forrester, they will come to that liaison for help sourcing the right customer. 5. **Ensure your programs are part of the customer journey** – I'm sure everyone reading this has been pulled into some type of conversation about mapping out the customer journey from sales to CS to professional services. What often gets forgotten is what happens after the product has been implemented. We want to turn them into lifetime advocates, so we have to make sure we have a seat at that table. 6. **Be the customer’s sword and shield** – You have to make sure that requests from random people at your organization aren’t piling up on the customer. ## **Tips for success** 1. **Promote the work your team does** – Your work can too easily go unseen. Don’t let that happen. Instead, make a big deal about what your advocates do on your behalf. 2. **Educate, educate, educate** – We are constantly telling CS teams and new salespeople all about the resource they have in our team and how we can help them with reference calls, case studies, and more. 3. **Tie advocacy activity to revenue influenced** – This, more than anything, is what’s going to justify the existence of your team. 4. **Get in-region support** – Localized support will allow you to build relationships with the customer and your account teams that much faster, so make this a long-term goal. 5. **Create feedback loops** – Whether it's serving customers or sitting down in executive roundtables and user groups, we're constantly getting feedback from the customers and sharing that with the organization. Rather than letting that information fall into a black hole, we make sure that product hears about issues and that everyone celebrates wins with our customers. ### Ideal Customer Avatar: Understanding your brand story hero URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ideal-customer-avatar-understanding-your-brand-story-hero/ Last updated: 2023-03-30T09:13:42.000Z Digital marketing requires more than just technical know-how. Packing your website with SEO keywords, setting your demographics on Google Ads, finding all the right hashtags… Playing the numbers game and getting eyes on your stuff is just a small part of a much bigger picture. Effective marketing also requires empathy, creativity, and human connection – streamlined through storytelling. Good marketing portrays a **hero’s journey to a better life**, starring your audience (embodied by your Ideal Customer Avatar). Every word on your website should be for them. Their concerns and doubts, their hopes and dreams, the things they struggle with day to day, the things they don’t yet know they always needed. It’s on you to tell that story in a way that connects with their lives. ## **What is an Ideal Customer Avatar?** The **Ideal Customer Avatar** (ICA) is a character profile created by marketers to uncover the *benefits* they’ll use to sell a product or service. Marketing is character driven. Why? Because *life* is character driven. Your life is a tapestry of stories woven through space and time. So is mine. Which means top-quality copywriters don’t sell products – or even solutions. The best copywriters sell a **better version of life**. How can you write about a better version of life if you haven’t envisioned the details of the *unimproved* one? Your ICA is the character you take on your customer’s journey. You’ll **learn more** about them as you **teach them** more about you – and the valuable solutions you offer for problems they have. Put your ICA on a quest toward self-improvement. As a guide and narrator, your job is to provide knowledge and tools to help them grow along the way. ### **Enhance your potential customer’s journey via:** - Insightful blog articles - Free resources - Data and evidence - Entertainment value - Stories of those who’ve gone before **Your website’s words hold up a mirror** showing visitors a reflection of truth. Your *value proposition* shows them what that mirror would look like with a few tweaks here and there. How can you demonstrate the tweaks if you haven’t outlined the initial reflection? You’re basically the god of your website’s world, looking down from Mount Whatever and steering the course of all who enter your realm… But – maybe don’t think of it that way. ## **What to include in your Ideal Customer Avatar** What info to add to your ICA profile depends on your type of business, the complexity or sensitivity of the issue you address, the nature of your marketing outreach, and other factors. You’ll want some basic demographic details, especially when it comes to targeting relevant leads. Anything you can do to narrow the field will help. This step may require some actual research and outreach *(like the survey template included with Paul Blumer's* [*Brand Story Hero*](https://www.quillpoweragency.com/ideal-customer-avatar) *ICA guide).* [How to power up your brand storytelling with the hero’s journeyStorytelling is a massive subject and can turn into a lifelong journey of studying stories, especially in marketing. Stories are in everything. Not just advertising and brand storytelling especially is a science that anyone can utilize; anyone can do it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/ricardo-cruz-DCqvWkXF74Q-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-power-up-your-brand-storytelling-with-the-heros-journey/) ### **Ideal Customer Avatar details might include:** - Age - Education - Financial status - Family status - What they’re reading/watching - Location - Language Basically, your ICA profile should include whatever’s relevant to *the solutions you offer for problems they have.* [The heart of marketing: What’s the goal of brand storytelling?Stories are at the very heart of marketing. We’re taking a look at what should be two of the main goals of your storytelling: defamiliarizing your audience (ostranenie), and maintaining a consistent story they can engage with (willing suspension of disbelief).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceWill Whitham![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/dollar-gill-0V7_N62zZcU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/magic-of-marketing-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling/) Don’t waste time on extraneous details – but the more you know about them, the more connections you’ll be able to draw between your brand and their life, as you develop your brand-story digital marketing. **Pro tip:** It helps to actually *write out* your ideal customer avatar details by hand. You’ll be amused by some of the revelations you have while translating what’s in your head into words on a page. And it will definitely help you hone your craft and activate the empathy you’ll need to understand **what your customer gains** by picking up what you’re putting down. ## **How do you use an Ideal Customer Avatar for marketing?** Wherever you’re activating your brand voice, it should be tuned toward your ICA. As if you were having a one-on-one conversation with them in a comfortable, public space. Whether using your Ideal Customer Avatar for website development, SEO content creation, social media posting, email marketing, or anywhere else – keep in mind their struggles and hopes and dreams. Empathizing with what someone’s going through helps you discover deeper benefits that actually matter in their life. Building out your ICA gives you something to focus on, as you engage your storytelling brain to develop your website and digital marketing. It embodies an attentive audience to imagine and address, as you write about how your business helps people. Many copywriters and digital marketers use an Ideal Customer Avatar profile like the one below, as a reference tool for organizing their brainstorms – especially when working with a team, or on multiple different products/services. [How storytelling works to perfect customer marketingConstructing a narrative to communicate a message to an audience is one of the backbones of marketing. A gripping story can be used in all sorts of ways, by customer marketers, product marketers, sales, and everyone in between.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/joanna-kosinska-B6yDtYs2IgY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) ![Ideal Customer Avatar template](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zC38znydCk1pVeGTbifF6AE5kHV9Auc_bz2-xejJKCDLQZV8ENQAeAnM3XrnJDaFfFY-3mzZQgt3EBsqRRz_d8PeGEvU2Pb7lVpo4fVlGu6sxUtlILCRjvIYT6wHAR_Ngu02jgsO8-1_KUXuY_t-8RI) Your website pages should always speak to a specific ideal customer. Being too general means you won’t catch the eye of the most promising leads. Their searching eyes will flit right past you. Instead, know what your target audience is looking for – and demonstrate that you understand it deeply, and also know a great unique way to fix the problem. Ultimately though, despite the power of compelling storytelling, marketing isn’t magic – it’s momentum. Even the best copywriters only get a small percentage of click-through and/or conversion rates at each step of the **AIDA process** (a marketing term meaning Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) Top copywriters do their damnedest to draw out compelling elements of their Ideal Customer Avatar’s life, to get the best possible conversion rates – but they still have to play the numbers. Knowing your audience at every human level will help you narrow the field of that numbers game, to connect more deeply with the highest-likelihood prospects. But you still have to get it out there. The more ICA leads you attract and the more ICA-specific your customer’s journey, the more people will make it through your marketing funnel to peak value and better lives. ## **Can you have more than one Ideal Customer Avatar?** Most businesses have more than one ICA because most products and services aren’t that tightly niched. But effective marketing is tight like that. So like anything else in digital marketing, how many Ideal Customer Avatars you need falls along a spectrum. For example, if you’re selling women’s shoes, you may have one Ideal Customer Avatar representing someone actually *wearing* the shoes – and an additional unique ICA for someone buying the shoes *as a gift* for someone in their life. Those different but related Ideal Customer Avatars may each deserve their own campaign – especially around the various marketing holidays. In which case you’ll *definitely* want to lay out individual ICA profiles for each. The more details you can compile for each specific ICA, the better. Sometimes that means sending a survey or another opt-in incentive for segmenting. Sometimes it means serious market research. *Always* it means empathy and nurture. Whatever their technical specs though, every business with human customers should be able to write a hero’s journey story with their Ideal Customer Avatar as the main character. At the end of the day, *that’s what digital marketing is* – **an illustrated narrative of self-improvement.** ### How to build a successful brand ambassador program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-a-successful-brand-ambassador-program/ Last updated: 2023-03-24T11:27:33.000Z Welcome. In this article, we're going to be covering advanced customer programs. we're going to begin by diving into: - How to create brand ambassadors, - Some benefits of the program, - The fundamentals of creating engagement for these programs, and - The importance of creating an outline and charter to support the program’s success. ## Beginning an advanced customer advocacy program Now out of all these different advanced customer programs that you could create, I would say if you had limited resources and needed to pick just one program to start with, it would have to be developing a brand ambassador program. And the reason for that is because customer brand ambassadors are essentially an exclusive group of your most engaged customer practitioners who openly share their expertise, best practices, and strategies to help other customers be successful. Typically you want to bring together a group or class of around 30 to 50 customers to participate. ## Benefits of a brand ambassador program: Some of the benefits of creating a brand ambassador program include: - Leveraging ambassadors for thought leadership, speaking engagements, and overall evangelism of your company and brand. - Sharing ongoing [product feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) and influencing the roadmap. - Helping drive deeper product adoption across the customer base. - Leveraging them to help you identify future advocates. - Creating a pipeline of customers willing to give references. ## 8 steps of a successful ambassador program As you plan to create a brand ambassador program, I’ve mapped out an 8-step approach that you can follow to create a highly engaging program for your customers. Let’s dive into it: ### Step 1: Talk to your diehard customers This gives you an opportunity to find out what your customer hot buttons are and how you can align your program to things your customers care about. - This is where personal branding, peer networking, and rewards and recognition become paramount. ### Step 2: Create exclusivity Make sure the program is 30-50 members MAX - limiting the size of the program to just 30-50 will create exclusivity. And the reason why you want exclusivity is because you want to emphasize that becoming a brand ambassador takes commitment, time, and expertise. It's not open to everyone by design. ### Step 3: Establish a program charter You want to think about what criteria you have for selecting members: - What are some of the benefits? - What are some of the opportunities for each of the members that get involved? And it also sets the cadence and outlines what’s planned for the year. I also think it’s helpful to include criteria for how long the engagement should be - I recommend at least 1 year and refresh it regularly so you can bring in new people and remove customers that may no longer be motivated or it wasn’t a great fit. ### Step 4: Shock and awe opportunities What I mean by shock and awe, is that it all comes down to customer experience. - How can you surprise and delight these members? - How can you keep their attention and engagement for an entire year? Part of that is providing opportunities for them to connect with each other, with product leadership, your executive leadership team like your CMO as well as mentorship opportunities. And at the end of the day, it’s having fun and pushing the envelope - hosting experiential events like bringing in a mixologist or having a 1-2 day forum that’s completely white glove treatment. [Jennifer Susinski | Why customer advocacy can perfect customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-up“The first thing to understand is that all customers are looking for more than a product...” In this episode, we talk to Jennifer Susinski about her understanding of customer advocacy as a customer advocacy and experience manager for over seven years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceJennifer Susinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/10/CMA-Catch-up-Podcast---Template--1-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/) ### Step 5: Establish an engagement cadence How often will the customers be required to connect - Is it monthly? Quarterly? Bi-annually? - What are the time commitments that they should be aware of? ### Step 6 Determine communication channels Will you engage via email, slack, and webinars? And how often? ### Step 7: Require online applications to vet candidates Once you have an established brand ambassador program, you can create an online application process to help you weed through the very best customers that should participate. This also helps you create a pipeline of future advocates you can use for your other programs like references, peer reviews, or user group meetings. This also helps you with picking customers based on product expertise and tenure using your [solutions, location, and geography](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/). This helps to ensure you apply a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens so you can have a well-rounded group of ambassadors. The end goal is to be very thoughtful in who you select for your 30-50 customers. [How to build a successful ambassador program of customer evangelists through CABsToday, we’re going to be discussing how to build a successful ambassador program of customer evangelists, setting up customer advisory boards, case studies, and a whole lot of great things.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAnita Raj![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/12/mic-narra-RA3f0b26qwE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-a-successful-ambassador-program-of-customer-evangelists-through-cabs/) ### Step 8: Repeat Repeat the process year after year to refresh the customers participating in the program. ## Brand ambassador engagement strategies Now as you look to provide opportunities for your ambassadors to lean in and engage with your team and the broader company, here are a couple of ways you can think about focusing them on initiatives that will drive the greatest impact. The first is giving them access to some kind of product sandbox that they can essentially tinker with to create content for you. The sandbox should also include all the latest product enhancements and upgrades so they can really experience the very best of your technology and can help you create content, guides, etc. from there. In addition, a few engagement opportunities I want to highlight include: - Hosting quarterly or bi-annual Product Feedback sessions between your ambassadors and your marketing teams to go through the roadmap. - As part of this you can also host regular CX feedback sessions and perhaps loop in your support, sales, and CS teams to take notes and ask how they can make the buying experience better for these customers. - You can also present a number of speaking opportunities each quarter and work with your events team to flush these out - everything from user conferences, and webinars to field marketing events. - It goes without saying but leverage these ambassadors for participation in reference calls, writing a peer review and actively posting tips/tricks content in your community. - They can also be great resources for event promotion and referring advocates - you can even host fun competitions so they can earn swag for referring future advocates. - You should also leverage these ambassadors for customer stories and user-generated content to help with product adoption for new customers that are just getting started with your products. ## Program charter template Now, when you're thinking about building out your program charter, here are a couple of things that you want to include. Number one is having a crystal clear mission statement. What specifically is your program all about and what are the expectations for the customers? ### Example The analytics ambassador program is a prestigious group uniting the most passionate and strategic analytics users from around the globe to help spread their best practices and expertise to help other analytics customers thrive. As part of the mission statement, you can include the goals and objectives - is the program designed to help with customer retention? Product feedback? Influence new business or maybe even all of the above? Spell it out clearly in the charter. You also want to be clear in the criteria and requirements: - Is it based on the number of years of experience that a customer has using our technology? - Is it based on where they're located by region? - Is it from a DEI standpoint to ensure you have a well-rounded makeup of users across different backgrounds? From a benefits standpoint, what’s in it for the customer? - Is it access to your team and company? - Is it an elevated title or improving their band or reputation? And the last one is the legalese and T&Cs to make sure the customers are under NDA for product feedback as well as outlining the legal requirements so there is fairness in the selection process and it’s written out. ## Yearlong program outline Now once you kick off the program, here’s a guide that you can use to help you plan out the major milestones throughout the year with your ambassadors. This includes things like - Announcing new members publicly to help them get recognition and awareness. - Providing a welcome call to kick off the year and let your customers know what they can expect. - Provide mentor opportunities among members to help facilitate peer networking and learning. - Opportunities to engage during your user conference and drive awareness of your programs through booths or activations. - Quarterly product deep dive sessions with your PMs. - Providing a 1-2 day ambassador forum exclusively for your advocates to connect with your team, provide feedback, and more. ![Yearlong program outline graphic. Read details above.](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QaKOSgEpsqfQj7TNQZtirPGkBEEuSvzjhEArg2YjvOMoZGvVKzy1FFqZU24dbgxduAtnYeCNBVHE2X-ysEI3GZ1dwQaU1qvL_cEzITsmwdecnTjGE5jaAnlH2mLytbpCf8CTouGHllotsGftOMmV058) ## Brand ambassador selection Now as you begin to run an ambassador program for several years, I wanted to highlight a few ways to make it easier for you in selecting new ambassadors year after year. I mentioned using an application process to vet customers based on expertise and years of experience using your products. What I want to talk about now is the judging process and ensure you pick the very best customers for your ambassador program. Create an internal judging team to help you review customer applicants and ultimately select your 30-50 ambassadors. - PM - CS - Sales - Support - Marketing Give them a scoring rubric for judging based on a number of key criteria that have points associated with each category such as: - Industry (1-10) - Region (1-5) - Diversity (1-10) - Role/Title (1-5) - Acts of advocacy in the past (1-15) - Candidate referral (1-15) - Length of product usage (1-10) - Company name/brand (1-15) - Experience with other products (1-5) - Partner or agency vs. brand (1-10) - Total score possible = 100 pts. Again, each of the scoring elements will vary for you but hopefully, at least this gives you a template to work with. And then lastly, after you’ve had a chance to judge your applicants, I would recommend conducting really short 15-20 min interviews with the top 20-30 customer candidates. You can ask them basic questions about their background and experience with the product outside of what you captured in the application to really see if they are a good fit. Ultimately, you want to know if they have the time to invest in your ambassador program. ## Build your knowledge This article was a sneak peek into the content in Customer Marketing Alliance's **[Customer Advocacy: Certified Program](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Adiac4r%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3OTY1NTc0Mi41NDQuMC4xNjc5NjU1NzQyLjAuMC4w)**. This certification will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Adiac4r%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3OTY1NTc0Mi41NDQuMC4xNjc5NjU1NzQyLjAuMC4w) ### Cetiera Carmona | Five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cetiera-carmona-five-types-of-customer-data-to-leverage-during-the-growth-stage-of-the-customer-journey-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2025-01-23T16:45:30.000Z > **"Data is something that I recognize as being incredibly powerful in being able to successfully serve your customers in a way that makes sense for the business... it really can increase your time and value, help you scale your programs and get you to success faster...."** In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cetiera Carmona, Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, about the five types of customer data to leverage during the growth stage of the customer journey. ## **Key talking points:** - The five types of data to prioritize. - Factors used to assess data such as health scores and personas. - How this data can be used. - AI and automation, and its relationship to data collection. ## About the guest: Cetiera Carmona is the Senior Manager, Customer Growth at BigCommerce, a flexible, open SaaS platform leading a new era of ecommerce. She is responsible for developing, deploying, analyzing and constantly improving robust multi-channel customer retention campaigns and programs that help increase engagement with our user base, improve usage and adoption of our products, and reduce churn. Cetiera has over seven years of experience in the marketing space, and has a BA in marketing from the University of Texas at San Antonio. ## Our sponsor: This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at [influitive.com.](https://influitive.com/) Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the[ Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com). ### Alliance paid members Slack community | Welcome Session URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/alliance-paid-members-slack-community-welcome-session/ Last updated: 2023-03-29T11:09:54.000Z Join our Alliance Slack community welcome session for all paid members. It's your chance to learn more about the purpose of this space. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Top ten best practices for driving customer demand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-ten-best-practices-for-driving-customer-demand/ Last updated: 2025-06-03T11:48:27.000Z Hi, everybody. Thanks so much for joining us today to learn about our top 10 tips for driving customer demand. We’re Shanann Monaghan and Seema Rizvi, and we work at Google Cloud building upsell and cross-sell programs across our portfolio of products. We’re very excited to share our top tips for building a powerful upsell engine that drives value for your customers and revenue for your business. If you're just getting started with building upsell programs and campaigns, our tips are laid out in our suggested order of operation. Tip number one is your starting point, and then we’ll layer on tips two, three, four, etc., until you have a well-built upsell engine by tip number 10\. That means even if you're already an upselling expert, hopefully, we'll have a couple of new ideas for you today. Let's go ahead and jump right into tip number one. ## Tip #1: Outline your vision for customer growth This tip is a foundational starting point. What are you trying to build? How will it help your business? In most businesses, you reach a tipping point where your current customer base becomes big enough that it can be driving as much or more revenue than your net new prospects. This is when it becomes critical for marketing to build a truly full-funnel lead generation engine. You're not only acquiring new business, but you're also [engaging and growing your existing customer base](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-universal-tips-for-any-business/). ![Customer funnel of acquisition, engagement, growth, and advocacy](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xGbl3uyItHJ0xhmhJ6x1jtYaULYRhJq1m0UhGnFc0CD8B_s-7hmgyDB5FUmccWPp6r5P0PqHhRXoUvk4fy0F06xFHHTaSjm_k0Xml3CAB4UKncYtO0s3SKWCGxkOBTebFaIHJdm_9RHbWmRDMv-Gb2M) The image above gives you a look at that full-funnel marketing engine. All marketing organizations start by prospecting and acquiring new business, but over time, you need to invest in engaging and growing your existing customer base as well. Ultimately, customers who are engaged and growing will become your advocates. [Developing impactful advocacy programsWe catch up with Dave Hansen, Sinead O’Grada, Tim Newborn, and Josh Zerkel to talk about the best ways to develop an advocacy program that’ll actually make an impact.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceSinead O’Grada![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/jordan-mcdonald-vkx0kgKx9VA-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/) ## Tip #2: Find your upsell champions As you build out your upsell engine it is critical to find internal advocates who understand why upsell is a key revenue driver and will support you in building out the engine to drive customer growth. At a minimum, you need alignment and buy-in from sales, operations, and customer success. We’d recommend trialing a [few upsell programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/cross-selling-and-upselling-an-introduction-and-best-practices/) to see what works and what doesn't for engaging your customers. This will also help you to identify potential gaps in your processes and operations. Once you’ve had a few wins, you'll start to build momentum and interest in your upsell program. When you've demonstrated some success, consider creating an upsell council across key stakeholders to formally align on goals, processes, funnel stage definitions, and criteria. Ultimately, you want to get to a place where upsell goals are part of the overall demand goals for the business and different teams are accountable for upselling. This is going to help set you up for success ## Tip #3: Organize your customer data You can’t run an interesting or sophisticated upsell program without having access to organized and trackable customer data. Make sure you're tracking all of the following customer data points: - [**Demographics**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) – Including location and job title. - **Product usage** – Which products and features are they using and how often? - [**Segmentation**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) – By industry or business size. - [**Customer lifecycle**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) – Are they onboarding, coming up for renewal, etc? A mistake I've seen in many companies is that they jump right into building and trying to execute upsell campaigns before quickly realizing that they don't have the data or operations in place to support this. The big tip here is to become best friends with your internal data or internal operations team. These are the people who are going to make it possible for you to have all of the infrastructure you need to run your campaigns. ## Tip #4: Map your personas and your customer journey An important step to building out your customer demand engine is to deeply understand your audience. At the end of the day, you’re talking to another human, so doing the work to build out your personas and customer journey is critical. [Setting expectations for customers throughout the journeyPart of providing a great experience lies in managing realistic customer expectations. Overpromise and under deliver, and you may find yourself without repeat custom and a very damaged reputation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEmma Bilardi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/Setting-expectations-customer-journey--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/setting-expectations-for-customers-throughout-the-journey/) Who are your key personas? These could include decision-makers, stakeholders, and influencers as well as your users. You want to understand what they’re in charge of, what they care about, what keeps them up at night, and how your product or solution can help them. It’s a great idea for anyone who's working on customer demand to find opportunities to speak with customers directly. What was their journey to your product or solution? What problem were they looking to solve, and why did they come to you? And, importantly for driving customer growth, what are they looking to do next? Thinking about your personas so that you really understand the human you're connecting with can bring so much life to your marketing. In addition to building out your personas, it's also very important to map out your customer journey in order to understand what is the best next new product or use case to surface to your customers. Data, again, is critical here, so work cross-functionally to gather insights from product marketing and customer-facing teams. You’ll also want to leverage product usage data to understand, for example, product overlaps and key product clusters that drive growth. [Prioritize personas to build a detailed lifecycle frameworkKnowing your personas and continuously researching, interviewing, and validating your personas is essential to developing meaningful and relevant multi-channel content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAdria Fischer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/08/pine-watt-3_Xwxya43hE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/prioritizing-personas-as-an-investment-in-building-a-comprehensive-lifecycle-framework/) ## Tip #5: Leverage data for propensity models Because you've collected so many interesting insights about your customers, you can now leverage data to target the right message to the right person at the right time. The goal here is to ensure you are being helpful and considerate with your upsell tactics. You don't just want to blast your entire customer database with offers; you want to understand who has a high, medium, or low propensity for the products or services you provide. We use propensity models for all of our cross-sell campaigns. If a user has X product, how likely are they to be interested in Y? If our data shows that they have a high likelihood of being interested, we include them in our campaign. This is an always-on ongoing model. This month, a user might not show a high propensity for a certain product, but maybe six months from now they'll show more interest. At that point, the propensity model will put them in the high or medium category, and they’ll get added to our campaign, which may include emails, ads, and webinars. ## Tip #6: Create content customers find engaging Now that you know who you're talking to, make sure you're creating content that customers will find valuable and that delivers the right message at the right time. Remember: customers, particularly users, will already have some familiarity with your product, so you can dive a little deeper than you would with people at the top of the funnel. Here are a few types of content that we’ve found customers respond well to: - **Educational and how-to content** – Blogs and short videos are great formats for this. - **Product deep dives** – Depending on your product and audience, this could be a technical deep dive. Go deep with a subject matter expert into a key feature; your customers will eat that up. - **New features and product launches** – Build programs to highlight your new products and features, and engage your customers with opportunities to speak to product experts. - [**Customer stories**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/) **and co-learning** –Consider customer roundtables or webinars that will allow customers to learn from one another about what they did with your product, what worked, what didn't work, and what they would have done differently. This can kickstart new upsell opportunities and accelerate opportunities through the funnel. The key takeaway here is to ensure that whatever content or program experience you build provides value to your customers. Ultimately, if you're providing value, and you're building trust and connection, your customers will come back to you and grow with you. ## Tip #7: Lean into new marketing channels It is so fun to leverage new marketing channels and connect with customers in different ways. One of our favorite channels is in-product. In-product banners and notifications are incredibly effective and engaging. We are very thoughtful about how we use this channel. It usually needs to be something like a tier-one event or a targeted learning opportunity for us to put it in-product. A great piece of software that we've used to run our in-product messaging is Pendo. It's really easy to use to set up banners, notifications, and targeting. Once we have it all set up, we can work with our product or design teams to review it and make sure everything looks good before we push it live. Then once it is live, we can go back into Pendo to see the number of views and clicks and evaluate the overall performance. Overall, we've seen our in-product promotions perform extremely well compared to other channels. As long as you make sure that what you share is going to be valuable to your customer base, this is a great channel to use. Other marketing channels that you might want to lean into include online communities, user groups, and conferences. These are great opportunities to engage deeply with your existing customers. ## Tip #8: Invest in your biggest customers We've talked a lot about building the right content, building the right programs, and finding ways to engage with your customers. Now it’s time to focus on investing in your biggest customers. In a way, this is fairly straightforward. You want to identify which of your large accounts you can grow, and then build thoughtful programs to engage and grow them. Critical to this work is partnering with sales, customer success, and other stakeholders such as sales engineering to build your target account list. You’ll need to continue working closely with these stakeholders to build the right programs, the right content, and shared accountability through shared goals. This will help set you up for success in growing those strategic accounts. We created a program called Looker Data Days, which we found to be very successful in engaging our strategic accounts. These were 90-minute sessions featuring customer speakers from the account, so they provided a way for our customers to be subject matter experts within their organizations. We also tapped into our own product experts to present on areas that we knew the customer was interested in learning more about, and we always provided a relevant demo. In addition to driving growth within an account, this is a great way to expand into subsidiaries – especially with large enterprise accounts – by showing the broader value that your product provides. ## Tip #9: Educate your team on customer follow-up Prospects and customers should not be treated the same. Oftentimes your sales development team is trained on all things prospecting; however, it's also important to work together to develop a thoughtful approach to customer conversations. Be sure your team is aligning with AEs and CSMs, leveraging existing CRM notes, and digging into things like product usage or existing pain points before reaching out to customers. We have an incredibly close relationship between marketing and our sales development team. We sync with them bi-weekly, we review upcoming campaigns with them, and we get feedback from them on our upsell scripts and how the messaging is resonating on calls. We also check in on our upsell numbers and how our teams are tracking towards our shared goals. Having this alignment and collaboration is so important for upselling success and making sure you're working together to hit the goals that drive revenue for your business. Plus, all of this is really going to impress your executive team. [Streamline customer marketing with journey and product insights to impact advocacyI’ll run through the pillars of B2B customer marketing and share some tips on how to get started. Then we’ll look at how to use data to streamline engagement across the customer journey and how to engage with your customer advocate base at scale.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceGal Biran![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/heidi-fin-M2Kxb80gqcc-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/streamline-customer-marketing-with-journey-and-product-insights-to-impact-advocacy-and-upsell/) ## Tip #10: Showcase your wins Everything we discussed about alignment and goals was to help you get to this final tip – showcase your wins. This is your opportunity to shine. You want to show that you are driving the business forward. We generally focus on marketing qualified leads as our high-level KPIs because that's what matters most to the business. Whichever metrics you choose to report on, it’s critical that they align with the wider business goals. A couple of tips: - **Build a consistent cadence for highlighting your work** – Whether it’s a regular sales and marketing meeting, a demand meeting, a newsletter, or a quarterly recap, make sure you're consistently sharing what you're doing. - **Focus on the high-level numbers for your leadership team** – You can dive into the details with your smaller teams to find ways to optimize your programs, but at the leadership level, they want to know what is driving the business. - **Put your key metrics in dashboards that you can share across the business** – You want to show how you're creating leads and opportunities and how you're driving pipeline. That's going to highlight just how valuable the work you're doing is. At the end of the day, upsell is a critical revenue driver. You want to be part of any sort of pipeline or demand council to ensure visibility and accountability for upsells throughout the business. Hopefully, the tips and steps we've outlined will help you get there. ## A quick recap Let's quickly recap our top ten tips for driving customer demand. 1. Outline your vision for customer growth. 2. Find your upsell champions. 3. Organize your customer data. 4. Map personas and your customer journey. 5. Leverage data for propensity models. 6. Create content that customers find engaging. 7. Lean into new marketing channels. 8. Unvest in your biggest customers. 9. Educate your team on customer follow-up. 10. Showcase your wins. We hope that this was helpful and you've either picked up some new ideas or been inspired to build your own upsell and cross-sell marketing engine that will help drive value for your customers and revenue for your business. ### Company factors impacting Customer Marketing wages URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/company-factors-impacting-wages/ Last updated: 2024-04-15T13:40:23.000Z Here at [Customer Marketing Alliance](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/), we've been doing a deep dive into customer marketing salaries and the factors impacting them. We wanted to explore how much of an impact other company factors had on the salary of customer marketing. This article will consider factors like - The most lucrative industries - Growth stage - Company revenue - Employee headcount - The size of customer marketing teams, and - Company culture # Company factors ## **Most lucrative industries** Our results show that eCommerce had the highest average salary when compared to other industries in our data pool with an average salary of **$133,333**. In second and third position, we had Advertising & Marketing **($126,562)**, and Software & Information **($125,915)**, with Computer & Networking being the industry with the lowest average salary for customer marketers **($87,500)**. ![Average salaries for different industries and the percentage they made up of our survey pool](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.12.33.png) It’s important to consider that eCommerce and Computer & Networking make up the smallest percentages of our data pool, so it makes sense that these two make up the extremes of the average. Taking this into consideration, Advertising & Marketing had the highest average of the larger data groups, at **$126,562**. This is **$5,069** higher than the global average. This is unsurprising due to customer marketing being a marketing role. It’s also unsurprising that Software & Technology Information ranked second highest in the larger data groups, at **$125,915**. B2B businesses and SaaS companies make up the majority of company types in our data collection. In this type of business its vital to have a strong rapport with your existing customers, as the majority of customers will be those that use your product for a significant period of time. Customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, and customer retention play a large part in the success of these types of businesses in particular. Psst, did you know that our [Customer Marketing Alliance members](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) get early and unrestricted access to all of our reports past, present and future? [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## **Salary at different growth stages** From our results, we can see that the growth stage with the highest average salary is companies in the mid-growth stage, with an average salary of **$122,500**. This is followed up by Enterprise companies at **$120,286** with the lowest salary average being from companies at the early post-product fit stage **($119,642)**. ![Average salaries based on the growth stages of each company](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.14.23.png) The common trend is for customer marketers to be introduced to the company structure during periods of heavy growth, where a larger customer base is being established. This is shown in our data, with mid-growth companies offering the highest average salary, though in actual fact it’s those in late growth/scale up businesses that make up the largest percentage of our data. When companies experience large amounts of growth, often the responsibilities on smaller teams increase exponentially prior to teams getting bigger in size. Perhaps the higher average salary for mid-growth companies reflects this added responsibility for those in these companies. For enterprises, managing large customer groups, and keeping each segment happy is not easy. And for mid-growth companies, it’s vital for loyal customers to remain happy with the services while still allowing the company to change as it grows. **Note:** Early pre-product fit stage was omitted due to it’s small data size, so as to not affect the integrity of the other data. ## **Salary by company revenue** Next, we’ll look at revenue. The assumption is that companies with higher revenue will be able to provide their customer marketers with a salary that reflects that growth. ![The average salaries for each salary range and the percentage each range made up in our survey pool ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.15.09.png) **Note:** 4.3% of our responders didn’t know their companies annual revenue From our data, it seems that revenue has little to do with the base salary for customer marketers. Though some of the ranges follow our hypothesis - particularly with the 1B-2B range having the highest average salary at **$156,451** \- others veer off the trend completely. This is most notable with the less than $500,000 range ranking second with a salary average of **$143,750**. ### **Bonuses by company revenue** When we explored how our participants felt about their bonuses, several customer marketers stated the desire for bonuses to be awarded based on personal achievements rather than other factors like company revenue. It comes as no surprise then, that, although salaries didn’t fit with our hypothesis, bonuses did. The ranges with the highest average bonus were ‘more than 2B’ **($22,214)** and 1-2B **($16,732)**. ![Average bonuses based on the salary ranges of company revenue](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.17.23.png) While it's good to see that bonuses are being rewarded as a reflection of company revenue, it seems that a lot is still left to be desired when it comes to bonus satisfaction for customer marketers. With the desire expressed for higher bonuses, and for bonuses to be awarded on performance rather than revenue, perhaps we’ll see a more even spread of bonus averages in the upcoming years. You can read more about bonus satisfaction in part four of this report. ## **Salary by employee headcount** We’ve already seen that our survey responders come from a variety of companies at different stages of growth. We wanted to see how this reflected in the employee headcount, and how, if at all, this impacted salaries. ![Employee headcount range of our survey pool](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.18.13.png) It seems that the majority of our survey responders **(65.1%)** come from companies with between 200-5,000 employees. Broken down, **27.6%** come from companies with an employee headcount of between 1,000 to 5,000, **19.6%** from 500-1,000, and **17.9%** from 200-500\. **0.7%** come from companies with ten or fewer employees, making up the smallest percentile in our data group. ### **Average Salary** When the average salary is broken down by employee headcount, the results look like this: ![Average salary based on employee headcount](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.19.01.png) The group with the highest average salary was 1-10 with an average of **$156,250**. However, it’s important to note that this range only makes up **0.7%** of our overall data pool. Delving in deeper, the range of this small percentage was quite large **($75,000-$200,000+).** As a result this number is not really indicative of the whole picture. The next highest numbers paint a more even spread, with the range of 500-1,000 which had an average of **$128,625**. The group with the lowest average salary was 5,000-10,000 at **$108,625**. Looking at this data, there’s not a ton of correlation to find in this set, but it’s worth noting that companies with 1,000 employees or fewer have higher overall averages in salary than those with larger employee headcounts. This is likely due to the level of workload and the number of employees available to distribute it between. We know that the majority of customer marketers work solo, and so take on a higher workload regardless of company size. ## **Customer marketing team size** Focusing on customer marketing teams specifically, our next question was whether the size of customer marketing teams affected salaries. Given that it’s most common for customer marketers to work in teams of one, how might this change what their base salary is? ![The size of customer marketing teams](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.20.22.png) **Note:** Those that selected ‘Other’ worked in companies where there wasn’t a dedicated customer marketing team. The majority of customer marketers in our data set work alone **(24.3%)**. Following this group, the next highest team sizes represented were 2-3 **(20.3%),** 3-5 **(15.9%)**, 5-10 **(12.3%)**, and, as a slight outlier, teams of 25+ **(9%)**. Another common desire expressed among several of those in our data group was that they wanted a larger team, over things like bonuses. As the majority comes from teams of five or fewer **(60.5%)** this is not such a surprising request. The work customer marketers do is vast, and many of their responsibilities are as equally vital as the next. With only one or two people to split these tasks between, this issue for customer marketers becomes more of a problem of resources than salary. It will be interesting to see how companies address this issue; whether this will be reflected by teams growing in size will remain to be seen. ### **Average salary** ![Average salary based on customer marketing team size](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.20.53.png) It seems that size of the team has less of a bearing on average salary, though it is important to note that three of the highest average salaries were held by those in teams of 5 or less, with the one outlier being teams of 20-25 with the highest average in our data set, **$137,500**. Of the factors we’ve considered in this section, however, employee headcount seems to have the most impact before company revenue and growth stage. Though revenue had a noticeable impact on average bonuses, it seems that the smaller the customer marketing team, the higher the average salary. ## **Company culture** ![Company culture that made up our survey size](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.21.34.png) **Note:** Those that selected ‘Other’ described their companies as need-led, philanthropy-led, and employee-led. Of the people we surveyed, most come from product-led companies **(40.9%)**, with customer-led **(27.6%)** and sales-led **(23.5%)** cultures coming in second and third. Though the assumption may be that customer-led cultures would be where customer marketing thrives, the reality is that there aren't that many companies that would ascribe themselves this label. Rather, the presence of customer marketing teams in product-led and sales-led companies might show that customer marketing is leveraged to accommodate for this difference. While the company overall is not customer-led, the very existence of dedicated customer marketing teams acknowledges that this type of culture and approach is important. ### **Salary by culture** So, how does this impact salary? Surprisingly, we found that the culture with the lowest average salary was customer-led, at **$116,295**. The highest position was claimed by marketing-led cultures **($140,972)**, of which only **6%** of our participants came from. Product-led **($120,670)** and sales-led **($123,714)** had similar averages and made up the majority of our participants' responses. ![Average salary based on company culture](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-14-at-17.22.10.png) It’s interesting that companies that consider themselves customer-led have the lowest average salaries for their customer marketers despite making up **27.6%** of company cultures represented. It may be the case that these companies are investing more in customer programs, be it events, advocacy rewards, or more, so less budget gets assigned to customer marketing salaries. Customer centricity relies on consistent communication to answer existing customers’ needs and, as such, customer marketers should be a priority when it comes to delivering a positive experience to said customers. ## **Other factors affecting Customer Marketing salaries** This was a sneak peek into Customer Marketing Alliance's recent salary report, sponsored by Influitive. Delve into the deep-cut analysis of the factors currently impacting wage levels, and stay in the know about how much your experience and position are worth. This report also includes things like: - A comparison of global locations as well as a breakdown by US states. - A breakdown of the average salaries for diversity groups including gender, ethnicity, disability, and LGBTQ+. - Look into your company size, growth stage, employee headcount, and industry, and how this will affect your salary. [Download your free copy now](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report-2022/) ### Building business strategies around market trends URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/building-business-strategies-around-market-trends/ Last updated: 2023-03-10T14:49:33.000Z Trends are everywhere and constantly changing. They’re incredibly valuable tools for customer marketers because they allow you to follow new opportunities, consistently change and improve your processes, and maintain your brand as something fresh and exciting. But with these trends always evolving, how can you keep on top of them and continue to build your strategy around them? In this article, we’ll be covering topics such as: - What market trends analysis is, - Why it’s important, - How to identify market trends, and - How to build a business strategy around these trends. ## **What is market trend analysis?** Simply put, market trends analysis is the process of researching and assessing past and current shifts within the industry. This is in an attempt to spot patterns and notice any potential opportunities for future changes to your business strategy and growth for your organization. ## **Why market trends analysis is important** There are a plethora of different reasons why [researching](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/) and keeping up to date with market trends is important. ### **Helps you to make unbiased decisions** Researching market trends gives you greater foresight on what the consumer wants, and helps you to make more informed decisions around your solution based on what is currently popular and in demand within the market. ### **Widens your innovation and creativity** Consistently keeping on top of trends makes improving your product more efficient, and offers a wider variety of directions to take it. Plus, you’ll be able to identify how marketing strategy is changing, giving you more ideas for how to market your product and stand out to your potential customer. ### **Staying ahead of the curve** If you’re in a market that’s fast-moving and constantly changing, you must be able to anticipate your competitors’ next move and try to stay ahead of the crowd. By keeping up to date with the latest trends, it’ll be a lot easier for you to predict things that’ll likely happen in the future based on emerging patterns. [Get ahead of churn and boost revenue: Aligning on product adoptionProduct adoption can be used to create organizational alignment and focus. It’s effective at getting ahead of churn and boosting revenue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEric Keating![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/11/kanhaiya-sharma-T_l246EK19I-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligning-on-product-adoption-get-ahead-of-churn-and-boost-revenue/) ### **Product and company growth** It’s never a good idea to remain stagnant in a constantly changing market environment. You want to be continually finding new ways to improve your product and move in more fun and exciting directions. This will help you to stand out to your customers. Growth within a company is one of the most important outcomes for continued success. ## **How to identify market trends** So we know market trends are important to ensure you’re keeping ahead of the competition, but how do you identify them? ### **Understand the difference between market trends** First, it’s important to understand the difference between market trends and what influences them. After all, you’ll need to be able to identify which trends are here to stay, ones that may build momentum over time that you can build off of, and which ones you should ignore. 🏢 **Macro trends:** Macro trends are major shifts in [consumer behavior](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-influences-customer-behavior/) that direct the competitive landscape and typically stay for longer than five to ten years. For example, in IT, cloud computing and the adoption of social media are considered macro trends. 🔍 **Microtrends:** Microtrends are one-off, short-lived trends in specific markets or sectors. Despite the name, a micro-trend does typically still stick around for a while - around one to five years. For example, certain apps could be considered microtrends if they get popular very quickly, but then drop off after a few years as another app becomes available. 🌎 **Megatrends**: These trends are huge, long-lasting, and take years to develop. They’re typically things that are very much here to stay and will affect the majority of people. For example, urbanization would be considered a megatrend. ⏩ **Fads:** Fads are extremely important to look out for because they gain popularity quickly, but lose momentum just as fast. Fashion trends tend to be fads, because of the ever-changing nature of the industry. After this step, it’s important to carry out market research to discover the different trends that are occurring within your industry… ### **Carry out online research** Social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram will give you a close look at what’s trending amongst your target audiences. From these interactions, you’ll be able to see what’s popular, how customers are reacting, how other brands are reaching their audiences, and so on. This type of research is going to help you make [informed decisions based on what your customers want](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/). Also, conducting research on other online sites, like blogs, and forums will help you to receive similar information from your target audience and offer insights into different companies as well. [How to represent your target audience using VoCIf your brand is dealing with far more negative comments than heart emojis, then you’ve been hearing a lot from your customers, but you probably aren’t listening to them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceErik Mansur![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/Understend-target-audience-through-voc--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-understand-your-target-audience/) ### **Do your competitive intelligence** Watching your competitors and observing how they’re moving within the market will help you see what patterns are occurring, and how you need to act to ensure you’re moving along with them. Carrying out [competitive intelligence](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/competitive-intelligence-101/) is going to help you identify what trends they’re going with, and how they’re performing. This then gives you a better indication of what’s most popular, and how you should be implementing new changes into your strategy. ### **Talk to industry experts** Experts aren’t experts for nothing! Opening a dialogue with people who’ve established themselves as experienced and credible professionals within your industry will help you to identify certain ideas and knowledge that you perhaps hadn’t considered. ### **Go to in-person events** In-person events such as conferences and summits will allow you to talk to others within your sector to get a sense of how they work within their own companies, and perhaps pick up some tips and tricks on how to improve your own strategies. Events such as these are bound to carry a lot of information around industry news and other important material that you can use to your advantage. Check out our [in-person and online events](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) to see what’s coming up in your area. ### **Carry out customer interviews** Customers are incredibly valuable sources of information. After all, you’ll be able to speak with a wide variety of different people about what they’re looking for or what they perhaps are drawn to within the current market. This way, you’ll notice patterns and trends within these answers, and it will give you a solid understanding of what is going to drive them to purchase from you. [Ask the right questions: Perfect the way you collect customer feedbackThis research involves talking to customers directly, conducting surveys, putting together focus groups, and more. Each type of data collection relies on you asking the right questions to get the information you need to know.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/12/jon-tyson-vVSleEYPSGY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/) ### **Keep up with trend reports** Reports such as these are crucial in helping you to have a wider understanding of your industry landscape, and help you to determine which direction you want to take your business. At **Customer Marketing Alliance**, we have a variety of different annual reports that document the current state of certain parts of the customer marketing industry. Our main two being, - [State of Customer Marketing Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) - [Customer Marketing Salary Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report-2022/) Of course, not everyone has time to read through detailed reports. However, many (including ours) often have a section at the beginning or end which summarizes the most important insights and data that has been collected from the community. It’s a great way to keep track of specific information and intelligence that you may need to help grow your solution and your organization. ## **How to build a business strategy around these trends** A strategy is built and developed from researching, gathering, and identifying pieces of information and data that will then help you to decide the best route to achieve your objectives. So, the steps to building a business strategy around market trends aren’t going to stray too far from how you would develop any other strategy. But let’s lay it all out anyway, so that you have a clear idea of what you’ll be working towards. ### **Research your industry and the state it’s currently in** Identify which trends are currently popular within your industry, what products are already on the market, how popular these are, and how your product can fill a gap they’ve left. Without this information, you’re not going to know how to effectively market your product so that it stands out from the crowd. ### **Identify your target customer** Finding your target audience is going to help you understand more about how your product or service is going to meet their needs, what trends they’re currently focused on, how they react to certain types of marketing strategies; how they like to be communicated with, and so on. Understanding these elements and how to cater to your customer’s specific needs is crucial to [bringing in engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-universal-tips-for-any-business/), a positive brand reputation, a wide customer base, and increased overall sales. ### **Understand your competition** This perhaps fits in with the first step of understanding your industry, but carrying out [competitive intelligence](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/30-competitor-intel-tips/) is imperative to a company’s success. Understanding your competition, how they’re currently marketing their products, what features they have, and what trends they’re working within, are all going to boost your knowledge on what works and what doesn’t with your target market. From there you can better rake in more customers and sales, and effectively win your market. ### **Implement changes and analyze the data** After you’ve discovered what you need to change/improve/refine with your business strategy, you then need to implement these changes. Don’t forget to set objectives for what you’re trying to achieve with these changes, and continue to use metrics to measure the outcome so you can see whether the change has been a success or not. ### **Communicate your data/intelligence** When [communicating your findings](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-internal-communication-plus-how-to-crush-it/) to your teams, think about the following: - Define your stakeholders. - Identify the most important aspects of the intelligence you’ve gathered. - Decide how you’ll use the information/data you’ve gathered moving forward. - Outline what you’ve learned from your findings. Working with your stakeholders on the outcome of this process will help make the adoption of the strategy go a lot smoother. Giving everyone in your team the knowledge of its success, and how to implement it into their own strategy will enable your organization to collectively work towards overall success, reach your objectives of more sales, and ultimately increase revenue. ## Want to learn more? Customer research, when done right, can enhance every essential aspect of customer marketing. Accurately marketing to your customers means knowing them from the inside and out, knowing their needs, pain points, and interests, and turning that into actionable steps to take your customer marketing to the next level. Our [Customer Research Certified: Masters](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters) course has been designed to help you streamline your approach for success. By the end of this course you’ll grasp how to: ✅ Get buy-in from key stakeholders, ✅ Build a compelling business case, ✅ Collect feedback via surveys, interviews, and transactional channels, ✅ Analyze feedback to inform your upcoming strategies, ✅ Communicate with and engage stakeholders, and ✅ Measure the return on investment (ROI) of your research program. So what are you waiting for? [Get Customer Research Certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters) ### Achieve success by creating a foolproof customer advocacy strategic framework with this micro course URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/achieve-success-by-creating-a-foolproof-customer-advocacy-strategic-framework/ Last updated: 2023-03-09T10:21:19.000Z Establish the importance of your role and achieve success in 90-120 days with our Customer Advocacy Strategic Framework Micro course. 📘 9 chapters 🛠 5 templates & frameworks ⏱ 1 hour 🧑‍💻 100% on-demand 🧠 Access to content for life Download the brochure ## Course overview. Got a burning desire to increase engagement and advance customer relationships? Don’t have a lot of free time? This Advanced Micro course is perfect for the busy customer marketer looking to establish a foolproof customer advocacy program. In this 100% self-paced course, you’ll build a successful strategic framework for your advocacy program with short assignments, leading templates, and frameworks to inform the best practices in cross-functional alignment. You’ll also get access to bonus footage from the CMA archives along with real-life case studies from a seasoned Customer Advocacy expert. ## By the end of this course, you'll be able to: 🧱 Build a successful framework for your advocacy program. ✅ Complete short assignments to help you identify best practices in cross-functional alignment. 📂 Access leading templates and frameworks to guide your efforts. 📽️ View bonus footage from the CMA archives, providing additional insights and strategies. 🎖️ Learn from real-life case studies presented by a seasoned customer advocacy expert. [Enroll now](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/purchase?product%5Fid=4608271) > "Once again Kevin Lau shares his in-depth and massively helpful experience with the Customer Marketing & Advocacy community. The frameworks included will help you implement changes across several areas of your program. You need this course alone for the internal alignment section." - **Mary Green, Customer Marketing Community Freelancer** ## Meet your instructor. Kevin Lau is the Senior Director of Customer Advocacy at F5 where he’s responsible for all aspects of driving customer engagement and advocacy across the organization. He has received numerous awards and industry accolades including being featured in the Top 25 Customer Marketing & Advocacy Influencers (CMA), Advocate Marketer of the Year, Advocate Marketing Program of the Year, and Best in Class Customer Advocacy Programs to name a few. Previously Kevin worked for organizations including Adobe, NetBase Quid, AOL, Google, and YouTube. ## By taking this course, you'll discover how to: ✅ Become the champion of customer interviews and organize them to collect insightful feedback. 📖 Develop a centralized team to promote cross-functional alignment and establish definite objectives. 📈 Make use of your strategic framework to scale up without any problems, all before launching your viable program. 🛣️ Learn how to drive impact in the first 90 - 120 days. [Enroll today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/purchase?product%5Fid=4608271) > "Kevin Lau has a way of presenting information that is simultaneously comprehensive and easy to understand. With this course, anyone looking to start an advocacy program, revise an existing one, or overhaul an inherited program, will benefit great. The step-by-step instructions set you up for success and are delivered clearly, concisely, and calmly." - **Alison Bukowski, Head of Marketing at PeerSpot** ## In partnership with Customer Success Collective. Customer Advocacy isn't created in isolation. It pulls in multiple skills from multiple departments, which is why this course is created with product marketers, product managers, customer success - and more, in mind. Built in partnership with our sister community,[ **Customer Success Collective**](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/), it covers everything you and your cross-collaborative colleagues need to excel in every area of this essential business skill. ## Don't worry, we do team rates, too. If you want to get a team of three or more certified, then speak to Tom about team rates at [t.madden@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:t.madden@customermarketingalliance.com). P.s. If you need help convincing your boss, [we've done the hard part for you](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hoWQBrg4v04CZ8OnLTxkULreTr6Yzcxjl1P5wva6jg0/edit). ## FAQs. **Q: Who’s this course for?** A: This course is for anyone who’s ready to master the art of setting up your customer advocacy program. This course will equip you with the confidence and know-how you need to implement a killer customer advocacy strategy. **Q: How does the course work?** A: The course is 100% online and entirely self-paced. Once you enroll, you’ll work through the modules in chronological order and be invited to take part in activities. At the end of each module, you’ll be presented with mandatory exam questions and if you pass all these, you’ll become fully certified in this advanced course! **Q: How long will the course take to complete?** A: In total, the course content, activities, and exams will take approximately around 1 hour to complete. **Q: What happens if I don’t pass the exams?** A: Not to worry, mistakes happen. If you happen to fail on your first attempt, you have the chance to redo the exam. Unfortunately, if you fail your second attempt, you won’t graduate from the course with a certificate. Don’t let that put you off though – you won’t finish this course having wasted your time. Instead, you’ll still walk away with a ton of invaluable information. What’s more? You’ll be given access to the course materials for life. So, if you stumbled on anything in particular in the exam, you can brush up on those bits to your heart’s content! **Q: How long will I have access to the course content?** A: For life! A single one-off payment gives you unlimited access to all the course’s content. ### The magic of marketing: What's the goal of brand storytelling? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/magic-of-marketing-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:30:50.000Z Stories are at the very heart of marketing. As a customer marketer part of your responsibilities is to tell your brand's story, your customers', your co-workers', and even your own. But when it comes to great storytelling techniques, are marketing books the place to go? Definitely not, according to Gastón Tourn, CMO of Curio, who believes that we should be looking to the techniques of great literary figures for advice. These storytelling techniques have stood the test of time (some of them are thousands of years old), so why shouldn't they be applicable in modern marketing storytelling? We're taking a look at what should be two of the main goals of your storytelling: defamiliarizing your audience (*ostranenie*), and maintaining a consistent story they can engage with (*willing suspension of disbelief*). Originally an [episode of CMO Convo](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-story-masters-1-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling-gaston-tourn/), now available in written form below. (Editors note: at the time of recording, Gastón was the CMO of Appear Here. He has since moved on to a new role as CMO of Curio). [CMO Convo | The goal of brand storytelling | Gastón TournSome of the most important techniques in great storytelling are hundreds, if not thousands of years old. But how can they be applied in modern brand storytelling?![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2021/02/CMO_Alliance-Colour-Logomark_tiny.png)CMO AllianceWill Whitham![](https://www.cmoalliance.com/content/images/2022/12/CMO_Storyteller_Mini_Podcast_Meta_Asset_.png)](https://www.cmoalliance.com/cmo-convo-story-masters-1-the-goal-of-brand-storytelling-gaston-tourn/) ## **(re)Introducing Gastón Tourn – CMO and storyteller** **Welcome back, Gastón! Could tell us a little bit about who you are, what we'll be talking about today, and why it's so important.** Thanks so much for having me. We're gonna be discussing one of my favorite topics: storytelling. I always wanted to become a fiction writer, but life took me to marketing, which I think is not too far away in terms of writing and creativity. A lot of the skills that apply to fiction writing also apply to my work as a marketer and to the writing I do on the side. I'm the CMO of Appear Here, the world's largest marketplace for retail spaces. Before Appear Here, I was working at Google in different marketing roles and markets starting in Argentina, where I'm from. I’ve also worked in Brazil, the US, and now the UK. I was also CMO at Badoo Group, which now is called Bumble Group – it's a group of dating apps – and also at Emma, a B2C company. So, I’m both a marketeer and a storyteller. ## **The importance of storytelling techniques in marketing** **You’re the perfect person to be doing this series with for sure. We're going to be taking a look at some traditional and historic literary techniques that people who study literature get pounded over the head with constantly but that don’t come up a lot in marketing circles. Why are we talking about Aristotle and Coleridge and why are they important to marketing?** First of all, I’m a nerd and I love studying literary theory. I love to see how the principles that have been true about storytelling for thousands of years are still true to the marketing that we do nowadays. Sometimes we get lost in new metrics, platforms, and ways to perform marketing, but in the end, marketing is all about influencing someone to do something. If I had to explain my job to my grandparents who have no clue about tech or marketing, I’d tell them that I’m persuading and influencing people. When we’re trying to influence people, one thing we need to remember is that human brains are not purely rational. They connect much more with stories than facts and data, and I think that's a good thing. Of course, sometimes it's a bad thing because we make decisions that are not entirely rational, but it's the way that the human brain has always worked – there's always an emotional side. I think stories are the best way to connect with that emotional side of the human brain, and that’s why storytelling techniques are so relevant for marketers. They’re the key to influencing and persuading. **We're going to be talking about some very old concepts dating back to Ancient Greek times, as well as some relatively recent ideas from 18th and 19th-century authors. The principles of storytelling that these writers and literary critics came up with are still relevant in how we tell stories today in fiction and film.** **The mediums might have changed but how we tell stories hasn't changed much, and it's the same with marketing. New technologies might come out, but the building blocks of what makes a great story have stayed the same.** Definitely. Some principles have been true for thousands of years, and there's so much we can learn – not just marketers, but anyone in business. Storytelling is a critical skill for fundraising, presenting to boards of investors, and negotiating a promotion too. Sometimes we just rely on business sources or books to understand how to persuade or influence, but the people who have done this really well for a long time are writers and storytellers, and I think literary critics and people who have studied the art of storytelling can give us a lot of insights on how to make our stories so compelling that people can’t resist watching or reading them. We're not going to get too nerdy – don't worry. We're just going to be sharing some concepts that you can then apply to your own marketing to make your stories much more interesting. These are concepts that I apply to my work every day, and they really help to elevate whatever creative I am producing. [How to build your brand through customer storytellingLearn how to turn your customers into brand storytellers and how to leverage customer success stories to attract, engage, and convert prospects into raving fans![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLiz Greer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/kira-auf-der-heide-8s1wfA6aB-4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-your-brand-through-customer-storytelling/) ## **Ostranenie or the art of defamiliarization** **We’re going to be looking at two storytelling fundamentals today. Gastón, do you want to introduce the first one?** Yes, the first one has a very difficult name and it comes from the Russian formalists, a very important school of literary theory in the early 20th century. It's called *ostranenie*, which means estrangement or defamiliarization. It’s all about making the familiar unfamiliar or the unfamiliar familiar. *Ostranenie* captures people's attention, and that's what marketing tries to do as well. Our everyday lives sometimes can be quite monotonous and repetitive, and I think that’s why making the familiar unfamiliar or vice versa is so appealing. It presents a new way of looking at the things we see every day. Now, I'm from Latin America, so of course I'm biased, but I think magical realism is one of the most interesting literary schools and a great example of the power of defamiliarization. It brings magical elements to reality, telling a story that could be real, but with some unfamiliar aspects that distort it so you're not really sure what's going on. One of the most important books from that literary school is *100 Years of Solitude* by García Márquez, an amazing novel that I recommend every marketeer to read. It’s probably one of the best examples of how to tell a truly compelling story. One thing that García Márquez does brilliantly is use familiar elements in a very unfamiliar way. In *100 Years of Solitude*, it starts to rain and it doesn't stop for five years. It's weird to imagine living in a world where the rain doesn't stop for five years, but at the same time it’s not completely impossible, and it’s interesting to see how something as familiar as rain could affect everyday life in a really strange way. There are so many other examples. Speaking of rain, a movie I love that uses a very similar resource is Magnolia. Again, it starts to rain, but it rains frogs, so you have a world where rather than the rain we're used to, suddenly you have frogs destroying houses and cars. That's what *ostranenie* is in a nutshell – making something that is quite usual look unfamiliar because that captures people's attention. That makes people realize, “Wow, the world I live in is not that common; it's actually quite uncommon,” and think it brings back that magic to everyday life. **And it's not just strangeness for strangeness’ sake. Particularly with magical realism, the alterations they make to reality are about holding up a mirror to make you think about your current reality differently.** **A great example from the world of advertising and marketing is car adverts. Cars are simply machines, but TV car ads don’t talk about the mechanics of it; they talk about the feeling that comes with being in the car; they talk about the destinations you can go to. It's not about the practicalities of the object; it's about the potential new ways of looking at the world provided by that by the car.** Yes, marketing stories cannot just illustrate what the product does; they need to elevate the product experience. A marketing advert that just illustrates in very practical terms what a product does is going to have some effectiveness, but it’s not going to tell a compelling story about the brand and so it’s not going to build the brand. If you just show the product and how it works, your advert is going to be quite dull, but if you defamiliarize it and you show that experience, it captures people's imagination and creates a much stronger emotional connection with the product. **What are some real-world examples of this in practice? I mentioned car adverts in general, but let's talk about some specific campaigns or brands that are doing this really well.** One of my favorite ones is from Google Analytics, a product that a lot of marketers use in their everyday lives. We're probably all a bit bored of using just Google Analytics and hearing about bounce rates and conversion rates. This campaign is called *Google Analytics in Real Life*, and it defamiliarizes some of those metrics by putting them into the real world. For example, what would bounce rate mean in a real-life supermarket? It almost parodies what would happen if those metrics showed up in a real store, and it makes it so visible that a lot of our online experiences are just really bad, for example, when you're trying to check out on a website, and it asks you for 10,000 different pieces of information, and then when you click on “buy”, sorry, the connection is not working. It brings all these elements to an interaction with a cashier in a supermarket, which makes it really funny. That's one of my favorite examples just because I think Google Analytics can be quite dry as a product, but when you see this campaign, you start to understand how those metrics have a massive impact on the customer experience. They do that just by defamiliarizing using some of those online metrics, and that really captures your attention and makes you aware of what may be going wrong in your online customer experience. [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) **Being funny is quite a difficult thing, but parody and satire can be a really great way to think about how to apply defamiliarization.** Absolutely. Most good stories aren’t entirely literal. Usually, there is some level of irony or metaphor that makes the story a bit more interesting. If we are literal, people kind of switch off because you're giving them facts without involving them in the story. In one of the most beautiful parts of Aristotle’s *Poetics*, he says whenever it comes to an argument, if you tell people the conclusion right away and let them infer the premise, they're going to be much more interested in whatever you have to say. That’s because you’re making them feel smart. If you go the logical way – premise A, premise B, then conclusion, it’s a bit boring and almost patronizing. You're acting like an old-school teacher, which is what more product-led ads do – give you the premise, then tell you that you should buy this product. If you do it the other way around and start with the conclusion, if you use a more metaphorical tone or you use some level of irony, it just makes people much more compelled and it makes them feel smart. That's what irony does. We’re complicit in something that only you and I know, and that makes me feel closer to you, but it also makes me feel smart because I inferred what you were trying to say. **A great example of this comes from one of my favorite adverts of all time – the Guinness surfer advert. It's all about a surfer in Hawaii waiting for his entire life for the perfect wave to come along, and finally it does. He rides the wave while all these dramatic drums are pounding, and at the end just cuts to a pint of Guinness and the slogan, “Good things come to those who wait.”** **At no point did they say anything as simple as “Drink Guinness – you'll feel as though you just caught the best wave of your life.” Instead, it allows the viewer to draw their own connections between the story and a pint of Guinness. People who like Guinness and who know that you have to wait for the pint to settle recognize that anticipation. That builds more of an emotional connection between you and the advert and the product.** **It's fantastic and it's one of the reasons I first got into marketing – because I wanted to create stuff like that. It tells an effective story that is unfamiliar – I doubt there's a lot of crossover between Hawaiian surfers and Guinness drinkers, particularly in the UK where the ad was first shown – but you can draw the connection between these scenarios in a way that makes sense. I think that's a great application of *ostranenie* in marketing.** **Let's talk about how you're applying these principles in your marketing work, Gastón.** The campaign that comes to mind is *Save The Street*. It’s a campaign that I led during the pandemic. For those of you who don't know, Appear Here connects mostly independent brands and independent stores with spaces to make their ideas happen. During the pandemic, a lot of these independent brands were really struggling. Big retailers got a lot of government help, but independent retailers didn't. Some of those big retailers even returned the money because they didn’t need the support, whereas independent retailers needed it the most. That was especially sad because they’re some of the most important pillars of their local communities. During that time, to support the independent retailer community, we decided to amplify their voices and bring their demands back to the government, so we started working on the *Save the Street* campaign alongside a petition to the government. We got a lot of support for it. Particularly when it comes to business rates, there was a lot of support from the government. The Minister for Small Business in the UK mentioned the *Save The Street* campaign when he announced new measures for independent retailers. It was a very successful way of helping independent retailers to survive during a pandemic. For the campaign creatives, we didn't go full political manifesto. We tried to defamiliarize some of these communications and make them much more interesting and compelling for someone who perhaps doesn't care about independent stores or who doesn't care about high streets as much as we do. With this in mind, we worked with a poet called Charly Cox to create a poem for our high streets, and it was a great way of defamiliarizing how we interact with high streets and the meaning high streets have for people all across the country. One of my favorite lines from that poem talks about the baristas that know your name before you say hello, which I think is a quite beautiful way of showing how we build community and relationships in those high streets. There were some beautiful moments in that poem that were not typical of a political campaign, but they defamiliarized our high streets and brought new attention to why they’re so important to build community. [How to power up your brand storytelling with the hero’s journeyStorytelling is a massive subject and can turn into a lifelong journey of studying stories, especially in marketing. Stories are in everything. Not just advertising and brand storytelling especially is a science that anyone can utilize; anyone can do it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/ricardo-cruz-DCqvWkXF74Q-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-power-up-your-brand-storytelling-with-the-heros-journey/) ## **Willing suspension of disbelief** **Onto the next literary technique: willing suspension of disbelief. This is a phrase coined by one of my favorite poets of all time, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in *Biographia Literaria*, which sounds very, very high-minded and fancy because that's how Coleridge thought. It's a term that I think gets thrown around a lot, but at its core, willing suspension of disbelief is about noticing the differences that don't fit the inherent logic of the story.** **An example of this would be an animal suddenly speaking when the story hadn't established that animals could speak in the story. You've got all these human characters, and suddenly, a cat pops up out of nowhere and starts talking to the characters. If you haven't established any reason behind why that cat can talk, it can pull people out of the story.** **If you've established that animals can talk right from the beginning you don’t have that problem. An example of that would be *Fantastic Mr. Fox* by Roald Dahl, which establishes right at the beginning that animals act pretty similar to humans. If they had normal foxes at the beginning that suddenly started acting like humans halfway through the story, you'd be pulled right out of it, and you wouldn't understand what was going on.** **The best way to think about how this can apply in marketing is in terms of consistency within the brand story you’re telling. If you don't have some kind of inherent logic throughout the brand story and the experience that the customer is having, they'll notice that inconsistency and that’s gonna pull them out of their connection with the story you're trying to tell.** **That's my perception of it in a nutshell. Gastón, what are your thoughts?** I completely agree. If something looks too weird or unreal, people are going to notice it, they're going to be like, “What? This doesn't make any sense,” and they're going to switch off. So you want to make sure that in all your communications you're building a world that seems real. That doesn't mean that you can’t use any magical or fictional elements, but whatever kind of weirdness you apply needs to be believable within the context of the story. I think a lot of product placements do this really badly. Everyone was talking about the Peloton placement new series of Sex and the City and how bad it was because Mr. Big was just training on his Peloton and then suddenly he died. That's just one example. I don't want to talk negatively about Peloton because they helped a lot of people through the pandemic, but I think a lot of those product placements are just so unbelievable that people are immediately aware that what they’re watching is just fiction and, worse, maybe the whole series is a way of making money out of product placements rather than telling a compelling story. Product placements are an example of what happens when you don't follow the suspension of disbelief principle. You can do product placement in a really organic and natural way, and if you do that you're suspending that feeling of disbelief, but I would say most of them get it wrong. The technical term for breaking that suspension of disbelief is *deus ex machina* – sorry for bringing all these complex terms. *Deus ex machina* originally comes from theatrical plays and stories that the writers didn't know how to finish. The plot would end up so complex that the only way to get to a conclusion was for God (*deus* in Latin) to come and finish everything by, say, killing everyone. From the audience’s perspective, that came out of nowhere. **For sure. I think product placements, particularly celebrity endorsements are a great example of that. Seeing very wealthy people talking about using an at-home box dye when they clearly have a huge team of stylists around them is jarring.** **You don't want people who don't know how to use your product or have never even seen your product saying, “This is great! You should use it!” There's no logical consistency to why they would be using that product in the first place.** Completely. You're using a concept that marketers love, which is consistency, right? We love to say brands need to be consistent. I wrote an op-ed for Adweek because I got a bit bored of the word consistency. It was at a time when I was working in corporate and pretty much every idea I wanted to present to leadership was getting rejected because it “wasn’t consistent.” It seemed like everyone was letting consistency get in the way of exciting work. It kind of went around in a circle for me. In the beginning, I was like, “I hate consistency!” But then I realized consistency is super important. The problem is that a lot of people think that consistency means repetition. You see this especially if you work for a corporate brand – whenever you try to spice up the language or change a few things up, you're told “No, that's not consistent. We always use the same words,” but it ends up sounding so robotic. So what I argue in my op-ed is that consistency doesn't mean repetition. Consistency is about building a world where the brand feels authentic. I don't think you need to be consistent when it comes to the language you use. Where you need to be consistent is with the values that your brand stands for, and I think that's quite different. For example, if you're a brand like Bumble and you stand for gender equality, you don't need to use the same words to express gender equality, but you definitely need to be consistent with that value. That consistency builds trust. If you have a friend that’s always repeating the same words all the time, you're gonna think “Oh my God, my friend’s a robot!” And it’s the same with a brand. In that human relationship, what you expect when it comes to consistency is the person just being authentic and staying true to their values. If someone one day says X and then the next day says the opposite, you're not going to trust that person because you don’t know where they stand. Of course, values can evolve over time, but if they dramatically change overnight, that makes me wonder if I can trust this person. It’s the same with brands: consistency means making sure that you stand for some values and you stay true to those values. That's what we need to focus on. I think one of the best recent examples of brand consistency is Patagonia. Giving the company away to help fight climate change – that's an example of consistency with their brand values. It’s not repeating the same words – I don't care about what words Patagonia uses in every single ad. What I care about is that they’re consistently staying true to the same values they have defended from day one. **How are you applying these concepts in your role as a CMO? Are there any examples that you can pick apart?** Some of our customers at Appear Here have such amazing stories that sometimes it almost seems unreal that they went through so much and managed to achieve what they achieved. In my storytelling, I try to make sure I don’t put too much focus on things that are so extraordinary that viewers might find them unbelievable. As a recent example, we have an amazing customer called Steve. He grew up in South London, he had some difficult personal moments, and he became homeless at the age of 16\. He was not enjoying the food he was getting in hostels, so he learned how to cook by watching YouTube videos. From there, he became the chef of some amazing restaurants, including a Michelin-starred restaurant on the coast of England. He even appeared on BBC2’s *The Chef’s Brigade*. His dream was always to launch his own restaurant, but a lot of landlords were not giving him that opportunity because of a lack of economic resources. At Appear Here, because we are all about giving opportunities to the people we serve and who have great ideas, we helped him launch his first restaurant in South London, where he's from. It’s called Sharkbait & Swim. You should check it out if you're in London. It’s an amazing seafood restaurant in Deptford. That story is almost unreal, right? When you hear it, you're like, “Woah! How did he go from here to here?” It's just such an amazing story, and Steve is such an amazing human being. It’s almost hard to believe that someone really could go from nowhere to such an exciting place in life. When telling that story, I have always been very conscious of making sure the journey felt authentic to the character. Steve was always a chef. He went through some hardship that made him unfortunately become homeless, but food has always been at the heart of what he loves. I think that was really important to the suspension of disbelief. If you have a story where somebody goes from nowhere to being incredibly successful, but there's nothing in that original place that can explain where the story is going, people start questioning the reality of that story. ## **Defamiliarization + suspension of disbelief = storytelling gold** **It seems like the concepts we’ve been discussing today are almost antithetical to each other, but they're not, are they? You can have defamiliarization and this sort of logical consistency within the same story at the same time.** *Ostranenie* and suspension of disbelief are incredibly important, and they're not opposite ways of telling the story. O*stranenie* makes the unfamiliar look so familiar that you start believing that it could happen. Similarly, when you make the familiar unfamiliar, you do need to do it believably. That movement between familiar, unfamiliar, and making sure that the world we're building makes sense makes stories compelling and makes us want to hear them. In the end, we listen to stories because we want to learn something about our lives and how we can deal with the complexity of the world. If it's too far-fetched or we don't feel that we’re learning anything, we’ll probably stop listening, so you want to make sure there is something that people can relate to in your story and that it seems real **Excellent. There's loads more to explore on the subject, but hopefully this has been a nice little introduction to these concepts for our audience. In our next conversation, we're going to be talking more about how you go about constructing a story. We're gonna dig into the four-act structure, the importance of change within a story, and what a scene means within a story. I'm very excited to have that conversation with you, Gastón.** Thank you so much. --- **Looking for more ways to improve your storytelling skills as a marketer? Don't miss our** [**Storytelling Certified: Masters**](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ap9298f%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3ODIwODA4My41MTcuMS4xNjc4MjA4MTk1LjAuMC4w) **course.** **Got stories to share with marketing leaders? Tell your story, and discover some others on the** [**Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack**](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) **channel.** ### Top 6 customer marketing events to attend in 2023 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-customer-marketing-events-to-attend-in-2023/ Last updated: 2024-10-24T10:50:31.000Z With our first calendar year under our belt here at Customer Marketing Alliance, we got the chance to host our first in-person and virtual events with our fantastic community. Now, with 2023 firmly underway, we wanted to share our top six customer marketing events heading your way this year. We’ve mapped out all of the essential information you need to know about these invaluable events taking place this year. Get your diaries ready - here are the top customer marketing events to attend in 2023\. 🎉 > *“It's during these events that you feel part of a community. You walk away knowing more than you started with and, even better, trusting that there's a network of peers you can turn to again and again.”* \- **Director of Product & Customer Marketing, Sovos** # In-person events ### Customer marketing summit | Las Vegas **When?** May 24-25th **Where?** 3400 South Las Vegas Boulevard, 89109, Las Vegas Last year saw our first-ever in-person Customer Marketing Summit in Las Vegas. It was incredible bringing this wonderful community together, with the rare opportunity for face-to-face networking, relationship-building, and industry-leading experts sharing best practices, tips and tricks, and success stories. This year, we are back, and the agenda is even bigger and better. The summit will host speakers from the likes of PayPal, Adobe, Slack, and Cisco, discussing hotly contested topics [throughout the summit](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/lasvegas/agenda) such as the power of customer stories, customer engagement, reference activities, review programs, and customer communities. Who would want to miss this? [Register now](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/lasvegas) ### Customer marketing summit | San Francisco **When?** September 21-22nd **Where?** San Francisco Second, on this list is The Golden City of San Francisco! ⭐This is a fantastic chance to get in a room with customer marketing experts, as they reveal their best practices, challenges, & experiences. The summit will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops on topics such as customer-driven feedback, the power of storytelling, and key customer marketing metrics. This event is co-located with other communities within [The Alliance](https://allianceled.io/) including [Developer Marketing Alliance](https://www.developermarketing.io/), [Chief Marketing Officer Alliance](https://www.cmoalliance.com/), [Product Marketing Alliance](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/), and [Revenue Marketing Alliance](https://www.revenuemarketingalliance.com/). Super early bird tickets are up **right now**, so get cracking! [Register now](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/sanfrancisco?%5Fgl=1%2A66395s%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NTcwMTAzOC40NTcuMS4xNjc1NzAyNTgwLjAuMC4w) ### Customer marketing summit | London **When?** November 22-23rd **Where?** London Feeling royal? 👑Hop down for a visit to Old London Town with our East Coast debut this November. Bring your team and your peers together, face-to-face with industry experts and thought leaders; spark new ideas to help you elevate your strategies and best practices for delivering spectacular customer experiences. What's keeping you? Get your ticket on super early bird now! *“It’s been so awesome to connect with other customer marketers, learn some best practices, tips and tricks, walking away with some great insights. I’m excited for the next event.”* \- **Customer Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Experity Health** [Register now](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/london?%5Fgl=1%2Asskvgg%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NTcwMTAzOC40NTcuMS4xNjc1NzAyOTk5LjAuMC4w) ### Customer marketing summit | New York **When?** December 7th **Where?** New York We’ll end our year in the City That Never Sleeps, New York! You’ll be too busy to sleep this summer event, packed with thought leaders from over 75+ companies, including our headline partner, Influitive. Use the opportunity to network with your peers, learn from real-world case studies, and gain practical insights on how to improve your customer marketing efforts. Don't miss out on elevating your customer marketing strategy and taking your business to the next level! Register now for the customer marketing summit in New York, and be part of a dynamic community that makes up Customer Marketing Alliance. > *“Customer Marketing Alliance is the catalyst to bring customer marketers together in one room so that we can connect, learn from each other, share best practices, and you don’t find that too often.”* \- **Customer Marketing Manager, Classy** [Register now](https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/newyork?%5Fgl=1%2A16q7reg%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NTcwMTAzOC40NTcuMS4xNjc1NzAzMDI0LjAuMC4w) # Virtual events Coming soon to a screen near you… Introducing our virtual events of the year. No less captivating, engaging, and informed, our virtual events offer a solution for those who can’t make it to any of our in-person events. Sit down with a hot drink, get cozy, ready to solve the current challenges you're facing as a customer marketer all from the comfort of your own home or office space. Don't miss out on the opportunity to network with peers, learn from real-world case studies, and gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today's competitive market. Secure your spots today. ### Customer Marketing Summit | April **Where?** Online **When?** April 13th On April 13, we will be hosting our first Customer Marketing Alliance event of 2023, and we are kicking off the year with a stellar lineup. With previous sessions in 2022 from Google, Salesforce, Adobe, Cisco, and Dropbox, we are continuing this momentum and curating an agenda packed full of industry experts and the most innovative companies in the space. Enjoy a combination of keynotes, panels, and fireside chats, and discover the best practices for topics such as voice of customer, CABs, customer lifecycles, tracking key metrics to measure retention and churn, and customer advocacy programs. And a whole lot more! [Coming soon](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2022-ondemand/) ### Customer Marketing Summit | October **Where?** Online **When?** October 25th [Coming soon](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2022-ondemand/) We will be hosting another virtual summit on October 25, so watch this space. So, there you have it! A full breakdown of the upcoming events for 2023. Keep track of Customer Marketing Alliance’s events with our online calendar, sign-up for talks with market leaders, and improve your knowledge of key principles. [Save the date]( https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/) ### Customer Marketing Summit | April 13, 2023 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-virtual-april2023/ Last updated: 2024-03-26T20:07:52.000Z 🗓 April 13, 2023 📍 Online 💰 100% free - register below [✍️ Register now](https://summit23.customermarketingalliance.com/checkout/select-tickets/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=event-cms2023) We’ve put in the legwork for you so that you can absorb the best tips and tricks from the experts themselves… all in one afternoon. Secure your virtual seat and learn how to: - Maintain and sustainably increase customer retention - Identify which incentives *actually* increase loyalty - Establish stronger; genuine relationships with customers Join us April 13, and reap the benefits later. [✍️ Register now](https://summit23.customermarketingalliance.com/checkout/select-tickets/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=event-cms2023) --- ### Agenda highlights [🗓 Full agenda 🗓](https://summit23.customermarketingalliance.com/schedule/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=event-cms2023) 💡 From others, we can learn the most. Take advantage of the best in the business and propel your career forward. Take the time to learn, network and grow. Your organization will thank you for it 🙌 --- *"Customer Marketing Alliance has really helped me solve one of my big problems as a customer marketer which is talking to other people that really understand what it is that i’m trying to accomplish."* \- **Callie** **Rojewski, Director of Customer Advocacy at Menlo Security** *"I'm proud to be a part of this powerful, growing* [*#customermarketing*](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=customermarketing) *community - for all your thoughtful sessions and conversations*."- **Mindy L. Head of Customer Marketing at Moveworks** --- [✍️ Register now](https://summit23.customermarketingalliance.com/checkout/select-tickets/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=event-cms2023) Not already a member? Sign up now for access to exclusive content which will provide you with all the tools, tips and templates you need to master the craft of customer marketing. Find out more👇 [🏆 Pro membership 🏆](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=event-cms2023) ### 7 proven tactics to hit home runs with your customer marketing and advocacy programs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/seven-proven-tactics-to-hit-home-runs-with-your-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-programs/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:36:51.000Z Hi, my name is Gal, and I'm the CEO and Co-founder of Crowdvocate. We're going to talk about the seven tactics that will help you hit home runs with your programs. Here’s a quick look at these tactics before we dive in: - Create a solid plan - Maintain solid collaboration with other departments - Get more nominations and repetition - Personalize customer engagement at scale - Walk the walk and talk the VOC - Track and attribute - Share your success Let's get started. ## **Create a solid plan** The first thing – and I can't emphasize this enough – is to have the right program strategy. It’s so important to go to the drawing board and plan before you start doing anything. Here are a principles to keep in mind: - **Define the strategy and KPIs** – What are the goals for the first year? How do those [KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) align with the company's objectives? - **Collaboration is key** – How will you collaborate with other departments? - **Talk to customers** – What would make it valuable for them to be advocates or champions? What are they expecting from the company? How can they influence and contribute? What are they willing to do? - **Measure and share** – You want to be able to track your numeric results and revenue influence, and don’t be afraid to blow your own horn! - **Don't start with the platform** – Start with a plan. [Make a perfect customer marketing plan in 30,60, and 90 daysSo, you’ve kickstarted customer marketing at your company, but now you need a plan to secure it within your business journey. This template will help you create and optimize your marketing strategy, developing a roadmap for the future.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/2h-media-cdDDWLezAJ0-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-a-perfect-customer-marketing-plan-in-30-60-and-90-days/) Now let’s look at how you can begin to build your plan. ### **Step one: Understand the strategic goals of your company and make sure that you know how the program contributes to them** I'll give you an example. If the company is aiming for more upsells, your program should leverage advocacy and customer marketing activities to create more upsells. There are several ways to do that. You can upsell to customers who engage in your program. You can capture stories from customers who've already upsold and leverage them in the upsell motion. You could even do upsell reference calls or meetups. ### **Step two: Show how you’re going to measure the impact of the program** Once you’ve aligned your program’s goals with the company's goals, you have to show how you're going to measure your impact. If, for example, the program is about improving the company’s presence on G2, you want to show what the situation is today, what you hope it's going to be, and how you’re going to measure it. Maybe you want to track the number of reviews, the quality of the reviews, and the types of companies that are leaving those reviews. [How to measure the success of your customer advocacy programBeing able to successfully measure your programs is what’s going to help you unlock more headcount, resources, and budget and be seen as a trusted partner and resource across your organization![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/12/miguel-a-amutio-ngZ4V-myG5s-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-customer-advocacy-program/) ### **Step three: Build a quarterly plan** A year is a lot to tackle at once. Instead, think about your KPIs for each quarter and how you’re going to evolve your program – and make sure you don’t try to do everything in Q1\. ### **Step four: Gradually roll out your sub-programs** Let's say you want to do the three R's – referrals, reviews, and [references](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/) – and you also want to get customer feedback. Don't do all of that at once. Which elements are you going to start with? Which ones are you going to roll out later? How will you get there? Show how that evolves over the first year. ### Step five: Communicate your program and its successes Your internal teams should know when you roll out a new sub-program and, as it progresses, how it’s going, so share your updates and repeat. ## **Maintain solid collaboration with other departments** You want to be able to map the stakeholders in each department and what's in it for them internally. Sales is easy – they want reference calls, logos, and customer stories they can use as evidence. But what's in it for customer success, product, product marketing, PR, and event marketing? You want to show how your advocacy program is going to help each team to succeed. You want to be super specific about how you work with your internal stakeholders. Let’s say you’re setting up a customer advisory board (CAB) – tell your colleagues how many customers you need them to nominate and by what date. Likewise, you need to tell them exactly when and how you’re going to help them. It’s also important to gather internal feedback. After each activity, ask your stakeholders, “How was that speaker?” “How was that reference?” “How did that help?” That builds collaboration so people keep your program in mind and think about how they can leverage it more. Part of cross-departmental collaboration is giving your stakeholders access and transparency. They should be able to see inside your [CRM](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-relationship-marketing/) or get email updates on what's happening. Let them know about the nominations you’ve received for your reference program, tell them about your most active advocates, and give them updates on the new content you've generated. All of those things will your stakeholders that when you work together, you achieve your shared goals. Another thing is to give kudos. If somebody is nominating a lot of customers and helping you to meet your reference program’s goals, give them a shout-out. If a CSM helps you get an amazing customer story, share that win. When you give people kudos, they’ll be sure to give you it back and help you more. [How to make and structure your marketing goals: Be flexibleGoal setting’s an important thing to do with your internal network for many reasons. When done correctly, goal setting can help streamline, optimize, and enthuse your working environment and processes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/gabriel-sanchez-_YQ199RNF48-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/) ## **Get more nominations and repetition** The third thing is to look at how you’re going to grow nominations and create repetition within your program. It’s a great idea to have multiple methods of growing your pool. A lot of people will just have CSMs or sales putting forward nominees, and sometimes that works, but the issue is you then need to beg them to keep on doing it. So what are some other ways? Maybe you want to create trigger-based nominations. An easy trigger to think about is NPS. If a customer gave you a score of nine or 10, of course you want to reach out to them. That’s a simple one. What about other triggers? Maybe they were active in the community – that could be a trigger for you to reach out and ask if they want to be in your program. What about bulk invites for customers that participate in your events? There are a lot of different ways to add more people to your programs beyond nominations. You want to make sure your whole program is visible to the entire company. That way, teams other than the usual suspects (salespeople and CSMs) can jump in. Think about your product people – if they're doing product interviews or talking to beta customers, couldn't they also nominate them for the program? If the support team closes a ticket and the customer is happy, couldn't they nominate that customer for the program? You want to have triggers not only for nominations but for repetition. For example, if you’re looking for reviews and you want to renew them annually, just create a trigger for that. One year after a customer’s first review, send them an email saying, “Hey, that review you did last year was amazing. Want to do another one?” Or if one of your advocates goes for an upsell, ask if you can get the story of why they chose to upgrade to this feature. To create repetition within your programs, make sure that you choose moments that trigger a new ask. You want to make this streamlined and automated; otherwise, you’ll spend hours doing it manually. You also want to make this repetition valuable to your advocates. For example, you might create a framework where the more a customer engages with your program, the better perks or status they get – loyalty program stuff. You want to make sure they understand that if they do a certain number of activities within a certain timeframe, they can reach a certain tier and get access to certain rewards. Of course, you’ll need to track everything and see what works and what doesn't. Some triggers will work; some won't. Some nominations will work; some won't. That’s okay. Those learnings will help your program to grow. Finally, it’s a great idea to reward the internal stakeholders who put forward the most nominations. You might want to create a kind of quarterly competition for the title of nomination champion. ## **Personalize customer engagement at scale** This is probably the most important thing: customer engagement at scale has to be personalized. You want to create [journey-based advocacy and engagement](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/streamline-customer-marketing-with-journey-and-product-insights-to-impact-advocacy-and-upsell/), and it shouldn’t be gated but open to your entire customer base. To build this kind of program, you’ll need to leverage automation to trigger the right call to action to the right customer at the right time through the right channel. Some people will engage with you by email. Some people will log into a program portal hub. Some people will engage through the community. Some people will respond to in-app messages. You want to engage your customer base, where, when, and how they want you, and you want to personalize that engagement so it's meaningful for them. Did they just write something in the community? Let's take that and say, “Hey, thank you for contributing to our community. Would you like to speak at an event? Did they just finish a course? “Hey, it's amazing that you finished that course! Let's celebrate! By the way, can you go write a review on G2?” You want to be able to understand where they are on their journey with you and then contextually reach out based on that last action. That action doesn't have to be advocacy – it can be any kind of engagement. Use that engagement as an opportunity to take them to the next level and it will make a huge difference. ## **Walk the walk and talk the VOC** Let's talk about walking the walk and talking the VOC. The [voice of the customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-voc-stand-for-the-fundamental-core-of-good-marketing/) should be heard inside the company. This is crucial for conveying the right message internally to help you succeed – you want to leverage the voice of the customer and push it to every department. One way of doing that is creating mini [CABs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) for each division. Why should CABs be only for executives? Why isn't there also a CAB for product, a CAB for customer success, a CAB for sales, and so on? Why can't each department meet with several customers on a regular basis? This is the best way to take customer feedback and use it to create a customer-obsessed company. Share survey data and review data. At Crowdvocate, one of the things that we do is push reviews into Salesforce; that way, whenever anybody goes to look at an account, they get a fuller picture of how happy the customer is and why. We can also share those reviews in all-hands and whatnot, so everybody gets to hear the voice of the customer. [CMA’s guide to Voice of the Customer (VoC)This is an in-depth guide on the many different areas of VoC and how it can be used to improve your business. There are many more areas to learn about and how to implement VoC in your business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/11/neil-godding-NMbZ7QM3XWM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/) ## **Track and attribute** Everything we’ve covered so far can drive amazing impact, but without any proof of that impact, it will be very hard to get people to care so you can secure more budget. You need to measure what matters, and, like it or not, what matters is dollars. At the end of the day, you and your management team need to agree on the KPIs that you’ll track, and several of those (at least) should be oriented to attribution. This is one of the ways in which customer marketing is evolving – by understanding the value we drive in terms of revenue. You want to be able to show, for example, deal closure rates with and without references, or with and without content. We want to be able to show how reviews have generated leads that converted into closed-won deals. You want to be able to show at an account level not only how many customer stories, reference calls, and referrals they’ve done, but how much all those activities have contributed to your revenue. I would recommend choosing three to five KPIs to measure and making sure that some of those are dollar oriented. You can't just measure the number of advocates. If you think that's important, that’s fine for one KPI. However, it’s super important to also look at the bigger picture of how your advocates’ activities are influencing revenue and contributing to your business goals. ## **Share your success** We all need to blow our own horns, beat the drum, or dance the hora sometimes. We want to make sure that everybody knows what you're doing. We're advocating for our customers internally, turning them into champions in their industries, and helping them grow their personal brands. But what about us? What about creating our own brand in our own companies? This is super important, so make sure that you’re also a customer marketer of yourself. One way of doing that is through reporting dashboards. People love numbers. They love to see graphs. They just love to see that you've created X influence on revenue and X amount of customer stories. When they see it in a revenue number, it clicks differently, so you have to have graphs and dashboards to share every quarter or, better yet, every month. You also have to elevate others. Give kudos and elevate other teams that help your program because they’ll reciprocate and elevate your program, sharing your success because you're sharing their success. It’s a great idea to create bite-sized content – even just single slides – to elevate your program’s achievements. You can share this in team meetings, Zoom calls, or whenever you speak to your stakeholders. You could even make a Slack channel just to share your program’s success, then whoever wants to see what's going on can check it out. It’s important to get an executive sponsor to help you with all of this and push your message to the management team too. That's it! I hope these seven tactics have equipped you with new ideas to generate more value from your advocacy programs and make them super successful. ## **Turn your customers into raving cheerleaders.** **Customer Advocacy: Certified** will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters) ### What is the difference between cancellation and churn? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-the-difference-between-cancellation-and-churn/ Last updated: 2024-03-11T11:40:48.000Z When it comes to customer marketing, one of the most important metrics to track is [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-retention/). After all, figuring out how to keep your customers aboard ship and reduce churn rate is the linchpin of [software-as-a-service](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-saas/) (SaaS); you want to keep your customer base intact to prevent revenue loss. In the basic sense of the word, churn refers to the loss of a customer, but often this is conflated with subscription cancellation. However, it's essential to understand there’s a big difference between when a customer cancels their subscription and the all-too-familiar term, [customer churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-churn/). By understanding the difference between the two, you can take [proactive measures to prevent customer churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn/) and improve customer retention rates. In this article, we’re going to dissect these all-important benchmarks of customer activity and provide greater clarity into how you can tailor your customer marketing strategy around them. Namely, we’ll examine: - What cancellation means, - What churn means, - The difference between the two terms, - How you can avoid cancellations, and - The strategies you can adopt to win back cancelled customers before they churn. ## **What is customer cancellation?** When an individual customer cancels their subscription it means they have actively chosen to stop paying for the product (or service) in question. They've literally clicked the 'cancel subscription' button. ![Cancel subscription ](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/content/images/2023/01/cancel-subscription-billing-zoom.png) Source: [**Zoom support*](https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/203634215-Canceling-your-subscription?ref=customer-success-collective) They no longer desire to use your product and have taken this step to sever future ties with your organization. can usually be traced back to previous symptoms or tell-tale signs that exhibit the customer’s dissatisfaction with your product. This could be for a variety of reasons, such as finding a better solution with one of your competitors, finding the prices of your product too high, possible product bugs affecting user experience (UX), or poor customer service. On the flip side, they could have cancelled for a more positive reason – they might simply no longer need your product or service anymore because they’ve fulfilled their original goals with your product. It's important to note that customer cancellation is a leading indicator of customers who will eventually churn. To avoid a future lack of revenue from this customer, you need to work *fast*. When a customer cancels, it means they’re actively terminating their subscription agreement with an organization. The payment won’t renew upon the next scheduled billing, but it doesn’t automatically mean a loss in revenue. That’ll occur when the next payment is usually due. [How to reactivate churned usersWhen it comes to the world of business churn’s one of those spine-shuddering words. No one wants it but most of us get it - even if only 1% (if you’re very lucky!). Every hundredth counts though and for some, that 1% can amount to millions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceBryony Pearce![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/andrey-bond-wJ7QDnCZjiQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reactivate-churned-users/) ## **What is customer churn?** Customer churn refers to customers who've stopped paying for their subscriptions and there isn’t any revenue flowing into the organization. Churn is essentially a revenue impact. **In a nutshell, customer churn is the point where the customer’s cancelled subscription has a negative revenue impact on your business.** Of course, the responsibility of preventing customer churn shouldn’t solely fall on the customer marketing team’s shoulders. If a customer has churned because of a persistent glitch or bug with the product, that technically falls within the remit of the product development team. If the customer has found the price to be too high, whoever’s in charge of your product’s pricing ought to re-evaluate their strategy. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Newsletter_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/subscribe-to-customer-marketing-dispatch/) ## **How to pre-empt cancellations** Of course, one of the key ways to prevent a customer from cancelling (and then eventually churning) is by focusing on customer engagement. This means proactively working with customers to ensure they are getting the most value out of your product or service. This can be achieved through a variety of methods, such as customer onboarding, training, and regular check-ins. ### **A water-tight customer onboarding process** Onboarding is the process of introducing new customers to your product or service. This is an essential step in the customer journey and can have a significant impact on customer retention. By providing new customers with the information and resources they need to get started, you can help ensure they have a positive experience with your product or service from the start. ### **Solid training** By providing customers with the skills and knowledge they need to use your product or service effectively, you can help them get the most value out of it. This can be achieved through a variety of methods, such as webinars, tutorials, and in-person training. ### **Regular check-ins** By checking in with customers on a regular basis, you can ensure that they are getting the most value out of your product or service. This can also help you identify any issues or challenges that customers may be facing, allowing you to take proactive measures to address them. In addition to these strategies, it's also important to keep in mind that customer feedback is key. By regularly soliciting feedback from customers, you can get a better understanding of their needs and wants, and make adjustments. [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) ## **Win-back cancelled customers before they fully churn** Thankfully, there are several strategies that customer marketers can use to win back customers who have cancelled their subscriptions before they fully churn. Here are a few: ### **1\. Understand the reason for the cancellation** The first step in winning back a cancelled customer is to understand why they cancelled their subscription. This can be done by reaching out to the customer and asking for their feedback. By understanding the reason for cancellation, customer marketers can tailor their approach to address the specific issues that led to the cancellation. ### **2\. Offer a special promotion or discount** If a customer has cancelled their subscription due to cost, a customer marketer may be able to win them back by offering a special promotion or discount. This can be a great way to show the customer that the company values their business and is willing to make concessions to keep them as a customer. ### **3\. Address any pain points** If a customer has cancelled their subscription due to poor customer experience, a customer marketer should work to address the pain points that led to the cancellation. This can be done by providing additional support, resources, or training to help the customer get more value out of the product or service. Follow-up regularly: Even if a customer has cancelled their subscription, it's crucial that customer marketers continue following up with them on a regular basis. This can help to keep the company top-of-mind and show the customer that the company is still interested in their business. ### **4\. Personalize the approach** A personalized approach to winning back a customer is more likely to be successful. Custome marketers should try to understand the unique needs, pain points, and preferences of the customer and tailor their approach accordingly. ### **5\. Offer a free trial** If a customer has cancelled their subscription due to lack of engagement or not being able to fully see the value of the product or service, you can offer a free trial or demo to show the customer the full capabilities of the product or service and how it can benefit them. ### **6\. Show empathy** Showing empathy and understanding the customer's situation can go a long way in winning back a cancelled customer. By acknowledging their concerns and frustrations, you can create a sense of trust and goodwill with the customer, which may make them more likely to re-subscribe. Ultimately, winning back a cancelled customer requires a combination of understanding the reason for cancellation and being proactive in addressing the customer's specific needs and concerns. By following these strategies, customer marketers can increase the chances of winning back cancelled customers and improving customer retention. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **To wrap things up…** Understanding the difference between a customer cancelling their subscription and customer churn is vital in order to take proactive measures to prevent customer churn and improve customer retention. The strategies used to prevent cancellation from snowballing into churn will depend on the type of customer, whether it’s an individual customer or a larger business client, but largely there’s a window between the time of cancellation and the point of churn that customer marketers can use to win back the customer. In conclusion, customer churn is an [essential metric](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/meaningful-metrics-how-to-transform-your-customer-programs-into-assets-that-impact-business-growth/) for any company to track, and depending on the time frame you’re working with (what point of the month, or year, the customer cancels), full churn can be prevented. --- ## **Like this article?** If this article piqued your interest, we offer exclusive membership plans tailored to whatever your budget and professional development needs. For more information, have a browse below. 👇 [Become a member today](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ### Customer Marketing Connection | Steve George URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-connection-2/ Last updated: 2023-05-03T17:51:20.000Z Our second webinar is all about **how** **to scalecustomer advocacy into a revenue-generating machine: ablueprint for building a customer marketing strategy**. Whether you're just starting in your role or a seasoned veteran, you don't want to miss out on these insights from... **[Steve George](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegeorgemathew/), Product Marketing Customer Advocacy at GitLab** Creating a successful customer marketing strategy involves more than just generating case studies and collecting reviews on peer review sites like G2, Gartner, and TrustPilot. Customer marketing is a revenue-generating discipline that requires a thoughtful approach, the right technology, and a skilled team. In this session, we'll discuss the key skills needed to build a customer marketing team that can take your advocacy efforts to the next level. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to scale your existing team, we'll cover everything from the basics of Phase 1 to the advanced skills needed for Phase 2 or 3. We'll also explore the essential pillars for building a successful customer marketing strategy. Attendees will learn how to identify the right metrics to track and measure success, how to leverage customer data and insights to drive revenue growth, and how to develop a comprehensive plan that integrates customer advocacy with other marketing strategies. Finally, we'll discuss the importance of selecting the right technology to support your customer marketing efforts. You'll learn how to evaluate whether a particular technology is a good fit for your team and strategy, and we'll share some best practices for implementing and optimizing your technology stack. **Register below 👇** ****🗓 May 31** ****⏰ 11:00CST | 16:00 GMT** ****💻 Live - Register below** ### **Meet your host:** **[Steve George](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegeorgemathew/), Product Marketing Customer Advocacy at GitLab** Steve has over 20 years of experience in leading strategic marketing roles at Beta Start-ups, mid-market and enterprise/post-IPO organizations. He has worked in HRtech, Fintech, Martech, and DevSecOps, drawing from the similarities and differences of these industries to create unique experiences for every customer and community he has served. Currently serving as the Sr. Customer Advocacy Manager at GitLab, Steve is responsible for creating unique programs scaled with technology to over 100,000 customers across APAC, EMEA, and North America. His customer programs range from targeted CXO campaigns, Customer Advisory Boards, Loyalty Programs to large scale customer events featuring renowned personalities such as Sir Richard Branson - Virgin Group, President Barack Obama - 44th President of USA, Sir Martin Sorrell - Godfather of Digital Advertising, Simon Sinek - Futurist and David Shing - AOL. Steve's expertise lies in Customer Lead Growth, which he believes is vital to enable continued progress and expansion in any economic model. He leverages his extensive experience to create exceptional customer experiences, and his unique approach has earned him a reputation as a customer-focused leader. Steve is passionate about creating programs that empower customers and communities, and he continues to be a thought leader in the industry. [RSVP here](https://my.demio.com/ref/Fl0jgjuJBCMERdzP) ### Ones to Watch Report in 2023 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/23-in-2023-ones-to-watch-in-customer-marketing-in-2023/ Last updated: 2023-03-01T17:24:48.000Z Get ready to celebrate 2023! 🎁 Here at Customer Marketing Alliance, we wanted to shine a light on the massive talent within the customer marketing community, so we’re introducing our list of twenty-three customer marketers to watch this year. **This report isn’t just a list of names.** Download it to get exclusive tips, tricks, and predictions on customer marketing processes, advocacy, case studies, and more, in 2023\. Without further ado, here are our **23 Ones to Watch in 2023**.👇 Get your free copy now. ## Who’s made the list? 💬 Customer marketing professionals you can **reach out to on LinkedIn** 🥇 **Oracles of knowledge** and experience within the industry 🥳 **Prodigies of customer marketing** who’re just making their own space ⚡ **Unique professionals** who’ve been navigating the space in their own way ## Why you *need* this report: This list is a representation of the industry as it is as a whole, so we're not just giving you a list of influencers or accounts with big followings on social media. These names are those who are old and new to customer marketing, with a variety of work styles and backgrounds to offer you **unique and notable names** to add to your network. We’re giving you much more than just a list of names. We also asked our nominees about: - Their top tips for someone just entering the customer marketing profession - Why customer marketing is important to them - Their career highlights - Some advice based on their specific specialties - Their predictions for 2023 Download Customer Marketing Alliance’s Ones to Watch Report in 2023 and make it yours. 👊 Get my copy ### The ultimate guide to perfecting the act of market research URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/ Last updated: 2025-01-17T12:32:13.000Z In this guide, you’ll learn almost everything you need to know about market research, including, but not limited, to: - [What market research is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/#:~:text=common%20stumbling%20blocks.-,What%20is%20market%20research%3F,-Market%20research%20is) - [Types of market research,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/#types-of-market-research:~:text=Eve%20Chatfield-,Types%20of%20market%20research,-Market%20research%20is) - [How it supports other customer marketing concepts,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/#how-market-research-supports-marketing:~:text=Eve%20Chatfield-,How%20market%20research%20supports%20marketing,-When%20it%20comes) - [What a market research strategy is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/#how-to-conduct-market-research:~:text=Customer%20Marketing%20Alliance-,How%20to%20conduct%20market%20research,-As%20mentioned%2C%20market) - [Five types of market research questions, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/#what-are-some-good-market-research-plans:~:text=really%20long%20survey.-,Five%20types%20of%20market%20research%20questions,-Demographic%20questions%20%2D) - [Five common stumbling blocks.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-the-act-of-market-research/#five-common-stumbling-blocks:~:text=its%20marketing%20practices.-,Five%20common%20stumbling%20blocks,-Here%20are%20some) ## What is market research? Market research is a concept not limited to customer marketing, but a strategy that’s essential for the success of every single part of the business. The main aim of this research is to gather and analyze information including: - Target market, - Target audience, - The current industry landscape - Current and upcoming competitors Analyzing this type of information can help you make informed decisions about the direction of your business, which is vital for its success. [Why is market research important? Five benefits of market researchMarket research provides the answers needed for orgs of any size about where to take the direction of their business, how to engage with their customers, and address pain points.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/toa-heftiba-9n_tf0_YANE-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/) ## Types of market research Market research is somewhat of an umbrella term in which a number of different research methods happen. This can include: ### [Customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) This is research focussing on existing and potential customers and their attitudes toward your product. ### [Competitive intelligence](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/your-guide-to-competitive-intelligence/) This is all about understanding your competitor's strengths and weaknesses in order to give yourself a competitive advantage. ### Market segmentation This refers to a broader type of [customer segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/), where you segment types of consumers. This’ll identify common needs, the distinction between these groups, and how they respond to the industry market. ### Product testing Product testing, as it refers to market research, is about testing audiences' reactions to a product not yet launched. ### Advertising testing Pre-test surveys, qualitative testing, biometrics, and [A/B testing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-b-testing-your-ticket-to-defining-high-intent-customers-for-funnel-acceleration/). ### Customer satisfaction and loyalty analysis These methods are pretty self-explanatory: Satisfaction is about measuring the satisfaction of your existing customer base for your product and your business. Customer loyalty is about how loyal your customers are in their purchasing and engagement. Believe us: [the difference between these two is important.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/) ### Brand research This is about the presence your brand has. [Is your brand easily identified and memorable?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) Can your brand reach more consumers? ### Pricing research This is a research type that investigates your customers' willingness to pay for your products or services. This will explore how changes in prices impacts demand. These are by no means all of the types of research within market research; it’s incredibly comprehensive but is a fantastic way to support your business goals. *We go into much more detail about brand research, campaign effectiveness, competitive analysis, product development, and usability testing in the article below.* [Five ways to support your work with market researchMarket research covers a broad variety of strategies that work toward improving business techniques that better cater to your chosen target market. In this article, we’ll cover: What market research is, and different types of market research.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/shane-aldendorff-mQHEgroKw2k-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) ## How market research supports marketing When it comes to marketing, market research will impact the type of content, tone, style, and campaigns you’ll use. As marketing is centered around engaging with your customers, most of the reach will come under the customer research side of it. Most notably, improving marketing strategies will come from customer feedback, because interacting with your customers involves engaging in a way that’s personal to each one. Engaging with things like customer behavior and customer segmentation can open up a variety of strategies such as [Voice of the Customer (VoC)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/), [FOMO marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-fomo-on-consumer-psychology/), [Customer Advisory Boards (CABs)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/), [Consumer Psychology](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-marketers-should-think-more-about-consumer-psychology/), and more to truly launch your marketing strategies to success. [Customer Research Certified | MastersPre-order now![](https://process.fs.teachablecdn.com/ADNupMnWyR7kCWRvm76Laz/resize=width:32,height:32/https://file-uploads.teachablecdn.com/ca50510295fa4f6da59f86a068d65be1/6b6b41cc9e92452a8ad3ccd127479eb0)Customer Marketing AllianceCustomer Marketing Alliance![](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/Tx2kEKoGT5OCjlFamZnR)](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters) ## How to conduct market research As mentioned, market research is usually very time-consuming and intensive, especially when doing it for the first time. But whether you’re a start-up or an enterprise company, market research will always be relevant. We’ve got a guide on market research for startups below which goes through the ways you can prioritize your research to be cost-effective: [How to complete startup market research: A step-by-step guideMarket research is important for all companies, but it’s especially crucial for new businesses. This is because startups don’t have the same customer base or established reputation as long-standing brands.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/connor-jalbert-ax6DaZfREYQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-complete-startup-market-research-a-step-by-step-guide/) Though you’ll want to make changes to how you conduct your research, the basic steps are going to be the same for everyone: ### Set your goal As with any strategy or research process, the first thing to do is to define your problem and set your goal to solve said problem. Going into market research without a defined goal in mind is very a common mistake; market research is invaluable so while many marketers know they need to do it, they forget to make it specific to their brands' needs. You’ll need to do a little bit of introspection before you begin your market research in full; - Where is your company falling behind? - What had changed in the market recently? - Are you reaching all of your potential customers? - Has a recent project produced some interesting results? Once you’ve defined the goal you’ll know the kind of data you’ll need to collect. Consider the following: - What is the scope of this research? - What kind of data do you need to help answer your problem? - What parts of the business will be impacted by your findings? - Which variables will you be investigating? For example - Let's say you’ve just introduced a new community platform but your customers aren’t using it. You’ll need to find out why they’re not using it. - Is there a new community run by a competitor that they prefer? - Are there specific features your target audience needs that yours doesn’t have? - If you charge for the platform, is the subscription cost too high? ### Develop a research plan Narrowing down an ideal research plan can be a little tricky, as there are a whole bunch of ways to collect data, all of which will produce slightly different results. Keep your goal in mind when choosing your methods. ## What are some good market research plans? Here are a few options for collecting data: ### Surveys Using a survey can be a quick win way of collecting data from your customers if done correctly. But the key thing is to ensure that your questions are relevant and specific enough actually to answer what you’re investigating. The wording is extremely important when writing these questions because if a question can be interpreted differently, you may get answers you can’t use. #### Don’t make your survey too long Your customer’s time is precious and you don’t want their attention on your brand to be taken up with answering a really long survey. #### **Five types of market research questions** - **Demographic questions -** Starting simple, these questions will be about age, gender, location, and more. That'll give you insights into the existing audience interested in your product or service, and perhaps show you some demographics your marketing is missing. - **Behavioral questions -** These will be questions related to lifestyle, specifically how their behavior relates to how they use your product. - **Competitor analysis -** Ask them about your competitors too. What do they prefer from other companies? - **Product questions -** Ask them what they like and dislike about the product. Do they have preferred use cases and features? - **Pricing questions -** These questions can gauge how much your customers are willing to pay for your product and any additional features. What might be stopping them from paying the current price points? ### Interviews These can be a one-to-one interview, or group studies such as focus groups, all of which will produce more in-depth but less broad answers to your investigation. These kinds of interviews actually benefit more open questions as the customer is in the room with you so you can clarify their answers then and there. ### User tests Running user testing can be a cost-effective way to get information about your customer’s behavior habits on your website. Using things like [A/B testing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-b-testing-your-ticket-to-defining-high-intent-customers-for-funnel-acceleration/) can also help inform the type of tone of voice and messaging that best suits your target audience. ### Social media Be it polls, comments, or threads, social media is a fantastic way to get insights from your customers in real-time. ### Analyse data Now we’ve gone through the methods of collecting the data, the next step is to analyze it. With all these strategies, this is one of the most important stages. It’s completely pointless to go through the first two stages if you’re only going to gather data and not actually go through it. The first step is to organize your data. If that's in a spreadsheet or in another tool, make sure you choose and stick to one way of organizing this data - and again make sure it makes sense for what you’re investigating. When you’re analyzing the results, make sure to not focus on outstanding bits of data, but rather on trends that occur throughout the whole set. Another part of this is in how you represent that data to others. Be it a summary or visual graphs, making the data accessible to others is a great way to represent the results to others. ### Put results into action The final step is to come up with action plans to put the results of this analysis into action. These will be determined by your budget and resources along with your customer base and if you’re a [B2B or B2C business](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-quality-strategies-by-learning-differences-in-b2b-and-b2c-marketing/). Be this changing your tone of voice, adding new features, adjusting your common practices, or more, making these changes is important to the future success of your business and its marketing practices. ## Five common stumbling blocks Here are some of the most common stumbling blocks when it comes to conducting market research: ### Under-defining or over-defining your objectives Starting with a goal in mind is vital otherwise your research will have no direction and will be a waste of time and resources. But defining your objectives too much could lead to an unwillingness to take in data that is contrary to your goal. ### Ambiguous questions Ambiguous questions can lead to answers that aren’t useful to your research. If there are too many questions that customers can interpret in different ways you may have just wasted your time and ended up with data that you can’t actually use to make plans. ### Overusing surveys Survey fatigue is a very real thing, and while surveys can be very tempting as they’re generally quick and easy to produce, they’re only useful if people answer them. If you’re conducting other research alongside your market research, you can very well end up asking your customers to complete multiple surveys in a single span of time. In this scenario, you’ll not only be splitting your customer's attention - most likely resulting in fewer data for all of your surveys - but will also reduce UX as your customers will be bombarded with things they need to do for you, without you offering a reason for them to put their time into supporting your research. ### Introducing bias Though it may be tempting to direct your audience in certain ways, doing so will result in a disingenuous presentation of your current place in the market. Though you may even feel that you know better than your customers when it comes to things like marketing tactics, tone of voice, or your competitors, discouraging answers that come out through your investigation will mean that you’ll miss out on the opportunity to make improvements to your processes that are needed. ### Packing your report with too much data The reason for conducting this research is to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for expansion and growth. If the report isn’t easy to navigate (if it's overloaded with graphs and data) then no one is going to know where to start when making plans from this research. ## Customer research As we mentioned before, customer research is categorized within market research, but is more specialized in its investigation, prioritizing research around the customer over produce and competitive intelligence. Customer research, when done right, can enhance every essential aspect of customer marketing. Accurately marketing to your customers means knowing them from the inside and out, knowing their needs, pain points, and interests, and turning that into actionable steps to take your customer marketing to the next level. Our[**Customer Research Certified**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-research-certified-masters) course will take you through the fundamentals of conducting accurate and representative customer research, leaving no stone unturned. You’ll be taken through a practical and actionable step-by-step framework that’ll define your customer’s story, create a true voice of the customer, and action real business change. [Get certified today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-research-certified-masters) ### Developing impactful advocacy programs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/developing-impactful-advocacy-programs/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:36:38.000Z We catch up with Dave Hansen, Sinead O'Grada, Tim Newborn, and Josh Zerkel to talk about the best ways to develop an advocacy program that'll actually make an impact. ## **How advocacy creates impact** **Dave Hansen** Let’s start with the end result, so we can see where we’re headed. What does advocacy mean for you and your organization, and what is its potential impact? **Sinead O'Grada** Customer advocacy really means having the customer at the heart of everything that we do. It’s about listening to and responding to what they need and want, based on the opportunities or headwinds that they may be facing in their market. When we can show tangible outcomes for our partners and the SMB businesses that we work with – whether that’s helping them to stay open during challenging times, or enabling them to find and retain new employees – it helps us to tell the story of the impact of our program, which in turn creates more buy-in from stakeholders and more opportunities for growth and expansion. **Tim Newborn** Customer advocacy meets people where they are to exceed their expectations, and it does so in helpful and unexpected ways. I think it solves business challenges, both familiar and unique, through the simplicity of an open dialogue between a brand and the people who matter most to you and your business – your customers. That means you can execute better services and experiences, and even work smarter and offer more to your customers. Not only do we get to listen to what our customers are doing with their solutions and the way that we're helping them, but we also get to hear how we’re helping our customers’ customers. I think it's very beneficial to be able to quantify that because that's ultimately what our customers are hoping to do. If we can help them achieve their goals of delivering better experiences and services, we can truly shine as customer marketers and advocacy professionals. **Joshua Zerkel** For us at Asana, our mission is to help humanity thrive by helping the world's teams work together, and the way that we do that is by listening to them. Customer advocacy programs give us a direct line to our customers to hear what they want, what's working for them, and the challenges they're having so that we can better respond to them, meet their needs, and help them and their teams achieve their missions. Advocacy puts the customer's voice at the center of how we think and what we do in ways that feel very meaningful and impactful. Beyond what it does for customers, it helps us at the company be more empathetic to who our customers are and what they need. It's also just nice to hear what customers have to say in an unstructured way. For data-driven companies, which frankly most are at this point, it can be easy to lean on just quantitative data about customers, but advocacy programs let you hear in customers' own words what's going on for them and, ideally, the difference that your company or organization is making. To me, that's really fun, and I think we're lucky in customer-facing roles to be able to hear the voice of the customer directly, not just as a concept. It just makes coming to work enjoyable because we know that what we're doing helps them. **Dave Hansen** That's awesome. I would just add that advocacy allows us to bridge the gap between organizations. At LRN, our customers are in the ethics and compliance space – there's usually just a handful of them within their organization. They're almost an island. Our advocacy community lets our customers network and meet each other and come together to build something bigger than the sum of its parts. ## **How to get your advocacy program off the ground** **Dave Hansen** We've talked about some of the great outcomes that can come from advocacy, but there's a lot that can go into this. Where should you start? How did you get your programs off the ground? **Tim Newborn** Great question. I think there's often a disconnect between what your company wants to happen and what actually needs to happen – those can be two different things and only your customers can tell you what the difference might be. Regardless of what your goals are, advocacy starts with learning as much as you can about your customer, about their customers, about your product, and about the foundational business objectives of your organization. That way, you’re not only making sound data-based decisions on how to move forward but also you're asking the right questions to the right people at the right time. Not to divert us here, but when I was about 15, I had the opportunity to visit the Huntsville Space Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, where I got to view a couple of different types of rockets. I think that there are some strong similarities between those types of rockets and what we do in advocacy. There are fuel rockets, which are those short-term initiatives that go fast but don't necessarily go far. They rely on the subsystems – like a rush to get quotes or customer stories for our sales team – to kick in so that we can travel the rest of the way. Then we have ion thrusters, which take longer to build. Like our longer-term strategies, they're more sophisticated and usually require more minds around the planning table. They harness perpetual energy and use the environment around them to grow. An example of this in our world might be building a formalized program to combat customer exhaustion. Both types of rockets have a vital role and they’re each necessary to complete the journey. It’s often best to build both of them simultaneously. You can start scrappy, but you should also be planning for the future. **Sinead O'Grada** I would absolutely echo what Tim said. Our approach at Meta in general involves piloting and then scaling for long-term impact. That's exactly how we started our SMB advocacy efforts; we piloted the program framework through lightweight channels and forums, before making longer-term investments in infrastructure and tooling. That pilot and proof-of-concept approach enabled us to prove the program’s value and gain insights on what works and what doesn’t. Then we were able to make a more substantial investment and lay the foundation for ongoing growth. **Dave Hansen** Both of you have brought up great points here. Another thing that was very beneficial at LRN was getting cross-functional buy-in from stakeholders *as* we built the program – not only after it launched. One of the fun things about advocacy is there's something for everyone. You have client roundtables, opportunities to weigh in on case studies, and forums for customers to have discussions, and there are different angles and approaches for each of those. So for us, having buy-in from across the organization is super valuable. **Joshua Zerkel** Absolutely. At the beginning, you don't know what you don't know, and especially when you’re new to an organization, you don't always know all the ins and outs of how to get the resources you need. I had to map out the program that I wanted to create. Then, as I socialized it, I was able to determine which pieces were missing, where I'd need additional resourcing, and where I’d need to loop in the legal team. Even though we had a solid plan at the outset, there was a lot of discovery along the way. What was nice about that is as I was socializing the program, because I was getting buy-in along the way, it greased the wheels for me to get access to those resources and support I’d need to get the program off the ground. I think if you go into conversations with a plan and a solid hypothesis, you let people know that you might be asking them for support, and ask if they’d be interested in partnering with you, they’re usually pretty open to it. What I found is people are very excited about programs like these and they often want to participate if you give them an opportunity to do so. ## **The customers you should bring into your advocacy program** **Dave Hansen** Let's shift a little bit here and talk about the audience. When we're building out an advocacy program, are there any segmentation considerations? Which customers get included in an advocacy program? **Joshua Zerkel** I like to think about this in terms of the business goals of each program. It's worth noting here that at Asana, there’s a customer advocacy program that sits under the revenue organization, which is designed to build high-touch relationships with key customers. I run the community program, which serves everybody else – people at companies whose names you know and whose names you don't, and the people who use Asana daily, not just the decision-makers. Both constituencies are very important, not just for hearing what customers need, but because we have different goals as a business for what we want to do with each of these groups. If you're not familiar with the intricacies of how these programs work, it's easy to assume one program can just do it all, so building alignment within the business about how these different programs can serve these different segments of the market was critical. When my partner, who's on the customer advocacy side, and I started working together, we were able to intersect our programs in really beautiful ways. Now if you're at one of our customer’s companies, we have a program that's designed for you, no matter what your level. Having a strong partner within the organization and being clear on how we segment our audience has been critical to the overall success of the programs that we run. As a side benefit, it makes it easier for us to explain within the company what we do and who we're serving **Dave Hansen** The segmentation piece is very important for us too. We serve many different industries, and they all have different regulations and requirements. The experiences we build have to match those varying requirements. And it's not just about the industry – we also serve different roles. As well as ethics and compliance officers, there are also HR and IT people that interact with us, in roles from the associate level all the way up to the C-suite. We just have one broad community program, but it’s worth paying attention to how the interactions and engagement work from segment to segment. That has also made us start digging into whether it makes sense for us to also create an employee advocacy program, but that’s a topic for another day. **Sinead O'Grada** We’re also looking at segmentation through the lens of diversity and inclusion, whether that's from lived experiences of female entrepreneurs or black-owned businesses. While we offer the same level of programming, we might have some specific content or activations to address the unique needs of different audience groups within the overall program. That really enriches the community interactions and aligns with the way we go to market at Meta. **Tim Newborn** Those DEI touchpoints could come into play in the employee advocacy programs Dave mentioned. For instance, if we're hoping to get our customers more engaged on a cultural level, or we would like to engage with different cohorts, we need to offer them an equitable amount of employees who can speak to that community mindset. Spinning up employee advocacy programming also creates different inroads for customers and even prospects to engage with our employees. I think, to a certain degree, employee advocacy is a foundational piece of customer advocacy and building that communal interaction. ## **How to continuously improve your advocacy program** **Dave Hansen** Another thing that has been on my mind is the idea of continuous improvement. We need to take a data mindset and look at where people are engaging, how they’re engaging, and whether the right kinds of people are engaging in our advocacy programs. Then we need to test our own theories to continuously improve our programs and drive that engagement. What does your development process look like, and how have you improved your programs over time? **Joshua Zerkel** I wish I could say that our program will be done at some point, but I don't think it ever will be. I've been at Asana for four and a half years, and our company has grown exponentially during that period. That brings all sorts of changes that need to happen to all of the programs within the company. We've basically upended the program that I lead multiple times, based on what customers are telling us that they need and want out of it. We've evolved the content of our event series based on what they're telling us, based on the attendance numbers that we see, and based on the feedback that we get afterward. For every single part of the program, there’s a loop by which we can hear from customers what they want, what they need, what's working, and most importantly, what isn't so we can stop doing that. Simultaneously, we connect regularly with our partner teams within the organization to hear whether what we're doing to support their work is helpful. We want to know what more we could do and how we can modify the ways we share the information we collect. Soup to nuts, are we doing something that meaningfully helps other teams to support our customers? I don't think the process is ever complete. Community programs and advocacy programs are living and breathing organisms, just like our customers are. In order to meet them where they are and help support them, I build regular opportunities into every program to pause, look at what we're doing, review what's working, jettison what isn't, and come up with something new. To me, that's part of the fun, although it can be exhausting. It's what makes this mix really interesting and, at the end of the day, hopefully very effective for our customers. **Dave Hansen** I absolutely love the idea of pausing and evaluating. It’s much easier said than done though. Finding the time to pause takes being able to set your own priorities, which I’ve heard you talk about a few times before, Tim – is there anything you’d like to add about that? **Tim Newborn** Yeah, I think some of that comes from my background as a veteran because, after any large operation, we would have an AAR – an after-action review. That is that moment of pause where we’d look at what we did and determine what worked well, what didn't, and what we needed to adjust. Visual collaboration has also been beneficial for me in getting other people on board to help optimize systems. Right now, I'm having conversations internally about how to structure that and a meaningful way for advocacy. That way of communicating inspires every kind of work across the board. If you can bring people into something like a Freehand canvas, which is what I use to communicate customer marketing and advocacy, it puts us in the center because we're using the product that we're asking your customers to use. By giving us a full, clear, illustrative picture, it also fosters a sense of empathy that a spreadsheet alone wouldn't allow. Not only that, but we can put programming in along with CTAs for how to get involved with this programming and how to help if you see that something’s off. That's what I'm looking to structure out by the end of the next quarter for our priority programs. We want to get relevant voices, internally and externally, to help us flag where and how we can improve. Then we’ll then report back to them on what that's going to take to improve and if we need their collaboration. **Sinead O'Grada** Another thing I would add is that you need the space and the willingness to start again or rethink the program when necessary. Hopefully, you won’t have to throw everything out, but you might need to adapt or pivot your approach in response to customer feedback or environmental conditions. ## **The golden rules of building an advocacy program** **Dave Hansen** What's one piece of advice that you would give someone who's on their advocacy program journey? **Sinead O'Grada** Keep your program’s reason for being clear for both the community and the company. It needs to be clear what we are and are not in service of. Inevitably, other ideas will come up, and we need to look at those ideas through the lens of what we're here to do. That helps to filter out the noise and make sure we stay focused on our mission. **Tim Newborn** If you're looking to get people to back your ideas, be bold, be brief, be gone. Customer advocacy has many different throughlines and it's difficult to ask one person to digest all of it if it isn't their primary focus, so get your ideas out as clearly, concisely, and as quickly as possible, and allow for those follow-up questions to come – they’re the touchpoints you need to build a relationship. **Joshua Zerkel** I would add, in addition to what Sinead and Tim have already shared, when you're not sure what to do in your program, ask your customers. You and your team might be banging your heads against the wall trying to figure out what to do. Just ask them! They're the people who will be participating in it. Your customers probably have lots of thoughts and opinions, so don't be afraid to just say, “We aren't sure what we're going to do next, and we'd like to get your input.” You'll be amazed at the type of feedback that you get and how well it can be actioned. **Dave Hansen** The advice I would give is to start with the end in mind and work backwards. Set those milestones and benchmarks; that’s going to help you to set priorities and make sure that you have the resources and the people in place to reach them. ## **Customer advocacy program** **Customer Advocacy: Certified,** run by Kevin Lau, will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Aal9ugx%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjU3MTY0OC40ODIuMC4xNjc2NTcxNjQ4LjAuMC4w) ### Customer Marketing Connection | Community 101 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-connection/ Last updated: 2023-03-06T12:00:54.000Z The Customer Marketing Alliance is very excited to kick off this new webinar series! To launch, we decided to start with something foundational to all customer marketers: **Community** Don't miss out on our invaluable webinar, **Customer Marketing Connection**, with Dave Hansen on **Community 101** Community is a foundational tool for customer marketers to scale relationships, add brand stickiness, and drive customer obsession. Building a customer community, however, can be a challenging proposition from gathering internal buy-in, balancing competing priorities, and ensuring your community delivers an authentic experience for your clients.Join Dave Hansen, Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN, for *Community 101*. During this interactive webinar, we will discuss the basics of community along its lifecycle – from planning to launching and building a foundation to scaling.You’ll leave this webinar prepared to: - Nail internal buy-in - Effectively balance priorities - Build experiences that keep members coming back **Register below 👇** ****🗓 March 30** ****⏰ 10:00CST | 16:00 GMT** ****💻 Live - register below** ### **Meet your host:** [Dave Hansen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davewhansen/), **Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN** Dave Hansen is the Global Advocacy Marketing Director at LRN, an organization focused on ethics and compliance solutions that help people around the world do the right thing. His team drives LRN's customer obsession by building community, deepening customer engagement, and finding meaningful opportunities for collaboration. Dave is passionate about learning, having spent most of his career within higher education or training. He loves sharing customer stories and best practices in the name of continuous improvement. Dave is a proud dad, coffee enthusiast, drummer, and scuba diver. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and reading! [Register now](https://my.demio.com/ref/Fl0jgjuJBCMERdzP) ### The importance of reducing customer cognitive load URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-reducing-customer-cognitive-load/ Last updated: 2023-02-17T11:50:21.000Z Every marketer should always have customer needs at the forefront of their mind, whilst also focusing on how they can optimize the customer experience. The most efficient way to improve this experience is by making the product as easy to use as possible and reducing their cognitive load, and in this article, we’ll cover important topics surrounding this concept, including: - [What is customer cognitive load?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-reducing-customer-cognitive-load/#:~:text=to%20reduce%20it.-,What%20is%20customer%20cognitive%20load%3F,-Customer%20cognitive%20load) - [Why is it important to reduce their cognitive load? And,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-reducing-customer-cognitive-load/#why-is-it-important-to-reduce-their-cognitive-load:~:text=variety%20of%20consumers.-,Why%20is%20it%20important%20to%20reduce%20their%20cognitive%20load%3F,-So%2C%20we%E2%80%99ve%20already) - [How to reduce it.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-importance-of-reducing-customer-cognitive-load/#how-can-we-reduce-customer-cognitive-load:~:text=the%20long%20run.-,How%20can%20we%20reduce%20customer%20cognitive%20load%3F,-Let%E2%80%99s%20address%20the) ## **What is customer cognitive load?** Customer cognitive load is the amount of thought that’s required to carry out a task. If you’re asked to focus on too many things at once, this makes it difficult for your brain to process the individual pieces of information and this will increase the time needed to fulfil the objective. For example, a high cognitive load can be caused if you’re trying to read a complex piece of text while having someone talking to you with loud music playing in the background. Everyone handles levels of cognitive load differently, so it's important to reduce the complexity of your product to cater to a wider variety of consumers. ## **Why is it important to reduce their cognitive load?** So, we’ve already established the basic premise of why reducing cognitive load is important, let’s take a look at additional benefits of reducing cognitive load: ### **Reduces customer churn** Humans have a limited amount of processing abilities. In fact, a psychologist named [John Sweller](https://www.psychologistworld.com/memory/cognitive-load-theory#references) found that with a higher cognitive load, people were unable to pay the proper amount of attention to a stimulus, and couldn’t rehearse or remember the information given. This then ultimately made learning less effective, which had a negative effect. If your product is impractical and difficult to use, it’s more likely that they won’t be able to use it properly, and the likelihood is your [churn rate](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/#what-is-customer-churn:~:text=to%20make%20improvements.-,How%20to%20calculate%20customer%20churn,-Customer%20churn%20is) will increase. And it’s a fair argument - why’d you wanna use something if it’s too hard to understand? ### **Improves customer experience** If your user's experiencing a high cognitive load, they’re less likely to retain all of the information surrounding your product and could end up forgetting a lot of important factors in how to use it. This would then impact how they see your brand, customer loyalty, and reduce the likelihood of them recommending your product to their network - in fact, there’s a fair chance they’d tell them *not* to use your product. ### **Increases sales** Customer experience is critical in product marketing. If your user has a good experience with your organization and product, then the chances are you’ll retain the customer and they'll buy from you again. On top of that, they’ll be singing your praises to anyone who needs to hear it. Nobody likes a product that’s hard to use - and remember, simplicity aids usability. Take this into consideration during the development of your offering and you’ll reap the benefits in the long run. ## **How can we reduce customer cognitive load?** Let’s address the steps we can put into place to reduce customer cognitive load to increase the success of your product: ### **Simplify instructions** A hugely valued aspect of marketing is making the customer comfortable and happy. So, you must ensure you’re improving their experience with your product and service by making it [easily accessible](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/tl-dr-simplifying-your-message-for-maximum-impact/). Take out the technical jargon and create a more comprehensible product to ensure you aren’t alienating your customers. Organizations often use chatbots on their websites to guide the customer through the product if they haven’t used it before. Similarly, chatbots are also used to offer the user the avenue whereby they can ask a question and receive tailored support in a short time period. A great example of this is Slack. Their “Slackbot” is an automated system that onboards their customers, but also remains present throughout the entire product use. It’s a handy way of reducing the cognitive load of its customers; if a situation arises when they’re stuck and need help in using the platform, they know exactly where to go in search of support. ### **Simplify visual design** Strong visual design is beneficial for many reasons, but you must take into account how a complicated, loud design can negatively affect product usability. For example, a website that is focused on aesthetics, with no practical layout or navigation may be deemed frustrating to use. The visual design has to be simple enough that your target audience can understand how to use it and where to find things. One of the most common errors companies make is when they don’t have an obvious “contact us” page. If a customer is having an issue with your product, your support team must try and remedy it as soon as possible. As mentioned earlier, facilitating seamless customer experience is paramount in product marketing. A well-designed website will improve usability and enhance your chances of enticing your customers back at a later date. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ### **Research your target customers** Cognitive load will also hinge on the demographics of your customers. For example, if you’re targeting a user with a low IQ in their teens, they’ll have a comparatively lower attention span than a middle-aged adult with a high IQ. You need to take this into account and tailor your content to your audience, what they’d benefit from, and which features to include to make their lives easier. For example, simpler interfaces, fonts, font size, use of video, etc. It’s also important to ask yourself: Are they experts in the field? Have they used your products before? These factors will depend heavily on how easy they're going to find using your product, and how simple you need to make the onboarding experience. Overall, you just need to ensure you’re designing for the customer, rather than your company- so do your[ customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/). ### **Gather customer feedback** Focus on user testing to ensure you’re on the right track, gather [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) to see how you can refine your design, and continue to improve the issue surrounding customer cognitive load. The best way to establish whether you’re meeting the customer’s needs is to gather feedback from them firsthand. Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) are a handpicked collection of customers whose role is to lend insights surrounding the product. This is a super helpful method for product marketers to gather intel that’ll positively impact their product. Here at Customer Marketing Alliance, we've created a certification that gives deeper knowledge and skills on [how to create your own, successful CABs](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A18cali5%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjI4MjM1Mi40NzEuMS4xNjc2MjgyNzI0LjAuMC4w). Course instructor ****Bree Bunzel, Head of Global Customer Marketing at Dropbox**, is an expert with Customer Advisory Boards and shares her experience to help you solidify your understanding of core principles. Our CABs certification will help you: - Understand the strategic benefits of Customer Advisory Boards - Get business buy-in from key stakeholders - Build successful Customer Advisory Boards - Outline objectives and key themes - Turn negative feedback into positive outcomes - Consolidate feedback and introduce action points - Source ideal CAB members - Prepare an awesome agenda - Understand key CABs metrics Sign up now and master your Customer Advisory Boards. 👇 [Learn today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A18cali5%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjI4MjM1Mi40NzEuMS4xNjc2MjgyNzI0LjAuMC4w) ## **Want to learn more?** Wouldn’t it be *awesome* if we could line our customers up, throw on a pair of magic goggles, and read all of their minds? Imagine the insights you could collect to influence your entire product marketing strategy! Well, we might not have magic but we *do* have a ****[Consumer Psychology Certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ah0hqmm%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjI4MjM1Mi40NzEuMS4xNjc2MjgyODM2LjAuMC4w)** course to help you… which is pretty much the same thing. 😏 Led by ****Alex Chahin, Senior Director of Product Marketing at hims & hers**, you’ll learn how to tap into consumer psychology and reap the rewards of applying knowledge around behavioral economics to your product marketing strategies. By the end of this course you'll: ✅ Have a definition of consumer psychology in marketing and how advertising affects consumer behavior. ✅ Better understand how to group ****pain and gain** points. ✅ Understand how personal factors and individual differences affect people's ****buying choices.** ✅ Be able to ****identify** what your customer’s default action is. And much more... [Enroll today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ah0hqmm%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjI4MjM1Mi40NzEuMS4xNjc2MjgyODM2LjAuMC4w) ### How to power up your brand storytelling with the hero's journey URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-power-up-your-brand-storytelling-with-the-heros-journey/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T14:30:24.000Z Storytelling is a massive subject and can turn into a lifelong journey of studying stories, especially in marketing. There are three key areas that I believe are the most crucial to building and rolling out a great story. ## Three categories of marketing stories I discovered that all the frameworks I was using fit into three clear categories: 1. **Structure** \- How to structure an authentic product story to connect perfectly to the perspective of your target consumers. 2. **Delivery** \- How to effectively communicate an inspiring and engaging product story with passion. 3. **Meaning** \- How to make sure the product story remains authentic and consistent by connecting to your unique brand purpose. ![structure, delivery, meaning](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-10-at-12.05.22.png) And whenever a story didn't work it was because it lacked one of these three components. ## Three tenets to create marketing stories These three frameworks come with three essential tenets that should always be applied when creating stories for your marketing strategy. 1. Understand that stories are in everything. Not just advertising. 2. Understand that storytelling is a science that anyone can utilize. Anyone can do it. It’s a learned skill, not just a creative talent. 3. The core need is to provide proven frameworks and real business cases. Immediately practice and become the champion of storytelling within your organization. ## The storytelling structure It doesn't matter which framework you use, only that you understand that storytelling is a science, it can be broken down into pieces and understood. Just like a customer marketer already does with market research or user experience. We will review a few different frameworks to do that. Everything seems complicated and overwhelming until you break it down. So in this article, we are going to break down stories into segments and explore patterns that emerge. To do that we are going to use one of the most popular and well-known forms of storytelling ….movies. ## Storytelling in Fiction When we think storytelling we usually think about movies. A powerful form of storytelling. What's interesting in this same structure and techniques used in creating movie stories are the same as in every other form of storytelling, including marketing. Below are two movies that are among the most watched, highest-grossing, and most beloved movie stories of all time. We are going to break down the structures of these movies to see what patterns emerge and what we can learn from them. Approach them like a customer marketer, review, hunt for patterns, and draw conclusions. What similarities in story structure do you observe between these movies? ### **The Lion King:** 1. The Ordinary World: Simba is the heir to the throne of Pride Lands. 2. The Call to Adventure: Scar kills Mufasa and tells Simba to leave Pride Lands. 3. Refusal of the Call: Simba, scared and alone, retreats to the desert. 4. Meeting with the Mentor: Timon and Pumbaa introduce Simba to life in the jungle. 5. Crossing the First Threshold: Simba embraces the “hakuna matata” lifestyle. 6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: Nala finds Simba and they fall in love. 7. Approach to the Innermost Cave: Nala asks Simba to save the Pride Lands and reclaim the throne. 8. The Ordeal: Simba must decide between his life in the jungle and his duty to the Pride Lands. 9. The Reward: Mufasa’s ghost tells Simba to return. 10. The Road Back: Simba goes with Nala and faces off against Scar. 11. The Ressurection: Simba learns Scar killed his father and he throws Scar from Pride Rock. 12. Return with the Elixir: Simba ascends Pride Rock and reclaims his throne. ### **Lord of the Rings:** 1. The Ordinary World: Frodo lives comfortably in the Shire. 2. The Call to Adventure: Gandalf tells Frodo he must Destroy the Ring. 3. Refusal of the Call: Frodo is reluctant to leave the world he knows. 4. Meeting with the Mentor: Gandal introduces Frodo to the Fellowship. 5. Crossing the First Threshold: The Fellowship set off on their journey to Mount Doom. 6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The Fellowship face the Balrog and Gandalf falls. 7. Approach to the Innermost Cave: Frodo goes on alone with Sam. 8. The Ordeal: Gollum leads Frodo into Shelob’s lair. 9. The Reward: Frodo and Sam sneak into Mount Doom but Frodo is corrupted by the Ring. 10. The Road Back: Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger and falls into the volcano with the ring. 11. The Ressurection: Sauron is defeated and Sam and Frodo are saved by the eagles. 12. Return with the Elixir: Frodo leaves Middle Earth to go to the Gray Havens with the Elves. Although they might seem on the surface to be very different, all follow very similar story structures. Similar protagonists, similar journeys, similar obstacles, These connections are attributed to one of the most famous studies into storytelling. The hero of a thousand faces by… The study highlights the progress of the protagonist as the foundation for any story structure. The protagonist can be seen as the true connection between a storyteller and the audience. And the chapters of his journey follow certain familiar steps. Why? This isn't a coincidence. Our brains enjoy this formula. Because we are able to relate to these challenges and can connect them to our own unique lives and struggles. ## Storytelling in marketing You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with marketing. The same structure used by Hollywood writers is successfully implemented by the marketing teams for the world's biggest brands. There are dozens of different structure frameworks, most of them an offshoot of the Hero Journey. Each one can help can serve a different purpose. The three I use most often are The Story Wheel, The Seven Basic Plots, and the Oder Chaod framework. For the purposes of this article, I’ll be going through the seven basic plots and how you can use them in marketing. **Side note:** Looking for ways to improve your storytelling skills in customer marketing? This eBook focuses on **six** areas that’ll help you and your team tell more compelling stories that’ll resonate with your audience: ## The Seven Basic Plots Christopher Booker’s 2004 book ‘The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories’ argues that you can boil every single story down to one of seven basic plots. We’re going to run through each. ![The Seven Basic Plots](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/C2c5s9PXEAERFOM.jpeg) ### Plot 1 - Overcoming the monster **For example,** Dracula or Star Wars. A story of good overcoming evil is one of the classic story arcs. Even though we can usually predict the ending, it often involves a lot of drama along the way. This helps to grip the audience and releases that awesome oxytocin we all love. #### How can you use this? What’s your company’s biggest challenge? Who is your company’s arch-nemesis? Use this narrative to train your colleagues about the threats you face. (Cleaning Products for example - Germs as the monster.) ### Plot 2 - Rags to riches **For example**, Oliver Twist or Cinderella. The protagonist has humble beginnings. They fight their way to the top. This story is a life journey paved with struggle. They’ll usually face an antagonist, but will eventually turn things around and end up on top. #### How Can You Use This? This simple narrative could be used to describe a character who started off with nothing, but through his tenacity and thirst for knowledge ended up rising to the top! (Price Comparison websites - focus on users enjoying the money saved.) ### Plot 3 - The quest **For example**, Lord of the Rings or The Wizard of Oz. The protagonist sets off on a geographical journey, which often results in an unexpected spiritual or emotional journey too. #### How Can You Use This? The Quest is highly suitable for use when completing a learning module. From novice to expert, the learner experiences a thrilling journey into the crux of your content. Alternatively, you could use ‘The Quest’ when explaining in-house career progression. (Babbel - persona; growth.) ### Plot 4 - Voyage & return **For Example**, Finding Nemo or Alice in Wonderland. Often found in fantasy, the Voyage and Return plot shows our main character being thrown into new/unknown territories, before returning to normality at the end. Usually, the protagonist is a changed person on their return. #### How Can You Use This? This narrative will wrap around whatever content you like! Have the protagonist start off on a trek to seek some lost item or mystical bounty. Once they complete their quest and find their treasure, it might reveal some hidden knowledge! (Travel ads, airlines.) ### Plot 5 - Comedy **For Example**, A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Bridget Jones’s Diary. A comedy is by its nature a light-hearted affair, which drives towards a happy ending. Comedy sticks in our heads. A Pew Research Poll showed that viewers of satirical news shows remembered news stories better than those who watched the actual news! #### How Can You Use This? How about buddying up with your graphic design department and presenting your content in the form of a humorous comic strip? (RedBull, M&Ms - oxytocin on memory.) ### Plot 6 - Tragedy **For example,** Romeo & Juliet or Death of a Salesman. Get the tissues handy; we’re about to delve into the teary world of tragedy. A tragedy follows the descent of a character whose life spirals into chaos, or irreversible misfortune. #### How Can You Use This? The ‘Tragedy’ plot type can often be used to illustrate the consequences of undesired behaviors or attitudes within the workplace. This format is perfect for a ‘What Not to Do’ style approach to training. (Charities and life insurance.) ### Plot 7 - Rebirth **For example**, A Christmas Carol or Groundhog Day. The rebirth story will usually see the main character begin as a cynic, a criminal, or just a bad egg. Something will happen to them that will change their point of view. In the end, they’ll be a complete humanitarian! #### How Can You Use This? In eLearning, a rebirth can be ideally paired with behavior change. The message is this: You previously did things this way, but doing things another way can result in these benefits! (Gyms, Sports, Adidas, Sustainability.) ## The Story Wheel and the Order-Chaos Framework To learn more about The Story Wheel and the Order-Chaos Framework, Eliot Raynar is the instructor for [Customer Marketing Alliance’s Storytelling: Masters](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1ifxjk3%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjAyODM5MC40NjguMC4xNjc2MDI4MzkwLjAuMC4w). This course is for anyone ready to boost their storytelling skills to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out in customer marketing, or just want to refresh your knowledge and further understand the science behind a story that sells, this certification is for you. By the end of the course, you’ll have a comprehensive set of skills needed to create impactful and successful storytelling. [Get storytelling certified]( https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1ifxjk3%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NjAyODM5MC40NjguMC4xNjc2MDI4MzkwLjAuMC4w) ### How much are you worth? Global salaries for customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:41:24.000Z A few months ago we released our [Customer Marketing Salary Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report-2022/). Now, with each one of us being more aware of money and the impact of the economy going into this year, we wanted to share a snippet of the data we collected about global salaries and more. This article includes: - [Average global salary](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#:~:text=Average%20starting%20salary-,Average%20global%20salary,-Before%20tax%2C%20the) - [Salary by location](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#salary-by-location:~:text=our%20data%20pool.-,Salary%20by%20location,-The%20vast%20majority) - [Cost of living](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#cost-of-living:~:text=Less%20than%20%2425%2C000-,Cost%20of%20living,-Taking%20into%20consideration) - [Salary by US State](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#salary-by-state:~:text=must%20reflect%20this.-,Salary%20by%20State,-With%20North%20America) - [Salary by employment type](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#salary-by-employment-type:~:text=of%20this%20report.-,Salary%20by%20employment%20type,-It%20perhaps%20comes) - [Salary by job title](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#salary-by-job-title:~:text=in%20section%20seven.-,Salary%20by%20Job%20Title,-Of%20the%20Job) - [Average starting salary](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-much-are-you-worth-global-salaries-for-customer-marketing-in-2023/#average-starting-salary:~:text=score%20much%20higher.-,Average%20starting%20salary,-We%20also%20asked) ## Average global salary Before tax, the average global salary for the customer marketers we surveyed was **$121,493**. This is regardless of experience, gender, location, or other factors. The median salary was slightly lower at **$112,500.** ![Average global salary - $121,493 _ Median global salary - $112,500](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.59.04.png) This average is higher in comparison to other marketing positions - based on data gathered by our sister communities in [The Alliance](https://allianceled.io/) \- for example, [Customer Success Collecitve](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/) found that the global salary for customer success professionals was [**$88,984**](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-salary-survey-2022-report/). [Product Marketing Alliance](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/) found that for product marketers, the global average was [**$119,197**](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/2021-product-marketing-salary-survey/). This can perhaps be attributed to the fact that a majority **(90.7%)** came from mid-growth to enterprise-level companies, though this will be explored further in part nine. ### Salary bands Our salary bands give a slightly more in-depth picture of the range of salaries. Though reflective of the median and average global salaries, the range of **$150,000-200,000** was the most commonly selected by our participants. ![Less than 25,000 per year - 2.7% 25,000-50,000 - 5.3% 50,000-75,000 - 13.3% 75,000-100,000 - 13.3% 100,000-125,000 - 18.3% 125,000-150,000 - 19.5% 150,000-200,000 - 20.6% 200,000+ per year - 7%](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.59.47.png) From the people we surveyed, salaries skew toward $100,000 or higher, with **65.3%** of our survey responders having a salary of $100,000 or higher, and only **34.6%** with $100,000 or lower. Next, we’ll evaluate if this average is indicative of the average salaries in the different regions represented in our data pool. ## Salary by location The vast majority of respondents were based in North America, **80.8%,** with Europe coming in at a distant second **(12.5%)**. With customer marketing still contending for its place beside other marketing functions, it’s understandable that it’s yet to become a fully global position. In the coming years, as the awareness of customer marketing increases, we’ll likely see a more even spread of places being represented in our data sets. ![North America - 80.9% Europe - 12.5% Asia - 3% Australia - 2.3% South America - 0.7% Africa - 0.3% I’d prefer not to say - 0.3%](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.49.34.png) There was a vast range between the average salaries of the regions represented in our survey pool. Our highest-paid region was North America, with an average of **$133,649**. Comparatively, our lowest-paid region was Asia, with an average of **$41,944.** ![North America - $133,649 Australia - $107,142 Europe - $77,297 Asia - $41,944](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-15.00.22.png) Though it would be ideal for customer marketers to work on an even playing field in regard to pay, the results show that location plays a huge part in the expected average salaries. **Note:** As South America and Africa were only represented by three responders in total, we’ve chosen to omit them from the main data set to preserve the data’s integrity. However, their responses were as follows: - South America - $25-50,000 and $100-125,000, - Africa - Less than $25,000 ### Cost of living Taking into consideration the cost of living in these areas gives a better indication of the average salary by location. As you see below, the cost of living in each location ranked the same as average salary, with North America having the highest average cost of living per year at **$25,344**, and the lowest being Asia with an average monthly cost of living of **$10,416**. ![North America -$25,344 - 18.9% Australia - $23,364 - 26.7% Europe -$21,648 - 30.9% Asia - $10,416 - 24.8% ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.49.58.png) When looking into the cost of living and how much of it makes up the average salary for each location, we can see that the North American cost of living actually makes up the **smallest percentage** of its average salary **(18.9%)**. Comparatively, Europe’s average cost of living makes up just over **30%** of its average salary before tax. With increasing [consumer prises](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf) and rising inflation occurring in 2022, and at a higher rate than predicted, salaries should be increasing to reflect this. The disparity in percentages might also be because of the difference between Europe and America and their access to government-funded schemes when it comes to things like healthcare. Due to the demand of North American based workers to pay for these needs without support, salaries must reflect this. ## Salary by state With North America being the highest earning region by a significant portion, we were curious how this varied through the different states. ![Oregon - $102,500 - 1.6% Texas - $112,500 - 4% Florida - $114,285 - 2.3% Georgia - $115,384 - 4.3% North Carolina - $120,000 - 3.3% California - $124,390 - 12% Colorado - $128,125 - 2.6% Massachusetts - $129,53 - 5.3% Washington - $132,500 - 1.3% New York - $150,000 -2.3%](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.50.10.png) In the group we surveyed, the state with the highest average salary was New York with an average of **$150,000**, with Washington **($132,500)** in second. Of the states represented, New York was the only one with a salary higher than the overall North American average, **$133,649,** found in our own data. The states with the lowest average salaries were Texas **($112,500)** and Oregon **($102,500).** When considering if the impact of the cost of living for each state might have an impact on salaries, there is interestingly not a lot of cross-over. New York has the highest salary average **($150,000)** and is the third most expensive state by the cost of living. A report from Missouri Economic Research and Information Center cites Oregon as the [8th most expensive state for cost of living](https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series). Despite this, Oregon has the lowest average salary **($102,500)** out of the states represented in our data pool. This is in contrast with Washington as the second highest average salary of our data pool. Washington is positionedas the **13th** most expensive state when comparing cost of living, below Oregon, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Location seems to have less of an impact when it comes to the US states, and may be influenced by other factors such as company size, years of experience, and responsibilities. These factors will be considered in parts eight and nine of this report. ## Salary by employment type It perhaps comes as no surprise that full-time employees are the ones with the highest average salary in customer marketing. ![Full-time -$122,360 Part-time - $95,833 Independent Contractor/freelancer - $102,500](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.50.29.png) What’s interesting is how much of a difference there is between the average of full-time and that of independent contractors, whose average makes up about **80%** of that of full-time employees. When investigating this difference, the biggest consideration was the average level of experience. It is assumed that those in full-time positions have more customer marketing experience and a more consistent relationship with the topic. However, full-time employees had an average of **5.2** years of experience, compared with the freelancers' average of **6** years of experience. We will be considering some other factors that may impact pay for employees in section seven. ## Salary by job title Of the Job Title groups represented in our data pool, Customer Marketing Specialists, a small percentage of the overall data pool, had the highest average salary at **$135,714**. Next was those with Senior Customer Marketing Manager titles at **$133,392**, and Director of Customer Marketing titles **$132,638**. All of these averages are higher than the global average. ![Customer Marketing Manager (inc. Customer advocacy manager, Community Marketing Manager, Post-sales Marketing Manager) - $115,222 Senior Customer Marketing Manager (Inc. Senior Advocacy Manager, Senior Program Manager, Senior Community Marketing Manager) - $133,392 Head of Customer marketing (Inc. Head of Customer Advocacy, Global Head of Customer Advocacy) - $125,000 Director of Customer Marketing - $132,638 Senior Director of Customer Marketing - $108,333 VP of Marketing - $104,166 Customer Marketing Specialist (Inc. Advocacy Specialaist, Engagemener Specialist, Social Marketing Specialist) - $135,714](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.50.39.png) These average are most likely skewed due to the small percentage they make up of the total data pool. This is supported by the fact that Customer Marketing Manager, which made up the largest percentage, had an average of **$115,222,** which is between the median and average of the global results. To compare Customer Marketing to other marketing positions in general, we turned to the [LinkedIn Salary Calculator](https://www.linkedin.com/salary/). For marketing manager positions, the median range in the US was **$75,000**, with a range of **$52,000-$100,000**. For more senior positions such as Head of Marketing and Senior Marketing Manager, the medians were slightly higher at **$117,000** and **$119,000** per year. For all of these results, Customer Marketing positions score much higher. ## Average starting salary We also asked our participants the starting salary range they began with when they first entered the customer marketing position. The average starting salary of our respondents, regardless of any other factors, was **$77,900.** The median salary was slightly lower at **$62,500**. ![Average global starting salary - $77,900 _ Median starting salary - $62,500](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.50.51.png) By location, the average starting salary was once again widely, ranging from **$49,167** to **$85,704**. Asia took the spot for the lowest average starting salary, while North America took the highest. ![North America - $85,704 Australia - $68,750 Europe - $54,100 Asia - $49,167](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-06-at-14.51.01-1.png) As you can see, there is a lot of disparity when it comes to initial starting salaries for customer marketers. There may also be other factors affecting this beginning number - things like gender, experience, level of education, responsibility, and more. **Note:** Again, South America and Africa were only represented by one responder each, so they’ve been omitted from the main data. However, their responses were as follows: - South America - $50-75,000 - Africa - Less than $25,000 ## Want more? This article is a sneak peek into our Customer Marketing Salary Report. You can **download the full report** using the form below and unlock a whole 80+ pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing salaries and the factors that affect them. Set yourself up for success. ### How to build your brand through customer storytelling URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-your-brand-through-customer-storytelling/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:36:26.000Z **Liz Greer** Hi, everyone! In this article, you’ll learn how to turn your customers into brand storytellers and how to leverage customer success stories to attract, engage, and convert prospects into raving fans – or in Salesforce’s case, Trailblazers. Jaz and I will be your trail guides. My name is Liz and I'm a Customer Marketing Manager at Salesforce. I’ve been in customer marketing for three years and currently lead the team that focuses on customer storytelling for Salesforce Professional Services – our business of certified Salesforce experts that help our Trailblazers to continuously innovate and maximize their value on our platform. **Jazmyne Dodd** And I'm Jazmyne Dodd. I've been at Salesforce now for seven years – the past three within customer marketing, where I’m currently responsible for highlighting our most innovative manufacturing and automotive customers in joint marketing. There are three stops on today's trail: 1. **Customer marketing at Salesforce** – What it is, the value of customer storytelling, and the impact it has on our brand and our business 2. **The how behind the wow** – How we position joint marketing journeys that excite our Trailblazers and deliver customer stories that wow our audiences 3. **Top tips and best practices** to consider as a customer marketer Let’s dive in. ## **Customer marketing at Salesforce** **Liz Greer** Simply put, customer stories are the heart of Salesforce and our brand. Our customer marketing team cultivates strategic integrated marketing partnerships with our customers. We celebrate and elevate them to become world-class advocates that we call Trailblazers, who tell authentic, inspiring, and relevant customer success stories that fuel our marketing strategy and campaigns and supercharge sales. When we talk to prospects and customers, we want to speak their language. That means instead of leading with our technology, we want them to hear about our success at NBC Universal, whose marketing teams can now reach new audiences 50% faster. We want them to see how e.l.f. Cosmetics is driving brand loyalty in a highly competitive market by deepening its digital customer experience. We do this through the voices of our customers across all of our platforms, channels, and stages. Whether you visit our website, tune into a Salesforce class, or attend one of our world-class events, our customer stories are front and center. ![Curate opportunities across every channel - events, thought leadership, digital content, and PR and media](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6tvxxBTdO0MoXpLXySVJCU3UZES-ecGhOTkTYJLRuvIjFN5-CibgXZM0b2IpwNzYrJf3sqZ49CIeNcrOXE_r5bD5_aIeXzDmzAy6v_tAO8o03lVwEMXHW52n7z7IZuGEr9zjCub1GWLPmSvk) Through joint marketing partnerships, our customer marketing team engages with our most innovative customers like Starbucks, Honeywell, PayPal, and AT&T. We amplify their brands and spotlight their thought leadership through opportunities that may include events, studio films, demos, PR, digital content, and even more. We have a menu of joint marketing opportunities that our customers can order from. Each partnership is tailored to that customer's interests, preferences, and goals for telling their story, so no two are exactly alike. What all of these options have in common is that they’re focused on getting the most juice out of our marketing squeeze. We also repurpose and maximize customer interviews and content by scaling each customer story across our platforms for the widest reach and impact. ![Customer stories are our most powerful assets ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rZqimlFQj73v0CK4qoaFT1Gw6vTtyZqH0qjO-Mv8MWWEfdLEbRvFnpYqt-xfqZXEqKgiN2jSXfi24Tc8jtbOHp8WEup5lMW0MHjXIIsz9JyhvxRGDDAT-TgA76QXvOpokE27UzPRlzAbThj9) We do all of this because we know that customer stories are our most powerful assets. According to the Salesforce B2B Content Marketing Trends Report, customer testimonials and case studies are considered [the most effective content marketing tactic](https://www.wyzowl.com/power-of-testimonials/). And according to Wyzowl, a leading marketing video company, [nine out of 10 people](https://www.wyzowl.com/why-testimonials-are-important/#:~:text=Our%20research%20tells%20us%20that,customer%20testimonials%2C%20according%20to%20Spectoos.) say they trust what a customer says about a business more than what a business says about itself. At Salesforce, it's our customers who are the real stars of our events, our marketing, and even our sales conversations. This isn't surprising because technology marketing research firm Dimensional Research found that [90% of buyers](https://martech.org/survey-customers-more-frustrated-by-how-long-it-takes-to-resolve-a-customer-service-issue-than-the-resolution/) claim that positive customer success content was influential in their purchasing decisions. Now that you've heard all about customer marketing at Salesforce, I’ll hand it over to Jazmyne to share more about how we bring the *wow* to our customer stories. ## **The how behind the wow** **Jazmyne Dodd** We've simplified the how behind the wow into three steps. First, it's all about understanding company priorities and driving internal alignment to identify and champion your most compelling customer stories. From there, you can start strategizing on the best places for these customer stories to show up. For me, that's where the fun begins – understanding your customers' priorities, positioning the joint marketing journey, and ultimately securing their interest. Once your customers say yes, it’s time to move onto execution – scaling and promoting the content across your company's channels to increase the reach of your story. Let's take a closer look at how we achieve all this. ### **Step one: Drive internal alignment** We have so many amazing customers innovating on our platform that it can be hard for us to decide whose stories to prioritize. To do this, as we build our customer marketing strategy for the year, we work to understand our marketing priorities and we drive alignment to select the most strategic customers that align to those priorities. We consider the overall marketing strategy and the company narratives and priorities that are most important for our executives. We also make sure we understand all the big marketing moments coming up that year, whether that's product launches, new acquisitions, or even untapped markets we’re focusing on. These are all great opportunities to help fuel the business with customer stories. We Simultaneously qualify those customer stories, leveraging nominations from sales and customer success, and even data from internal usage reports. We're also constantly keeping tabs on new strategic deal wins. As we explore these customers internally, we work closely with our sales and customer success partners to understand how these customers are innovating on our technology, and how we can build a beneficial two-way partnership. On our side, we consider customer marketing priorities, brands that are disrupting their industries, customers with strong KPIs and impactful stories of innovation, and most importantly, alignment with our Salesforce values. We’re looking for companies with champions that reflect the diverse communities in which we live. All of this culminates in selecting our most strategic customers to engage in co-marketing journeys. ### **Step two: Strategize on how and where to share customers’ stories** Next, we partner across the business to create a cohesive co-marketing journey across our content and channels. We work with teams like product marketing, PR, our film team, and so many others to identify the best places for our customer stories to show up. Then, we create a customer journey that amplifies multiple aspects of our partnership. In partnership with the account team, we form a single marketing contact for the customer. That way, we can ensure we're showing up to them as one Salesforce and that they have the best customer experience every step of the way. As we develop our co-marketing journey, we also need to understand the customer's goals and priorities, to ensure that we're positioning opportunities that will excite and delight them. Whether the company is looking to increase its brand awareness, highlight a new product launch, position itself as an innovator, or recruit top talent in a competitive market, our goal is to speak their language and build a co-marketing journey that aligns with their goals and priorities. For some customers, that may mean assuring them that they have full control over how we represent their brand through our partnership. That's especially important for the example I’m going to share of how this came to life with one of our amazing Trailblazers, Mercedes Benz. ### **Step three: Scale and promote content across channels** Of course, as Liz said, every customer journey looks a little bit different, but by understanding Mercedes's priorities, goals, and the story they wanted to tell, we scaled their customer story and amplified their innovation across integrated content and campaigns. We developed deep relationships with their PR comms teams, as well as customer advocates across the business – from their C-suite, IT, marketing, and service leaders to those that were directly implementing Salesforce. We provided a platform to share Mercedes’s authentic story through a filmed visionary demo of their use case and executive interviews at our biggest stage of the year: the Dreamforce Keynote. Onsite attendees were also immersed in the Mercedes Benz customer story with artwork featured across the campus. Plus, attendees were able to interact with the story through an onsite customer experience featuring their all-new all-electric EQS. We also scaled their story to those that weren’t able to join us in person. We did this with a thought leadership interview with one of their amazing IT leaders, who promoted our Salesforce+ streaming service. On top of all this, we featured the voice of the customer in informative quotes, audio clips, and short films that debuted on our Salesforce digital channel. But that's not all. We also created a one-page story overview that empowered our Salesforce sales teams globally to share Mercedes’s story in one-to-one and one-to-many conversations. That, coupled with an internal communication strategy, ensured our global sales team could help amplify Mercedes Benz’s innovation within their day-to-day conversations. For us, social is crucial to reaching new audiences and a critical part of every co-marketing strategy we create. We leveraged Salesforce-owned social channels and empowered Mercedes Benz to promote our content on their platform, further expanding the reach of our co-marketing partnership to new audiences. By driving a close alignment with Mercedes Benz and ensuring that we told their authentic story, we were able to scale their customer story across all Salesforce channels and platforms for maximum impact and reach. For our final stop, Liz will take us through some top tips and best practices as you build out your own customer marketing strategy. ## **Top tips and best practices** **Liz Greer** Now it’s time to round things off with three best practices that are going to help you to build your brand through customer stories. ### **Tip one: Focus, focus, focus** If you’re just getting started in customer marketing, you need to be crystal clear on what you want to accomplish through customer storytelling. Is it equipping your sales teams with an inventory of customer success stories so they can close deals faster? Is it infusing the voices of your customers into your social media strategy to boost engagement with your target audiences? Identify the goal and focus in on it. From there, you can begin to build and scale. ### **Tip two: Know how to pivot** So far in this article, we’ve talked about some picture-perfect moments with customers who were featured across our marketing channels. However, there are roadblocks on the trail to customer marketing. Unforeseen circumstances like last-minute cancellations, delayed legal approvals, or hearing a ‘no’ from a customer when you're expecting to hear a ‘yes’ can rear their heads at any time. Always be prepared with a plan A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, and be ready to pivot. We manage a lot of factors that can change at any moment, so we always have to plan ahead and get ready to change courses if something doesn’t go as planned. Let’s take the pandemic as an example. Salesforce has a huge events presence, so the way that we worked with our customers had to completely transform. Instead of hosting them on-site at events, we shipped them ring lights and filming kits to our Trailblazers so they could record from their living rooms. ### **Tip three: Be customer-first** At Salesforce, customer success is one of our core values and is fundamental to the way that we operate. We always want to honor our customers' time and tell their authentic success stories in a way that is most true to them. We lead with their goals and interests at every opportunity and when we do that, we find success more naturally for both them and for us. We play a trusted role as the sole point of contact for a customer's joint marketing journey. That means it’s up to us to safeguard customers’ time and ensure that we keep their best interests at heart. ## **Storytelling continued** Once upon a time, there was a customer marketer who had a product that would be perfect to upsell to their customers. But they knew that the usual tricks just weren’t going to cut it. Introducing **Storytelling: Masters Certified**. This course is for anyone ready to boost their storytelling skills to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out in customer marketing, or just want to refresh your knowledge and further understand the science behind a story that sells, this certification is for you. [Continue the learning journey](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A30sswo%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NTM1MTMwMy40NDguMC4xNjc1MzUxMzAzLjAuMC4w) ### 5 ways SaaS companies can leverage their happy customers URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-ways-saas-companies-can-leverage-their-happy-customers/ Last updated: 2024-05-27T13:19:43.000Z > *Unhappy customers are your biggest source of learning – Bill Gates* It's true that companies have a lot to learn from their unhappy customers. Listening carefully to unhappy customers can help you massively improve as a company. And that’s what all customer-obsessed companies are so good at. But equally important are your happy customers. Today I want to talk about how *happy customers are your biggest source of leverage.* There can be no better marketers than your happy customers. That’s because people are more likely to trust words of praise coming from your customers than you. In this article, I’ll talk about how product and marketing teams in SaaS companies can leverage their happy customers. Here are five different ways in which your happy customers can help you grow faster and better. # 1\. Testimonials on software review sites > *Almost 75% of buyers consult online reviews before purchasing business software –* [*teamsupport.com*](https://www.teamsupport.com/blog/leverage-the-power-of-b2b-software-reviews-1) With so much reliance on online reviews, it becomes important to have a strategy for increasing your online reviews. The most popular review websites are G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. ![Source: G2 website and YouTube](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/86Nlz3Ml7fJvI6rh3L7LPG1ByHoX-kyN1iK1Hk9a2Z0LhSLj9C_XR2WQyO03ynGO8im2id0AHtFRxEBxXdDPCdb-EH1UToTGkAFdqLHVFGDLSatgeRk462AobBetLWuFogZMv0bsQbkOVaaqbylArcgmGHxqQPZmXFHUArfJdH0Pvwo4nZPFiS8ndjHcrQ) Having a solid presence on review websites offers multiple advantages in the long run: - You can use positive reviews on your website as marketing collateral and for sales enablement - They can help you understand your positioning and user perception in the market - They show you what you need to improve in your product - You get to learn what your sales team can do better So, if you spot a happy customer, make sure they leave helpful testimonials on review websites. # 2\. Customer case studies > *A marketing case study aims to persuade that a process, product, or service can solve a problem. Why? Because it has done so in the past. By including the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the study, it appeals to logic while painting a picture of what success looks like for the buyer. –*[ *Hubspot*](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/case-studies-marketing) A case study demonstrates how a customer was able to solve a problem or complete a job using your product. This helps build trust and establish your effectiveness as a solution. Case studies can be used in myriad ways. These include: - **Sales enablement** – They can be showcased by sales teams when they are pitching to prospects in a similar segment. - **Marketing collateral** – Case studies can be uploaded on your website for easy access. Inbound prospects can land on them and get a flavor of how the product might be valuable to them. Snippets of these conversations can also be used as testimonials on the website home page or posted on social media. - **Provide guidance** – Newer customers and your internal teams can get valuable ideas about using the product and deriving maximum value from it. # 3\. Build a strong referral loop One of the biggest banes of a SaaS company’s sales process is the high customer acquisition costs (CAC). Companies need to spend so much on paid marketing before they can generate leads willing to listen to your sales representatives. To reduce CAC, a great strategy is to leverage your happy customers by building out a referral program that incentivizes them to reach out to your prospects. Besides, [research](https://www.helloroketto.com/articles/how-to-build-a-b2b-saas-referral-program) indicates that customers coming in through referrals have: - Higher conversion rates. (Referred customers have a [30% higher conversion rate](https://www.signpost.com/blog/referral-marketing-statistics/) than leads from other marketing channels). - Higher retention rates, which increase the net lifetime value of a customer. This blog post is a good starting point for building a good referral program – [helloroketto.com](https://www.helloroketto.com/articles/how-to-build-a-b2b-saas-referral-program) # 4\. Leverage user-generated content > *Almost every day, your users create invaluable content for you. This unique, trustworthy content can get you more traffic, leads, and sales, but only if you use it right. –* [*NeilPatel.com*](https://neilpatel.com/blog/how-to-leverage-user-generated-content-to-boost-sales/) Your happy customers are already marketing you via word of mouth, social media, blogs, and podcasts, so why not amplify their voices? User-generated content benefits you in a number of ways – Building trust and authenticity, creating social proof, generating free content which can be repurposed, helping you promote your brand across new audiences. **Some ways in which user-generated content is created:** - Social media posts from users about their experience with a product. - Explainer videos on YouTube – many customers and thought leaders analyze products and share their opinions this way. ![User-generated videos about a brand (“earned media”), were viewed 10 times more often than official brand videos (“owned media”) on YouTube – Source](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9QYrzuVlWyALgyE6ZHk5EHvTijuhboscToEMRxBsMRsxWMzWNZcgcF4rc41_x5lA-8sBGCuSnYavdPOKqJaTVbdG_-132WJXenMt0ZLgPbktEI5qjSiMS2PQoFRS9ooDLP8VsLd0L6L9dGUZl2XUq0AGX-wj_u4PqJVuyvhuVlyPHgoRh6zdwwkkwM3x2A) - Reviews on sites such as G2 without any incentive from the software company. - Blog posts **Ways in which user-generated content can be leveraged:** - Use social media praise as testimonials on your website. - Repost the content on your own social media channels to widen its reach. - Use customer praise in your email and other paid marketing campaigns. - Run social media campaigns around dedicated hashtags. # 5\. Creating video content with your happy customers Finally, you can run exclusive webinars, panel discussions, and live workshops involving your customers and share them on your company website. For example, Amplitude does a lot of masterclasses featuring its happy customers. # Reaching out to customers and incentivizing them In order to scale your outreach to happy customers and drive results, I would recommend the following: - **Use technology to automate the process** – Track indicators of customer happiness such as NPS surveys and CSAT ratings. Whenever you get a high rating, send automatic emails requesting a review or case study from them. (*Time is of the essence here, so outreach must be immediate*) - **Incentivize customers by giving them a token of appreciation** – It’s always good to appreciate someone when they do something good for you. Your token of appreciation could be monetary – a discount or gift card for example – or it could take a non-monetary form – such as a personalized thank you note or company swag. - **Give your happy customers multiple opportunities to collaborate** – Ongoing engagement with happy customers creates a win-win situation for both of you. # Conclusion If cultivated well, relationships with happy customers can indeed be your biggest source of leverage. Happy customers can help you in multiple ways – through reviews, case studies, user-generated content, referrals, and live video content. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to be strategic about leveraging your happy customers. Set clear goals, identify team members who will be responsible for driving these initiatives, and invest in the right set of tools that will help you measure success. ### How to complete startup market research: A step-by-step guide URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-complete-startup-market-research-a-step-by-step-guide/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:16:02.000Z Market research for a startup is a vital way to get information that’ll support your business and its growth, making your dreams for your company likely to succeed. This article contains the following: - [A brief definition of market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-complete-startup-market-research-a-step-by-step-guide/#:~:text=conducting%20market%20research-,Defining%20market%20research,-Market%20research%20is) - [How market research helps startups](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-complete-startup-market-research-a-step-by-step-guide/#why-startup-market-research-is-helpful:~:text=stage%20of%20growth%3F-,Why%20startup%20market%20research%20is%20helpful,-Market%20research%20is) - [A step-by-step guide to conducting market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-complete-startup-market-research-a-step-by-step-guide/#types-of-market-research:~:text=your%20business%27s%20success.-,Types%20of%20market%20research,-Before%20you%20dive) ## Defining market research [Market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) is the process of getting information about a specific market - the customers, [their needs](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/customer-needs-and-how-to-meet-them/), what they want, and the best ways to fulfill them. This can help you make business decisions that’re more likely to be successful, facilitating company growth. This involves conducting surveys, interviews, competitive intelligence, and more research to gain insights into the latest trends, industry developments, and target audiences. But, [why is market research important](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/)? Put simply, it’s critical to companies of any size, be it startups or enterprises, but for startups, it’s vital to learn whether or not your product idea or prototype has a chance within the market. So, how do you apply this research to startup businesses? And how can this be used to propel your business toward the next stage of growth? ## Why startup market research is helpful Market research is important for all companies, but it’s especially crucial for new businesses. This is because startups don’t have the same customer base or established reputation as long-standing brands. [Market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) will help you determine your competitive advantage, your target personas, and what customers want from your business. Market research will help you create a marketing strategy that promotes your strengths and appeals to your target customers. It’ll also help you develop products and services that match your customers’ needs. Plus, it’ll give you insights into your [customers’ behavior, desires, and motivations](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/appreciating-your-audience-why-understanding-consumer-psychology-is-important/) \- all essential to your business's success. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## Types of market research Before you dive in and start conducting your research, it’s important to be aware of the different types of market research and which one is best for your company. There are three main types of market research - qualitative, quantitative, and strategic: - **Qualitative research** is exploratory research that looks at the “why’s” behind customers’ behavior and motivations. - **Quantitative research**, on the other hand, is more focused on how many people are buying a certain product and why. - **Strategic research** is longer-term and broader in scope and looks at how your company will fit into the marketplace over time. Once you’ve determined the type of research you want to do, you can begin collecting information. Your first step should be conducting an internal analysis. Look at your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (known as “SWOT analysis”). This’ll help you create an internal marketing plan or marketing audit. This first step will determine *why* you will conduct this research in the first place. It will give you **the goal**. *Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the *essential elements of a customer marketing plan*. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up.* ### Begin with a clear goal What is it that you want to achieve from your research? There may be a lot of details that you want to know about the market, but *why* do you want to know them? This is important to keep in mind as you go through the various steps of your research so that you can make sure each step is taken with the intention of achieving that original goal. ### Finalize a budget and timeframe When you’re finalizing a [budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/) for your research, make sure you invest enough money and time to get an accurate picture of the market. If you don’t, you won’t get the data you need, and if you spend *too much*, you’ll waste funds. ### Identify your sample size and method Once you’ve got a better idea of just how much money you are willing to spend on your market research, you can start to think about who you want to survey and what method you want to use to collect the data. Consider the following questions: - What sample size do you want to use? - Will you create an online or offline survey? - Will you interview a certain number of people or organizations? Your sample size should be representative of your target audience as a whole. Don’t be tempted to just analyze your loyal customers or customer advocates, as it won’t give you all the information you need to see actual sustained growth. ### Choose your chosen data collection method There are a number of different methods you can use to collect data for your market research; your budget, sample size, and goal will affect which ones you choose to go with. You may want to consider the following: **Focus groups -** This is a group interview where you present a topic or product prototype, and people are invited to participate based on their expertise of the topic or product. You can conduct this online or in person, usually facilitated by a moderator. **Surveys -** There’re many different types of surveys, such as online, in-person, and written surveys. Depending on the type of research you want to conduct, you may want to consider using an online survey tool. Online tools offer the ability to collect data from a large sample size and even provide analysis to go with it. **Interviews -** You can conduct interviews both online and in person, based on your target audience. This can be a great way to get in-depth data from your respondents and get perspectives you may not otherwise be able to access. ### Create your research questions Once you have a method for collecting data, you can start to create your research questions. Knowing what questions to ask is key when conducting market research for your startup. It’s important to be as specific as possible, as vague or leading questions will skew the data. Keeping a neutral tone will encourage your participants to remain honest with their answers, and give insights into the customer journey with your company that you might not have accessed otherwise. These questions can be based on the product or service that your business offers, what your customers want or need, and the competition that already exists in the market. ### Analyze the data collected It's important to meticulously analyze your findings and make note of any trends or patterns you see. This’ll help you to draw conclusions from your research and make you better equipped to make informed decisions going forward. You’ll also want to identify any data gaps that may exist and make a note of any potential bias that was present in the sample. ### Examine these findings Validate these findings by understanding the context around them. What’re the main takeaways from the data? What can you apply to your business to make it stronger? What don’t you want to do based on your findings? You may find the data points you were hoping to prove wrong turned out to be correct. Or, you may find that the market uses a certain product or service in a way that you didn’t expect. This is okay, but it’s important to look at these results and ensure you understand why they are occurring. ### Create a report Finally, you want to create a report that includes the findings from your research, as well as any other details that you collected or analyzed. This can be used by your management team or by you when making future business decisions. A market research report can be in any format and can include graphs, charts, and other visual elements. It’s important to make sure that the report is clear, and concise, and uses any data or visual elements to support your findings and recommendations. ## Take your market research to the next level Marketing research is an important aspect of all businesses, especially for new startups. If you want your business to be successful, you need to understand your target market and what they want and need. But what about your customers? What's the next stage to developing your understanding of your company’s success? **Customer research** is fundamental and foundational to **this long-term success**. However, without the right structure, valuable insights get lost in messy systems, complicated spreadsheets, and unfocussed meetings. Our [**Customer Research Certified: Masters**](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-research-certified-masters) provides the most systematic approach to creating deep connections with your customers, implementing insights to drive growth and revenue, and enacting company-wide change. [Get certified](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-research-certified-masters) ### Cassie Sneed | The foolproof process to getting the right case studies for your brand | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/cassie-sneed-the-foolproof-process-to-getting-the-right-case-studies-for-your-brand-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:44:21.000Z > **“Case studies are your proof, they are your customers proving why your products are successful…Your case study library should always reflect your current customer landscape”** In this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up, we talk to Cassie Sneed, Senior Manager of Customer Marketing at Reputation, about her process for getting the right cast studies for your brand. ## Key talking points: - Why case studies are important - How to pinpoint the right customers for a case study - Using case studies both internally and externally - The kinds of data that are necessary to support these case studies *For those interested in the storytelling matrix template mentioned in this podcast, CMA’s membership has direct access to that template (and more!) for immediate use with the* [*Templates and Frameworks*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/templates-frameworks-members-only/) *section.* ## About the guest: Cassie Sneed is the Senior Manager of Customer Marketing for Reputation. She has a drive for consistent, quality results. She is continually developing her leadership skill with experience in digital marketing, growth marketing, customer marketing, event planning · business development, customer experience, and marketing strategy. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Business Process Management. ## Our sponsor: This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at [influitive.com](https://influitive.com/). Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## Join the conversation: What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com). ### The role of FOMO on consumer psychology URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-fomo-on-consumer-psychology/ Last updated: 2023-01-24T12:01:05.000Z FOMO, or fear of missing out, is an acronym for a psychological worry that’s been ingrained in the human psyche for as long as we can remember. Coined in 1996, FOMO is a term used to describe the stress people experience when they realize others are potentially having more fun than them. You’ve likely heard it used in a more social sense, for example, when your friends are out having fun while you’re at work. However, it has a place within marketing, too, and it can be a very interesting method of selling a product to your target market. In this article, we’ll delve deeper into this topic, and the role FOMO has on consumer psychology, focusing specifically on: - [What is FOMO marketing?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0fc9f5a3-d510-4eb5-b30c-be18ad7fe24f/#:~:text=FOMO%20in%20marketing-,What%20is%20FOMO%20marketing%3F,-FOMO%20marketing%20is) - [Real-life examples of FOMO marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0fc9f5a3-d510-4eb5-b30c-be18ad7fe24f/#examples-of-fomo-marketing:~:text=of%20FOMO%20marketing.-,Examples%20of%20FOMO%20marketing,-ASOS%20%2D%20%E2%80%98Selling%20fast) - [Other ways you can use FOMO in marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0fc9f5a3-d510-4eb5-b30c-be18ad7fe24f/#other-ways-you-can-use-fomo-in-marketing:~:text=your%20marketing%20technique.-,Other%20ways%20you%20can%20use%20FOMO%20in%20marketing,-Set%20a%20time) - [The challenges of capitalizing on FOMO in marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/0fc9f5a3-d510-4eb5-b30c-be18ad7fe24f/#the-challenges-of-capitalizing-on-fomo:~:text=be%20spoken%20to.-,The%20challenges%20of%20capitalizing%20on%20FOMO,-Ethical%20concerns) ## **What is FOMO marketing?** FOMO marketing is a term that refers to the messaging that entices consumers to purchase something before it’s no longer available. In the essay, [Conformity, Conformity Behavior, and FOMO](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/45ed/b91e9aea63d88172893eb64ef178afae2282.pdf), authors Inwon Kang, Haixin Cui, and Jeyoung Son say: “FOMO can be distinguished from two kinds of psychological traits, one is the desire for belonging and the other is anxiety of isolation.” The fear of missing out isn’t necessarily about missing out on getting a good deal; it’s about finding a product before they become unavailable. Some studies have shown that consumers who experience FOMO spend more on average than those who don’t. This may be because their fear of missing out pushes them to spend money they don’t have. This can be in the form of: - Impulse buying, - Bulk buying, or even just - Paying more than the average price to have the same experience. It’s a clever technique that usually relies on the nature of the messaging. To get an idea of what we mean, let’s take a look at some real-life examples of FOMO marketing. ## **Examples of FOMO marketing** ### **ASOS - ‘Selling fast!’** Many [B2C businesses](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-quality-strategies-by-learning-differences-in-b2b-and-b2c-marketing/) have a tag or piece of [messaging](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-avoid-messaging-positioning-mistakes/) within their site or store that indicates a sense of limited stock, or that time is running out for you to purchase a product, particularly when selling a physical product This adds a sense of urgency and panic, pushing prospective customers to buy the product if they feel like it’s not going to be there for much longer. For example, the online clothing store ASOS does a brilliant job of this. Within their sale section on the navigation bar, they have a tab labeled “Selling fast”, which is bright red, whilst the other tabs are black. The color makes the words stand out more; red, giving the connotation that there’s an emergency, and the phrase showing, again, a limited stock. The phrase “selling fast” also gives the idea that a lot of people are purchasing it, reinforcing this sense of FOMO within the target customer, because it’s clearly a popular item that others are enjoying. ![Image of the ASOS website navigation bar, under "Sale" where there is a tab that says "SALE selling fast".](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/V94QITWSvTF3I5672ir3M3M9amogkI2q-sfJoJlAVy-4m4RGLFbkcyvBMziuxTdUj2QzmQBe9Wvrm6c_UPjgJXzNFoFroSXVsoKq9nKGJUnb4K0X38htgdQBSW3oHl5cbm49CArOOp2E3unmtrFErbg) They also put the same phrase on the actual product images - so, when you’re scrolling through a page and notice a product is “selling fast”, you immediately assume it’s something valuable, something you’ll likely want, and also something that’ll stop you from missing out if you purchase it. ![A photo of a person wearing shoes and a label on it that says "selling fast"](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OoTUtXTY9XNM08GYxkSoeTbt46DAvkyoR9x-PRPbsltABLdf0WhTwoFKnBZI8uouZZHgEtHnl1cCN4aE2nyL8UQcbKgyY4tJGJ5EUhI8pnTSGqf8seLY0HMgUkZFwlUEg_s7mhPt-5LoZ1mypgo3JyQ) ### **Klue - ‘100,000+ users…’** Another way companies will instill this sense of FOMO within their target market is by using numbers to show their product’s popularity. The Klue messaging in the image below is a great example of how to do this; they’re highlighting a large number of people (“100,000+ users rely on Klue”) who’ve already signed up for the platform. It indicates that there’s something popular that you, as the prospective customer, are missing out on, that others are already enjoying. ![A screenshot from Klue's website which says "100,000+ users rely on Klue to come out on top. But don't just take our word for it, see what our customers have to say."](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SJimMJ6xJTuOuLjbWBqutkmtdDS3WM1fRAnqvh83Z5mi7KVwtr5mKg3sulytHq5kExz6YYMfzHJdQ3ra9WyqW6K8E8Atoq70pc9-538wRtmVl0SlVEDf79-HY0K_mbEK7xA9tEeoYzRy2WQuNrjBKms) ### **Glastonbury festival - ticket registration** A common method of FOMO marketing is events that require registration to purchase tickets. One of the most popular examples is Glastonbury Festival. Unlike other festivals, Glastonbury requires you to register for tickets before they [launch](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-makes-a-successful-product-launch/). There are many steps to the registration process, and by the end of it, you’re still not guaranteed a ticket. ![A screenshot from the Glastonbury Festival Registration page - which says "To obtain tickets for glastonbury festival events you must register. Failure to follow the registration instructions correctly will lead to rejection, you will be notified if this occurs; however we would advise that you check your registration prior to tickets going on sale to ensure your registration has been accepted. Anyone twelve or under when gates open does not need a ticket and therefore need not register. Registration does not guarantee you a ticket. You will need your registration number to purachase tickets when they go on sale."](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LC4peAw3BvrxQfokbSIZEJ_5-GRl82m47I7bZE-jNmdeJsAQN2P0ddOreA_WBGxE63p96xKw4c4jqNMCv67ESIYKQSHQL1zsFQH1jEes9qe0LAXP-1d72luLo2jdntWSUuh_ODgmxPdYBdE-4T14Vw) This technique only works when an event or company is already fairly popular because it creates a sense of exclusivity toward the event, and panic if they won’t get a place. However, if it was from a less popular event, people wouldn’t care as much, and the registration process would cause more of a deterrent than being a “must have”. #### ****What can we learn from these examples?** These techniques work because they allow customers to feel as though they’re getting a deal that they’d otherwise not have access to. Also, these techniques provide a sense of urgency that makes the consumer act immediately. It’s all a way of applying consumer behavior to your marketing technique. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## **Other ways you can use FOMO in marketing** ### **Set a time limit** > [60% of people](https://trustpulse.com/fomo-statistics/) *make purchases because of FOMO, mostly within 24 hours.”* As we already know, time limits on sales cause FOMO because the prospective customer is worried it’ll no longer be available once the time is up. This’ll cause an increase in purchases due to the amount of impulse buys the time limit will create. ****Top tip:** Using a countdown clock on your website is effective as it’s a visual reminder to the customer that their time is running out. ### **Offer a giveaway** A giveaway can be effective for a few reasons. First, the audience will feel as though they’re a part of something special, helping to alleviate the fear of missing out. Second, there’s a time limit added to this, meaning they also have that sense of urgency that they need to apply immediately so they don’t miss the deal. And finally, there’s nothing particularly exhaustive for the customer to do, other than sign up. It’s an easy win for them, and an easy win for you. ### **Use social proof or case studies** Proving that others use your product or service is a great way to show that there’s something the prospective customer is missing out on if they don’t purchase it. This is especially true for [case studies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-tips-to-write-a-killer-case-study/), as they’re designed specifically to show how useful and enjoyable your product is to use. A way to take this a step further - or ‘raise’ the level of FOMO - is by using an influencer or celebrity to promote your product. After all, there is a high correlation between popularity and FOMO. This is useful because it gives you a bigger chance that your target audience will see your product, it can then cause more conversations and popularity around your product, which then will potentially increase the number of purchases. ### **Improve your messaging techniques** As we mentioned previously, messaging is a huge part of FOMO marketing. After all, a lot of it comes down to the phrasing of your message. Your messaging can make or break the decision-making process. So, ensure to optimize your content and copywriting techniques, and carry out enough [consumer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) to know how your [target demographic](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) likes to be spoken to. ## **The challenges of capitalizing on FOMO** ### **Ethical concerns** The fear of missing out has become more popular since the rise of social media. In fact, a study showed that [****56%** of social media users experience FOMO](https://trustpulse.com/fomo-statistics/). After all, it is a place where people constantly seek validation from others, especially among adolescents, college students, and young adults. > *Another stat showed that “* **48%** *of millennials have spent money they didn’t have to keep up with friends.”* **48%** While this enables marketing professionals to sell their products easier, there’s a growing fear that certain customer segments are being exploited and taken advantage of for financial gain. ### **Skewed data** Another issue is that by focusing on instilling this sense of FOMO in your target market, you’re going to attract an audience that doesn’t have particularly positive purchase intentions. For example, there is a phenomenon called “scalping” where people use bots or an automated platform to buy tickets to events (especially concerts) to later sell them for increased prices. This then makes data analysis and [market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) more difficult, as some of the data you have collected on your “target audience” isn’t necessarily correct. This could then have a knock-on effect on your marketing approach. ### **Coming off as disingenuous** By capitalizing on your target audience’s fear of missing out, your company runs the risk of seeming disingenuous, untrustworthy, or forceful. Some of the FOMO marketing methods are widely known and disliked. For example, when influencers or celebrities market products that they clearly don’t use purely for compensation. This then reduces credibility for both your brand and the influencer, if done incorrectly. One way to combat this is by finding someone who genuinely loves and uses your product. This way, they’ll have a lot more to say about it, and be able to market it for a more positive effect. Plus, when people then purchase your product, they’ll understand the marketing efforts were genuine, making them trust your brand in the future. ## **Improve your consumer psychology knowledge** Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could line our customers up, throw on a pair of magic goggles, and read all of their minds? Imagine the insights you could collect to influence your entire [customer marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-a-perfect-customer-marketing-plan-in-30-60-and-90-days/)! Well, we might not have magic but we do have a ****[Consumer Psychology Certified: Masters](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ahwelwx%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NDA1OTE0NC40MjMuMS4xNjc0MDU5NTk4LjAuMC4w)** course to help you… which is pretty much the same thing. 😏 Led by ****Alex Chahin, Senior Director of Product Marketing at hims & hers**, you’ll learn how to tap into consumer psychology and reap the rewards of applying knowledge around behavioral economics to your customer marketing strategies. By the end of this course you'll: ✅ Have a definition of consumer psychology in marketing and how advertising affects consumer behavior. ✅ Better understand how to group pain and gain points. ✅ Understand how personal factors and individual differences affect people's buying choices. ✅ Be able to identify what your customer’s default action is. And much more... [Enroll today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Ahwelwx%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NDA1OTE0NC40MjMuMS4xNjc0MDU5NTk4LjAuMC4w) ### Why is market research important? 5 benefits of market research URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:16:17.000Z We’ve spoken about what [market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/) is, and how [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) is involved, but now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of *why* it’s important in the first place. In this article, we’ll cover: - [How market research works](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/#:~:text=How%20does%20market%20research%20work%3F) - [Why it’s important](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/#:~:text=The%20importance%20of%20market%20research) - [The five key benefits of market research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-market-research-important-five-benefits-of-market-research/#:~:text=attract%20your%20audience.-,The%20five%20benefits%20of%20market%20research,-We%E2%80%99ve%20gone%20over) ## How does market research work? Market research uses data about your target [market demographics](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/) to inform your marketing, campaigns, and other business strategies. Whilst many companies use market research, they don't understand just how vital such research is to the success of your business. Market research provides the answers needed for orgs of any size about where to take the direction of their business, how to engage with their customers, and address pain points. ## The importance of market research This type of research will help you decide which direction your business should take. It covers all areas that impact your chosen market and your place within it. This includes: - Competitors - Target audience - Customer segmentation - Brand analysis - Campaign evaluation - Product development - Usability testing Understanding how your marketing, [brand story](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/), customer interaction, and [competitor analysis](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/competitive-intelligence-tips-and-tools-for-2023/) impact how you present your business. - Knowing what your **competitors** are doing to attract your target audience will inform how you approach things like tone of voice, your choice of platform, and more. - Conducting an analysis of the **customer segments** within your existing audience, and comparing it to your ideal target audience will give you knowledge about where your strategies are currently falling short. - Conducting a **brand analysis** of your own company will give you answers to what your customers most interact with, helping you adjust your tone of voice, design, and advertising strategies to best attract your audience. ## The five benefits of market research We’ve gone over a few of the benefits that market research comes with, but let's get more into detail about each of these points. The following are the best benefits of conducting such research. ### 1 - Maintain a customer-centric focus When researching customers in your market, there’re three components that are important to look at: - **Segmentation -** This is discovering the possible [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) your product will appeal to. This will be behavioral, geographic, [demographic](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/), or psychographic segmentation. - **Targeting -** This is prioritizing the segments that’ll offer the most profit, so ideally the customers that your company is most likely to retain. Evaluating your existing customers will help with this. - **Positioning -** This is about positioning yourself within the market to be most attractive to your target segments. This involves developing a strategy. With market research comes the benefit of understanding your audience and its place within it. Depending on your industry, there may be many areas in which your customer segments overlap with your competitors’. Still, there will always be something that keeps your existing customers loyal to your brand. Understanding what distinguishes you from your competitors goes a long way to understanding why your customers have chosen you in the first place. Is it the features you offer, the price of your product, or the way you interact with your customers? Market research will show you why your customers stay, and what key thing makes them choose you over the competition. This research will also tell you about the pain points for your customers. Has a competitor got a specific feature attracting your target audience? Is there a particular usability issue that customers are struggling with? Discovering and then accommodating or solving these points will go a long way to making your audience feel heard. Customers need to understand that your company values them, otherwise what’s stopping them from going to your competitor instead? *A way to drive this point home with your research is to conduct customer research within your market research strategy.* [Understand customer market research: What is it and how to do itCustomer research or consumer research is a vital component of customer marketing’s most fundamental role: to understand and market to your chosen target audience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/01/ran-berkovich-kSLNVacFehs-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) ### 2 - Identify new customers Once you have a good grasp on who makes up your existing customers and who makes up your overall target audience, it becomes easier to identify the customers you’re missing. Knowing about your customer segments will help you to create an informed marketing strategy. A one-size-fits-all approach to marketing won’t work and has the potential to turn into a costly mistake. It may be as simple as where you choose to advertise your product. If you only conduct a campaign on TikTok and Instagram, you could be missing a whole chunk of your audience by not expanding your reach. At the same time, if you don’t create advertising campaigns that speak to your audience, it won't matter how many platforms you advertise on. The tone of voice and brand story you choose to present will have an impact on whether your customers are going to be attracted. ### 3 - Set realistic targets Setting realistic targets comes from an analysis of your current processes, your customer habits and pain points, and the current landscape of the market. Regular analysis can also offer you the opportunity to observe your company's growth through a wide variety of concepts. - **Organic Traffic -** Keeping an eye on organic traffic to your site, for example, can show you the search engines and websites your customers frequent the most. - **Social engagement -** Again, customer engagement shows which social media sites your audience frequents, but can also help to encourage conversions. Investment in your company's updates on social media can identify opportunities to convert customers into advocates. - **Competitive intelligence -** Conducting an analysis of your competitors can help you understand your position in the market, and give you a good place to start in setting realistic goals for your company and your team. *Setting realistic KPIs or OKRs is vital to help motivate and bring direction to your work processes.* [Indicators for success: Why the difference between OKRs and KPIs are important.Both Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Objective and Key Results (OKRs) are thrown around during conversation a lot, and knowing the difference between the two can be a little mystifying. In this article, we’ll help you understand the differences between the two and why they’re important.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/james-sutton-QqE158hev1I-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) ### 4 - Identify opportunities for growth Look at not only your competitors but also the biggest names within that market who have come before you. Understanding how they got to where they are now will give you an idea of how they supported their growth with targets in a way that was manageable. Market research will give you a good bird’s eye view of what your position is within that market landscape. Using this research can inform your decisions on which direction you want to take your team. It can show you: - **Unreached segments -** As we said before, not advertising to groups in your target audience is a huge missed opportunity for growth. - **Business partnerships -** Competitors aren’t only opportunities for some sneaky research on understanding the market, but also present the opportunity for collaboration. Working together with another business combines to expand your reach. - **Product development -** Discovering the shortcomings of your product is almost more important than discovering the things people like about it. It may be a missing feature, add-on, or bundle that would speak to your audience. It offers the opportunity to give you an informed choice for improvement. ### 5 - Spot emerging trends Consumer behaviors and market trends are some of the most fast-moving and changeable parts of any market. Staying on top of these is not an easy task, but doing just that can help your business keep in touch with the market environment you’re working in. Trends will impact a variety of facts which, in turn, will impact how you conduct your business. Things like: - Purchasing behaviors - New competitors - Emerging technologies - Developing product or service features Consider how seasonal trends, highest-hitting pages, trending keywords, and new players affect your business processes. ## Customer research Customer research is a big part of market research, particularly for customer marketers. When done right, it can enhance every essential aspect of customer marketing. Accurately marketing to your customers means knowing them from the inside and out, knowing their needs, pain points, and interests, and turning that into actionable steps to take your customer marketing to the next level. Our **Customer Research Certified** course will take you through the fundamentals of conducting accurate and representative customer research, leaving no stone unturned. [Get certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters) ### Customer marketing: Delighting customers at scale URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-delighting-customers-at-scale/ Last updated: 2024-01-22T16:09:59.000Z Hi, folks! Thank you so much for checking out my article on delighting customers at scale – the topic that first got me excited about customer marketing. My name is Patrick Kalie. I’m a Customer Marketing Manager at a company called Quorum in Washington DC, where we make software for public affairs professionals. *Patrick Kalie is now a Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Swoogo.* Before I became a customer marketing manager, I was a customer success manager, creating delightful experiences one on one with each of my customers. I wanted to do that on a bigger scale, so I became a customer marketing manager. Now I’m able to take what I learned as a customer success manager and spread it across our entire user base to create one delightful customer journey. Today, my goals are to share my formula for delight (which is just a pretentious way of saying, “These are the things I look for whenever I'm trying to create a delightful experience”) and give you a bunch of tactics to make delightful experiences. I hope you come out of this with a few ideas to bring up at your next team meeting or implement for your user base. Always remember that as the customer marketing manager, you're the role model for the rest of your team when it comes to how to interface with your clients. If you're creating a delightful experience for your whole customer base, that gives everybody else – whether they're on the support team, the success team, or the accounting team – the agency to go out of their way to delight your users too. That way, delighting your users becomes the baseline expectation. Now, let’s get into how we make delight happen. ## My formula for delight To me, delight means conscious joy or satisfaction – not only are you creating a delightful experience for your users, but they're aware of it and they know that you are the one that brought them joy. That means they're going to build better longer-lasting allegiances with your brand. So how do you know if the experiences you’re creating truly are delightful for your customers? By using my delight score, of course! Here’s how to calculate it: *Quality* \+ *Specificity* \+ *Ease – Expectations* ![Quality, specificity and east minus expectations](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7_TOSWPhEW47PA2N_vdXRzDsitOPBKI5TtvljPeqr8M6BjF4dQYgkU1BgbYSnGyjoCkjj-vy3X4SSWZRttAfB8AXTQZ1waPy3UuStbeoWG3Onv2gAsQn-c6qnedc_NX1N3Rau4jEz9qe6lszZeRxwKZ5Kd4LrmRPeeShNr9PMZcRYTzMniGbTQ0) To illustrate this, let’s take a quick example of a birthday gift for your great-grandmother. First, let’s think about quality. Whatever you get her, you want it to be good – that’s pretty obvious, right? Oftentimes, we stop here, and that is not delightful. We’re like, “I got you this good thing, so you should be happy with it!” This is where specificity comes into the picture. A top-of-the-line iPad – undoubtedly a quality gift – is not a great gift for my great-grandmother. She doesn't even know how to use a computer! No matter how much I tell her what a great gift this is, she is not going to be delighted by it. Specificity matters. Next comes ease. Am I making it easy to participate? In other words, is it easy to receive this gift? For example, I'm not going to get my great-grandmother a 15-foot blow-up dinosaur. While I might think that’s really delightful, she has no place to put a 15-foot blow-up dinosaur, and she certainly doesn’t have the stamina to inflate it, so it’s going to be a burden for her. Finally, we have expectations. What is she used to getting for her birthday? I have to meet or – better yet – exceed those expectations. When you integrate quality, specificity, ease, and expectations, you’ll give a really delightful birthday present. Let’s dig into how we can apply this same principle to delighting our customers. ## Quality The first thing I want to talk about is quality. I'm going to share a bunch of the tactics I've used to create quality products for my users and my customer base. I often think about this quote from Ann Handley: “When we create something, we think, ‘Will our customers thank us for this?’” Oftentimes, as marketers, we're really excited about engagement and getting eyes on the screen, but eyes aren't enough. We want them to get something out of our content. It’s like the old chestnut about not selling a drill but selling a hole. We're not giving customers a case study, we're not giving them a how-to video – we're giving them a new solution. To nail this, we always have to ask ourselves if there’s demand for what we’re offering. I’m going to share a few tactics I use to make sure that there is demand for the content or program that I'm creating, that users would thank us for it, and that it’s really high quality. ### Step one: Get topic ideas from your users First, I gather content ideas from my communities and customers to make sure that I’m creating something they’re interested in – they know what they want better than I do. If they suggest something, I'll go ahead and create it or work with them to shape it into something they’ll get value from. ### Step two: Follow up on feedback and offer rewards for it Whenever we get feedback, we need to make sure that we're following up on it. We should always try to show how we put their feedback to use. It doesn't always have to be the finished result either. If you haven’t had the chance to implement their feedback, you can just say, “I mentioned your comment during a meeting today, and the product team seemed really interested.” You can also offer rewards for their feedback to show that getting feedback really means something to you. Money goes a long way! That being said, the reward doesn't always have to be monetary. It might be an opportunity to engage with your executives or even some company swag. Let me show you an example of one of our most successful swag items. Meet my dog, Gretel. ![Image of a dog](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gTB3zbbRTMa6YiE6n25pEXjvG8HXZUokfzZasWdjBU4cVNZJzlfxajKJRaDy0aqvf7Bz1oYuDcrFJ65qrHY2L2ve2bT31aUVYAzCTvU4mQrbrhx3P0P95Y8lvTBXtV_l-BduUu052knkimL5bfcf3ZMxQm0Os1DYN5IACjwvTDPDpvDqLIB64Q) No, she is not a swag item. The bandana she's wearing is the swag item. Those bandanas only cost us about $2 apiece to make, but they’re among our most requested swag. That’s not only because they’re nice and stretchy and high-quality – it’s because they’re emblazoned with a quote on it that our users identify with and cherish. The bandanas have gone over really well on social media, and we've gotten a *lot* of pictures of dogs wearing them. The rule I've found when it comes to rewards is that most people would rather get a higher-quality less expensive item than a lower-quality higher-price item. For instance, it’s better to give a great pen or a dog bandana that you’ve put a lot of thought into, rather than a cheap jacket or a flimsy tech toy. ## Specificity Now that we’ve seen how you can create a quality item or piece of content for your customers – the first ingredient of delight – I’m going to share my three top tips on how you can make it specific to them. ### Tip one: Make sure your audience would say “I was looking for that!” Before you create anything, ask yourself if your audience would say, “Ooh! I was looking for that!” or if somebody who knows them well would send it to them. I segment my users to make sure that everything they get is relevant to them. That way, they want to keep coming back and seeing my content. Here’s how I tailor content to my target audience: 1. I use **Google Trends** to discover what questions people are asking, then I can directly answer those questions in a webinar or roundtable. 2. Speaking of **roundtables**, I host frequent roundtables with my users to hear what they're thinking and what questions they have related to our market. Once we've done that, and I've gathered feedback from other folks as well, we're able to put together fine-tuned pieces of content that are relevant to that specific audience. 3. I use our **help center** and support queries to see what our audience has the most questions about or needs the most help with, and then I create content based on that. ### Tip two: Use usage data to gather feedback on specific workflows I also use usage data to gather feedback on specific workflows, rather than just asking all of our users how satisfied they are. Granted, we do track NPS and customer satisfaction, but in order to get more fine-tuned feedback, I'll reach out to users who have done specific things in our product and make sure that they're happy with the workflow. Similarly, after they've engaged with one of our workshops or webinars, I'll send them a follow-up. ### Tip three: Share why they’re a great fit Whenever you're trying to gather customer stories or case studies or you want customers to speak at an event, you always have to show why they're a great fit to speak. It's not enough to say “We need more case studies – would you like to be in one?” You have to let them know that you’re looking for folks in their specific industry to talk about one specific thing that you know they are fantastic at. Make it clear that you think the customer you’re speaking to is the best one for the job. This approach extends far beyond just case studies and participating in your content. If you're asking for feedback, you want to say “You've done XYZ, and we’d love to hear what your thoughts are.” Likewise, if you want them to participate in a webinar, attend an event, or listen to content, you should be using your users’ attributes to reiterate why this is going to be valuable to them. Using mail merge tools and placeholders, you can create personalized messages for all of your users and make them feel like you're inviting them personally. ### Tip four: Identity is a tool Lastly, identity is a tool that you can use. Let me give you an example. At Quorum, we have a user group, called the Quorum Wonks. If you've never heard the term *wonk* before, you're not alone – I wasn't super familiar with this word either before I came to Quorum. A wonk is like a policy nerd. Like I said, we work in the public affairs industry, and public policy is a big part of that. We noticed that our users kept referring to themselves as wonks, policy wonks, political wonks, and so on, so we looked at the market research and confirmed that a lot of folks identify with this term. We named our user group Quorum Wonks, and a massive flood of users joined because they identified so strongly with it. In short, I highly recommend shaping your brand and initiatives around what your users call themselves and the identities they relate to. ## Ease The next thing I want to talk to you about is ease. Ask yourself these three questions: 1. Are you making it easy for folks to participate in the campaigns and programs you're running? 2. Are you being inclusive of folks with different abilities? 3. Are you being inclusive of the different ways that folks might want to participate? Someone who has a hard time hearing won't get as much out of your webinars as someone who has perfect hearing. Some folks may not be willing to sit down with a product manager because they're shy or they don't really like talking to people. Make sure you’re offering numerous ways for folks to participate in your campaigns to give yourself the best chance of attracting everyone. Here are a few ways I do that: ### One: Manage the number of logins We decided to host our community on LinkedIn because all of our users were already there. It also meant they were able to grow their network using our LinkedIn community, which they loved. Plus, our users had told us they didn't want to have to log into a new platform – they had enough logins to deal with already. Since our LinkedIn community allows for easy participation and minimal logins, it’s seen tremendous success. ### Two: Be prescriptive about how users can get involved It's more helpful to say, “Refer a friend by going to XYZ website,” than, “Refer a friend.” Maybe there are a bunch of different ways that users can get involved, but make sure that you can direct them specifically on how to do that. It's a lot easier for them to participate if you're being prescriptive than if you're being vague. ### Three: Use forms and automation Use forms and automation to gather the information that's important to you, so that users feel productive and know they're helping in a meaningful way. ### Four: Make sure that your content is available on-demand In-person conversations and live events are really impactful, but they're not for everybody. Not everybody has the time to take a meeting or participate in a webinar. They might want to watch it later at 2x speed or with subtitles. Make sure that you're being inclusive of those folks so they can also participate ### Five: Offer numerous ways to get feedback and be proactive Don’t just have a link on a landing page that users might click on to offer feedback. Reach out to your customers to ask their opinions, and offer a bunch of different ways for them to share them. ### Six: Qualify through content to avoid wasting users’ time I used to have a group of customers that had opted into getting a calendar invite for every single workshop or webinar we hosted. After the fifth or sixth workshop, they stopped attending. I was wondering why, so I reached out to a few of them, and they all said that after the first one, they realized they weren’t going to get anything out of the workshops so they stopped attending. Now, that first workshop was on a very niche subject matter that was only relevant to a particular segment of our users. That group of customers attended, realized it wasn't worth their time to be there, and assumed that none of the other workshops would be either. You can avoid this kind of situation by being very descriptive about the content that you're about to offer so customers know if it will be beneficial for them. ## Expectations The final element of our formula for delight is expectations. Think about what your customers are used to and what you can do to stand out. Here’s how: 1. **Gather feedback from individual contributors on your team.** What have they done that’s surprised and delighted their customers? Try to do that at scale. 2. **Constantly look for inspiration from your peers.** Chances are that you've gotten emails from other customer marketing managers or product marketing managers – look to see what they're doing that stands out or, on the flip side, what you could do to step it up a bit. 3. **Target moments in the customer journey that traditionally suck.** If you can make those moments fun, you’re going to create space between you and your competitors. 4. **Use boring times to your advantage.** Everybody gets gifts around the holidays and their birthday, so they have high expectations for those moments. Not everybody gets a great gift on a random Tuesday. Try to figure out where the most boring moments are in the customer journey and inject some delight. ## Test your projects I hope you got a bunch of inspiration from the tips I shared here. Now go and test your projects for quality, specificity, ease, and expectations. When you make full use of each of those elements in your programs and campaigns, you’ll be sure to delight your customers. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my advice on creating delight. This really has been delightful. ### How to use demographic segmentation: Improve your marketing personalization techniques URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-use-demographic-segmentation-improve-your-marketing-personalization-techniques/ Last updated: 2023-01-17T12:00:56.000Z When considering how to develop your marketing campaigns, you’ll first want to be sure that you are targeting your specific audience correctly. Without this knowledge, you’re just flinging your advertising campaigns out into the void without any proper direction. Demographic segmentation marketing can break down your audience into smaller and more manageable groups. In this article, we’re going to cover: - What demographic marketing is, - The different demographic segments, and - How these segments can be used to make your marketing more effective. ## What is demographic segmentation? Demographic segmentation is a type of [customer segmentation ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/#what-is-customer-segmentation)that breaks down your audience into smaller groups to better cater your advertising technique to these audiences. This type of segmentation separates your existing customers based on some basic factors of their identity but doesn’t include things like geography, purchasing behaviors, and personality. ## Demographic segmentation factors The groups that make up demographic segmentation are mostly the same wherever you go, but the ones you use will depend on how relevant these aspects are to your product and your target market. These include: - Age - Gender - Ethnicity - Income - Religion - Family structure - Education - Occupation Demographic segmentation is also a good starting point compared to behavioral segmentation or psychographic segmentation as it requires less in the way of data collection and analysis, yet can still tell you a lot about your customers. ## How to use demographic segmentation Demographic segmentation comes with significant perks when used correctly. It can improve personalization, product relevance, and advertising effectiveness. Targeting your customers in this way will ensure that you aren’t getting the attention of the wrong people, but also aren’t falsely advertising who your product or service benefits. This kind of thing is vital to present a true narrative within your [brand storytelling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). So, how can these factors be applied? Let’s get into it. ### Age Narrowing down by age will depend on how age-specific your products are. Usually, you’ll segment these groups into children, teens, young adults, adults, and seniors. You can also segment based on generations, such as Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. This might affect: - Where you advertise your product. - The time of day you release certain ads. - The kind of image you use to represent your product. - Your tone of voice. [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) ### Examples of demographic segmentation and age: 1. If you are appealing to teenagers, you might host your ads on YouTube in the evening when school has ended. 2. If your product caters to seniors, you may use senior models in your advertising campaign. 3. If you are advertising to children your tone of voice may be more casual and upbeat. ### Gender Segmenting by gender can be another useful tool when used correctly. It’s important to first consider if your product is being gendered unnecessarily before advertising it in that way. It’s also vital that, if you advertise to different genders differently, you’re not relying on stereotypes to do so. As such, gender segmentation works better when paired with other segments, [most commonly age](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Haemoon-Oh/publication/233106405%5FAge-%5Fand%5FGender-Based%5FMarket%5FSegmentation/links/56b9f53108ae7e3a0fa098d2/Age-and-Gender-Based-Market-Segmentation.pdf). Advertising by gender might change: - The channels or websites you choose to advertise your product. - The models you use for your campaign. - The use cases you choose to advertise. ### Examples of demographic segmentation and gender: - If you are advertising to this segment, you might prioritize sharing voices from that segment, and create an advert around shared experiences. - You might choose to create comedy around gendered stereotypes, playing with these stereotypes without having to make a specific statement about them. ### Ethnicity and religion: Advertising to specific religious and ethnic communities allows you to advertise based on religious and cultural needs. This can depend on the type of product you’re advertising or even the time of year. It’s common for advertising campaigns to occur around specific religious holidays. This segmentation might affect: - Where you advertise your product. - The time of year you’ll be advertising. - The geographical location you target. ### Examples of demographic segmentation and ethnicity: 1. You may use the holidays as a way to advertise your product in relation to that holiday, providing perks or discounts as a celebration. 2. You may promote the diversity of your brand products; for example, in make-up brands. [Fenty Beauty by RihannaCreated by Rihanna with her vision that’s always ahead of the game, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna redefines the rules.![](https://r.lvmh-static.com/themes/lvmh/icons/android-chrome-192x192.png)LVMH![](https://r.lvmh-static.com/uploads/2018/03/ok-site-fenty-kendo.jpg)](https://www.lvmh.com/houses/perfumes-cosmetics/fenty-beauty-by-rihanna/) ### Income This segmentation is important to consider, depending on the price range of your own product or service. Promoting your product to young teens if you’re a car dealership, for example, will mean you’re not targeting the audience that will actually end up making a purchase. Again, there’ll likely be overlaps with other factors of demographic segmentation. This segmentation will affect: - The tone of your advertising. - The age of the models you use. - Where you advertise your products. ### Examples of demographic segmentation and income: 1. This will likely change where you choose to advertise, online and in person. You’ll choose affluent areas or cities where there’s a higher percentage of your target demographic. 2. You might also choose specific faces or sponsors that are attractive to your audience. ### Family structure The common family structures within your chosen target segment will impact how you cater to them. They have different desires and different pain points, so you’ll need to advertise your product(s) with this in mind. This segment might impact: - The use cases you display in your advertising. - Where you advertise your product. - Representing the family structure within your advertising. - The time of day you advertise. ### Examples of demographic segmentation and family: - You may think about how your product can save time and money for those with children and big family commitments or about its simplicity for single people with busy schedules. - You might choose a variety of models with ages, occupations, and dynamics in your ads. - You may aim to show how your product can be used by a variety of dynamics than first comes to mind. ### Education and occupation Educational needs and occupation level will have an impact on your target audience and its needs. This is something that works when your product has a direct impact on studies and workflows. Many people will add their education and occupation to social media profiles which’ll tell you the most common industries and levels that make up your target audience. Considering how this’ll contribute to how your product is used is important. This will impact: - The age you’ll cater to. - Where you’ll advertise. - The case uses you choose to highlight. ### Examples of demographic segmentation, education, and occupation: 1. You may focus on an aspiring image or solution your product can bring for their skill and study. 2. You may want to give hints about the information and support they will gain. 3. Think about figures that are known in the industry that may add a perceived elevation to your product. [Ron Howard Teaches Directing | Official Trailer | MasterClassRon Howard, the two-time Academy Award winner, has directed some of the most beloved movies of all time, including Splash, Parenthood, Apollo 13, and A Beaut...![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/b5a8f283/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/acsp9o9miAw/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acsp9o9miAw) ## Advertising and demographic segmentation At the end of the day, your segmentations will sway how you choose to present and sell your product, but they must always come from the truth. Understanding how your product works to benefit your customers will show you the points you should highlight in your marketing. For your advertising to actually land with your audience you must: - Be truthful. - Approach the product as if you’re the customer. - Represent your customer in your advertising. - Represent the pain points and needs of these customer segments. ## Storytelling When using use cases and appealing to your customer experience with your advertising, you have to understand how to tell these stories. CMA’s Storytelling Master’s will make this process simpler to understand. This course is for anyone ready to boost their storytelling skills to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out in customer marketing, or just want to refresh your knowledge and further understand the science behind a story that sells, this certification is for you. By the end of the course, you’ll have a comprehensive set of skills needed to create impactful and successful storytelling. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/storytelling-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Awyruz8%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3Mzg4MjYwNC40MTcuMC4xNjczODgyNjA0LjAuMC4w) ### From B2B to B2H: Building customer connection URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/from-b2b-to-b2h-building-customer-connection/ Last updated: 2023-01-13T16:27:46.000Z One of the biggest challenges facing companies today is standing out from the competition, and attracting more buyers. One of the many reasons this challenge exists is that a lot of marketing techniques are now outdated. Many were used to attract an audience that required more formal communication, in the spirit of “professionalism”. Often, businesses forget they’re selling to actual humans when they look at marketing purely from a B2B lens. However, this mentality within business spheres is slowly changing. With an influx of millennial and gen Z employees joining more and more organizations, there has been a shift towards more personalized and approachable marketing techniques. After all, these two generations are slowly [becoming the majority](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/28/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers-as-americas-largest-generation/) within the adult population in North America. And being raised with social media platforms that have quite literally been designed to work for their specific needs, it’s becoming difficult to market towards them without catering to this need as well. In this article, we’re going to discuss one of the latest marketing approaches to have taken the product marketing industry by storm: B2H, or business to human, marketing. We’ll specifically be taking a closer look at: - [What is B2H marketing?](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/going-from-b2b-to-b2h-how-to-build-stronger-relationships-with-your-customer/#what-is-b2h) - [Why is it important?](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/going-from-b2b-to-b2h-how-to-build-stronger-relationships-with-your-customer/#why-is-it-important-to-follow-a-b2h-approach) - [Challenges with this approach.](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/going-from-b2b-to-b2h-how-to-build-stronger-relationships-with-your-customer/#challenges-with-this-approach) - [How to optimize your B2H marketing technique.](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/going-from-b2b-to-b2h-how-to-build-stronger-relationships-with-your-customer/#how-to-optimize-your-b2h-approach) ## **What is B2H?** B2H, or business to human, marketing is an approach specifically used to target the individual behind the screen, focusing on the individual’s needs rather than just those of a [customer segment](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) or business. It’s typically used to build a deeper connection with the customer, and make them feel valued, seen, and heard regarding their individual needs and pain points. However, this approach isn’t targeting just any human, you must still aim your marketing towards your target audience. This technique is used as a way of gaining a deeper understanding of your customers, while also reminding them that you’re also another human behind a screen. [Customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-the-vital-link-in-the-progress-chain/) is going to greatly impact how you approach this marketing technique, as you need to figure out who your customers are exactly, and how they like to be spoken to. [What is customer obsession? A new way to build businessesNo matter what industry your business is in, it’s your customers that fuel growth. As such, companies should be prioritizing their customers and their experiences above all else. This is where customer obsession comes in.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/designecologist-5mj5jLhYWpY-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-obsession-a-new-way-to-build-businesses/) ## **Why is it important to follow a B2H approach?** Using a B2H approach is going to have many advantages for your organization because of this broadening need to be seen as an individual. Let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of using this approach that’ll surely sway you to consider implementing it into your own product marketing technique. ### **Builds a stronger relationship with your customers** This is one of the most important and easy-to-understand reasons for using the B2H approach. Personalizing your marketing is a sure-fire way of developing a deeper connection with your customers. This is because they’ll feel more valued, and heard regarding their needs and pain points. You’ll also increase the likelihood that your existing customers will speak highly of your organization because of how positive you made their experience with you, and give them more of an incentive to stay a customer. This is a good way of developing customer loyalty, increasing your [customer retention rates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/), and improving your [brand reputation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/). ### **It gives you the opportunity to have more fun with your brand** With B2B marketing, many brands focus on using their [messaging](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/how-to-avoid-messaging-positioning-mistakes/) to convey the features and benefits of their solution, without including any personality, or authenticity to their advantage. Don’t forget that businesses are full of humans too. And humans crave [connection, emotion, stories, and to feel appreciated](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/). Using a more human-driven approach with your marketing is going to allow you to experiment with all of this, allowing you to discover what works, and what doesn’t for both your brand and your audience. This will give you the opportunity to develop a better brand identity, alongside gaining a better connection with your target audience. ### **Increases both customer and employee satisfaction** [****Bryan Kramer**](https://bryankramer.com/there-is-no-more-b2b-or-b2c-its-human-to-human-h2h/)****, author, interviewer, host**, and all-round expert on what he calls “human to human” (H2H) marketing explained: > “Businesses do not have emotion. People do. People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. People want to feel something. People want to be included. People want to understand. But people are also humans, and with that comes mistakes. Missteps. Failures. > “As humans, it’s in our nature to say the wrong thing, get embarrassed, and not realize the consequences of our actions. The rise of social media has given a digital platform to the dark side of anonymity, both as individuals and as crowds. I say it’s time to lay down the virtual pitchforks and torches and bring this behavior back into balance. > “The delightful side of humanity holds with it empathy, understanding, and forgiveness, and when remembered in our communication, it ties us together as a common group. Communication shouldn’t be complicated. It should just be genuine and simple, with the humility and understanding that we’re all multi-dimensional humans, every one of which has spent time in both the dark and delightful parts of life. That’s human to human.” So, B2H marketing doesn’t just benefit the customer, but the employee as well. After all, we’re all human, and driving connection is what’s important. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Narrative_Design_.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters) ## **Challenges with this approach** ### **Lining your marketing with your audience** One of the challenges that companies may face is not finding the line between what their audience likes and then the type of marketing content they should create. For instance, there may be a worry that they don’t sound professional enough when marketing a product for a big, corporate brand. But, you can still be professional whilst not sounding like a robot - you just have to know your audience and how they like to be spoken to. And sometimes… “professionalism” isn’t what draws in the crowd. For example, [Duolingo](https://www.duolingo.com/), the language learning app, has chosen to target more of a gen Z audience and has taken to TikTok, and other social platforms, to create [funny content involving their brand mascot, the Duolingo Owl](https://www.instagram.com/duolingo/). In these videos, they adopt current social trends and challenges that would be considered inappropriate in most crowds, particularly in the workplace. However, they’ve researched what engages their audience, and now create content that they’ll be interested in and interact with. Now, their brand content consistently goes viral. And yet, they remain true to their brand in that one of their selling points for the app is that people “have fun with it”, and “effective learning doesn’t have to be boring”. ### **Targeting individuals is hard if you have a large customer base** Finding out exactly what your customers want can be hard if you’ve got a large customer base. The trick is to [segment your customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) so that you can understand and target them a bit better. B2H is not going to be a one size fits all approach, but it is still going to have a greater positive impact on how your organization is perceived when your audience realizes you understand them and are actively directing their attention to how your solution can solve their problems. ## **How to optimize your B2H approach** So, we’ve done a lot of talking about the whats and the whys of B2H marketing… but what about the how? We’ve put together some key tips to remember or implement within your B2H technique which will help you to truly streamline your approach. ### **Strengthen your customer marketing approach** As we previously mentioned, [customer marketing ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-marketing-the-vital-link-in-the-progress-chain/)is going to be absolutely essential in order to do this properly. Strengthening your customer marketing skills is going to help you to get to know your customers properly. Rather than imagining who your customers are, customer marketing is going to give you insight into your actual customer segments, which is pivotal in increasing customer satisfaction, retention rates, and overall revenue. ### **Take a look at product-led growth opportunities** Product-led growth is the strategy through which your customer’s experience with your product is the main cause of growth for your company. So, using this strategy forces you to really dig deep into ensuring your solution and marketing are both entirely customer-centric and based on what your customers actually want and need, versus what your company thinks they want. One of our sister communities, [****Product-Led Alliance**](https://www.productledalliance.com/), has been designed and built specifically around how to master your product-led growth strategy. Here, you’ll gain the absolute best knowledge surrounding this approach, which will help you to optimize your B2H marketing strategy. ### **Use personalization techniques** Using personalization within your marketing strategy is going to help you streamline your B2H approach. This is because you’ll immediately hit that goal of making your audience feel appreciated, gaining a greater understanding of your customer base, and helping to build a connection with them. Check out our article on how to use personalization tactics in your marketing strategy, which takes a deep dive into this method, including a checklist that will help you to optimize your approach. ### **Be authentic** Part of the way you need to connect and build a relationship with your customers is by approaching them with empathy and showing that your business cares about creating this solution to their problems. In order to develop this connection, you need to create an authentic, comfortable environment that builds trust and this desire for them to keep returning to your service. ## **Want to learn more?** Customer marketing is and always will be a customer-centric role. A core part of your job is to value the voice of the customer and advocate for their wants, needs, and pain points. It’s your responsibility to make them feel heard. Therefore, customer marketing is an integral part of what you need to do to ensure that you’re staying true to this. The [Customer Marketing Certified: Masters](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-marketing-certified-core?%5Fgl=1%2Al9kpj1%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3MzYyNjU5My40MTYuMS4xNjczNjI3MTEwLjAuMC4w) course has been designed to give you invaluable, practical insights into streamlining your customer marketing approach so that you can ensure that: - Your customers are happy, - Your products are the best they truly can be, - Your brand reputation is consistently positive, and - That you bring in increased revenue for your organization. So what are you waiting for? [Sign up now](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-marketing-certified-core?%5Fgl=1%2Al9kpj1%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3MzYyNjU5My40MTYuMS4xNjczNjI3MTEwLjAuMC4w) ### Types of market research: 5 ways to support your work with valuable analysis URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/types-of-market-research-five-ways-to-support-your-work-with-valuable-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:16:35.000Z Market research covers a broad variety of strategies that work toward improving business techniques that better cater to your chosen target market. In this article, we’ll cover: - What market research is, and - Different types of market research. ## Market research definition Like [customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/), market research covers various techniques used to investigate your company's chosen market. This information is then used to improve products, user experience, and other business areas. ## Types of market research ### Brand research This type of market research is conducted to discover the amount of brand awareness your brand holds. This means how well-known or identifiable your brand is to your existing customers and to potential customers within your target audience. #### What can brand research teach you? Brand research can help you discover how effective your current marketing strategies are at making your company: - Identifiable - A brand that customers can recall - Inspire more loyalty and trust in your customers [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) #### How do you conduct brand research? The information gathered from brand research will come from two places. The first will be from **competitive intelligence**; understanding how other brands are perceived and adopted by your target audience will give you a better idea of where your own brand stands. This will give you a good understanding of the market as a whole to then build on. This information can come from investigating your competitors or by conducting focus groups and interviews with your own customers on their perception and understanding of other brands. The second will come from an **internal investigation** of the effectiveness of past marketing campaigns. Remember to be willing to experiment with things like tone of voice, design, and advertising to understand what your audience responds to. [Build up your brand image using effective brand storytellingStorytelling in marketing is a great way to connect with audiences and make something memorable out of your brand that’ll stick in the minds of your customers. We’ve put together an introduction to brand storytelling to set you up on the right track.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/etienne-girardet-EP6_VZhzXM8-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) ### Campaign effectiveness This is an offshoot of brand research but focuses specifically on analyzing your own campaigns to understand what your audience expects from your brand, and what they engage with. #### What can campaign effectiveness teach you? Campaign effectiveness can help you understand your customers better and, at the same time, reduce customer acquisition costs. This research can also help you: - Make your marketing campaigns more effective - Support any sized [marketing budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/) to work efficiently - Improve the receptiveness of your audience and increase [customer loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-retention-rate-and-boost-customer-loyalty/) and [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/) - Reduce the costs of customer acquisition #### How to research campaign effectiveness? The best time to conduct this research is when you know that you have an advertising campaign coming. This research can ensure that you’re using your budget in the most effective way possible. Ideally, you’ll use what you discover in every stage of your campaign journey. There are limitless ways in which well-conducted research can help improve your current practices. In this case, quantitative research can be particularly effective in the form of surveys, Customer Satisfaction Score, and polls, to show you the overall sentiment when it comes to customer reactions to your media campaigns. ### Competitive analysis Competitive analysis does exactly what it sounds like. This type of research prioritizes analyzing your competitors within your target market. This research will help identify their strengths and weaknesses, which you can then apply to your own organization and team workflows in order to develop how you navigate the market. #### What can competitive analysis teach you? This type of research is twofold. First, and most importantly, it tells you about your competitors. Second, it can also show you your own competitive worth within the market. Competitive analysis can help you: - Understand messaging techniques. - Learn about the history of your competitors and why they are where they are today. - Get a head start in understanding the pitfalls in your chosen market. - Identify where to highlight your products and services. What segment of the market do you fulfill that your competitors don’t? - Provide comparisons to act as a health check for your own business. #### How to do competitive analysis This type of analysis should not be a one-and-done strategy. Competitors are changing all the time; *your* company is hopefully changing all the time. Your analysis will become outdated as you develop in your market. Make sure that, with each new stage, be it a growth stage, developing into a new market, or starting something from scratch, you’re keeping your competitors in mind. Most of the resources for this type of research are readily available to you. It’s articles, advertisements, customer responses, and so on. You can also conduct some primary research of your own using focus groups, demos, and mystery shopping. ### Product development This research is one that relies on customer feedback to assess how your products are perceived and used by said customers. This will give you a good idea of where to take your product next. #### What can product development teach you? There is a lot to be gained from assessing your own products through the eyes of your target audience. Such considerations can improve the relationship between your company and your customers. This research can: - Provide direction when launching new features - Assess the reaction to product updates as well as launches - Support the customer-business relationship - Improve customer loyalty, customer retention, and [customer advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/) - Provide insights to your existing customer base - Show how closely your products cover each customer segment and their needs #### How to do product development? Product development, and more broadly market research, can provide value at each stage of the product lifecycle. From conception and formation to introduction and development, getting feedback from customers is invaluable to ensure success when moving forward. Understanding what parts of your conception actually attract your audience is vital to ensuring the product you are developing will actually survive past launch. Once a product has launched, feedback will have a big impact on solving your customer problems and, as such, direct your ideas for developing features. Conducting both quantitative and qualitative research is vital for product development using case studies, in-app surveys, interviews, and more. Research that is both broad and detailed will be the key to improving product memorability and product salability. ### Usability testing Usability testing tests the functionality of your product, be it SaaS, physical, or both. It focuses on assessing how your customer uses your product in real-time. It can uncover problem areas for your customers, unused features, and overall user experience. #### What can usability testing teach you? Being a part of the process that develops these products in the first place, you will be very familiar with your product, which can sometimes lead to overlooking or missing issues first-time users may have. Usability testing can: - Show how easily customers navigate your product - Identify bugs or issues missed - Determine if the current layout is user-friendly - Pick up how to make the user experience more efficient [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) #### How to do usability testing Usability testing comes in several forms, all of which aim to highlight the customer experience with your product from initial purchase to becoming a longlasting user. - Journey testing does exactly that, assessing the customer experience at each stage. - Learning ability studies can show how much of a learning curve there is before someone can start using your product easily. - Click tracking and eye tracking test the on-site actions of your customers and determine how the design and layout can conjure interest. ## Customer marketing and customer research Customer research is a part of market research that is particularly important for customer marketers to be involved in, as it’ll have an impact on your whole work process. This will include things like customer segmentation research, customer satisfaction research, and consumer insights, which can be applied to almost every part of the customer journey, and, consequently, every part of your organization. [Defining customer research](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/) ### Understand customer market research: What is it and how to do it URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:16:55.000Z Customer research, when done right, can enhance every essential aspect of customer marketing. In this article, we’ll cover: - [What customer research or consumer research is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/#:~:text=chosen%20target%20audience.-,Consumer%20research%20definition%3A,-Consumer%20research%20is) - [The difference between customer and market research,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/#:~:text=in%20the%20future.-,What%20is%20the%20difference%20between%20customer%20and%20market%20research%3F,-Customer%20or%20consumer) - [Types of consumer research,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/#types-of-consumer-research:~:text=its%20chosen%20market.-,Types%20of%20consumer%20research,-Primary%20research) - [Some research strategies.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/understand-customer-market-research-what-is-it-and-how-to-do-it/#research-strategies:~:text=points%2C%20and%20more.-,Research%20strategies,-In%20our%20State) ## What is customer research? Customer research or consumer research is a vital component of customer marketing’s most fundamental role: to understand and market to your chosen target audience. ### Consumer research definition: Consumer research is the act of gathering information about your customers’ needs, desires, preferences, and behaviors as it pertains to your product or service. This type of research can be conducted on current existing customers and/or potential customers. This research seeks to understand why your customers exist in the first place, and why potential customers end up not making a purchase. In essence, this is about understanding the motivations behind anything your customer does, being able to [represent that within your marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/clayton-prichard-how-can-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-best-work-together-customer-marketing-catch-up/), and how you might be able to influence this in the future. ## What is the difference between customer and market research? Customer or consumer research is most often placed within market research, as a part of a bigger research project. Customer research can also be applied to design research or user research too. Because customers have such a big influence on how the market, and the businesses within that market, run, it's often the case that, whatever part of the business funnel you are researching, customer research will become a part of the strategy too. Market research will not exclusively look at your customers, but will analyze and assess the market as a whole. This will include things like competitive intelligence, and analyzing other business models to influence how your own company conducts itself within its chosen market. *Fill out the form to download *Intro to Customer Research* below to start better understanding your customers.* ## Types of consumer research ### Primary research Primary research refers to the act of collecting data from a primary source when you conduct a variety of types of data collection and speak to your customer directly. This will include things like focus groups, surveys, social media interactions, and interviews. ### Secondary research Secondary research is carried out by someone else. Your secondary research relies on data collected by someone else. This will be things like online databases, forums, and industry reports. ### Quantitative research Both primary and secondary research comes in the form of qualitative or quantitative research, which offer different levels of information and are often used for different purposes. Quantitative research is expressed in numerical values and presents simple yet objective facts about your data set. As a result, the data you get from this type of research is not very in-depth but it means a larger proportion of your chosen data group can be represented. ### Qualitative research Qualitative research is more subjective and opinion-based. This type of research is descriptive and often comes from talking in depth to a small number of people from your data set. Whilst qualitative research won’t represent all of your data group, it can offer insights into specific scenarios, motivations, pain points, and more. ## Research strategies In our [State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/), we found that most customer marketers spoke to their customers *2-3 times a week* (22.2%) and *a handful of times a month* (22.2%). Customer marketing research is impossible without this kind of regular contact. Customer marketing is a unique position where it can consistently [develop relationships with customer advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/), offering them an immediate resource for qualitative research. [Interaction with your community of customers over social media](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/) or forums allows for a similar kind of relationship with a wider audience. In essence, customer marketers can have some customers whom they talk to every single week and others whom they only interact with a few times on social media. Yet each relationship is invaluable in informing the way you work. In the same way, your research strategies can vary in the level of contact they need with your customers. Here are a few examples below. ### Customer research strategies #### A/B testing [A/B testing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/a-b-testing-your-ticket-to-defining-high-intent-customers-for-funnel-acceleration/) is an experiment where your customers are shown two different versions of a page at random. These pages are monitored to see which performs best. A/B testing can be used to assess the effectiveness of a variety of marketing content and tone including email subject bars, headlines, social media posts, articles, and more. This is a quantitative measure; results will show things like click-through rate and engagement rate. - **Pros:** A/B testing requires very little interaction with your customers and takes very little prep and monitoring. - **Cons:** Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why one headline performs better than another. If you’re looking for results that you can then implement into everyday practices, you’ll likely need to talk to customers to get a better understanding of why a chosen word or [tone of voice](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) worked better than another. #### Case study [A case study](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-a-case-study/) is a deep dive into a specific customer’s experience with your product and/or organization. Most often, this is referring to a particular instance or instances where the customer you are interviewing interacted with your organization. [Conducting a case study](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-tips-to-write-a-killer-case-study/) should take you through each stage of the customer’s journey. It will highlight what worked well and what didn’t work well for their specific use case. This will give you extensive qualitative feedback about specific scenarios within the customer journey which may produce answers for some unique or previously missed pain points. - **Pros:** Case studies can not only be used for research but can also be syndicated into other content as testimonials promoting your product to other customers. - **Cons:** This can be more time-consuming than other forms of research, and will only account for a small percentage of your audience. #### Review mining Review mining is the process of finding and extracting opinions about your organization and product from online review sites. This research will evaluate users’ sentiments and feedback about your product. This type of research allows you to collect qualitative feedback in a way that is less intensive and time-consuming; It offers the opportunity to receive feedback without having to reach out to each of these customers individually. - **Pros:** Doesn’t rely on customer availability. Could highlight certain complaints customers may not tell you about directly. - **Cons:** The level of information provided by reviews can vary a lot. If you’re wanting to learn more about a specific review, you’ll have to reach out to customers individually. [How to determine which customer feedback strategies are bestCustomer feedback is one of the most important key ingredients when it comes to representing your customer, business growth, and customer satisfaction. It’s the two-way conversation that provides you with the knowledge to allow your business to grow and change alongside your customers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/towfiqu-barbhuiya-0ZUoBtLw3y4-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) #### Focus groups Focus groups gather information by bringing together a small number of customers (usually 6-10) into a room to discuss your organization and product. This can involve your company as a whole, or a specific product, campaign, or concept. This gives you the unique opportunity to watch and listen to your customers as they interact with each other. Unique qualitative insights may come up that would be missed in a survey or one-to-one interview. - **Pros:** Enables you to gather a group of your customers to offer insights that you won’t get from a one-to-one interview or a survey. - **Cons:** Heavily monitored type of research. Planning such a group will take more time in order to fit a large number of schedules. Colleen Johnson goes through a fantastic example of an effective focus group in this episode of Customer Marketing Catch-up: [Why customer references are important, and how best to use them | Customer Marketing Catch-up“Customer references really are about bringing someone in and starting them on that journey toward customer advocacy.” We talk to Collette Johnson about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discuss some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/11/CMA-Catch-up-Podcast---Template--2-.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/) #### Personas Personas are fictional profiles used to represent specific groups within your customer base. They will take into account personal needs and pain points, preferred messaging, offers, and products. [What personas are and how you can reap the benefits of themPersonas underpin a variety of customer marketing activities, ranging from onboarding to content and engagement, and how a customer may approach their interactions with a brand as a whole.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) - **Pros:** Can be used as a cheat sheet for any internal persons looking to better understand your audience. - **Cons:** Personas will be produced using data from other research you conduct. You will often have to revisit your personas and update them as your customer base, and your understanding of your customer base develops. ## The next steps Customer research is a topic that can be discussed endlessly. It’s always going to be a part of any marketing job, specifically customer marketing. Taking the next steps to perfect your research processes can start with CMA’s Customer Research: Masters. This course involves: 🧠 Expert insights from a customer research connoisseur. ⏰ 3+ hours of course curriculum content. 🛠 7 tried, tested, and vetted templates that’ll streamline your practice. 🔥 Bonus footage & fireside chats to supplement your learning. 🔖 Official Customer Research certification to show off to your colleagues. ⏳ Lifetime access to all the course content. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Aq0938p%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3MjkyMDI3Mi4zOTcuMC4xNjcyOTIwMjcyLjAuMC4w) ### What I learned from some of the best customer marketing and advocacy teams in the world URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-i-learned-from-some-of-the-best-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-teams-in-the-world/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:36:12.000Z Hi, I’m Gal Biran. I’m the CEO and co-founder of Crowdvocate, a holistic platform for both product and customer marketers. Today I’m going to share the insights and best practices I’ve learned from some of the best customer marketing and advocacy teams in the world. We’ll cover what I have learned about… - Getting started with customer marketing - Strategy planning - Creating a culture of advocacy - Running a successful reference program - Getting maximum value from B2B reviews - Building successful B2B communities Let's dive in. ## **Getting started with customer marketing** Before I pass on the wisdom I’ve gathered from the customer marketing pros I’ve partnered with, let’s look at a few fundamentals you need to consider before launching a new customer marketing program. First, before you start building your customer marketing program or investing in technology to support it, you need to define your strategy and KPIs. What are your first-year goals? How can you contribute to achieving the company’s KPIs and align your program around the numbers? It’s essential to collaborate with departments like sales, marketing, customer success, and product, and within each of those departments, you want to identify a champion. This is going to make it much easier for you to get executive buy-in. It’s also vital to talk to your customers and see what they want out of your program and how they're willing to contribute to your efforts, then bring that voice to other departments so they understand your program’s value. And, of course, you want to constantly measure and share what customers have done and how that impacted the business. For example, if they gave you product feedback, that feedback became a feature, and that feature is now selling to the tune of $2 million, you want to be able to track that cycle. Similarly, if customers gave you feedback on something that wasn’t working, you fixed it, and your NPS score went up as a result, you want to be able to show that. ## **Strategy planning: Top tips from a CMO in the know** **Anna Convery, the former CMO of Radware**, shared this brilliant advice on getting executive buy-in for your customer marketing program: 1. When you're approaching executives, you have to start by understanding the company’s strategic goals and how the program contributes to them, then just give your execs the headlines. Executives are short on time, so they need short messages establishing how your program will directly impact the numbers. 2. Always have a financial slide in your deck when you're presenting the program. That way, when your execs are putting your program in the next year's budget, they’ll have a full picture of what it’s going to cost and this is what the company is going to get out of it. 3. Show how you're going to measure the program’s impact. Execs care about the numbers. They have to show attribution and ROI, so you too have to demonstrate how you're going to quantify your attribution. This is where tools are going to come in especially handy. 4. When you go live, track the program’s progress and achievements and communicate them within your company regularly. Don’t be afraid to blow your own horn. Blow your customers’ and collaborators’ horns too. You have to be your own marketer, not just your company’s. ## **Creating a culture of advocacy: Top tips from an advocacy ace** Creating a culture of advocacy will not only help you get internal buy-in; it will also empower other stakeholders to help drive your program forward. **Kalina Bryant, the Head of Customer Advocacy at Asana**, shared these pointers on how to make that happen: 1. Start by mapping all your internal stakeholders; you have to be sure that you know who they are, their goals, and what your program can do for them. 2. Once you’ve learned what their goals are, figure out how you can help them to succeed and make sure they understand that too. That's when they’ll become collaborators and customer marketing champions. 3. Create internal playbooks that will make it easy for internal stakeholders to get involved in your programs. In your playbooks, you might want to outline how your program is being rolled out, the types of customers that should be nominated, and how to nominate them. Just like when you’re communicating externally, always keep your messages simple and actionable. **Juliana Roxa, Global Customer Marketing Director at SAP**, also gave us some hot tips on creating a culture of advocacy: 1. Identify your organization’s five main goals before starting to build your advocacy strategy. Maybe your company is looking to improve revenue or profitability. Maybe it's launching a new product and needs to build awareness around that. Tie those goals to your customers’ voices. You can contribute to a new product launch, for example, by gathering stories from early adopters who have successfully used the product. 2. While strategizing, meet as many people as you can within the company and brainstorm how customer marketing and advocacy can tie into their programs and activities. Connect your program to their KPIs and agree on how you’ll work together and track your results. That way, they’ll be eager to collaborate. ## **Running a successful reference program** Now that we understand the importance of strategy, getting internal buy-in, and creating a culture of customer advocacy, let's talk about how to successfully run different types of programs, starting with reference programs. **Step one: Strategy** First of all, you want to streamline referenceability. Whether you’re dealing with customer stories, videos, speaking opportunities, or sales reference calls, start by defining the strategy for your program and your audience. Next, you need to decide how you’re going to do member recruitment and who's going to own that process. Is it a self-serve program? For example, are we giving sales the ability to do things themselves, or does it have to be managed? You also need to decide if your program is going to focus exclusively on content or if it will include sales references. Finally, think about how you’re going to recognize and reward customers who participate in your program. **Step two: Alignment** The next step, as we discussed earlier, is to align with your internal collaborators. Lay out how you’re going to work together to achieve your shared goals, outline your nomination process, and decide who needs to approve a reference request. And again, always think about what's in it for them. **Step three: Implementation** Then it’s time to start building workflows. Automation is your friend here. You might want to automate your processes for customer stories or reference requests. In the implementation stage, you’ll need to build your recruitment channels, brand your program, set up CRM integrations, and carry out internal testing. **Step four: Launch** When launch day comes, make sure you communicate the launch internally and set up training sessions with all of your internal stakeholders. It’s also a great idea to incentivize other departments to collaborate on nominations. Finally, make sure you constantly test and iterate your program. ### **Top tips from three customer marketing mavens** To help you manage your customer references, **Morgan Asher, Director of Customer Marketing at Okta**, shared these content management tips: 1. Break customer content into small, consumable pieces and serve those rather than full customer stories. That will give you many more pieces of content to utilize. 2. Don’t make the customer the middleman. Often, customers in larger organizations need to ask their comms teams for approval to participate in reference activities. To make your advocates’ lives easier (and get a ‘yes’ quicker), build a relationship with the comms team so they know you have their best interests at heart. 3. Make sure that the entire company knows about the need for references. While customer success and sales are the usual suspects when it comes to nominating references, your colleagues in support can also recommend referenceable customers. Event marketers and executives are full of hot tips too. As well as emphasizing the need for a formal and trackable process for reference requests, **Nitzan Sofrin, Reference Program Manager at Cornerstone**, offered this pearl of wisdom for making the most of your customer references: ask customers joining the reference pool questions to get to know them better and understand how they can contribute to future activities. For instance, you might want to ask them what other languages they speak or what their exact use cases are. That will help you match the right advocate to the right activity as you grow your program. **Meaghan Sullivan, Customer Marketing Manager at Google Cloud**, was also generous enough to share her insights on reference management: 1. It’s your job to help your customers be better storytellers. Whether you give them advice on how to structure a compelling story or simply edit their videos, helping them to be better at storytelling makes both of you look good. 2. Build a two-way relationship with your customers. Make sure you understand their goals; that way, you can create a co-marketing program where you share their messaging through their customer stories and everybody wins. 3. Track your references not only to show results but also to prevent customer fatigue. You need to protect your customers and ensure that they’re not overused. ## **Top tips to get maximum value from B2B reviews** Let's talk a little bit about reviews. **Victoria LaPlante, Director of Customer Marketing at Numerated**, shared these three hot tips on how to harness their power: 1. Ask your sales teams where potential customers are looking for reviews. There are so many review sites – G2, Gartner, Capterra, Trustpilot, Trustradius, and so on – that you can’t possibly cover them all. Your sales teams can help you decide which sites to prioritize. 2. Use two and three-star reviews to improve your product and product support. Investigate the cause of the review, fix the problem, then get back to the customer who wrote the review and show them the changes you’ve made. They might just become your most loyal customer and give you five-star reviews later on. 3. Acknowledge and respond to all reviews – the good, the bad, and the mediocre. **Irwin Hipsman, Customer Success Marketing Manager at Nexthink**, had these nuggets on B2B review platforms to share: 1. Use a review platform with buyer intent data. That way, you not only generate traffic from the reviews on the site, but you also know who's looking at you versus competitors, and have more leads to give to the business. 2. Read the small print on each review platform. Are you allowed to leverage the content of reviews for reports and marketing? That will help you choose the best review platform for you. ## **Building successful B2B communities** **Scott Wilder, Head of Customer Engagement and Community at HubSpot**, shared these hot tips on cultivating a successful advocacy community: 1. When you're building a community, whether it's an advocacy community or a more general community, you have to have the customers as part of the team. When they’re involved in building it, you’ll know what they want the community to do for them, whether that’s providing support, networking opportunities, education, or something else entirely. 2. Think of your community as a customer engagement platform and source of advocacy. Your community’s most active contributors are prime candidates for customer marketing and advocacy activities. 3. Constantly listen to customers’ input on your community so you can iterate and keep it alive. Finally, let’s look at some words of wisdom from **Dani Weinstein, Senior Director of Customer Community and Growth at Kaltura**, who offered these two tips to get the most out of your community: 1. Use your community to drive value across the business. It’s an incredible source of advocacy materials for marketing. It can deflect support requests by providing answers to your users’ questions. It can support your customer success teams with content that quickly teaches your customers how to use your product, leading to increased adoption. Your community can even inspire new features among your engineering teams. 2. A community with power uses can fuel your SEO, so make sure at least a part of your community is public. ## **Cerificate for customer advocacy** Over recent years, companies have shifted their focus from customer acquisition to customer retention and engagement. This course will provide you with the perfect resources, mentor, and development needed to keep up with and excel during this change. **Customer Advocacy: Certified** will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified today](Over recent years, companies have shifted their focus from customer acquisition to customer retention and engagement. This course will provide you with the perfect resources, mentor, and development needed to keep up with and excel during this change. Customer Advocacy: Certified will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience.) ### Customer acquisition: All you need to know URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-acquisition-all-you-need-to-know-2/ Last updated: 2025-01-15T09:52:16.000Z Objectives and key results (OKRs) are a pretty common talking point in the Marketing field and in our [Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), week in, week out, we see tons of people asking how they should, or could, measure their performance. Customer marketing is a position that often supports and aids other areas of the business where they're not commonly involved. It's a role most commonly referred to as a post-purchase position, and yet customer marketers (especially those in B2B) need to have a basic understanding of the whole customer journey, pre-purchase included. So, if you’re new to the world of customer acquisition and wanna get your head around the math and strategies, stick with us till the end - we’ve got it all covered in this article. ## **What is customer acquisition?** At its most simple it’s the process of acquiring new clients or customers, and whether you work for a scrappy, small scale start-up or a huge, well-established corporation, gaining new customers is the aim of the game. It may sound as simple as its name but the process of acquiring new customers is less of a side quest and more of a hero’s journey - where the swashbuckling marketer returns victorious, ready to reap the rewards of everything you've learned along the way. This sounds a lot like lead generation 😒 you're probably thinking, well actually, there’s a difference, and that difference lies at the bottom of a funnel. ## **The customer acquisition funnel** Lead generation is the difference between the consumer who’s curious about a product or a service and the consumer who’s ready to purchase. In the biz, we visualize the customer journey as a funnel (no one said we were normal) and as consumers move through the funnel to take on their final form as customers, they: - Gain awareness of your brand. - Move your product or service into the consideration pile in the filing cabinet of their brains. - And right at the bottom of the funnel, they shoot out, like tiny, thrill-seekers on a tunnel slide, arms up and ready to join the pool of happy customers you’ve already acquired. ![](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/images/2020/06/pasted-image-0.png) ## **Why is it important?** Customer acquisition is important as it helps businesses to bring in new customers which can help to maintain and grow a business. It can also increase sales and brand awareness due to the marketing activities associated with customer acquisition such as social media advertising. ## **Customer acquisition strategies** So we’ve talked a little about the customer's journey, but what about your journey as a product marketer? What do you need to do to entice customers into the funnel? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve got free strategies, paid strategies, inbound and outbound strategies and best of all, these methods can be used on a small scale or a much larger scale, the sky’s the limit. ### **Content marketing** Content marketing is a brilliant way to acquire new customers for all types of businesses. In a world full of false promises and dwindling consumer trust, content marketing is a great way to share how authentic your business is. You love what you do and want to share your expertise and enthusiasm with everyone, honestly what is more wholesome than that? For this reason, blogging is a great option, it allows you to explore all kinds of different topics and most importantly engage with your audience, whether that’s through an article they can share or bookmark for later or a question you can answer in the comments, blog posts can create an enticing, clickable call-to-action. If you already have a blog, you could generate more organic search traffic to your website by doing very little, seriously, the absolute bare minimum; 😉 sounds good right? A lot of older blog content languishes in the bottom of a time-based feed, never to be read again, archived deep into the website's architecture. But what if we told you, you could upcycle that content like an old chest of drawers, and rebrand it as new? Older posts tend to get a lower share of internal PageRank unless they have a lot of backlinks from external web pages, they barely rank in a search engine. One quick solution is to change the date of the blog post and republish it, taking the post to the very top of the feed and giving it a significant boost, PageRank wise. If you add in some extras or update any old stats or references, you can re-promote it on social media and earn even more backlinks from external websites. If you want to visualize an idea or a product demonstration for potential clients, video is the obvious route, with cheaper, higher quality cameras more readily available, you don’t have to be Spielberg to make decent video content. Content is infinitely more important than quality. An interesting idea or creative, offbeat clip will ultimately generate more shares and engagement than a dry, corporate, instruction video, no matter how much it costs to produce. ### **Social media** Social media marketing consists of two methods: organic and paid. Organic social media is most useful for boosting brand awareness, developing a company personality and sharing content you’ve published elsewhere (like from your blog or videos). When done right, social media can inspire customers to become one of your best marketing tools, sharing the company's content and recommending products or services to other users. It does have its drawbacks though, posting organically can sometimes feel like yelling into the void, except that void is filled with 3.8billion people who are simultaneously being yelled at by billions of other companies at the same time. This is why it’s absolutely vital you’re yelling at the right network of people - it’s that old adage of knowing your audience. If you’re targeting Millennials, you should definitely include Facebook and Twitter, if it’s Gen Z you’re after, head over to Instagram or TikTok and lip sync to some Drake while doing the toosie slide (don’t do that, we’re totally joking). Depending on your budget and audience, paid social media might be a better option for your business. It’s an easy way to get your content out there in front of an audience without having to build a following. While sponsored posts on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram get your content out there, Facebook Lead Ads allow you to advertise on social media and gather customer’s email addresses and names. If you’re looking to compile a list of leads then this might be the method for you. ### **Search marketing** Organic search marketing, also known as search engine optimization (SEO), is also available in two flavors: organic and paid. By optimizing your content it’s a ton easier for your target audience to find. Most people click on the first search results offered to them, after all, who has the time to go scrolling through pages and pages of results? By using SEO you're creating content that appears right at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) so consumers can click on your content instantly. There’s a lot that goes into SEO, but these are a few basics to get you started. If you have the time to learn SEO strategies, stay up to date with trends, and optimize your blog posts — you’ll find your content ranking higher than ever before. On the other hand, if you have neither the time or the resources, paid search marketing (pay-per-click or PPC) is a great alternative, it’s basically advertising on a Google SERP itself. PPC allows you to create a search result and pay for it to show up with organic results, increasing your chances of being found by searchers. ### **Email marketing** Email marketing might seem a bit out of date, but it's actually still a really effective way to gain customers. It’s a great way to connect with your audience, you can promote events, offers and discounts, you could even wish customers a happy birthday and offer them a little discount for their special day. It's also a really helpful way to keep an eye on your recipient’s behavior, watch which links they click in the email, monitor which sections received the most engagement and you can learn what your subscribers are really interested in and tailor your campaign accordingly. And of course there are a ton more options out there too, like: - eBooks - White papers - Co-branded content - Partnerships - Guest posting - Affiliate links - Answering questions on Quora/Reddit - Building custom tools/apps/quizzes. ## **Tips for a successful acquisition** Shirin Shahin, Founder, Product Marketing Leader & Consultant at Shirin Shahin and PMA Ambassador, shares her top tips for successful customer acquisition. **"My key tip in this phase is:** Engage your audience fast, learn fast and iterate fast. "There are a few critical pieces of product marketing work that needs to happen in this phase including: 1.Test your messaging with your target audiences. 2.Validate your personas. 3.Continue your positioning work! 4.Start to create a Customer Advisory Board." ### **Test your messaging with your target audiences** "Your key mission when you are starting to gain your first set of customers is to ensure that you are communicating the right message to the right people at the right time. Ideally, you started to formulate your positioning and messaging during the Product Development phase. You likely did some market research, talked to internal teams, identified what problems you are solving and in turn created some customer facing messaging. "However, until you really test this messaging out – you don’t know if it will resonate. "I recommend you categorize your messages based on goals. Without goals, how do we know if we are successful? "Some categories of messages could be around: **Product Usage:** Do these messages encourage someone to test out the product? **Increase Lead Gen:** Do these messages encourage someone to click your ads? **Website Engagement:** Do these messages encourage a path for your users on your website – i.e. they go beyond the homepage? **Sales:** Do these messages resonate in sales scripts/email communications? "Once you establish the right categories, organize your messages in this way and test them out. Do some A/B testing. As an example, you can test by sending one message from your “lead gen” group to half of your audience and then another to the other half. See what happens. "This is crucial early on – identifying a few of your most resonating messages sets you up to develop and grow your messaging from there. Get your baseline ready to go." ### **Validate Your Personas** "We talked about identifying your target personas in the first post. Identifying is one thing and then validating is a whole other thing. "Again, a persona is essentially a fictional character that resembles your target audience. As your audience starts to use your product you are going to confirm whether the personas you identified are accurate." [What personas are and how you can reap the benefits of themPersonas underpin a variety of customer marketing activities, ranging from onboarding to content and engagement, and how a customer may approach their interactions with a brand as a whole.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) **What could happen?** 1. "There could be new personas identified 2. There could be personas you envisioned as “users” but they end up being your “buyer” 3. You may completely even invalidate a persona – they aren’t a fit for your product. So valuable to know this! 4. Your personas are spot on "A key area of focus here is to watch WHO is using your product (user), WHO is engaging with sales messages (buyer), WHO is usually passing you to someone else (influencer), etc. Even better, gather a few of them and interview them to ask what features are resonating with them in the product, why they are engaging with your product, what messages resonated or why they may not be interested at all. "Learn as much as you can about them. This takes time but it is so crucial at this stage." ### **Continue and finish your positioning** "Positioning work should start from the product development phase, in that if you don’t know the problem you are solving , you wouldn’t even have a product. Therefore, positioning starts early and then rolls into this phase as well. And, it is never really done, hence 'finish' Positioning is always a work in progress. When you have new features launching, you need to update your positioning documents. When you identify new competitors, you may need to update your key differentiators, and so forth. "However, in this phase, as you start to onboard customers to your product/service, it is a ripe time to complete this. Below I have laid out the various sections of a positioning document. 1. Key market dynamics 2. Target audience(s) 3. Pain points 4. Key competitors 5. Key differentiators 6. Features & benefits 7. Positioning statement 8. Sample customer facing messages" ### **Start your first customer advisory board** "Your earliest set of users/customers (and I use these interchangeably because they may or may not be paying depending on how you launch) are unique and have very specific qualities. They are likely the most enthusiastic about your [brand](https://openviewpartners.com/blog/beyond-logos-fonts-and-colors-the-importance-of-building-an-impactful-brand/), they love trying new products and features, tend to be more technical and they are also typically the most vocal. "Therefore, this group is ripe to become the first set of customers in your Customer Advisory Group. "A [Customer Advisory Board](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/) is a group of some of your most engaged customers, who represent your target personas and get together regularly to discuss a variety of topics." [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## **How to optimize your customer acquisition strategy** So now you have some solid strategies under your belt, here’s some advice on how you can optimize them for maximum impact and longevity. ### **Think long term** A sustainable strategy is a wise investment, whether you're investing, time, money or people, you want to make sure that whatever you're doing will work in the long run. We’ve already talked about blogging as a way of acquiring new customers, but again this is a great example of a sustainable strategy, as long as you have the tools and resources in place one or two posts could be bringing organic traffic to your page for months or even years. When you compare that to advertising, the cost is considerably less and so is its lifespan. ### **Always be flexible** The way customers respond to marketing and sales is constantly evolving and it’s more important than ever to keep your strategies as flexible as possible. Consumers don’t trust anything a brand has to say about its own product. Harsh but true. In a recent HubSpot study, 81% of consumers said they trust the advice or recommendations of family and friends over a business. Your strategy needs to be as flexible as possible to respond to market trends, while salespeople were once the trusted experts on product information, consumers are now looking elsewhere for recommendations. ### **Target your customers** Customer acquisition can be a huge waste of time and resources if you're not targeting the right market. If you can define your target audience you can find out their needs and meet them, if you can narrow down your target market you can find out how they consume media and tailor your market strategy accordingly. ### **Diversify your strategies** Diversifying your strategy and using different acquisition tactics means you have a better chance of reaching new customers and generating leads. There’s also very little risk involved if one channel fails you can move the funds over to a better performing, tried, and tested method safe in the knowledge it really works. ## **How do you find the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)** ### **Customer acquisition cost formula** So you’re ready to put your all into gaining new customers with all of the optimized strategies we’ve suggested. What comes next? Well, now we’re going to calculate your customer acquisition cost formula. What’s that you ask? Customer acquisition cost or CAC is, quite literally...the cost of gaining a new customer or client. But how and why do you calculate that cost?Well, it’s actually a really useful tool to determine what resources you need to expand your customer base and still make a decent profit.You divide all of the money spent on acquiring customers (marketing, sales expenses, etc.) by the number of customers you gained in the period that money was spent. For example, if you gained 10 customers and spent $1,000 on a targeted Facebook ad in one week, your customer acquisition cost would be $100. **Customer acquisition cost (CAC) $1,000 ÷ customers acquired (CA) 10 = $100** ![](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/images/2020/06/customer-aquisition-cost-calculation.png) Courtesy of CleverTap For a more in-depth look at CAC, you’d include all of the costs associated with marketing spend, including everything from salaries to the cost of the pens you used to jot down ideas. Reducing your customer acquisition cost means the business is spending money more efficiently and should see higher returns in profit. It’s the perfect way to measure your customer acquisition success. ## **What's a good customer acquisition cost?** A Good Customer Acquisition Cost varies by industry, the individual business and the strategies used. But a good point of reference is comparing your CAC to your Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). But how do I calculate the CLTV, we hear you cry? Let’s use Mcdonald’s as an example and some data from a report we just made up. We measure the weekly purchasing habits of 10 customers, then average their total values together. Using this information we can then calculate the average lifetime value of a Mcdonald’s customer. Here’s the process, step by step: ### **Calculate the average purchase value** First of all, we need to measure how much the customer spends every time they pass through those golden arches, this is their average purchase value. For example, if we visited Mcdonald’s three times in one month and spent around $12 (in the interest of transparency we have absolutely done this), our average purchase value would be $4. Once we’ve calculated our average purchase value, we then repeat the same process for the other 10 customers. After that, we add each average together and divide that by the number of customers surveyed to get the average purchase value. ### **Calculate the average purchase frequency rate** Next, we need to measure the average purchase frequency rate. Basically, we need to know how many visits the average customer makes to Mcdonald’s in a week. The average observed across our fictional customer report is 3.2\. This makes the average purchase rate: 3.2. ### **Calculate the average customer's value** Are you still with us? Good! Because this is where it gets a bit technical. Now that we know how much the average customer spends and how many times a week they visit Mcdonald’s, we can determine their customer value. Looking at all 10 customers individually, we multiply their average purchase value by their average purchase frequency rate. This tells us how much revenue a customer could generate for Mcdonald’s in one week. We need to repeat the calculation for all 10 customers, we then average all of their values together to find the customer's value. Individually, ours would look something like this: **$4 x 3.2 = $12.80** ### **Calculate your customer's lifetime value** Once we know the customer value as well as the customer lifespan, we can use this to calculate the Customer’s Lifetime Value (CLTV). First, we need to multiply our average customer value by 52, this is because we’re measuring their habits weekly. Then we multiply this number by the customer lifespan value (which is how long our customers have been customers, in this case we’ll say five years) to get our CLTV result. ![](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/content/images/2020/06/calculation-for-customer-lifetime-value.jpg) Courtesy of CleverTap ### **CLTV = Customer Value x Average Customer Lifespan** So for our imaginary Mcdonald's customers, the CLTV result is $3,343 (52 x 12.86 x 5= $3,343). So now we have our CLTV and CAC result, it's easy to find the ratio between them. Just divide the CLTV by CAC. So if the customer lifetime value is $3,343 and the expenses for acquiring a customer are $1,000, then the CLTV: CAC ratio would be 3.3 So there you have it! We’ve scratched the surface of customer acquisition and flexed our math muscles. ### Clayton Prichard | How can Customer Marketers and Product Marketing Managers best work together? | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/clayton-prichard-how-can-customer-marketers-and-product-marketing-managers-best-work-together-customer-marketing-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:11:45.000Z *“How can you add value against that other team, how do I bring in insights, what do these teams really need?”* In this episode, we talk to Clayton Prichard about the intricacies of the relationship between Product Marketing and Customer Marketing. There is often a lot of overlap in responsibilities between these two teams and so collaboration is key to effective workflows. ## **Key talking points:** - The similarities and differences between product marketing and customer marketing - The importance of collaboration between these two teams - How customer marketing and product marketing impact growth - Which stage of growth are customer marketing and product marketing introduced? ## **About the guest:** Clayton Prichard is a Marketing Leader with 11+ years of experience, including 6 years in product marketing, 5.5 years in growth marketing, and 1.5 years in sales. Most recently, as Head of Marketing at Momentum, he built out the marketing function as their first marketing hire. This included refreshing the messaging using customer research, developed go-to-market plans, and redesigned their websites to improve user experience. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com). ### How to measure the success of your customer advocacy program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-customer-advocacy-program/ Last updated: 2024-05-17T15:05:08.000Z We're going to be talking about measuring your advocacy program's success. And this by far is one of the most important topics when it comes to creating and managing your advocacy program. Being able to successfully measure your programs is what’s going to help you unlock more headcount, resources, and budget and be seen as a trusted partner and resource across your organization. In this article, I’ll be covering: - The importance of measuring advocacy - Marketing budgets - The five-part process to identify your success - Advocacy measurements ## The importance of measuring advocacy success In this article we're going to talk about how to measure your programs from A to Z. Now I want to reiterate that this whole journey in terms of measurement and reporting is a process. It's a journey that's going to take time, effort, consistency, and really deep collaboration with internal teams and resources to help you get to that finish line. This is also a process that I’ve explored deeply for the past several years because frankly, what you can’t measure doesn’t get attention from leadership. And if you're looking to get promoted and made a huge impact within your company, this is where it starts and ends. These are also the conversations we need to have holistically as an industry. This is the one area by far where customer marketing and advocacy professionals struggle the most. We are great about building relationships with customers, and building highly engaging programs but when it comes to measuring and quantifying that, other teams, like demand gen, are typically far ahead of anything that we've been able to accomplish. ## Marketing budgets This is also why it comes as no surprise that many of these demand teams typically will get sometimes three to four times the budget and resources in comparison to customer retention and advocacy teams because they're able to show direct pipeline correlation into business outcomes that are going to drive sales and even retention in some cases. This is especially true if you’re in SAAS organizations - the typical SAAS revenue model looks like this - **75%** of all revenue comes from existing customers whereas a mere **25%** comes from new logo acquisition. This is something that our CMO, and executive teams care about - and it's finally time that we as an industry prove our worth, and why I’m so excited to be covering this topic with you now. ## The 5-part process So it boils down to answering this question - how do we prove our worth? It begins with a 5 step process of asking yourself the right set of questions. It's creating shared goals with leadership. It's being clear about what you want to measure. It's taking inventory of the programs that serve you. And also thinking about things that no longer serve you. And then also being able to start small, and then iterate as you go. ## Asking the right questions So let's go ahead and dive into the first series of questions that you need to ask yourself, your team, and other stakeholders. Things like: - What can we measure today that is easy to do? - What are some things that are going to take a little more time based on additional conversations around data, integrations, etc.? - What's going to deliver the greatest impact if we had to think about our results over the next 6 to 12 months from now - What do we want to say we accomplished as a team? - What does our leadership care about? - Where does the data live? - What teams can we partner with closely? - What's going to help move the needle and move us in the direction of accomplishing our goal? - How do we want to visualize that data to tell our story to leadership? The second part is engaging internal stakeholders across the organization and finding out what they care about from a measurement standpoint. Here are a few examples: - Your CMO cares about pipeline influence, brand awareness, and retention. - Your sales team cares about closing new deals, customer expansion, and more customer use cases and evidence. - Your customer success team cares about value realization and customer retention. - Your product team cares about time to value, customer feedback, and overall business impact. - And then your support team cares about support resolution, case deflection, and value realization. ## Team charter Your team charter and strategic pillars play a big role in your measurement journey and process - you can determine what your ‘north star’ goals are across adoption, community, and advocacy - this also helps you tell your story and how you can align your goals with your cross-functional stakeholders. Across your programs, each one should be aligned to the customer journey, where together they create an overall advocacy score or metric for how your programs influence customer experience and retention. By measuring your program ecosystem holistically, it makes it easier for your executive stakeholders to quantify your direct impact on the organization. But I’m also going to dissect how you can measure each program shortly. But for now, let’s dive into each of the north star goals. ## North star When you think of the word ‘score’ - essentially it’s similar to how lead scoring works for demand gen - instead of driving lead gen, you are influencing customer behavior. The first score is the **customer adoption score** which measures the influence on feature and behavior usage and overall product maturity. The **community engagement score** is measuring community membership and engagement influence based on community participation in your online forums or communities - looking at things like activity and posting frequency, etc. And then the last one, which is the **advocate score,** measures your customer programs against how it's driving impact and business revenue for the company. ## Community measurement Now before we get into more details on the advocate score, I want to spend a little more time talking about community engagement and a number of ways that you can measure community across the spectrum of your programs. The first one typically is focused on **membership growth**. So looking at monthly, quarterly, and yearly engagement, and how those customers are coming back to your community over time. It's also looking at community posts, answering questions, and how quickly that's helping customers get time to value using your products. It also could be looking at how support cases are being deflected from helpful posts that your users are posting replies and answers to. It could also be looking at the overall membership ARR or annual recurring revenue across your top contributors and your influencers within the community. It could also be taking into consideration product feedback from customers that are influencing new innovations, product ideas, and ideation for your product management team. And then overall engagement across posted topics, answering questions as well as the frequency of new user-generated content being created and how that influences customer retention. And then from a community engagement and events standpoint, looking at how members are signing up to participate in things like coffee chats, or other types of events that drive membership and overall community vibrancy. ## Advocacy measurement Next, we’re going to be diving into advocacy metrics and how you can measure each individual program which ultimately moves into the advocate score. **For this particular example,** we are going to be looking at the subsets of programs across the community, user groups, customer references, peer reviews, brand ambassadors, influencer programs, customer awards, CABs, customer stories, and community to show you how you can drill down and measure each one more specifically. And then from there, we’ll review how you can put it all together into a centralized dashboard to share with your executive stakeholders. Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the **essential elements of a customer marketing plan**. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up. ## What can you measure today? As a reminder, you want to begin by starting with areas across advocacy that are easy to measure today. The first one being **advocate growth**. This is looking at the net new number of advocates joining your program YOY across your program ecosystem - so this could be across user groups, community, joining your reference program, etc. For **customer references**, this could be looking at everything from deal acceleration and pipeline influence from each individual reference that you’ve completed to the volume of references that your team is managing and completing over a given quarter or year and then the average deal size for those references. From a **user group standpoint**, this could be looking at things like membership growth, chapter growth, growth in overall attendance, and how your program is growing across each territory or region. And then from a **peer review standpoint**, you can take your review presence across sites like Gartner, G2, and TrustRadius and compare the contract dollar amount and divide that by the number of reviews you’ve gathered during a quarter or annually to get your actual cost per review - and you can see how this number decreases or increased based on the number of review campaigns you run - e.g. driving reviews via email or gathering reviews at your user conference or promoting it during user group meetings. **Example:** So as an example, let's say you're spending about $75,000 on trustradius, and you've gathered 500 reviews over the calendar year. Well, that would give you a $150 per review cost. Now the other way you can measure the influence of reviews is the impact review collateral, in the form of quotes or use cases, are having towards deal progression as well as quotes that are featured on your website and how that is influencing form fills and lead generation. Next, you can measure your brand ambassadors by looking at the membership influence to annual recurring revenue or ARR and how you’re leveraging those 30-50 customers in demand as well as retention programs - from speaking engagements, content creation, consulting, product feedback, etc. And then from a customer storytelling standpoint, looking at everything from viewership, lead gen form fills, contents indication, and your actual hard costs for developing the asset and how it’s being leveraged in your demand and digital campaigns across social, email, advertisements, in active deal cycles, customer evidence, and more. With **customer awards**, it's looking at your overall year-over-year submission growth. It's looking at the ARR influence across your finalists and winners to see how much you're influencing in terms of net retention. **Example:** So as an example if you have 15 award categories x 3 finalists per category - that’s 75 finalists and winners. If each finalist spends $100k with you - that’s influencing around $7.5M in protected ARR not including potential expansion opportunities which your MOPS and SOPS team can help you measure. You can also look at your pipeline of **net new customer stories and advocates** that are generated from the awards program. And then from a direct mail campaign standpoint, you can actually see the cost per swag across your welcome gifts and VIP mixers - most of your swag vendors will also be able to help you calculate this number automatically when you do the sends. Now from an **adoption standpoint,** we went in-depth in terms of all adoption programs, but from a measurement standpoint, it's ultimately looking at protected revenue and how your programs are driving an increase in product feature usage and behavior. And then lastly - this is the most important - it’s being able to measure your programs and how it’s positively decreasing churn across your customer accounts. Essentially looking at how accounts with advocates are more likely to stay as a customer vs. accounts where you have no relationship at all. ## Advocate score Now, there is going to be a spectrum in terms of how you measure your programs from easy all way up to difficult based on the level of complexity and integrations required to measure your programs holistically. Easy things to measure include: - Advocate growth - Customer references - User Group membership and attendance - Influencer VIP programs - And direct mail Areas that require integration and validation include: - Your online community - Peer reviews - Customer stories - Customer awards programs - Your advocate nurture - And advocacy type events And what’s the most difficult to measure is your overall program impact to churn. What I wanted to reiterate is this again is a process - start small and begin with what you can measure easily and work your way up to more advanced areas that may require leveraging the expertise of other teams and resources at your disposal. ## Want to learn more? This article is a sneak peek into our Customer Advocacy Program. Over recent years, companies have shifted their focus from customer acquisition to customer retention and engagement. This course will provide you with the perfect resources, mentor, and development needed to keep up with and excel during this change. **Customer Advocacy: Certified** will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?utm%5Fsource=linkedin&utm%5Fmedium=cma-page&utm%5Fcampaign=customer-marketing-certified-dec-22) ### How to build a successful ambassador program of customer evangelists through CABs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-build-a-successful-ambassador-program-of-customer-evangelists-through-cabs/ Last updated: 2024-01-22T16:10:52.000Z ## **Introducing our customer marketing pros** **Emma Datny** Hi, everyone! Today, the four of us are going to be discussing how to build a successful ambassador program of customer evangelists, setting up customer advisory boards, case studies, and a whole lot of great things. I'll let our panelists introduce themselves. **Bridget Heaton** Hi, my name is Bridget Heaton. I've spent the last two and a half years working at a company called Collibra, where I've built the foundations of customer marketing, as well as their community of data citizens. Prior to that, I worked at a company called Schoology, which has since been acquired by PowerSchool. I also built the advocacy programs and community there, full of teachers and school administrators, so I have a long history of working in programs, building programs, and helping to develop advocates. **Carrie Timms** Hi, everyone. I'm delighted to be here. My name is Carrie Timms and I am the Director of Global Customer Marketing in EMEA at Facebook. My team is responsible for end-to-end business marketing across the EMEA region, and that encompasses everything from advocacy programs to training to good old-fashioned advertising – the whole spectrum of activities orientated towards our large, small, and medium businesses in EMEA. Prior to my current role at Facebook, I had a long history of working at a bunch of CPGs. I was at Unilever and Nestlé. I’ve always been a CPG person up until now and have always been involved in various aspects of marketing. **Anita Raj** Hi, everyone. My name is Anita. I lead product and customer marketing at ThroughPut. Our AI-powered supply chain software helps companies to run their supply chain sustainability on autopilot by leveraging existing data. Prior to my current role, I worked in product and customer marketing programs at companies like EMC, LeanIX, and Signavio. I’m very excited for our exciting all-woman customer panel discussion today. **Emma Datny** Fantastic. I'll just introduce myself before we take it away. My name is Emma. I'm currently the Director of Product Marketing at Velocity, an early-stage startup where we empower developers to streamline and accelerate their product delivery by building the full autonomy to spin up fully isolated production-like environments. I'm very focused on the developer marketing world, and I have been for the past three-plus years. I’m always trying to connect with our customers as much as possible, whether it's through advisory boards, promoting them to speak at different events, or working with them to help grow the way that we create our own products as well. I'm very happy to be joining everyone here as we discuss everything that you guys have been achieving at your amazing companies. I love that we have a variety of people from around the world and various stages of companies with a lot of experience. ## **How to nurture powerful customer evangelists** **Emma Datny** I'd love to start with a pretty high-level question. How can you develop genuine and valuable customer evangelists? **Carrie Timms** I'd love to share an example from Facebook. I can't claim credit for it entirely – I've only been at Facebook for seven months, so this is a testament to my wonderful team. By way of context, at Facebook, we're very lucky to have almost 10 million advertisers on our platform, the large majority of which are small and medium businesses. A couple of years ago, we recognized that there was an opportunity to share the powerful stories that we were hearing from these SMBs at events and through our activities. We saw that as an opportunity to set that relationship on more of a formal footing and to amplify the fantastic stories we were hearing, so we set up something called the Boost Leaders Network. It’s now a really thriving community with 12,000 members globally. In EMEA, we have 2000 members across nine countries. What we've learned along the way basically boils down to two things. The first is that you can’t have a successful and thriving customer advocacy program unless you have a happy customer. That means that the first focus always needs to be on making sure that the experience the customer has – whether it's with the brand or the product – is super positive. If you have a happy customer, you're 80% of the way there in terms of potentially having an evangelist. We also approach the Boost Leaders Network with a servant mindset. Our idea is that the advocate should get more out of the program than we do. It’s always our goal that they come out of the experience feeling valued and appreciated. That’s another fundamental part of making sure you have a happy customer. The other piece we've learned along the way is that it's all about relationships. We don't view this network in a transactional way. It's not ad hoc. We don’t just parachute in as and when we need something. We invest in the program and spend time with our advocates. Whether it’s through one-to-ones, master classes, or training, we try to create surprise and delight moments so that there's consistency and a real relationship. I think that's crucial to setting up a program. **Bridget Heaton** Most of my experience in customer marketing has been building something from nothing. So at companies where there's nothing happening, how do you spin something up from zero and scale it for thousands of customers? My philosophy is that there's always a story to tell or something to share at any point in the customer lifecycle. That means if I can figure out the journey that the customer is supposed to take to be successful, map moments of advocacy across that journey, and have a hybrid community advocacy map of different opportunities, I at least have something to refer to if I’m starting from zero. And then there’s always a little opportunism. Working at Schoology was an amazing experience because I was able to see who was the most active on social media and who was blogging without us asking them to do so. Those were the people – I think there were 19 of them – that I reached out to for partnership in building the advocacy programs. I invested in those 19 people over five years at that company and was able to build this advocate journey with them. I knew that if I was continuing to engage those folks, then I could cyclically engage net-new users alongside them. At Collibra, it was a little bit different. Truly, it was opportunistic. I was looking for the users that customer success could bring to me and anyone that I could map along the customer journey. Sometimes I reached out to people who had just signed up as a customer and had the gift of the gab or the kinds of qualities that I was looking for in an advocate. Investing in those relationships and bootstrapping along the way helped to build that flywheel of advocacy while we planned long-term and built a community that could scale that from 20 to 30 people to, now, 5000\. All that came from building relationships with early adopters and nurturing those relationships over time. **Anita Raj** To continue what Bridget said about starting programs from scratch, a lot of it is really about figuring out your core objectives are for building a customer advisory board (CAB). Typically, when you're starting the process, you have certain ideas in mind, but as you formalize it, it's very important to find out what type of customers fit into what kind of objectives, then you need to build segments and map them to the objectives you want to achieve. It’s also essential to consider what kind of customers can even commit to the amount of engagement and commitment that's required to drive a successful CAB. They require more participation from the customers point of view because they’re not just about educating people about what we do, but about understanding how their experience has been so that we can scale and amplify that and use it as a framework that helps other customers relate to their peers. **Carrie Timms** If I can build on that great point you made there, Anita, when we were building our advocacy program with the SMBs, the key for us was really understanding the expectations of the customer. We were starting from a blank slate, so it was critical for us to understand what the customers’ and the advocates’ expectations were and then, crucially, make sure that we were meeting that expectation with the resources, time, and relationship building that I mentioned. For us, it started with the simple act of sending a survey to these individuals, then we listened to their stories and mapped them back to the launch of the network. I’m really happy to say that two years in we have a net promoter score of about 7.4\. There’s always work to be done, but listening and that servant mindset I described earlier have been really key. ## **Overcoming the common challenges of building a customer advisory board** **Emma Datny** What difficulties have you faced and how have you overcome them to succeed with the programs that you’ve been working on? **Anita Raj** One of the most common challenges, irrespective of whether I'm beginning a program from scratch or it's a mature setup, is managing expectations. At the end of the day, the customer is using our products, platforms, or solutions for specific objectives, and there could be times when things don't go as planned, so how you consistently manage expectations becomes extremely critical. Many customers participate in your CAB program to be that bleeding-edge participant in building the roadmap of the product. That means when the roadmap goes off track or you’re not able to meet the timelines that were promised, it’s essential to drive transparent and consistent communication about what's coming up, what's delayed, and what’s going to take slightly longer to fix in order to manage those expectations. Of course, a lot of that comes with experience. When you understand your engineering teams’ internal rhythms and how the customer success team communicates, it’s easier to integrate all these different layers into the communications program that you want to put together and manage expectations that way. **Emma Datny** One of the problems we’ve faced in the past is that we don't want to use a customer too much, so it’s a great idea to have a database that lets you see who's there and what they’ve done recently. That way, you don't reach out to them too much and overwhelm them with conversations from all of your customer-facing teams. They might be getting engaged in feedback sessions from the product team, the customer success team probably has calls with them too, and sales teams are coming in and trying to upsell them at the same time. There can be lots of clashing components, so it's very important that we work together to make sure we're not bothering the customer too much because at the end of the day we want to savor that relationship. Creating little pods of customer success managers, engineers, and account managers for each account helped us to find a balance and make sure that we didn't overwhelm those customers too much. **Bridget Heaton** My response is a mixture between Anita’s and yours, Emma. I’d just add that setting expectations internally is vital too. How many times have you heard, “We need to do 50 customer case studies in the next three months”? Just no. That's very difficult to do, especially if you're just getting started. You could be three years in and that's still hard to do. Also, if you were to do 50 customer case studies at a time, you'd be doing a disservice to the customers participating in those case studies. They all need to have their time to shine in that promotional cycle. What are they getting out of it if it's just going to be something that goes on the website? I've always felt like a customer marketer works with advocates, but they are the advocates’ advocate in the organization. Inevitably, if you have a star advocate that you've used five times, your CMO is going to come to you and say, “Let's use Bob again.” It’s your job to say that you can't use Bob again. You have to protect those advocates on behalf of the overall organization. **Emma Datny** Fantastic. Anita, Bridget, Carrie, thank you so much. I loved having this conversation with you all. It was fantastic. I really appreciate all of your time. ## **The next step** If you're looking for a more comprehensive conversation into this topic,look no further than out Customer Advisory Boards Masters Course. Get invaluable instruction from Bree Bunzel, and walk away with the ability to: 👇 Produce an awesome Customer Advisory Board 👇 Get key customer insights 👇 Enhance your product 👇 Keep consumers happy 🤑 Boost your revenue [Get certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2A1f9an0g%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3MTcwOTg1MS4zOTEuMS4xNjcxNzA5OTM2LjAuMC4w) ### Customer Marketing Summit New York 2022 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-new-york-2022-ondemand/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T11:31:31.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit New York. Elevate your career and enhance your strategy with the likes of PayPal, Google, Slack, Cisco, and so many more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What is design thinking and the importance of its process URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-and-design-thinking/ Last updated: 2022-12-16T12:00:55.000Z Design thinking is a process used by some of the top brands in the industry today and is used to learn about your audience, understand problems within your customer processes, and seek to create unique solutions. In this article, we’re covering: - What design thinking is, - The Ikea effect, - The five steps in the design thinking process, and - Its practical application. Let’s get into it. ## What is design thinking? As marketers, and as human beings, we habitually stick with ingrained methods of thinking - and while in many situations it is incredibly helpful, like when locking a door or cooking dinner - it can hold us back when we approach more abstract discussions. These entrenched patterns of thinking make the usual connections - for example, my dog is barking so it must be the post coming through the door. Design thinking encourages us to challenge these assumptions and the ‘jumping to conclusions’ that our brain does on autopilot, to explore another world of possibilities, and suggests that creativity is a skill that can be learned and refined over time. The approach of design thinking is another potential tool in our kit that can be used to form or reevaluate plans and strategies. Laura Jones, Head of Marketing at Instacart, defines design thinking as ‘an approach to innovation that focuses on the user’. ## The Ikea effect A good example of these entrenched patterns of thinking, sometimes referred to as a cognitive bias, can be seen in what is known as the Ikea effect. Imagine you go to an Ikea store, buy a chair, bring it home, and put it together. How would you value that chair? $100? $150? Chances are, you’ll value the chair as more expensive compared to a pre-assembled chair. The fact that you have pored over the ins and outs of assembly means you’re more attached to it. The same logic follows with ideas, or plans - if you’ve come up with them, you’re more likely to hang on to them and value them above all others, possibly getting tunnel vision, and ignoring other possibilities that may be more valuable or effective. This is the type of cognitive bias that design thinking tries to combat. ## The design thinking process The roots of design thinking can be traced back to the 1960s, when Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon suggested several categories that could be used to break down the process. More recently, however, The Institute of Design at Harvard University have theorized a more contemporary model consisting of 5 stages: 1\. Empathize - with your users/customers 2\. Define - what are the customer’s needs? What are their problems? 3\. Ideate - challenge assumptions and create ideas for solutions 4\. Prototype - to create solutions 5\. Test these solutions It’s important to point out that these stages often overlap and do not have to take place in any specific order. At the heart of these statements lies the intention to better understand something, such as a product or a customer, by investigating the conditions in which the thing is used. The framework also encourages us to challenge our assumptions: can we prove whether something is valid or not? Once we have a better understanding of these conditions and our own assumptions, we can then truly begin to create meaningful solutions. Design thinking can be transposed onto the wider customer journey map, or specific journey maps can be made connected to a particular problem in the ideation or prototyping stages. Let’s go into a little bit more detail. 1. Empathy Firstly, let’s take a look at empathy. As a customer marketer, you may or may not always have your hand in research or regular first-hand contact with customers, but it’s a great opportunity to get into their headspace. This can be done in a few ways: - Customer interviews - User observation - Task analysis - Empathy mapping - Become users ourselves 1. Define In this phase, you’ll start to see patterns - and make discoveries. You might find out that the problem isn’t what you assumed, that you have not just one but multiple problems, or that a specific group of customers only have this problem. Collate all of your research and see what presents itself. Remember, you’re looking through the eyes of the customer, and not transposing your own biases - be guided by the observations and information gathered. 1. Ideate Once you have a handle on what your problems are, it’s time to generate some solutions. There is no such thing as a bad idea, and there are some great exercises out there to get you started. - You could put large sheets of paper around a room, each with a different problem. You and your team have 1 minute per sheet per person to add solutions. - Draw it out - like a cartoon strip, start with your problem and map out possible solutions as you move across the paper, with drawings of course. For a more tech-based method, try a digital whiteboard such as MIRO. 1. Prototype Next, the prototype can give way to further unanticipated problems and test the validity of solutions. There are low-fidelity prototypes (for example storyboards) or high-fidelity prototypes - those which mimic the ‘real’ thing, such as different versions of an app or webpage. 1. Test Arguably the most important stage is testing - testing can happen at any stage, though it is often coupled with prototyping. The results can feed directly into prototype alterations through user feedback, and often sheds further light on the initial problem statement, which may have to be revisited as a result. It’s useful here to offer more than one prototype to test, as having points of comparison can help users clarify differences, likes, and dislikes more easily. Having laid out this framework, it’s important to re-highlight that these are not strict boundaries - you may find yourself moving back and forth between stages as you get more information. As an example, prototyping and testing may happen earlier than some of the other stages to feed into definition and ideation. The aim of design thinking is to counteract the cognitive biases we all have - this fluidity between stages aims to counteract the traps of our own judgment. It encourages collaboration and a focus on the end goal, and the numerous ideas generated at the definition and ideation stages stop fixations on one single solution - when this happens, ideas and solutions often become self-serving rather than customer-centric. ## Practical applications To look at how design thinking works in practical terms, let’s take a look at an example from Stanford Hospital in the USA, which implemented design thinking to improve the patient experience. The team wanted to first understand the unmet needs of patients and their families, empathize with their struggles, and discover what could be done in an ER setting in addition to pain management and speed of response. They began by taking part in a series of interviews with patients and caregivers to shed more light on their experiences in healthcare - the student doctors commenting that it was a huge benefit to them to understand the emotional dimensions of their role. They then took part in a simulated accident, in which the doctors played the role of the patient’s family - emulating the often chaotic and confusing environment of the emergency room. On the second day, patterns began to emerge in the participants - they defined the problems as information flow issues. As a family member in crisis, they were in the dark about which professionals were talking to each other, and felt out of the loop. Finding a solution to this issue, they concluded, may well reduce some elements of the stress felt in that environment. After prototyping and testing, the participants shared their findings with senior members of the emergency department, and solutions are being implemented currently. The key takeaway here is that empathizing often leads to identifying and understanding issues you didn’t even realize were there. A similar approach was taken by Airbnb - in the early days of the company, one of the founders, Joe Gebbia, enrolled in a design thinking course. They decided that instead of sitting behind a desk, they needed to get out there and meet the customers that were beginning to sign up to their website and actually ask their customers what they were looking for in a stay-away experience. Gebbia believed that this empathy was vital to the success of the business, and as a result, would ask new starters to plan a trip to encourage employees to observe issues with their own eyes and talk to customers first hand in their home environment. So to recap - here are the key takeaways from our look at design thinking: - it can encourage us to truly empathize with the customer and delve deeper into their pain points at any part of the customer journey. Design thinking is flexible enough to ‘zoom in and out’ on the bigger picture or smaller processes such as onboarding or adoption. - It helps to bring different teams together to speculate on what is truly possible and can generate innovative solutions. - It can be transposed onto the wider customer journey map, or specific journey maps can be made connected to a particular problem. - It also comes back to the core of what customer marketing is all about - truly connecting to what people need and creating a highly personalized experience. - It breaks our ingrained patterns of thinking. ## The next step This article was a sneak peek into our Narrative Design course. This course includes real-life case studies, examples of narrative design in action, getting internal stakeholders to understand and back your vision, and more. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/narrative-design-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Avq0l12%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3MTE4NTkzNS4zODQuMS4xNjcxMTg4MTkzLjAuMC4w) ### Stand out from the crowd by adding a human touch to customer marketing URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/adding-a-human-touch-to-customer-marketing/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:36:03.000Z *This article was transcribed from a panel talk from a Customer Marketing Summit in 2021\. You can discover out upcoming summits using the events tab at* [*Customer Marketing Alliance*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/)*.* ## **Introducing our panelists** **Saikrishna Chavali** Welcome folks! Today we're going to explore the unique way Fiverr has structured its group for success. I'm Sai Chavali, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Proofpoint, one of the largest cybersecurity vendors out there, and I’m joined by Trisha, Director of Customer Success at Fiverr. She has built and nurtured a unique model of customer marketing from 2015 to now. Let's learn more from her directly. Trisha, can you introduce yourself? **Trisha Diamond** Yes, thank you. I think you introduced me perfectly, but my name is Trisha Diamond. I'm from Fiverr, an online marketplace connecting businesses with freelancers that offer digital services. We run this in about 400 categories, so a huge variety of business happens on our platform. ## **Fiverr’s unique customer success model** **Saikrishna Chavali** Let's dive right in. You call this group customer success, but it's different from the traditional model, so tell us more. **Trisha Diamond** We have to be different because we're a unique environment. You hear customer success being talked about a lot with SaaS companies, but we're a marketplace. Our customer success managers are here to help ensure the success of both the freelancers that use Fiverr to earn and the businesses that are leveraging the platform to purchase services. Basically, we want to help them get the most out of it. When I need to explain it very quickly, I usually say that we're acting as consultants for people that use Fiverr. We're far from customer service because we don't answer tickets. We’re not like account management either, which usually involves managing a large portfolio of revenue and things like that. We're more focused on the experience; we’re kind of like experience managers, although I should not be inventing a new industry while we chat today! Our purpose is to ensure that both sides of the marketplace operate effectively. It's an automatic platform, so buyers and sellers can find each other without us, but we step in to make sure that everyone is happy and gets the most out of it. **Saikrishna Chavali** What parts of customer marketing are involved in your customer success function? **Trisha Diamond** When you think about customer marketing, a lot of things might come to mind, whether it's retention emails, in-app pop-ups, social media, or any of the dozens of other formats. We use this content with the goal of educating our customers and rewarding them for doing the things that we want them to do. We use a human touch to take the whole funnel and put it in one place. Our success managers take the time to speak to each customer and help them through any aspect of their journey. If they're selling, for example, instead of sending marketing emails that explain how to sell better or faster, we're sitting down with freelancers, optimizing their profile, looking at how they work with customers, and educating them in a personal way on how to do this better. **Saikrishna Chavali** The way I understood it, and I was naive in my understanding, was that your function was like customer marketing plus upsells. In reality, you're helping freelancers to build better businesses, and by doing that. you’re also helping Fiverr to be successful. **Trisha Diamond** Exactly. There's not much of a traditional upsell model. Basically, the more our freelancers or our business buyers are using the platform, the more successful we are as a business. We help them engage and use it better, so we're not even having to upsell. We're just helping people and that helps the business as well. **Saikrishna Chavali** That's so unique it’s blowing my very B2B-structured mind. How's the team structured to deliver on Fiverr’s promise to help customers succeed? **Trisha Diamond** We're structured with a few considerations in mind. The first is that the type of customer success manager that works with a freelancer is different from one that works with a small business. Large businesses too might see a different type of success manager. From there, we consider locations and verticals, for instance, someone who specializes in graphic design versus programming or tech. Most importantly, we involve the customer in that decision. We make sure that they're there with us and that we have a personality match because this is about relationships. ## **The origin story** **Saikrishna Chavali** We've talked a bit about the structure and the goals of your organization. Now I want some stories. How did this all begin? What was the inspiration behind this, and why was it so important to Fiverr? **Trisha Diamond** First, Fiverr is all about its community. We are truly a customer-centric organization, and we wanted to know more about our customers, so in 2015, we formed this department. Starting out, we had a lot of areas of opportunity, so we picked one, and that was our top-rated freelancers in the marketplace. At first, we were taking inspiration from SaaS companies. Of course, Salesforce is a common name there because they're so big in this industry, but I was also looking at companies like eBay, as well as Etsy and other marketplaces, to figure out how they support the growth of the people that sell in their marketplace. Even though Fiverr is unique in that it's about digital services, we were able to learn a lot from these physical goods companies. In the end, because we're a unique organization, we had to innovate, flex the rules a little bit, and find out what worked for us. **Saikrishna Chavali** I love it. We're getting a bit more into the stories, but I'm gonna push you further. Let's start with identifying your ideal customers. How do you do that? How does this whole process begin? **Trisha Diamond** We work very closely with our data teams, and we've developed some algorithms that look at customers' patterns to detect who has high potential, who might be very engaged, and who we should connect with. But it's not just data – we actually ask them. If we see high-potential customers, we can reach out, but if they're not interested and connecting with us, it doesn't go any further. This relationship-based model only works if the customer is engaged in the process. **Saikrishna Chavali** What internal teams are you collaborating with through this process? You mentioned the data science teams; is there anyone else? It seems like it would take a village to make this run well. **Trisha Diamond** Definitely. I would say that customer success at Fiverr is connected with everybody. It’s no big surprise that we’re connected with marketing, but also product and… Goodness! I can't think of a department that we're not connected with because not only are they helping us build this unit, but we're bringing back information about our customers’ needs and pain points and what marketing resonates with them – everything. It is a village and it has two-way traffic. **Saikrishna Chavali** Let's move to awareness or what we might think of as a kind of marketing. How do you make customers aware of what Fiverr has to offer, and how Fiverr can help them grow their businesses and solve their problems better? **Trisha Diamond** We're so closely connected with our customers. We're speaking with them regularly, so we really know them. We know their strengths, their weaknesses, and what they're less comfortable with. When new features, tools, or promotions become available, we want everyone we work with to be able to take advantage of that. We can also take our knowledge of the customers and concentrate our efforts on helping them make the most of those opportunities. For those customers that we don’t know so well, we’ll do traditional emails, but for the customers we have close relationships with, we can do a little more. If it's a new tool, I can go right to those people and demo it for them, then I’ll bring feedback to our internal teams about what was working for them and what was not so intuitive. ## **How Fiverr nurtures advocates** **Saikrishna Chavali** A big portion of customer marketing is around advocacy. How do you gain Fiverr advocates and keep in touch with them after you've helped them grow their business, and they can move on? **Trisha Diamond** Advocacy is my favorite part. It's where I feel like we're stronger than anywhere else. That’s because the human touch is such a natural way to bring customers close to your brand. If you know Fiverr or, say, a certain chain of stores, that's great. You know the name, and that’s an important first step. But if you know the brand and you can connect that brand with a face, a voice, a personality, and a relationship that you have, it becomes so much stronger. It's not just Fiverr; it’s also Brandon, and Brandon takes care of me and understands what I'm going through in my business. To keep these relationships going, our CSMs are in constant communication with our customers. Of course, a lot of it's by email, but we're on video calls all day too. We're a global company, so we can't meet a lot of people face-to-face, but I'm located in Orlando, where there’s lots of tourism, so believe me, as soon as somebody's coming to Disney World, we're inviting them into the office with us! **Saikrishna Chavali** The global portion is so interesting. I’d love to understand a bit more about that. Did you find any differences or surprising similarities between the customer success initiatives in various parts of the world, and were there any unique things that you've had to observe depending on the geography and the culture? **Trisha Diamond** That's a great question. For sure, there are cultural differences, but I think what was most striking to me is that in the end, we're all humans. We're all looking to create a connection and to work with somebody who understands us and our journey. The cultural barrier almost doesn't feel like it's there most of the time. I know that might sound like hyperbole, but really we're all in this world together, and it really shows when I can connect with someone anywhere in the world, and very quickly we can understand each other because we share a Fiverr as a common thread. **Saikrishna Chavali** Would you be able to share any stories of customers that have gone through this journey with y’all? **Trisha Diamond** Buckle in – I've got about eight hours of content here! It's so hard to choose one story, so I'm gonna go with just the first one that popped into my mind. It’s somebody I started working with early on, and I still work with them six years later. They work in writing and translation on Fiverr, and this was sort of a part-time side hustle for them. Of course, all of our freelancers are great quality, but I recognized something special in this person. Over time, we looked at what they were doing on the platform and what tools we could help them leverage while they were balancing their full-time work and this night job, if you will, on Fiverr. We optimized both their offerings on the marketplace, how they communicate them, and how they manage their own upsells and retention with their customers. It grew over time from being just a few hundred dollars a month to 15 or so thousand dollars every single month. Of course, that is amazing for the freelancer, but it's also great for Fiverr. We have a seller that we can recommend to our buyers and know that they'll have a perfect experience working with them. It's great for everybody involved, and that's why we stuck with the name “customer success,” even though we changed the principles around a little bit. ## **Best practices for bringing a human touch to your organization** **Saikrishna Chavali** Do you have any tips or best practices for organizations looking to start on this journey? **Trisha Diamond** The one thing I would say is that you should talk to your customers when you're forming this. This is so often overlooked, but I really want to encourage anyone thinking about doing this to get to know their customers. Maybe bring them in for roundtables, do one-on-one interviews, and ask them what they need. Ask them what your company could do to make their experience more meaningful and successful and help them feel that your brand is there for them. **Saikrishna Chavali** I also wanted to ask you if there are any lessons you’ve learned the hard way, because nothing is just a path of roses. **Trisha Diamond** Absolutely. We've been doing this for over six years, and we've definitely learned some hard lessons along the way. A lot of that is in how we engage with our customers. We tend to assume that everybody wants to talk to us, so we’ll email them and we'll invite them to Zoom meetings, like, “Hey, I'm Trisha, and I'm here for you. When do you want to talk?” This assumption still sometimes bites us on the behind today. It's really important to find the methods that work best with different customers. For example, we were emailing a lot of people to try to get a hold of them, and we had very low adoption and success rates there. However, we have an inbox on the platform, so we decided, instead of trying to meet the customer in their email inbox, we would meet them where they are with a pop-up in their in-app inbox. From there, we saw a lot more success. Now, instead of asking when they want to have a Zoom call, we’re asking what's good for them, how we can help them, and what's the best way for them to talk to us. We’ve also adopted all sorts of interesting communication methods; we even have shared Slack groups for some of our customers who said, “This is what works for me because I'm on Slack all day.” ## **Tips for collaborating with product teams** **Saikrishna Chavali** You’ve mentioned that your work is very collaborative. Do you have any tips for customer marketers working with product teams, for example? **Trisha Diamond** Yes. In customer success, all the data we have is qualitative because it comes from speaking with customers, so we also partner with the data team, once again, who can bring in the quantitative data on who's using what feature, how often they’re using it, and how quickly they stop using it, for example. Then we go to the customers and ask them more about why they’re not using certain features, what's working, and what's not. That way, when we come to the product team, we come with a full story, and we're able to make a very strong case on behalf of our customers. By the way, I want to mention that even though this is a very personalized relationship we're talking about, when we need to do things at scale like ask specific questions about a specific feature, we're not afraid to use automation. It's okay to take these outreaches, make them automatic, and just have a human being ready on the other side for when somebody replies. **Saikrishna Chavali** I love the nuance there, and I'm sure the product team just loves having both the qualitative and the quantitative data at their fingertips to make decisions. Well, that's all we have time for. Thank you Trisha for taking the time to talk us through your unique model of customer marketing. **Trisha Diamond** Sai, thank you. This was great. Are you sure we can't talk longer? ### Ask the right questions: Perfect the way you collect customer feedback URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-the-way-you-collect-customer-feedback/ Last updated: 2024-09-03T09:36:14.000Z Conducting customer research is an integral part of many customer-facing roles, including customer marketing. A lot of this research means talking to customers directly, conducting surveys, putting together focus groups, and more. Each of these types of data collection relies on you asking the right questions in order to get the information you need to know. *This article is a sneak peek into [Customer Research Certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters). Customer research is **fundamental* and **foundational* to the *long-term success of any company* and marketing team.* *This course provides **the most* systematic approach to creating deep connections with your customers, implementing insights to drive growth and revenue, and enacting company-wide change.* ## **Preparing questions for surveys and interviews** When preparing for your surveys and interviews, it’s critical that you are asking the right questions. To do this, you should structure your questions to get the most direct answers to your desired insights. A good rule of thumb is to keep it simple and ask as few questions as possible. - For surveys, this ensures they complete the survey without leaving, and prevents “survey fatigue.” - For interviews, this ensures you can go deep into the issues you really care about, before you run out of time. ## **Guidelines for creating good customer research questions** Here are some guidelines to keep questions focused and direct to maximize your customers’ time: ### **Relevance to your goal** First, questions should be **relevant to your goal**. Don’t ask irrelevant questions that aren’t directly tied to the answers you need. Every question should relate to your desired insight that you intend to act on. For example, let’s say your desired insight is “to understand the types of decisions customers need to make using your product” **An example of a weak question would be:** “What tools and software do you use today?” The issue with this question is that it is irrelevant to your insight goals, because it is too broad. **A stronger question would be:** “What tools and information do you use to make decisions?” It’s stronger because it is broad enough to position the bigger picture, but still tied directly to insights goals. ### **Address the unknown** Next, questions should **fill gaps in unknown information**. Don’t ask questions that you can get answered elsewhere, like your CRM or LinkedIn. **An example of a weak question would be:** “What is your job title?” The issue with this question is that it aims to capture information that is already known - you can get this info elsewhere. **A stronger question would be:** “What are the most important decisions you make in your role?” This information is likely not available elsewhere and is therefore worth asking. ### **Be unbiased** Questions should also **be unbiased**. Don’t ask questions that are leading towards the answer you expect. **An example of a weak question would be:** “How does our product help you make better decisions about marketing spend?” The issue with this question is that it is biased, because you are assuming your product helps them make decisions about marketing spend. **A stronger question would be:** “How does our product help you make decisions?” This is better because it stays broader and gives the respondent more freedom in providing information you might not have uncovered otherwise. ### **Be open-ended** The best questions are also **open-ended**. Keep questions open-ended to allow for more novel insights. Yes or no questions are often leading and do not result in unique insights you may not have expected. **An example of a weak question would be:** “Could we fix our product to help you make better decisions?” The issue with this question is that it is not open-ended, and leads to “yes” or “no” answer **A stronger question would be:** “How could our product help you make better decisions?” ### **Lead to unique answers** Finally, questions should **lead to unique answers**. Don’t ask two questions that result in the same insight. Scale questions from broad to specific to drill deep into the areas you want to explore, without getting repetitive. **An example of a weak question would be:** “What type of decisions do you make using our product?” The issue with this question is that it is duplicative and results in the same insights as “How does our product help you make decisions?” **A stronger question would be:** “How would you feel if you could not use our product to help make the decision you previously mentioned?” This expands on previously asked questions but provides deeper insight. ## **Collecting feedback** When it comes to marketing using the Voice of the Customer, the first step in creating such a program is collecting feedback and aggregating it across the channels where customers are giving it. In this article, we learned about some of the good and bad ways to ask questions when collecting. In the partner article Lauren Culbertson covers: - The types of feedback categories, - The differences between transactional and in-depth feedback, - How to determine if you have enough feedback for your process, and - How you can go about collecting additional feedback. [Streamline feedback strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) ### Perfect your research strategies with Customer Research Certified URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-research-strategies-with-customer-research-certified/ Last updated: 2022-12-01T16:57:45.000Z Customer research, when done right, can enhance every essential aspect of customer marketing. Accurately marketing to your customers means knowing them from the inside and out, knowing their needs, pain points, and interests, and turning that into actionable steps to take your customer marketing to the next level. ## **Course overview 👇** As a customer marketer, ****you are the voice** that represents your existing customer base both internally and externally throughout the customer journey. Our ****Customer Research Certified** course will take you through the fundamentals of conducting accurate and representative customer research, leaving no stone unturned. You’ll be taken through a practical and actionable step-by-step framework that’ll define your customer’s story, create a true voice of the customer, and ****action real business change**. ## **What's included when I enroll?** 🧠 Expert insights from a customer research connoisseur. ⏰ 3+ hours of course curriculum content. 🛠 7 tried, tested, and vetted templates that’ll streamline your practice. 🔥 Bonus footage & fireside chats to supplement your learning. 🔖 Official Customer Research certification to show off to your colleagues. ⏳ Lifetime access to all the course content. ## **Meet your instructor, Lauren Culbertson.** Lauren Culbertson is the ****CEO** ****and Co-founder of LoopVOC**, and a B2B SaaS product marketer turned entrepreneur. After 10 years leading product marketing teams, Lauren left the corporate world to start her own software company, solving challenges she faced using customer feedback to drive growth. Her mission is to ****elevate customer research** to create a strategic growth engine for a variety of industries and organizations by deeply connecting marketers with the people they serve. Lauren believes that when marketers have the insights to understand what customers need and where their markets are going, they can proactively evolve their strategies to build, position, and grow the relationship with their customers. ## **How to sell it to your boss.** Customer research is ****fundamental** and ****foundational** to the **long-term success of any company** and marketing team. However, without the right structure, valuable insights get lost in messy systems, complicated spreadsheets, and unfocussed meetings. This course provides ****the most** systematic approach to creating deep connections with your customers, implementing insights to drive growth and revenue, and enacting company-wide change. If that’s not enough, we’ve drafted a [****convince-the-boss letter**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19TkxGazarFftM%5Fsgnl%5FmirlUcPW%5FM6G1FEEG5G%5Ft5t0/edit?usp=sharing) for you to use. Customer Research isn't created in isolation. It pulls in ****multiple** skills from ****multiple** departments, which is why this course is created with ****product marketers, product managers, customer success - and more, in mind**. Built in partnership with our ****sister-community, Product Marketing Alliance**, it covers everything you and your cross-collaborative colleagues need to excel in every area of this essential business skill. ## **Customer Research in our blog** We've also made a whole host of free articles related to Customer Research to give yourself an idea of if this course is right for you. [Begin your learning journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tag/customer-research/page/2/) ### Collette Johnson | Why customer references are important, and how best to use them | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-references-are-important-and-how-best-to-use-them/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:14:35.000Z *"Customer references really are about bringing someone in and starting them on that journey toward customer advocacy."* In this episode, we talk to Collette Johnson, Product and Strategy Consultant, about customer references, their importance, and how they can be used. We also discuss some common mistakes and pitfalls that most clients fall into. **Key talking points:** - Why customer references are important - The types of customers you should approach for references - The impact references have on your internal systems and your customers - Some common mistakes companies make when conducting customer references ## **About Collette Johnson:** Collette Johnson is a Product and Strategy Consultant, helping organisations in a variety of industries, deep tech, software, and healthcare, to achieve their strategic goals through a product focussed approach. With 15+ years of product and commercial experience from start-ups to world leading organisations, she has a fountain of knowledge to help direct, suggest, and improve internet strategies for companies of all ages and sizes. Collette also provides career coaching for those seeking opportunities in the technology and products sector and is a coach, mentor, and ambassador at our sister community, Product Marketing Alliance. ## **Our sponsor:** This podcast was brought to you by Influitive - find out more at influitive.com. Influitive allows you to build a community of advocates and invite your customers, developers, partners, and employees to complete challenges, referrals, product reviews, social media posts, and more. As they complete these personalized and targeted challenges, they earn points, badges, and levels to redeem professional perks and privileges. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at eve@customermarketingalliance.com. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_2.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Do customer marketing budgets reflect the value of the role? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/do-customer-marketing-budgets-reflect-the-value-of-the-role/ Last updated: 2022-11-29T13:00:43.000Z A few months ago we released our [State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) Now, as the year is closing up, and plans are being made for the new year, we wanted to share this sneak peek into customer marketing budgets. Learn about the trends of how they’ve been used in 2022 in order to set your team up for success in 2023. We cover: - [The annual customer marketing budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/51b731b5-36d2-4626-8bae-61b21d5546f4/#:~:text=customer%20marketing%20valued%3F-,The%20annual%20customer%20marketing%20budget,-Let%27s%20begin%20by) - [Where is the customer marketing budget being spent?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/51b731b5-36d2-4626-8bae-61b21d5546f4/#:~:text=to%20%24500%2C000.-,Where%20is%20the%20customer%20marketing%20budget%20being%20spent%3F,-Now%20that%20we) - [Customer marketing pain points and budget](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/51b731b5-36d2-4626-8bae-61b21d5546f4/#customer-marketing-pain-points-and-budget:~:text=and%20peer%20reviews.-,Customer%20marketing%20pain%20points%20and%20budget,-When%20considering%20how) - [](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/51b731b5-36d2-4626-8bae-61b21d5546f4/#customer-marketing-pain-points-and-budget:~:text=out%20their%20tasks.-,Do%20people%20understand%20customer%20marketing%3F,-We%20wanted%20to)[Do people understand customer marketing?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/51b731b5-36d2-4626-8bae-61b21d5546f4/#customer-marketing-pain-points-and-budget:~:text=out%20their%20tasks.-,Do%20people%20understand%20customer%20marketing%3F,-We%20wanted%20to) - [Is customer marketing valued?](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/51b731b5-36d2-4626-8bae-61b21d5546f4/#is-customer-marketing-valued:~:text=of%20the%20role.-,Is%20customer%20marketing%20valued%3F,-The%20role%20of) ## The annual customer marketing budget Let's begin by drilling down into the annual budget available to customer marketers. When we surveyed our community, we found that most answers were within the $100,000- $500,000 range at **30.7%**, with the next highest percentage being within the $25,000-50,000 range at **23.1%**. This was followed by the $10,000-25,000 range **(15.4%)**. ![Pie chart showing the breakdown of budgets](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uyg4irCEXiM9y9vK8VAM5nXgaOMnXN-MH-cFdQX6h7ejXLbvt_PT_ID6TbcfVPbALehft6LCXll9sjWdpGPFi8thcvoLKjWY4PRlx_USwThNe6wuxp-OcwJAdUlTDflLooMpVOXIr-mZ7aX2FkYCWCZ3mMOQcrDaIDvH6qPYRnLCFhbMHOhfZ_iiML1mJA) When analyzing the results, there was no correlation between the size of a company and the budget available to them. Mid-growth companies had budgets ranging from **$10,000 to $500,000**. This was also where those that said they didn’t have a budget set. Late growth/scale-up companies ranged from **$0 to $500,000**. Enterprise companies had budgets ranging from **$25,000 to $500,000**. ## **Where is the customer marketing budget being spent?** Now that we know the scope of budgets available to customer marketers, we asked our survey participants, “Where is the majority of your budget spent?” (participants could pick more than one answer). ![Bar chart showing the percentage of each tool that the budget is spent on ](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0FWhm69sAXXA9fY0cx5tjwQtAvS3P9qaCflx9wQGl_9cwAlVFuRwYcuZj4W7YRco3XGuJauFVA28TuPEhJWj5pPcUtrQ_fICSKrDt1JsxC9xt0hK3T7Lz3g_S1M6wRIRBAeslDfhN8OBUcu5ymEvZIcNMbEMRfrYOi6BnYsnZq5kNFzv3fZML0cR1Wa7LA) Again, answers varied with no dominating result. The two highest answers were software and tools **(20%)**, and video creation/editing **(17.5%)**. These were followed by conferences **(15%)** and written content **(10%)**, with advertising **(7.5%)**, customer research **(7.5%)**, and design **(5%)** bringing up the rear. Budget is one of the key areas that shows customer marketing is still a relatively new position. There is no cohesive bracket of budget in which customer marketing currently fits. The importance of customer marketing isn’t fully realized, with companies investing a varied range of money into these departments and their programs. Perhaps with an increase in the overall budget, customer marketing teams can invest in tools that help streamline the process of managing their programs, such as advocacy. The role of customer marketing is an important one for both a company’s customers and for things like overall revenue and growth. With this increase in budget, teams can optimize their time by taking advantage of these tools to focus on the customer-business dynamic more, which is what customer marketing most often relies on. Those that selected ‘Other’ said the majority of their budget is spent on things like swag, gifting, non/conference events, Customer Advisory Boards, and peer reviews. ## Customer marketing pain points and budget When considering how much is spent on marketing budgets, [from 6 to 10% of a company's revenue](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/what-marketing-budgets-look-like-in-2022), its curious to see how much of a variety customer marketing budgets are, and how little the size of a company (and consequently revenue size) impacts customer marketing budgets. When we spoke to our survey participants about any particular pain points they experienced in their position, a number of them cited both a lack of resources and a lack of budget as the biggest parts impacting the ability to do their role. Here were some of the comments made: > *“Resources mainly — people put a lot more emphasis on demand and performance marketing at my organization, so those teams get more people, $$, etc.”* > *“It comes down to resources. As a team of one, I can only do so much, and I spend a lot of time on execution. If I had a team, I could focus more on strategy over execution.”* > *“It comes down to budget (or a lack thereof).”* > *“Resources. Really nothing more to add here. I need more people, more budget for tools, and more time.” -*Aunalisa Arellano, Head of Customer Marketing at Filevine** Looking at these, it's important to discuss why customer marketing might be having these kinds of issues when it comes to being given the support needed to carry out their tasks. ## Do people understand customer marketing? We wanted to ask the customer marketers who took the survey whether they felt other internal teams and stakeholders understand their role. With **53.9%** saying some teams and stakeholders do, while some others don’t, it’s clear there’s a way to go before customer marketing is universally understood. There was a close divide between those that answered ‘no, it’s a constant challenge’ **(26.9%)**, and ‘yes, they have a good understanding’ **(15.4%)**. Only **3.8%** answered ‘yes, 100%’. ![Chart showing the percentage of internal teams and their understanding of the customer marketing role](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/36xM074SefsZIV4tZtQlSIUcj8aopUbW1CScaDDWlaRp8GJ9Pii0-V9ii2WxnSA81-fYuCd1p-tXkkHJRgF5N25h7e7qQz9gMmtPjjyPJ_tKEftGz52mh1Tv1bO2ywYBIAtn_mVjWLqCXGo4v5ayLeUKAH3zelnykip48JrRSNBSJkb45ysDRA2NIvnUGA) With this inconsistency, it’s not surprising that the variety in resources and budget is as big as it is. Improving the awareness of what customer marketers do, and the impact it has is such an important part of allowing customer marketing to function effectively. Without a clear understanding, customer marketers aren’t being given the chance to utilize their skills. Improving the customer marketing function comes directly out of businesses having a clear understanding of the role. ## Is customer marketing valued? The role of customer marketing is getting bigger each year and has more impact on a business's success. But, with the role being a newer addition, we wanted to see if this importance was being recognized. We asked, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how much do you feel like your role as a customer marketer is **valued** at your company?” (0=Least valued, 10=Most valued). It was nice to see that a higher percentage **(73.1%)** rated it at a 6 or above, resulting in an average of **6.6/10**. ![Rating of how valued customer marketers feel with an average of 6.6](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4jtQcsGTzTqeICtPR-GrOQIfXMWwut2UYcxvP0XkMGuP2V2-0kGoZkQlrvQtPD1baRZ_Cft3v4425yjUcGCVkIc_LEUMvo8NTwuooik9yWrXkayXn16aK7t6tLLKV3PjYEc-rirok2mRjsGrP1lzFeWc2Uk1a5qQctKKCAP3FIxqkqjAPtD5sNkdhzdZ_w) When comparing how valued customer marketers feel, to whether or not they are understood by other teams and stakeholders, there was a clear correlation. Those that said ‘Yes, they have a good understanding’ wound up with an average of **9/10**. Those that said ‘Some do, some don’t’ had an average of **5.2/10**. Those that said ‘No, it’s a constant challenge’ had an average of **5/10**. These results speak for themselves. Without stakeholders and other teams taking the time to learn about customer marketing, this team will continue to go undervalued, and as such, underutilized. Despite the divide in understanding, it seems that most customer marketers do feel that their position is being valued within their company. It’s an interesting dichotomy between the two results, as it suggests that some customer marketers still feel valued in the role, despite other parts of the business not having a solid understanding of what exactly customer marketers do. Perhaps in the following years, we’ll see these two figures become more aligned. ## Want to read more? This article is a sneak peek into our [State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/). You can download the full report using the button below and unlock a whole 70+ pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing and how it fits in with the rest of the market. Set yourself and your team up for success. Download my copy ### Customer Marketing Salary Report 2022 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-salary-report-2022-2/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:24:30.000Z It's finally here! 🎉 Introducing the first of its kind, the Customer Marketing Salary Report 2022, sponsored by Influitive. Delve into the deep-cut analysis of the factors currently impacting wage levels, and stay in the know about how much your experience and position are worth. Get your free copy below. 👇 ## **A few *quick* teasers:** From company culture and business size to career ambitions, industry placement, experience, identity, and progression, this report delves deep into the current health of customer marketing salaries. 💸 Ready to get stuck in? 🧑‍💻 We found: - North America has the highest average global salary at **$133,649** before tax. - When broken down into US states, the state with the highest average salary was New York, with an average of **$150,000.** - The average global bonus was **$14,185** in a year, and yet **17.6%** of our audience doesn’t get any kind of monetary bonus at all. - **77.3%** agreed that there was potential to increase their salary in the customer marketing position. - Only **9%** of responders were 100% satisfied with their current salary. - **47.5%** of our participants rated themselves as indifferent when it came to salary satisfaction. - Only **19.6%** of customer marketers agree that their salaries reflect the value these positions bring to their businesses. - **38.9%** of participants aren’t satisfied with the role they’re in, and may be considering other opportunities. - **54.2%** want to remain in customer marketing but progress in their career. ## **Why you *need* this report:** - The first of its kind, this report is specific to customer marketing positions. - Learn about the global average salary as represented in our data. - Get a comparison of global locations as well as a breakdown by US states. - Get a breakdown of the average salaries for diversity groups including gender, ethnicity, disability, and LGBTQ+. - Look into your company size, growth stage, employee headcount, and industry, and how this will affect your salary. If your interest has been piqued, continue the conversation about salaries with other like-minded customer marketing professionals in our [Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/)! 💬 ### Make effective use of personas by sharing with others in your organization URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-effective-use-of-personas-by-sharing-with-others-in-your-organization/ Last updated: 2024-05-17T14:53:58.000Z So, you’ve done the research to make some fantastic personas for your organization. If marketing is the only team using them though, the whole tone, approach, and representation of your organization will feel wrong. In this article, we cover: - [Why sharing persona work is important](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-effective-use-of-personas-by-sharing-with-others-in-your-organization/#:~:text=to%20your%20organization-,Why%20sharing%20your%20persona%20work%20is%20important,-Your%20persona%20work) - [How to distribute your personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-effective-use-of-personas-by-sharing-with-others-in-your-organization/#:~:text=scratching%20the%20surface.-,How%20to%20distribute%20your%20personas,-Now%2C%20how%20you) - [Tailoring your distribution to your organization](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/make-effective-use-of-personas-by-sharing-with-others-in-your-organization/#tailor-your-distribution-to-your-organization:~:text=share%20that%20message.-,Tailor%20your%20distribution%20to%20your%20organization,-And%20finally%2C%20remember) ## **Why sharing your persona work is important** Your persona work is only as good as their uptake. You can spend months on end thoroughly researching your market, conducting your interviews, consolidating the data, and fine-tuning your finished-off persona document, but if customer marketing’s the only department that ends up using those persona documents, all your hard work’s barely scratching the surface. ## **How to distribute your personas** Now, how you communicate your persona work will largely depend on the size of your organization. If you’re a large, global organization with 100s or 1,000s of employees, realistically, you’re not going to be able to hold face-to-face briefings with everyone, whereas if you’re a smaller company, those kinds of intimate training sessions might be more feasible. ### **Presentations** If you fall into the bucket of a large company though, we’d recommend starting with core members from each of those departments that need to be informed about your personas - so you know, your product, sales, marketing, customer success, sales enablement, and engineering teams, whatever makes the most sense for your setup, and give them the full, all bells and whistles presentation. Your job in this presentation is not only to ensure they’re educated about the what, why, and how of personas, but that they’re bought into your personas to the point they then advocate them for you, within the rest of their team. Think of it a bit like a train-the-trainer kind of thing. Investing a few hours into these presentations will be more than worth the time if you then have a team of internal advocates who share your mission and understanding of personas, and help do some of the heavy lifting for you. When you’re setting up these presentations, we’d probably recommend separating them out and speaking to people on a team level and the reason for this is the benefits and use cases will vary a lot depending on who you’re talking to. For example, - For your demand-gen team, it might be that they can now use a different targeting method for each persona and create hyper-targeted ads for each persona. - For sales, it might be that they can tailor their calls to specific goals. - For product, it’s that they can create products \*for\* personas, to ensure they’re hitting the mark. - For content marketing, it might be that they can create more appealing and engaging content that speaks directly to that persona’s pain points, and so on. So book those meetings and make sure you clearly articulate the value to each team on that really personal level. So on the agenda, you’ll want to make sure you’re including things like what personas actually are, why they’re so important to the company as a whole and to their team and targets, how you built your personas, what audience each persona represents, the importance of using personas, how to use personas on a day-to-day basis, and then arm them with anything they might need to handle objections when relaying your message on to their respective teams. Also, don’t forget to record these sessions so they’re available on-demand, this will help your newfound trainers when spreading the word among their team, and can also be used in onboarding material for any new starters. ### **The follow-up step: Refresher sessions** Of course, suppose you’re taking this train-the-trainer approach. In that case, it’s important to remember to have refresher sessions so things don’t accidentally get diluted over time, and also remember to keep your trainers up to speed with any changes - good or bad. Let them celebrate the wins with you, and also let them help overcome any challenges with you. As any customer marketer will tell you, we don’t work in isolation, and this support is essential. ### **Intranet systems** After that, you can think about scaling the persona distribution with something like an internal intranet system - if you have one - with something like a dedicated persona hub where you store all relevant documents, and have a forum for people to ask questions. The last thing you want to do is just shove the personas in front of people without a way of two-way communication, because if people can’t easily ask and get an answer to their question, they’ll more than likely make one up, and that’s the last thing you want. You could even make a bit of an event of this. So share your personas on this intranet system, or in an email, or Slack, whatever your company’s communication platform is, give everyone a chance to digest them, and then a few days later hold a live session whereby people can either submit questions in advance or ask them on the spot. Particularly for larger organizations, this is a great way to try and address everyone and give everyone the opportunity to ask questions or share insights, without spending too much time doing persona tours. And again, be sure to record this session so people can refer back to it and new recruits can catch up on it. ### **The follow-up step: Internal case studies** Once you’ve done this first communication piece though, don’t just stop there. Around two to four weeks later, put another meeting in everyone’s calendar to check in and see if or how those personas have benefited their teams. If they listened to you and implemented them this conversation will provide you with valuable feedback. If they didn’t listen and the personas have been left untouched, it’ll give them another nudge to take action. To really drive that adoption it could be worth including **internal case studies** in those follow-up meetings too. For example, if your demand-gen team or some of your sales reps started personalizing their ads and calls using your persona documents and saw an uplift in conversions, use those stats to hammer home the importance and value of them. As soon as people see and understand tangible, data-driven benefits like that, the adoption will take care of itself. A lot of marketers will tell you the hardest part of personas isn’t actually doing the research or getting the customers on the phone or analyzing all the qualitative data at the end, it’s explaining what they are, and why they’re important. Now using internal case studies like we just mentioned is one way to overcome this, and another is coming armed with examples of other companies who’re doing a great job of targeting their market through their personas, so they can see the end result in action. *Fill out the form below to download our ebook on the *essential elements of a customer marketing plan*. This eBook focuses on six elements to build into your customer marketing plan, from the early stages to elements that’ll support you during growth and scale-up.* ### **Internal buy-in** Another thing that’ll be a huge help is having sponsorship from your VP of Product and/or Marketing and your CEO. This makes a huge, huge difference to the impact you can have with your personas, and this applies to a broader marketing spectrum too. If people are bought into what you do and understand the value of what you do, it’s going to be much, much easier to roll out and scale what you do - personas or otherwise, so going back to the whole ‘train the trainer’ concept I mentioned earlier, if you can, try and put the responsibility on team leaders to scale your persona information further. You know, tell them you’re there to enable them with anything they can think of, but the onus is on them to ensure they cascade it down to their teams. ### **The follow-up step: Ensure people are invested** Another thing to bear in mind is that if you’ve brought enough of the right people into the process early, they should already be excited about the output of that work, and that itself will help with communication cascading. Also, don’t be afraid of being everywhere, especially for something as important as personas. Send an email, get some time in the next marketing, sales, product, and customer success meetings, share something on your intranet, post something in Slack, whatever means you have available to you, be a megaphone, and share, share, share that message. ## **Tailor your distribution to your organization** And finally, remember that every company is different. Hopefully, some of the ideas I’ve just been through have given you some food for thought, but it’s really about tailoring your communication plan to whatever will get the most uptake: - If you’re in a meeting-first company, book a meeting. - If you’re in a company whereby all the important stuff gets said in Slack, say it in Slack. - If you’re in a company that lives in Google Drive, dedicate a space in your Google Drive to personas. There are a ton of variables but if in doubt, or if you’re new to your company, just ask the question: how do you prefer to consume big updates or key information? No harm ever came from asking. I’ve just got one last idea before I wrap up. A persona is simply a fictitious representation of a real-life set of people remember, so why not get some of those real-life people to come and tell their stories? Admittedly this isn’t an easy ask and not every customer is going to want to help you with this - in fact, to be honest, not many probably are, but if you manage to find some, it’ll be worth it. This kind of approach takes the human element of your personas to the next level, circulates the information in a way that cannot be disputed, and is much, much more memorable. And remember, location doesn’t have to be an issue here either, something like Zoom would do, and if the customer would feel more comfortable, you could even do the video call one-on-one, get people to submit questions in advance, and then share the recording after, that way you don’t have the barrier of people not feeling comfortable speaking in front of a virtual or physical room full of people. ## **What’s next?** Before you move on to another article, I’d like you to go away and have a think about where your personas are currently housed and how you last communicated them out, versus where all the companies big announcements get made and adopted, and honestly ask yourself, did you give them the air time they needed? If you didn’t, it’s never too late. You need to put your personas in front of the right people, and to do that, you need to be in the right places. *This article was a sneak peak into our *Personas Certified Masters*. Take the next step in making your persona efforts work the best they can for you and your organization.* [Get certified ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/persona-certified-masters) ### 3 points to help you engage your customers with effective communication URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/3-points-to-help-you-engage-your-customers-with-effective-communication/ Last updated: 2024-03-28T16:57:55.000Z Engaging your customers with effective communication *In this article, we’re talking about effective communication with your customers. This content was transcribed from a panel from a 2021 Customer Marketing Summit. Look into our* [*upcoming events*](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/)*; members have discount opportunities too.* ## **Introducing our panelists** **Igor Kranjčec** Hello, everybody, and welcome. Today we’ll be talking about engaging your customers with effective communication. My name is Igor, and I'm a Product Marketing Lead for Lemax *(now Head of Marketing at Mediatoolkit)*. I'm joined today by Alex and Anita, who I’ll hand over to now to introduce themselves. **Anita Raj** Hi, my name is Anita, and I'm based in Germany. I'm very excited to be a part of today's discussion. I lead Product and Customer Marketing at ThroughPut Inc. We provide AI-powered supply chain software that helps companies make better sense of their supply chain operations and gain end-to-end visibility for streamlining productivity and output. **Alex Conners** And I’m Alex Conners. I work for a company based in New York City. We provide application traffic management. We work with some of the largest companies in the world – LinkedIn, Dropbox, Salesforce – to help them deliver the best application experience to their end users. ## **Common issues in customer communications** **Igor Kranjčec** When we were preparing for this discussion, we all agreed on one thing – that companies often engage their existing customers in communication just before the renewal period, and the rest of the time, they just forget about them because they assume they're happy. We all highlighted the importance of making our products or services relevant throughout the whole customer lifecycle, and not only two months before the renewal comes up. What are some other common issues that you see in customer communications? **Alex Conners** As you said, there's the challenge of talking to customers consistently. The other piece is what you use to talk to them. We often find that customers are communicating with us across different platforms, so their data is disparate. I think that's one of the biggest challenges. I also think that companies struggle with the difference between customers and prospects and remembering that they already have a relationship with customers. Sometimes as companies are trying to grow and scale, there's not as much emphasis on continuing the customer relationship once they're deployed. They’re focusing on new revenue opportunities for the business instead. We need to help customers to extract more value, and we need data uniformity so we can make sure we’re talking to the right people at the right time. If not, it's gonna be very obvious to our users. **Anita Raj** I completely agree about the issues you mentioned. What I would add is that there’s often a lack of any single source of truth. Internal teams are using so many different KPIs and pieces of software, so how do you centralize goals and objectives and the metrics we use to measure them? How do you obtain that single source of truth that tells you the right information to disseminate? I also agree with Alex’s point about the lack of understanding of the distribution mechanism. Oftentimes, there is a lot of emphasis on the communication strategy, but distribution becomes an afterthought. We need to centralize and understand the right way to reach out, so we don’t have customer success, marketing, and product marketing teams all reaching out at once for different purposes. The other issue is the information overload that typically ends up happening. Customers tend to receive lots of information from all of us. Understanding what information is helpful for them, as well as the best formats and mediums, is essential. ## **Communication techniques to engage your existing customers** **Igor Kranjčec** If the last couple of years have taught us anything, it’s how important customer focus is. Yes, of course, you need to scale the business and focus on acquisition, but a lot of companies, including ours, have realized that when everything stops, you have to focus on your customers. We’ve intensified our communication with our customers on so many levels. We’ve had weekly meetings with them and follow-up sessions. That’s one of the most positive changes I’ve seen – this increased focus on the existing customer. What are some other communication techniques that you use to engage your existing customers? **Anita Raj** I have a bit of a mixed experience. I've worked in sectors like high tech where there's a lot of sophistication in terms of adoption of communication channels, formats, and mediums that typically work quite well. Currently, I'm working in an industrial setup, where the majority of the customers are slightly different when it comes to digital technologies, so their preferences are completely different. I tend to work closely with my customer success team to understand how we can engage better with customers, what account intelligence we can use for segmentation, and whether the customer is just beginning their digital transformation, or if they are moving from one tool to another. Then we work intelligently to define a personalized approach to working closely with the customer, giving them a high-touch experience without overwhelming them with a lot of information formats. We also tend to check in with them during the entire onboarding process and learn what formats they would like to engage with – we give them the option to pick and choose. Invariably, most of them like to get a lot of information on the product, like product-related updates, product maintenance cadence, release notes, and product newsletters. Some of them also like to do a monthly engagement with us, where we walk them through a highlight of what's happening on the product side, they get an opportunity to interact with the product management team as well and share their feedback, and they get to know a little bit about what's upcoming on the roadmap. It's all about working closely with the customer to understand their communication needs and making them a part of that process, so they feel that they have a stake in it. It builds trust and shows that we truly care about them, and at the same time, we’re engaging with them in a way that's more informative and valuable for them. Besides that, we run customer advisory boards, power user groups, and customer workshops, where the customers come in and share their challenges, their use cases, how their process was when they started with the product, and where they’re going from here. It's a mix of information sharing from our side, but also from their side, which creates a community where customers are engaged and they educate each other. **Alex Conners** You mentioned customer success managers (CSMs) – I think they’re the unsung heroes of every business. I don't think I ever talk to a customer who doesn't highlight the value of their CSM. I don't think they sleep much, but they provide a ton of value. To add to that, email has obviously always been a mechanism for communication, but a lot of customers are now on Slack, which I see as both a blessing and a curse. How do you ensure that all of the different assets and content that you're delivering to customers are also consumable on Slack or Teams or whatever channel that customers are using to interact with your team? The other thing we realized in the last eight months or so was customers were looking for community. One of the cool things you can do for that is virtual events. I mean, as we're sitting on this panel, I'm in New York, Anita’s in Germany, and Igor’s in Croatia; we're all so dispersed, but having such an engaging conversation. Customers have been looking for similar interactions, and being able to connect the dots between customers in Australia and Texas and see them sharing use cases has been an amazing output. I’ve also found regular newsletters to be one of the most invaluable ways to communicate for three reasons. One: you can provide a lot of very condensed information, and customers can pick and choose what they want to look at. Two: it's very easy to make a newsletter consumable in Slack or Teams, so you're not reliant on just an email. Three: newsletters are really easy to share. Newsletters give customers everything they want to know in one place, consistently. When you get a newsletter, you don't expect to be sold to, which I think makes it a really valuable place to share anything from updates to industry news. ## **Neglected communication channels** **Igor Kranjčec** I see in-app communication as something that’s not used enough. I can kind of understand that – there’s a stigma because of all the web pop-ups bombarding us with ads – but it doesn’t have to be that way. In-app communication can be a very powerful tool because you're targeting your customers while they’re using your solution. If you combine that with analytics, you can even target them to make sure you're not interrupting them in the work they're doing. You can do it as soon as they log in or right before they log out. What other channels do you see being underutilized? **Anita Raj** Areas like product walkthroughs and major release updates are completely underutilized; they’ve barely even been experimented with. Most of the time, we only communicate when we are doing a massive product rollout or when we have a lot of UX updates and we want to create some interesting user guides. That's pretty much the status quo today. Most inbuilt communication tools provide some sort of product usage and product analytics insights, which help you to dissect, target, and segment better. From there, you just need to go back to marketing 101 and send the right information at the right time to the right person. I think it pretty much boils down to how you emphasize the basics better and better as technology keeps improving. The increasing complexity of communication channels means that all of us invariably struggle to do the basic aspects really well. So I think on one side, there is this whole aspect of experimentation that needs to be explored; on the other side, the basics need to be fine-tuned to make sure that we can target and segment better. Other aspects that I feel are not typically utilized that well are feedback and surveys in general. We shouldn't be just utilizing them during renewals or when churn is most likely to happen. It should be a format that guides product marketers and customer marketers to understand the customer experience. It’s a better way to validate product and feature hypotheses so that you can work backwards with your product team to address the core areas where customers are struggling and boost the core areas where they see value. Then we can look into prioritizing certain features or changing our roadmap slightly in line with customer feedback. **Alex Conners** In an ideal world, all of your customers are living in your app. The reality is that's not the case – we probably wouldn't have jobs if it was. You wouldn't need customer marketing if customers were that obsessed with your product, right? Another thing that we find is we have a lot of customers who access products via APIs, so how do you get in front of the customers who really have no interest in logging into an app or logging into a portal daily? Maybe they're logging in every so often because billing information and other useful information might sit there, but day in and day out they're doing everything via an API and moving on to something else. If that's the case, then you need a balance of email, CSMs, support to some degree, your account management team, and Slack or Teams. Full transparency: I love both of those products, but they also drive me nuts. They can be the most distracting thing in the world some days. I was just talking with a customer of ours and it was like a Slack vent session. I was like “I will never send you important information in Slack because if you miss it, you'll never see it again.” I always think of Slack like Twitter: it has 60 minutes of life, and after that, hopefully, they see it in an email. Figuring out how customers want to consume information is a big challenge. One thing that keeps coming up for me as we're having this discussion is, we're marketers, right? We all know what we want. If we need information, we look at HubSpot, Gainsight, or Marketo (if we want to go a little more vintage). That's where, as much as brand seems frivolous at times, if your users are disparate, and you're using all of the channels that you can, the next best thing is being that brand that people trust and go to when they're looking for more insight and more information. That's the job of everyone in marketing. That's the job of your entire company. We need to utilize all of these channels that we've talked about, whether it's in-app communication, email, Slack, or even big customer forums. The next piece is leaning into your brand for those customers that just aren't going to access things in the natural way that most users do. We have to provide an omnichannel experience because customers function in different ways. ### Let's hear it: Magnify your voice of the customer program URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/magnify-your-voice-of-the-customer-program/ Last updated: 2024-03-11T11:41:01.000Z “What does the ‘voice of the customer’ mean in business?” you might ask. Voice of the customer programs are methods created by companies to best understand the experience and needs of their customer base through feedback. During October 2021's first [Customer Success Festival](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/customer-success-festival-apac-2021/) in the APAC region, **Easyship**’s Head of Customer Success, **Andrea Greco**, outlined his best practices for implementing an effective voice of the customer program. We sat down with Andrea after his presentation and he answered your questions on the best ways to manifest these strategies in your day-to-day work. **👇** ## **Q: What processes can be implemented to help a product team better understand the customer’s request?** **A:** It’s important to have a process in place that allows the requester – whether that’s a Marketing Manager or the customer themselves – access to a template, which gives the product team what they need to understand the feature in question. My first bit of advice is to ensure transparency, above all. In your feedback form, I would suggest you include fields to capture the precise information about what the product team needs to implement the right changes. These fields are critical for the product team to understand the feature in question correctly, avoiding any unnecessary back and forth. Secondly, ensure you have regular meetings with the product team - on a monthly to quarterly basis - to review the features. Sometimes a product team doesn’t always fully understand every feature request, or they push back in some capacity. In my experience, some product teams can be left unconvinced by customer requests, partly due to having their vision and strategy. It helps to have regular meetings with them to review the features and help them understand their significant role in this process. Transparency plays a vital role to help customers stay updated, and helps the customer success team know the progress made by the product team. ## **Q: Have you experienced a situation where the product team feels reluctant to be transparent regarding the feature updates?** **A:** I have. However, for the most part, this reluctance has been caused by busy workloads, and decisions to prioritize other major releases. If you feel a member of your product team is reluctant to share updates, my suggestion would be this: take a step back and empathize with them. Try to understand what's going on, maybe they feel the feature isn't important. One potential reason for this miscommunication is the medium of the feature request. Ask yourself whether the medium of communication is reflective of the integrity of the task. Are you reaching out to them with this request through a transparent, finely-tuned process, or have you notified them with a rushed, brief message on Slack? Let’s be honest, if somebody requested something important and urgent from you via Slack, wouldn’t you be irked too? The gravity of the request must follow the appropriate medium. While it may be frustrating from your perspective, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes. Like you, they too will have a roadmap that they adhere to, and without the proper project management processes in place, you’ll inevitably have some fractious moments between teams. This is why cohesive, transparent cross-departmental collaboration is crucial. In general, product teams prefer to have requests that are planned, so my advice is to implement a defined process and stick to the process like superglue! In my experience, if you share a monthly meeting to discuss feedback, and consider what to prioritize in the future product-customer success roadmap, I don't think you're going to get a lot of pushback. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Pro_Membership_AD.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/) ## **Q: Do you time surveys at particular points during the customer journey based on business milestones?** **A:** Normally, we try not to be too trigger-happy with surveys. Instead, we try to identify particular segments of clients. For instance, whenever we release a new feature, we have a population or a segment we think it's going to be interested in that feature. We send surveys to collect feature requests from the [customers who adopt a feature](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/5-easy-ways-csms-can-drive-product-adoption/). If they don't have the feature, we want to understand whether they know it existed, or if they didn’t understand how the setup works. In essence, those are our two main angles for surveys. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_4.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ## **Q: How can voice of the customer programs tackle diversity, equity and inclusion best practices?** Often a company’s largest customer base is in the ‘home market’ and the foreign market - the customers in Asia - are considered a minority. Sometimes the APAC customer feedback is brushed aside or not addressed because the ROI doesn’t benefit the majority. But how can we help our minority customers have their feedback put forward and adopted? Three words (or one, depending on your use of acronyms): **return on investment (ROI)**. You’ve got to remember: *little drops of water make a mighty ocean*. So, while smaller customers may be considered to be the minority, they shouldn’t be ignored. In reality, the bigger the customers, the more complex and demanding the customization tends to be. Usually, if you have one client requesting a feature update or something, it will normally only apply to them, as opposed to small clients who tend to have use cases that apply to other clients. But if you have a product roadmap you can identify clients who are interested in raising suggestions and log their requests. In effect, putting together say 5, 10, 15, or 20 smaller clients, you automatically have a stronger, more proportional argument than basing your decision on a feature request from one big client. If you are to take away one point from this interview, it would be this: focus on the process of logging your request. Put them on a board and make sure you know what your clients are interested in and quantify the ROI, the subscription, or whatever revenue target your company follows. Then you can quantify what is the expected ROI or how that feature would benefit a segment of our population of clients. --- *Want to learn more about customer marketing ? Professionals from across the globe are sharing ideas, insights, and resources right now.* [Join the customer marketing community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### Customer Marketing Certified: Improve and perfect your marketing practices URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-certified-improve-and-perfect-your-marketing-practices/ Last updated: 2025-01-17T12:04:08.000Z Customer Marketing Certified: Core's the industry standard, the driving force for your success, and the only companion you need for personal and professional growth. Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned customer marketer, B2B or B2C, physical or SaaS, by the end of this program, you’ll have all the knowledge and tools needed to effectively and successfully keep and nurture your customers. ## Course overview. From research to optimization, Customer Marketing Core explores the whole shebang, the A to Z of customer marketing if you will. With this course in your pocket, you’ll have a richer understanding of the what, why, and how of every customer marketing principle. And that’s a **promise**. You’ll learn how to truly embody the voice of the customer. You’ll **master** the art of converting loyal customers into advocates - and keeping them. You’ll understand how to launch, gather feedback, and perfect **every strategy** you do. You’ll walk away with **career-enhancing** hacks and skills, and so much more. Unlock the **cutting-edge** resources and frameworks you need to succeed within the ever-evolving world of customer marketing. --- *“A comprehensive customer marketing certification that I recommend every marketer to aim to obtain. It provides a bunch of templates, guides and resources to give customer marketers a huge jump start to implement their own customer marketing programs and consequently elevate and leverage their current customer's experiences to improve retention and growth."* \-Iman Bayatra, Head of Product Marketing at Coachendo --- ## By the end of this course, you'll: 🎆 Understand the spectrum of core customer marketing activities including the customer journey, retention, engagement, and onboarding. 💪 Walk away with the most up-to-date knowledge of customer marketing tools like storytelling, customer advisory boards, and personas. 👀 Gain invaluable, practical insights into advocacy programs, metrics, and how to delight your customers. 🔦 Take your entire company’s customer marketing efforts to the next level, bringing the voice of the customer into the spotlight across all teams. ## Developed in partnership with… Like customer marketing, a lot of our work incolves collaboration with the other communities in The Alliance, and this is done so to create the best possible resource without leaving any stone unturned. Built in partnership with our sister-community, Product Marketing Alliance, it covers everything you and your cross-collaborative colleagues need to excel in every area of this essential business skill. --- *"No matter how experienced you are, this course takes you from A-Z in customer marketing. The material is very valuable and solidified how other experts are changing the game to be customer-driven while providing phenomenal experiences. It will make you a stronger customer advocate!"* \- Crystal Couch, Senior Manager, Product Marketing at Motive [Enroll now](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ## What's included when I enroll? 👩🏼‍🏫 12 modules on everything from personas and customer retention to cross-selling and upselling - and more. 📙 40+ chapters filled to the brim with actionable insights, knowledge, and resources that’ll totally transform the way you approach customer marketing. ✅ 50+ exam questions sprinkled throughout every module to test your uptake. ⏰ 10+ hours of content, including 5+ hours of bonus material, crammed with expert insights from orgs like Fiverr, Dropbox, Adobe, and more. 🔖 Official certification to boost your resume and grow your career. 📝 Optional coursework throughout to consolidate your learning. 🔥 6 fireside chats with leading experts from brands like Gong, Google Cloud, and Lessonly, who are crushing the customer marketing game. 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced - work at a pace that works for you. --- *"I love how it's structured, how topics follow one another and build the entire course. The course is a great foundation not only for practitioners but for Marketing leaders without a Customer Marketing background wanting to understand the role and the impact Customer Marketing has on the overall business."* \- Igor Kranjčec head of Marketing at Mediatoolkit [Level up now](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-marketing-certified-core) ### 6 vital customer marketing skills for new and upcoming hires URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/6-vital-customer-marketing-skills-for-new-and-upcoming-hires/ Last updated: 2023-07-14T11:50:53.000Z Knowing the skills that can help elevate you in a specific position is invaluable information. So, we went directly to the source and asked our customer marketer participants, “What are the most important skill(s) that have helped you succeed in your role?”. Responders could pick more than one answer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2023/07/CMA-Infographics_Long_Customer_Marketer.png) There was a spread of answers with strong communication **(23%)** and empathy/being able to connect with customers **(18.9%)** coming out on top. This was followed by problem-solving **(16.2%)**, and strategic planning and business skills **(16.2%)**. ![Graphic showing breakdown of skills](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oCJW7Z2kTCR8qeEKZAb5UDMYEbHvCbK6TH0uIssDdTGx_j_ucKsEMc8UEOXIbpBJNdudPCuHPD99bt6-t8fJEb0oD-Z8k08CwpAR3lq2SX5FX6yc2sw00hmos_XRiA2ey2TfXE-3YFMNklC3CwZX6kSCosUjrF2m78RvNSvWROxVvUK3UtkrB9dp97PimA) ## **Strong communication:** For customer marketers, for any marketing position really, communication is a vital skill to hone for many areas of the role. It applies to how you approach and speak to your customers, and how you communicate in a way that ensures a successful outcome (be it a renewal, gathering a case study, cross-selling and upselling your other products, or just catching up with your loyal customers). But strong communication can be used in other areas as well. Think about how you approach talking to other internal teams. The success of any cross-functional strategy will depend on the ability to keep communication clear, transparent, and efficient. Competitive intelligence is an area where strong communication is a plus. When approaching competitors, analyzing their tone of voice and strategies, talking to clients, and having the ability to dig deeper into the pros and cons of your product versus your competitor's product can be key to learning what’s most important. Approachability is an important trait to have in a customer-facing position. Communication involves listening and understanding others whilst also conveying your own desires for the interaction. This comes along with empathy. ## **Empathy:** Empathy may seem like a rather abstract skill to refer to, but it essentially means being able to form a connection with your customers. One of the most important aspects when approaching a conversation about sales is to not immediately launch into your sales pitch. Your customers are not just a way to get your numbers up, so treat them with the same respect. Understand why your customers are there, their lives and why they’re looking for a product such as yours. Don’t be afraid of small talk! ## **Problem-solving:** Problem-solving is a skill that’s important to almost any role within business (even outside of business too!) What this skill really means is being able to solve the problems specific to your positions, and to learn from these problems so you can solve them when they crop up again. ## **Strategic planning and business skills:** Strategic planning is what helps prevent most problems in the first place. While you can’t ever plan for every potential error, it helps to apply your understanding of your customers, and the problems you’ve faced in the past to inform your approach to new strategies too. Let each skill inform and improve the others. It’s not a surprise that communication and empathy come out on top as essential skills for customer marketers, and ones that existing customer marketers use in their daily work lives. They’re core, foundational parts to the internal cross-functional aspect of the role, and the customer-business relationships that are integral to this position. When we look back, customer feedback collection was tied top for the most common responsibility for a customer marketer **(33.3%)**. Collecting this feedback in any form – be it a survey, focus group, or case study – you need to be able to ask the right questions and listen to the answers. We found that a large majority, **38.5%**, spend 40% or more of their time collaborating with other internal teams. Many pain points for customer marketers are caused by a lack of understanding, a lack of resources, and a lack of cross-departmental business alignment. While customer marketers can’t suddenly change how other teams collaborate with them, they can be responsible for their part in helping de-silo business processes. Both business skills and communication are vital for this. **What to look for when hiring a customer marketer.** Now knowing what skills current customer marketers have used to succeed in their role, we wanted their suggestions when it came to hiring a new potential customer marketer. We asked them which skills they would find most useful in a new hire. Here is a broad stroke of the kind of answers we got. ![Pie chart showing breakdown of skills ](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9bWYVpDdykc3PLLsfN_bCerJbYTJpkMzTVpaInyIo5LyrspKS5CHm0PcKY_A0tWh6yjXppM1mMTevy88KvDHLtdFYvtOfTMB-5K3Gxkp_snxtklHyvyWL5C2kv3YqmzuPqolxU2l96M6KJqfQOtXeVtGXDCYMS6kmkh7pagOVcdrIWMkcoGKh0zO4F5B5g) The top two skills were the same, with communication skills **(18.2%)** and empathy **(16.4%)** taking the top places. Interestingly enough, the next highest ideal skills in a hire were internal collaboration **(14.6%)** and copywriting skills **(12.7%)**. ## **Internal collaboration:** Just as strong communication is important for talking with your customers, the same is also true for collaboration with internal teams. The vital part of this is to make sure that each team understands what their role and priority are when collaborating on a project, and ensure that these priorities don’t clash or get in the way of the ultimate goal. At the end of the day, improving customer satisfaction, experience, and increasing revenue are all priorities for those involved. So make sure your collaboration skills are the best they can be to make sure your strategy becomes the best it can be. ## **Copywriting skills:** Having the skills to effectively talk to and interact with your customers is all well and good, but if your copy doesn’t reflect this then you’re never going to get to the stage of being able to talk to your customer face-to-face. The tone of voice is vital in setting up a positive tone for forming customer relationships. Any landing pages, home pages, community pages, and social media posts must be consistent in their representation of your company. Reliability is key for ensuring customer satisfaction. While these skills did come up as reasons for customer marketers’ success in their careers, they made up only **10.8%**. This distinction suggests that, while these skills aren’t what progress customer marketing in their personal career successes, they are basic requirements for those taking the role. We also had a few new skills being mentioned, ones that specifically revolve around new hires being independent. These were things like being a self-starter, comfortable developing programs with little direction, and being proactive. These skills are desirable in any new starter to a business but seem to be key for customer marketing. As this report has shown, customer marketers are most likely to work as a solo team, or in very small teams, so being able to take the initiative is required. It’s understandable that strong communication and internal collaboration now come first ahead of things like strategic thinking or analytical skills, as the success of an independent role is reliant on being able to communicate needs and changes reliably. ## **Want to read more?** The graphs from this article came from our 2022 State of Customer Marketing Report. In it, we go over key skills for customer marketers, but other aspects of the role such as budget, team structure, role and responsibility, and more. [Get my free copy ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) ### Authentic storytelling: Attract your audience with Storytelling Masters URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/master-the-art-of-story-selling/ Last updated: 2024-11-07T11:07:18.000Z Once upon a time, there was a customer marketer who had a product that would be perfect to upsell to their customers. But they knew that the usual tricks just weren’t going to cut it. Then the customer marketer stumbled across legendary storytelling master, Elliot Rayner, who opened a door into a world of untold possibilities. ## **Course overview.** The customer marketer learned from Elliot about perspective, passion, and purpose - the three P’s to perfect any marketing story. Eventually, the customer marketer became a master of the storytelling craft themselves, transforming their cross-selling and upselling efforts, and communicating with their existing customers like never before. Want a happy ending for you and your customers? Look no further with our Storytelling Certified course, and become the perfect marketing author. ## **By the end of this course, you'll be able to:** 📚 Construct an actionable storytelling framework 📚 Tailor your story like a pro 📚 Authentically connect with your customers through a story 📚 Communicate to your audience with confidence and passion 📚 Use your purpose to ensure your story remains consistent 📚 Have an impactful change on your approach to story and success --- > *"One of the best courses I have taken! Complete and actionable, I am left with tons of insights and frameworks to use immediately!" - *Silvia Kiely Frucci, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Castor** ## Meet your instructor, Elliott Rayner. After seven years at the Adidas global HQ specializing in product marketing and innovation, developing cutting-edge performance products for the 2010 Football World Cup and the 2011 Rugby World Cup, it’s fair to say Elliott knows his onions. Elliott also spent three years in Amsterdam spearheading the creation and development of ASICS global running apparel and developing sustainable products for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is currently CMO at ARION. Quite the portfolio, right? 😎 He’s a firm believer that:**“The best products have authenticity at their core. There are few things that can't be improved and innovated via a clearer understanding of your brand purpose.”** --- > *"When the storytelling course is built and presented as a great story you know Elliott knows what he's talking about. Great use and explanation of frameworks, interesting tasks that get you thinking." - *Igor Kranjčec Head of Marketing at Mediatoolkit** --- ## We’ve included nothing but essential features: ⏰ **3+ hours** of course content 🎥 **Expert** video tuition from storytelling masters 🔥 12 bonus features to learn from companies like **ASICS**, **Babbel,** and **Ikigai** 📁 **8** templates, **6** worksheets to immediately streamline your processes 👀 **5** interactive activities to get the theory to stick ✅ **40** exam questions ⏳ Access to the course content **for life** ## Don't worry, we do team rates, too. If you're looking to get a team of three or more customer marketers certified, then speak to Tom about team rates at [t.madden@](mailto:t.madden@pmmalliance.com)customermarketingalliance.com P.s. If you need help convincing your boss, we've done the hard part for you [here.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19%5F1E%5FhDb%5FnoY-a9JzKjIepDlbLj9jsuBRAsUXwu891E/edit?usp=sharing) [Explore our full catalogue](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/courses) ### Customer Marketing Meetup | Virtual | December 7, 2022 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-meetup-virtual-december-7-2022/ Last updated: 2022-11-21T10:35:42.000Z [RSVP Here]( https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcu2prz8uE9NoLCBMfZnvZF0IcLTS5x7K) Join us in-person on ****Wednesday, December7th** for our first ****Customer Marketing Alliance** **Virtual** ****MeetUp.** This monthly meetup will cover a different topic each time...your topic this time is ### 💫Customer Advisory Boards 💫 *Topics include...* 1. *What is a CAB? Bring your definitions...* 2. *Who owns it?* 3. *What is the set agenda? And, how do you determine it?* 4. *What is the ideal size?* 5. *How do I recruit for it?* 6. *Which is better? Virtual or in person?* *If you have a resource to share regarding any of the above, we would love to see it!* ****🗓 When?** December 7th, 2022 ****📍 Where?** From the comfort of your home ****⏰ What time?** 12 EST | 5pm GMT [RSVP Here]( https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcu2prz8uE9NoLCBMfZnvZF0IcLTS5x7K) If you have any questions please email your Community Director, ****Rebecca Boucher** at [rebecca.boucher@pmmalliance.com](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-meetup-nov30/rebecca.boucher@pmmalliance.com) [Join our CMA Community](https://join.slack.com/t/customermarketingall/shared%5Finvite/zt-1fxuf1ncw-N33zTMG~sQnMKrm9oD~B5g) so you don't miss out on any future MeetUps and events! ### Community Rewards: 3 big obstacles and what to do about them URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/community-rewards-3-big-obstacles-and-what-to-do-about-them/ Last updated: 2022-11-15T12:00:25.000Z Let’s talk about one of my favorite topics — rewards. They’re an important piece of any customer advocacy community, but they don’t always get the attention they deserve. Why? Here's what I’ve heard from many community managers over the last few years: 1. [Organization leaders don’t understand the value of giving rewards.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/e1d48338-1e1a-47d9-8179-534f4a45ae97/#:~:text=even%20more%20success.-,Org%20leaders%20don%E2%80%99t%20fully%20get%20it.,-First%20of%20all) 2. [Budget holders don’t want to extend a sufficient reward budget. (because of point #1)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/e1d48338-1e1a-47d9-8179-534f4a45ae97/#:~:text=celebrate%20the%20brand!-,Not%20worth%20the%20cost.,-I%20suppose%20I) 3. [Community managers don’t know which rewards to offer.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/e1d48338-1e1a-47d9-8179-534f4a45ae97/#:~:text=to%20your%20organization.-,Know%20what%20to%20offer.,-But%20yes%2C%20you) If rewards aren’t a key piece of your customer advocacy community, they should be. So let’s address these roadblocks and get you on your way to achieving even more success. ## **Org leaders don’t fully get it.** First of all, we’ll cut them some slack. Community is your thing, not theirs. So it’s largely your job to explain the value. You can do this in several ways, but here are two that are relatively easy and impactful: 1. **Ask your customers.** Recently I asked my community if/why they’d want a certain reward (if it was cool). In 13 days, I had 70 customers respond. A whopping 96% said they’d want the opportunity to earn the reward. While 22% cited the reason as wanting to add to their overall swag collection, and incredible 73% said having the reward would be a way to show their customer pride. (5% had other reasons) I guess the question here is, what organization wouldn’t want to give their customers the opportunity to show pride? That’s what we call a win-win. 2. **Show the social proof.** Perhaps I’m lucky that our community members want to show off their rewards, but it also could be a bit of strategy (just sayin’). If you select unique, down-right cool rewards for your customers, they’ll want to share them publicly. If this isn’t easy, affordable marketing for your organization, I don’t know what is. So yes, screen grab those Tweets, Instagram photos and LinkedIn posts and share them internally. Everyone wants to see their customers celebrate the brand! ![Screenshot from a LinkedIn post about a community jigsaw puzzle reward](https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D12AQGVBBpjyw5_bA/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1646832776249?e=1673481600&v=beta&t=oZMYhNAXnfIqRtReR6JAtZfVwTb51oq6i2UeppViWPQ) ## **Not worth the cost.** I suppose I can’t just say, “Of course they are,” and leave it at that. So let’s dig in a bit further. We already discussed a couple of ways to show customers want the rewards, but having this offering as part of a customer advocacy program is more than just giving things away. Your customers need to do meaningful actions to earn the rewards. That’s where the value story comes in. When establishing your rewards strategy, consider: 1. What rewards do my customers want? 2. How much should they do to earn the rewards? 3. What value will their actions bring to my organization? If your org needs more online reviews, weigh providing an online review as an activity of greater value than perhaps sharing an e-book on their social networks. Again, I’m not sure which organizations wouldn’t want more online reviews. So, if you can, entice your customers to provide them by offering rewards as a thank you. Everyone wins. Rewards, if well conceived, are huge motivators. And when happy customers are motivated, they provide immense value to your organization. ## **Know what to offer.** But yes, you need to offer something of value to your customer base. This is another area I see go awry within communities, because it’s easy for community managers to offer rewards they’d want personally, rather than the ones their customers desire. If you’re running a customer advocacy program, it’s your job to understand what motivates your customers. And these motivations help inform your rewards. Consider these questions: 1. Are my customers motivated by swag? (e.g. they live for a new hoodie and tumbler) 2. Do they prefer recognition? (e.g. access to your leadership team, byline on your blog) 3. Do they like experiences? (e.g. access to a virtual escape room, virtual cooking) 4. Would they prefer to earn a chance to give? (e.g. donations to charity) Once you understand what motivates your customers, you can source/offer the coinciding rewards. But don’t rest on one or two good ideas. It’s also important to rotate your rewards. Because let’s face it, no matter what it is, the same thing over and over again gets boring. Don’t be boring. Consider implementing rewards based on the seasons, holidays, special company events, etc. This, folks, is your chance to be creative and have fun. Your customers will appreciate the extra effort! **Now let’s talk about the elephant in this virtual room…**Shipping these days is terrible. We all know it, so let’s just get that out of the way. But I encourage you not to let it be a deterrent. Is the cost more than you’re used to — yes. Is it taking way longer to ship anything, anywhere — definitely yes. But again, remember the value. Getting something in the mail that you chose, and didn’t pay for, is exciting. Please don’t transition fully to gift cards and virtual experiences. Can they help supplement the other costs, sure. But if you want to maintain a compelling rewards program, they shouldn’t be your only options. Continuously ask yourself, “What do my customers want? What do my customers deserve?” The answers will guide you and help you achieve success now and long into the future. Happy planning! > *Jeni Asaba is the Senior Manager for Community Engagement & Advocacy at Jamf. Newspaper reporting, copywriting and customer advocacy…They’ve been her world for the past 15 years. And they’ve given her the chance to use her love of writing and passion for people to create a library of powerful stories (news articles, case studies, e-books) and build a thriving community (Jamf Heroes). She drives to always do more and be better for the customer's benefit continues to fuel her work.* ## **Get the right community manager.** If you want to hear more from Jeni, she covers some vital and non-negotiable traits to look for in a community manager to steamline and perfect your customer advocacy community, and how you manage it. She goes into detail about the following traits: - Empthy - Passion - Creativity - Humility - Optimism [Make the hiring process easy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-non-negotiable-traits-to-find-when-hiring-a-community-manager/) ### Appreciating your audience: Why understanding consumer psychology is important URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/appreciating-your-audience-why-understanding-consumer-psychology-is-important/ Last updated: 2022-11-11T12:01:06.000Z Understanding your audience and their spending habits goes a long way to improving the relationship you have with them. Making the connection between how you existing customers think, and their relationship with your product is a vital part of the customer-centric approach to marketing. In this article, Alex Chahin considers: - [What consumer psychology is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/415412be-e226-4735-bdd9-ebc21e8ea313/#:~:text=about%20consumer%20psychology.-,What%20is%20consumer%20psychology%3F,-Think%20back%20to) - [What most companies get wrong about consumer psychology, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/415412be-e226-4735-bdd9-ebc21e8ea313/#:~:text=the%20right%20place!-,What%20most%20companies%20get%20wrong,-95%25%20of%20new) - [Why you should care about consumer psychology.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/415412be-e226-4735-bdd9-ebc21e8ea313/#:~:text=what%20might%20work.-,Why%20you%20should%20care,-There%20are%20a) ## What is consumer psychology? Think back to the last purchase you made. Maybe you bought a new shirt or shoes, maybe you bought a new gadget, maybe it was the lodging for your next vacation, or maybe you just ordered dinner from a food delivery app. Now, tell me: *Why* did you make that purchase? I’m willing to bet most of your first answers sound like this: “Oh, I picked what was the most affordable.” “I landed on it after doing a lot of research.” “I picked what would give me the most value.” I can all but guarantee that, while these reasons may have played a role, they’re nowhere near the entire story. See, these reasons are entirely rational, but…they’re *too* rational. And the reality is, that’s just not how humans behave. There are so many more factors that go into our purchases. And there are decades of research to back it up. Think about it through some examples: - Why do people stand in long lines for restaurants when the one down the street is just as good? - Why is it more painful when the shipping cost comes at the end of checkout, even if the final price ends up being the same? - Why are people more likely to finish punch cards with 10 punches instead of 8? At the heart of all of this is consumer psychology. So, what is consumer psychology? Simply put, it’s the field of understanding **why we buy and consume**. Included in it are things like the choices we make, how we make them, what influences us, whether we purchase something or not, how social dynamics play a role, and much more. And it doesn’t stop at just purchases or parting with money. It also helps us understand how we spend our time, attention, and other resources. Any kind of consumption is covered. I like to think of consumer psychology as the umbrella field that unites several different related fields. Together, we’ll look at lessons from behavioral economics and behavioral science, neuromarketing, branding, pricing, and beyond. If you work in marketing, your job is to get people to buy more of something or do more of something. And without consumer psychology expertise, a piece of the puzzle will always be missing. So welcome, you’re in the right place! ## What most companies get wrong 95% of new products fail. I’ll say that again so it really sinks in: **95%** of products don’t make it in the market. Framed another way, whatever you’re working on right now has a **1-in-20** shot of making it. Now, most companies have a variety of tools at their disposal to attempt to find that product market fit and accelerate growth. They may use **consumer or market research** to understand how much demand is out there and the unmet needs they’re trying to solve. They may use **UX research** to understand pain points in their current customer journey and to get reactions to new ways of doing it. They might also use **competitive intelligence** to understand what other players in their industry are doing well in order to update their own offerings. Don’t get me wrong, these are great tools. They can tell us a lot of what we need to know. But, inevitably, it’s really easy to miss an underlying “why.” In research, it can be hard to get people to accurately articulate what’s motivating them because we’re bad at recognizing these hidden forces that shape our behavior. Competitive intelligence is only as good as the strategy of the next company over, but it doesn't help if the competitor also can’t see the full picture. The punchline here: **People tend to forget to start with, well, people!** They don’t understand the underlying motivations for why we do things and that can be the underpinning of a product’s success. You can have a product that looks great on paper, is jam-packed with interesting features, and is priced fairly, but if you don’t understand how to influence behavior you could still be doomed for stagnation. I’ve also seen a lot of different companies do what I would call **aimless optimization**. It’s where you just start trying different micro tactics to see if you can move the needle without understanding what’s actually motivating customers. “Let’s try another above-the-fold image on this landing page.” “Maybe a new headline.” “What if we change the color of the CTA button to something more noticeable?” While these kinds of experiments might happen to score a couple of nominal wins, they tend to plateau quickly. In order to have the most impact, you’ll need to understand why people buy and optimize around that, not just pull different levers to see what might work. ## Why you should care There are a lot of different marketing courses and books out there, on all sorts of topics. In my view, though, learning about this field is one of the best investments you can make for your career. Here are the three main reasons I think you should care about consumer psychology. ### **Number 1**: These are some of the most **high-value but underutilized tactics** that exist for marketing and product development. I’ve seen this firsthand in a number of organizations. People just aren’t using these lessons all that frequently, whether it’s in campaign development, new features, or experiments that they’re running. And it always shocks me! I think this is probably because it can take some convincing for cross-functional partners, they’re worried about being wrong, or it’s just not as easy as something like slapping a discount on your pricing. But I’ve seen their impact firsthand. For instance, using progress can be a huge motivator to get your customers to do more of a behavior. When I was at Lyft, I worked on the product marketing for our shared rides product, where people could save money by sharing the car with other people heading the same way. I crafted an email campaign that showed how much money people were saving over the course of a month and — boom! — product usage and monthly active users shot up stat sig. And there are many more examples just like that. Here’s the good news for you: Because these tactics are underutilized, that represents a huge opportunity for you to come in and make big wins quickly. ### **Number 2**: By learning consumer psychology, you can **grow faster** than your competition and faster than you otherwise would with bread and butter — okay maybe even stale — approaches. Like we just talked about, since these tactics are underutilized, there’s a pretty good chance you can find wins your competition won’t. On top of that, what’s great about these tactics is that they generally don’t require more money to run them because they’re about the customer experience, presentation of information and choices, and persuasion. That means you should be able to iterate faster rather than convincing your leadership team you need lots of money to try new things. Taking that one step further, using these lessons can help you better preserve your brand. As companies seek to grow as quickly as possible, they often turn to running discounts and promotions as a quick fix. While these certainly boost revenue in the short term, over the long run, they can have a deleterious effect. This is because rather than training people to value the product or the brand most, they condition people to wait until free money is thrown their way. We’ve seen this in industries where there is high switching behavior and price elasticity, like rideshare and food delivery. ### **Number 3**: You’ll **differentiate yourself** within your organization, which can help accelerate career advancement. This is perhaps my favorite reason to go deep into consumer psychology because there is a clear and direct benefit to you. Since most marketers and product managers aren’t regularly using these tactics, this is a great opportunity for you to stand out with high-value subject matter expertise. This has happened for me personally at every job I’ve had so far. People start coming to you more for guidance on how to apply these lessons themselves, you get invited to participate in more interesting projects, and you start to make a name for yourself internally. When you’re seen this way, it helps you seem more indispensable and can help in propelling your career forward. And this is exactly the right time for you to invest in this skill set. I predict that we’re still ahead of a watershed moment where these skills will become very prevalent in companies across the world, but we’re building toward that moment. For one, more and more companies are hiring for behavioral science departments and roles. And it’s even starting to enter pop culture! NBC just ordered the pilot episode for *The Irrational*, an adaptation based on Dan Ariely’s best-selling behavioral economics book *Predictably Irrational*. That means now is a great time to learn this. You’ll be ahead of the curve and be able to stand out until it’s popping up everywhere we look, and when it does happen you’ll already have years of experience under your belt. ## The next steps This was just a sneak peek into our Consumer Psychology Masters Course. Get invaluable instruction from Alex Chahin, and walk away with the ability to: 🧠 Better understand how to group **pain and gain.** 🧠 Understand how personal factors and individual differences affect people's **buying choices.** 🧠 Be able to **identify** what your customer’s default action is. 🧠 Understand how **environmental variables** such as friends, family, media, culture, and competitors **influence** buying decisions. 🧠 Understand what **motivates** people to choose one product over another. 🧠 Know how to identify what’s going to get your customers **fired up** and talking. [Get Consumer Psychology Certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ### Get ahead of churn and boost revenue: Aligning on product adoption URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/aligning-on-product-adoption-get-ahead-of-churn-and-boost-revenue/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:35:49.000Z Welcome! My name is Eric Keating, and I'm here to talk about product adoption – both how to use it to create organizational alignment and focus, and how effective that can be at getting ahead of churn and boosting revenue. Before we get into it, let’s take a look at what this article will cover. - [My background and role at Appcues](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=results%20so%20far-,My%20background%20and%20role%20at%20Appcues,-For%20some%20context) - [What product adoption is and why it's important](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=our%20customer%20base.-,What%20product%20adoption%20is%20and%20why%20it%27s%20important,-First%2C%20I%20want) - [How to build a product adoption score (PAS)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=look%20at%20now.-,How%20to%20build%20a%20product%20adoption%20score,-The%20product%20adoption) - [Appcues’ first PAS](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=just%20a%20moment.-,Appcues%E2%80%99%20first%20PAS,-I%27ve%20always%20found) - [Putting your PAS into action](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=don%27t%20know%20it.-,Putting%20your%20PAS%20into%20action,-We%E2%80%99ve%20seen%20the) - [How Appcues uses PAS](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=use%20this%20for.-,How%20Appcues%20uses%20PAS,-To%20provide%20some) - [The results so far](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/99bf44dd-0728-4fdc-8a12-45360cf961d4/#:~:text=the%20inputs%20create.-,The%20results%20so%20far,-What%20would%20a) # My background and role at Appcues For some context, I head up marketing at Appcues. Appcues makes it easy to measure and improve product adoption without a developer. Our users are largely non-technical, and they're using Appcues to track product usage and publish highly effective in-app onboarding tours, announcements, and surveys all in a matter of minutes. As for me, I’ve spent the last 15 years or so in SaaS marketing, growth, and GM positions, and for the last two years, I've been at Appcues, where I'm helping SaaS businesses solve product-led problems. We're also using a product-led strategy ourselves, so I’m very immersed in that world. My team owns customer acquisition as well as self-serve customer expansion and retention, and that's a pretty big part of our customer base. # What product adoption is and why it's important First, I want to talk about product adoption, what it is, and why it’s important. Product adoption is the process of new users learning about, choosing, and using your product more deeply and more frequently over time. Ultimately, it's about maximizing the value that your product delivers to your customers. ![quote: product adoption is the precess of new users learning, choosing and using your product more freuently](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6YOsJhTK-X2Tf37-ykiIqTmlfqk-CwlsC_2NBoo94qJB0y6nFJawNZbeUBHbOKayAJKJlUcmFcUwih0FwbbQmm1KfJfh0a-xaynvkESi5u_s-pmx5lG0-69FeTmraBYuiHQxf5PY_qdfnCy23jJGsQN78sYzSeE8-nEwuepCuguWl67hgIMikx5DYiHp-g) I'm going to unpack that quite a bit today, but first, let me tell you why it's so important. To start, successful product adoption is an early indicator of retention. Every company I've worked at has had a retention or churn target and we've always paid a ton of attention to it – I'm sure that's true for everybody reading. You can probably relate to hearing something along these lines: “Oh, no! This customer comes up for renewal in 90 days. We've got to jump on this to make sure they stick around ASAP!” The problem is that churn is the last thing that happens. It's an outcome. While you may be able to save an at-risk customer with 90 days of intense focus, it's not a sustainable or scalable approach and I'm sure we'd all like to avoid that. Successful product adoption also drives expansion revenue. Upgrade and expansion revenue are so important. Everybody reading this is probably thinking more about net retention today than they ever have before. ![Retention vs expansion indicator quotes](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NX2Q2ZyP6JfvuA7WeOZP1T9QmefBaHSC2gw7QdFHwusSWC7Dz9K3phPrR85dcAabN4LNfeocLoqI24nvkqN5O6fO-lr6Z7PZH9K62ZRtW5m1wt7WI0EZBmYnGF7KHPG_ktwEo1iJdR9bSJlOAxM2LVS5rEOckti0lKPyg-bukZ9A21NXUikm-W8G4gdlTA) Similar to the retention side, you've probably heard something like, “We need to boost expansion revenue this month! Let's run a campaign and try to sell this add-on to as many customers as we can.” Again, it's totally reactive and unscalable and often requires a ton of work. There's a lot working against us with our churn and retention targets. You might be sick of seeing this, but for dramatic effect, let’s take a look at the latest Martech 5000, which is actually closer to 10,000 these days, and that’s just marketing technology. There's more competition in the market than ever, and the cost of switching to a new vendor is the lowest it’s ever been. We're seeing that across the board. ![Graphic of marketing technology landscape](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0tHBuqnLBvWQvo6vHc6a0BspwiWVlGWsyq1I8j4Gia6WyoqDCrgF5STu1Raz0xrMZ2JNUhW_b1iiy1NphDTPmZ7ZJyP3pFvgH_PGmdcP3JJDFrWJYYZfuWGSRfeQsD2DIyuLNgNnxD_5NuHY1AZlnKorqv90356hjL0fc68NsLLuAm8uqX-fztsrStZS1A) On top of that, Mixpanel’s Product Benchmarks Report shows that average retention rates are super low, and for many of us, they're declining. And then, to make matters worse, buyers’ preferences are evolving. They have higher standards for product experiences, more consumer-like expectations, and a strong preference for self-service. Those preferences are driving shifts in go-to-market strategies ![Graphs showing retention trends in digital software.](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DAmzgxuHnbI5YgCpcI_CcLlwVZQ-MSgm8m8Sla2FOeqkBTGQAePMxyj-CNEWYb0hsIoeYrNhUYRCDT7pDe3H59qrBnfRMMpBVBtimMxCzH2-7iDhELGmtkoU3-cS-RVShl6OzO_A3hfAAajk3zTrM2UuC-0KsE__W9NYcwPcl66DUB-28J_PIecCugF1vA) Think about how much the buyer’s role in digital products has changed. Once upon a time, there was a whole process before users started using your product. Now, it's way more common for people to start a trial or get the freemium version of your product before they decide to buy. All that without talking to anybody at your organization. Looking at it this way, it's easy to see just how much more important it is to show the value of your product quickly and ensure users are adopting it early on. All that is to say that aligning on product adoption is the best way to overcome these challenges, get ahead of churn, and boost revenue. It's not the only way, but I think it's one of the most effective ways to do it. ![Quote: product adoption is the best way to get ahead of churn and boost revenue](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5s757n2sxhZnBOwNIv3L-Xmf9mmPR2Ne0EonLK0Z___ObjOMPP4mt0vevrVRWGM1vDCsjIStm2vU4mfYLUhOzuteUY4MTRDgGnHK7m3rt2C_cHcvtVrcKz6-E6HGbFKZqhciojm1Ed_llpQ7U4gQ8GQZO-SlMBlzz50-23sNkZm7-GLbUFhVKVbm2l2XNg) When you've got users who are more invested in your product, and your product is more ingrained in their day-to-day, that's not only going to maximize the value you're delivering, it's also going to create happier and more satisfied customers. That means it’s going to be a lot easier to justify the renewal when the time comes. They’re also going to be more receptive to expanding. In addition to that, it's going to be more difficult for them to switch to another product. I'm going to tell you how to improve product adoption, reduce churn and boost revenue, but before I do, I want to make it clear that product adoption is not a goal that you can achieve. Your product is always changing as you introduce new features, refresh your UI, and respond to your customers' evolving needs. You can’t just check a box and say adoption is done, but it can be observed, measured, and improved. That’s what we're going to look at now. # How to build a product adoption score The product adoption score is a metric used to understand and measure customers' adoption of your products, relative to the ideal state. ![Def: PAS is a metric used to measure customers' adoption of your product, relative to the ideal](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7ELEMLUfN8sDe_OeS9GZC21QoPQNAHMY2EhfZc1R26kB9T5tifXLmoLPRuXVe9ZtM99GqvBKQGZbOUgR7IMQDQb307aVAodQTy8elsOVg7ieUtL0XvhgmiZIu2moOBOydJzTNWKKLZF3dvz1G81t6pY217Rrw4iqMg5-qFk8zE__Aw5NN_gQcIqF-ebeZQ) You may have heard of customer health scores; you may even be using them. Before I go on, I want to make it clear that product adoption scores and customer health scores are not the same. I'm not advocating for one metric over the other, but it’s worth noting that customer health scores usually take into consideration qualitative data about your customers' businesses, like if a champion has left the organization. While that can inform actions for customer success or sales, there's not a lot that marketing or the company at large can do with that information. The PAS focuses on hard numbers and clear actions you can take across the company. Let's talk about how a product adoption score breaks down and how you can create one. The key is identifying behaviors and usage patterns that correlate with retention. I’ll break this down into four steps. **Step one: Start by identifying your best-retained customers.** Don't rely on contract value, case studies, or even NPS. You want to look at retention rates. When we did this, we looked at the correlation between NPS and retention and found that there was very little, if any, which was surprising. **Step two: Take note of the behaviors and usage patterns your best-retained users have in common.** Which features are they using? How often are they logging in? There are all sorts of ways you can look at it, but you want to find those commonalities. **Step three: Check for and remove bias.** Survivorship bias is common here, so compare whatever patterns you identify against other current and churned customers and perhaps do a regression analysis. We had our business intelligence and ops teams helping with this. **Step four: Hone in on the strongest correlations and use them to design your scoring model.** Each of these behaviors and patterns will have different strengths of correlation, so you’ll need to apply different weighting to each lever. I'll break this down and make it a little easier to digest in just a moment. # Appcues’ first PAS I've always found examples helpful when trying to understand new concepts, so let me tell you a little bit about how we built our product adoption score at Appcues. First, as I said, we identified the behaviors and usage patterns that would drive our product adoption score. Then we decided to apply a pretty simple *binary + weights* approach to our model. The first behavior we found was that the customers who had more than a certain percentage of their users’ content in the app stuck around longer. The second pattern we spotted was in NPS surveys. We found that customers who used Appcues to field in-app NPS surveys retained better, and that was true regardless of how many users the customers had. In both of these scenarios, we went with a binary. If they're over X percent utilization, that’s a one; if they’re under, it’s a zero. Are they using Appcues to show NPS surveys? Yes: one. No: zero. Once we’d nailed the levers and the initial binary scoring, we knew we needed to apply some different weights, and those were based on how strongly and uniquely each lever correlated with retention. ![Sample of Appcues' first PAS](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8Cosq2ULZM3aP7Fu3UMaNri1_l1_DAgJVFKj7h_b3wMnzetLkcZKENcF3eU-qGyTfpIBq3eL8OY8laYpNJNjDLId733RUpAvazxQ_soTzPu7xR2A-ICK0f9S_gOi_oBQSG6hx-Oxi8fgYp6TsKDK2pWDDOPO8hO6cixBtwDHd-BIc1CLF8T_C5p4SbtPJQ) As you can see above, we’ve got a yes/no binary column, and then a coefficient column for weighting, which then produces each piece of the score and ultimately adds up to the total score. We tried a few different versions of this up front before we found the one that worked best. Once we had done that, we shared it with the company and worked it into our OGSM, which is very similar to OKRs for those of you who don't know it. # Putting your PAS into action We’ve seen the science of PAS. Now let’s look at what is probably the most interesting part for those of you in customer marketing or product marketing roles – how to put the PAS into action. At this point, you have a product adoption score, and that's really helpful, but the magic isn't in the score itself. It's in the inputs (see the leftmost column in the table above). I like to describe those inputs as a roadmap for improving retention and expansion. ![Quote: The real magic isn't in the PAS itself, but the inputs. These provide a roadmap for improving retention and expansion.](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/goJxJAaPuBsUfTqn_wosuE8RGujROKjVA1XEmHxjrNpoVM0QrSTncUGqfo4ov-N-AFAQcfhUIbm1i_a2Hy3585benk5XFQ6oVrF4_-DKA8c0Jx01nLyiKp42spFHvthmaGAffwKr9ibKiqAPf1UGuNiy9CZDDW7TORRgmZKwMKPkUxDsl3AEORhfpOulnA) You can think of the list of inputs as a checklist. These are the behaviors that you want to drive. You want to turn every customer into a one in the yes/no column, so it’s time to think about what kind of actions need to be taken inside your organization to make that happen. If each team focuses on these components of the product adoption score, you can create some real alignment. These levers can inform customer success’ priorities and strategies. They can influence the content of your nurture programs, the cadence at which you communicate with customers, the features you spotlight inside your product, and even how you price and package your product. There's so much that you can use this for. ![Graphic to show the results of PAS and alignment](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AsZSV7badTFxeN0BBVc7n118BcZzChT9_g_Ti3CUS7ffCNX_vw1lm2v0gMsi4AgWvFv5rmXLvCEo_HWCoYqFfmVokXqQ5U1HFzp2mp1O2mBsts2yWRg5xN28wxn27LKKKZr7-f3Nm8MVTq7dRwt3zy0nr5XNyITj34OAYVjd4tEoz6y_uCI0C1ES8jFgTw) # How Appcues uses PAS To provide some real-world examples here, I’ll talk you through how we use PAS. First, we use it to create alignment by providing visibility to the entire company. As I said, we include it in our OGSM. We also review product adoption scores weekly with our management team, and every month in our company-wide meetings. Our CEO also sends out weekly emails that include our PAS progress as well. Now let’s look at the most important part – how we use PAS to drive action. We have a weekly email that provides visibility into our customers’ usage of Appcues. In that email, we have added a dynamic spot and depending on which behaviors or usage patterns you've exhibited, we’ll show you a behavior that you haven't checked off yet. For instance, if a customer hasn't shown an NPS survey to their user base, we put an NPS ad in that dynamic spot. That's a pretty basic example, but it's driven some great behaviors from our customers. We also used PAS to overhaul our customer nurture email program. We‘re now highlighting information or specific features that are going to encourage customers to take action on these PAS inputs. Key features are now prioritized in our in-app nudges and guides too. Going back to the NPS example, if somebody hasn't used NPS, they’ll see a tooltip saying “NPS is a great way to do X, Y, and Z – check it out!” We're driving people to use NPS and we'll do that for all the features that we've identified as key inputs. We even relaunched a feature that our best-retained customers were using but most of our other customers weren't because we hadn't marketed it all that well. We decided to rename it and essentially relaunch it. That improved the adoption of that feature quite a bit, which also drove up our PAS. We launched a net-new feature too. That feature made it a lot easier to do something that used to be hard, which we knew correlated with the score. We also decided to make one of our key features available to all plans rather than gating it, which is something we used to do, because using that feature correlated with better retention. You can drive a lot of action based on the inputs of a product adoption score. If you look at the score overall, you want to see it trending up, of course, but the most value is in the retention and expansion roadmap that the inputs create. # The results so far What would a pseudo case study be without talking about results? While we've improved the average product adoption score quite a bit, that wouldn't matter if we didn't see an impact on retention. Here are our logo churn and net retention results from the five quarters after we started focusing on PAS and allowing it to drive the actions across the organization. (Sorry – I had to make this pretty vague to protect proprietary information.) ![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GuROZXCz1yjgumQBFHS_caWFiwedsWilKaHvWmOLRMY4BqhFtVv7fingMP9868_t10Rdu_9M0Lc10DSzpCmB0CC0lSDOPuihgWG8Kk5jh5Pcgc81Cley3rNnkkInSrBJCFPHISENg8MPFxVdpj_Buv1HsyhDF8TxK_Jkc1tBctiX1VmuQk73VgcvVjRMPA) As you can see, retention is stronger than ever, both by account and by revenue. We're really excited about that and we’re looking forward to continuing to iterate on the score and taking action to improve these numbers even more. ### Take your personas to the next level. Get persona certified. URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/take-your-personas-to-the-next-level-get-persona-certified/ Last updated: 2025-01-17T12:06:06.000Z Whether you’re a persona first-timer or veteran, B2B or B2C, our [Persona Certified course](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/persona-certified-masters) is packed with practical tips, real-life case studies, and expert advice to create, use, and roll out game-changing personas. ## Course overview. Personas have the power to make or break your customer marketing efforts. Being able to identify and segment your customers into their respective persona is a must-need skill for customer marketers as it affects everything from how you reach out, types of feedback gathering, and which products to focus on for cross-selling and upselling. Throughout this course, we’ll be exploring quite literally every element of the persona process. From use cases to persona pre-work, interview guides to data consolidation, and company-wide communication plans to reviewals. You name it, this course has got it. --- > *“One word. WOW!!!! And I mean WOW! I wish I had this when I built personas the first and second time. It would shorten the cycle of making them by weeks. Months.” - *Igor Kranjcec, Product Marketing Lead at Lemax** ## A sneak peek of what's inside. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to… 🔥 Create, build, and deliver personas that actually work. 💪 Streamline the persona process by focussing only on extracting and mining data that drives bottom-line impact. ⬆️ Take your entire company’s marketing, retention, advocacy, and other customer-focused efforts to the next level. 🎯 Get everyone in your org rallied around your personas and clearly demonstrate the tangible value they deliver. 👌 Understand where and when personas should be used and provide clear use cases to key stakeholders across the business. 💁🏼‍♀️ Show off your shiny new certificate to everyone in your network. --- > *"This Persona certification is a must-have for ANY marketer. It's nice to say that you want to understand your audience, but having a persona strategy puts it into action." - *Pat Timmons, Social Media at Drift** ## What’s included when I enroll? An awful lot of bang for your buck, that’s what. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find inside: 👨🏼‍💻 5+ hours’ worth of course content 📹 2+ hours’ of bonus footage featuring orgs like IBM 😃 Tons of real-life case studies throughout 📝 5 optional (but recommended!) coursework tasks to consolidate your learning ✅ Marked exams at the end of every module 🛠 11 templates ready for you to use 👌 Access to all content for life 🔖 Official persona certification if you pass all the exams --- > *"Knowing personas and their pain points drives everything from targeted messaging to tailored sales enablement and understanding the voice of the customer. This course is essential for any marketer creating personas for the first time, as well as for those refreshing and validating existing personas as the course contains a blend of theory, practical advice and best practice tips." - *Louise Dunne, Product Marketing Manager at Linnworks** ## By experts, for experts… Here at CMA, we’re home to one of the largest communities of customer marketers. By a long way. And we don’t let that go to waste. P.s. If you need help convincing your boss, we've done the hard part for you [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dDbxUkfmUqcsniY8uqy%5FtBB5FInO2EYlxU0ouzSaGWM/edit?usp=sharing). ## Don't worry, we do team rates, too. If you're looking to get a team of three or more customer marketers certified, then speak to Tom about team rates at [t.madden@](mailto:t.madden@pmmalliance.com)customermarketingalliance.com [Explore our full course range](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/courses) ### Customer Marketing MeetUp | Minneapolis | December 6, 2022 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-meetup-in-person-november-30-2022/ Last updated: 2022-11-03T08:05:20.000Z Join us in-person on **Tuesday**, December6th** for our **Customer Marketing Alliance** ****MeetUp**, where you get the chance to connect, engage, and network with fellow Customer Marketing professionals. 💫 [RSVP Here](https://productmarketingall.typeform.com/to/novFCKHH) ****🗓 When?** December 6th, 2022 ****📍 Where?** [The Sonder Shaker](https://www.sondershaker.com)**,** Minneapolis, MN 55414 ****⏰ What time?** 6-8pm CDT Save your spot via the RSVP button below 👇 [RSVP here](https://productmarketingall.typeform.com/to/novFCKHH) If you have any questions please email your Community Director, ****Rebecca Boucher** at or your community contact Dave Hansen at [Join our CMA Community](https://join.slack.com/t/customermarketingall/shared%5Finvite/zt-1fxuf1ncw-N33zTMG~sQnMKrm9oD~B5g) so you don't miss out on any future MeetUps and events! ### 14 ways you need to know to engage customers with social media URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/14-ways-you-need-to-know-to-engage-customers-with-social-media/ Last updated: 2024-09-06T13:28:34.000Z Engaging your audience on social media boosts brand awareness, increases loyalty, and encourages word-of-mouth marketing. It fuels business by building a community of informed fans of your brand. Distinct from traditional marketing, which is a one-way communication, social media marketing offers a two-way conversation. Engaging your audience online provides direct feedback that can deepen your understanding of your audience, improve your reputation, and drive sales. # How do you measure social media engagement? Activity and engagement are the results you want when you post. It's hard to develop meaningful relationships with new and potential future customers when they don't see or respond to your posts. How do you know if you are successfully engaging your target audience? You can measure and track social media engagement by a range of metrics, including the following: - Comments - Likes - Shares - Followers and audience growth - Click-through-rates - Use of branded hashtags Your engagement is increasing every time someone interacts with your account. Here are 14 ways you can attract new customers and build a loyal community online. ## 1\. Stay true to your expertise Most posts should be relevant to your business. If a customer follows your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account, it’s because they are interested in what you offer. At the same time, only a small percentage of posts should be direct promotions or offers. Too much advertising appears self-serving and falls short of social media's potential. The majority of posts should offer valuable or interesting information to engage or attract viewers. You want them to feel included, educated, and entertained, but businesses that stray far from their areas of expertise confuse customers and diffuse their authority. ## 2\. Be responsive One of the outstanding features of social media is interaction. Your customer service team can speak directly with satisfied, dissatisfied, and potential customers. In a non-stop world, people appreciate easy access to a business and a prompt, informative response. A quick response shows people you are paying attention to them. Comments, questions, and complaints are all opportunities to increase engagement and build on the relationship. It also serves as social proof as others browse your account and review past conversations. Complaints can be transformed into a positive marketing opportunity if they’re addressed quickly, professionally, and positively. It becomes proof of your quality customer service. If you ignore customer comments on your profile, you may lose them. ## 3\. Make content easy to repost and share What makes some content go viral while other posts languish? There are seven primary characteristics of shareable content. People share content that is: 1. Entertaining 2. Ego-stroking/socially validating 3. Visually appealing 4. Relevant to a user's interest 5. Practical (tips, tools, how-tos) 6. Valuable (discount, access, contest) 7. Affirming users' causes and beliefs ## 4\. Ask questions Start a conversation by asking questions. Avoid questions with an easy “yes” or “no” answer. You want to speak to your customers' daily experiences and ask relevant questions that evoke a response. For example: - What is your favorite way to use (product)? - What is your best story with (product)? - What would you like to know about (subject)? - What do you wish you'd known about (product, service)? People love to share opinions and experiences, and the interaction creates more of a sense of community. ## 5\. Pay attention to the headline The headline is like the front of your shop. If it's drab or nondescript, people pass it by without looking. The headline is your ad for your post. It should build a clear and accurate expectation of what the buyer will find when they read further. Here are a few tips for creating a magnetic headline: - Promote self-interest - Include recent news or developments - Arouse curiosity - Make a superior offer - Offer a “how-to” - Suggest a quicker and easier way for the consumer to get something they want - Use evocative adjectives - Include a number - Be specific - Build urgency - Use “you” ## 6\. Post photos and videos Posts with photos are typically more appealing than text alone. Well-chosen images instantly reinforce your message and communicate the style of your brand. Cisco projects that 82 percent of consumer online traffic worldwide will be directed from videos this year. An outstanding marketing video grabs the viewer's attention and delivers the message in two minutes or less. ## 7\. Provide value While attractive photos, videos, and offers attract people to click on your links, quality content makes people spend time on and come back to your social media account or website. Become more relevant to your customers by providing something of value with each post. The majority of your posts should share something that informs, teaches, or entertains. When you genuinely and selflessly try to help people, they start to see you as an expert they can trust. What are the FAQs for your business? Posts that answer a commonly asked question inform your customers and overcome objections that might be holding up potential sales. Tips and tools are another popular way to provide value with regular posts. How can you make your clients’ lives more comfortable or vibrant? ## 8\. Host a contest Contests motivate engagement and create excitement. People love to get stuff for free! Offer a prize relevant to your business so that your customer base will want it. For example, an auto dealer may offer free service, free tires, or a gift card for accessories. Contests can motivate sharing and boost brand visibility, especially if you offer a second entry for customers who share the contest with at least one friend on the network. ## 9\. Stay true to your brand Consistency in your marketing across platforms and media builds a sense of reliability. Although some posts may be fun and playful, you want to project a professional image consistent with your business in everything you publish. Over time, customers reading your posts get a sense of your brand personality, which adds a sense of comfort and familiarity with your company for them. Confusing your customers with off-color or seemingly random content can hurt your brand image and business. ## 10\. Share your inspiring stories Highlight outstanding customers, employees, or events. Don't keep remarkable moments to yourself. Let everyone know about your successes because people appreciate a look inside the scenes. When you tell them a heartwarming story about a customer or introduce them to an outstanding employee, you create an opportunity for connection. Stories add personality to your brand. They build loyalty with consumers who can identify with what you value and represent. A company and its products can seem dry or utilitarian, which is partly why social media is so effective. By engaging with customers, you connect based on shared interests and values. ## 11\. Prioritize social media in your communications Include your social media accounts in announcements, launches, and updates. If you're sending a general email to customers, remember to create posts for social accounts as well. Some people are on their social accounts daily. Seeing your updates and news in that familiar setting puts your brand and products in front of shoppers where they are. You want a content strategy for each platform. Facebook and Instagram, for example, have different best practices. Facebook allows videos of any length, while Instagram videos must be a minute or less. The best image size on Instagram for a square image is 1080 by 1080 pixels, while Facebook recommends 2048 by 2048 pixels. Services like Canva can reformat a single post into the target format for various social media platforms. ## 12\. Get to know your social media audience Knowing your target audience helps your team create tailored marketing campaigns that speak directly to your customers. The tone of a post aimed at young shoppers will be different from a retired population. Building a customer persona or avatar breathes life into the data you have on your target audience. The more you get to know your audience, the more refined your messaging can be. Some teams choose to interview and observe multiple customers in addition to online data. Patterns in behavior reveal opportunities for conversation. ## 13\. Solve their problems Be interested in your customer's success and post content that helps them solve their problems. Brand loyalty is bred through attention and consideration, and solutions demonstrate your expertise and authority. When shoppers reach out on social media, be helpful. If you carefully engage your community and consistently provide outstanding customer service, you will steadily add to a loyal following. ## 14\. Encourage user content Invite users to submit photos of themselves using your products like K9 Sports Sak does on their Facebook page. Customers can be a surprising source of useful content. They know what your audience wants to see and hear. Allowing posts from users creates an inclusive community of like-minded people. ## Meet customers where they are Engaging your audience by adding value and letting them behind the scenes creates a win-win relationship. Customers get to know the values and personality of your brand. They get to know your stories. Meanwhile, you gain useful customer feedback to improve your marketing, customer service, and products. Social media does not replace traditional marketing tactics, but it is where some of your customers are spending their time and attention. When you're engaging your audience on social media, you expose yourself to their online community and expand your base of potential customers. ### The 3 building blocks every advocacy program needs URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-three-building-blocks-every-advocacy-program-needs/ Last updated: 2024-03-28T16:59:09.000Z My name is Erica Anderson, and I'm a Senior Practice Director at Influitive *(Now, VP of Practice Management)*. In this article, I’ll show you how to build customer and advocacy programs that achieve the coveted win-win of furthering your business goals *and* creating value for your customers. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll have a better understanding of the key pillars of a successful customer advocacy program, and some practical advice for kick-starting your program even if you don't have the budget for technology. Before we dive in, I'll give you a quick snapshot of my background. I started my career in reference management. I loved working with customers and stakeholders from across the business but felt like it was pretty reactionary, and that we only really talked to customers when we needed something from them. I was really excited to move into a more proactive role where I was focused on starting and growing our online community. From there, we expanded our events programs with regional user groups, customer conferences, and customer advisory boards (CABs). We also launched educational programs like webinars, and workshops and ask the experts. While I was setting up and running these different programs, I noticed that many of the same customers would pop up again and again with so much energy, interest, and passion for our brand. This led me to start a new advocacy program, which is where I ran into Influitive. I liked the product, team, and vision so much that in January of 2021, I joined Influitive, and I now serve their practice team. So you could argue I am an example of the highest form of advocacy. ## **Why is advocacy so important right now?** I'm not going to get super in-depth about why there's such a growth in advocacy and why your organization should be considering it today, but I want to touch on just a few main drivers for why advocacy is on the rise and why you're likely seeing more community customer marketing and advocacy roles in your LinkedIn feed. The first reason, which you've probably heard, is that buyers don't trust traditional marketing and sales anymore. They're not even engaging sales until later in their sales cycle. As a result, companies are investing in advocacy programs to work with their customers to generate social proof that they can include in all of their marketing and sales efforts and help reach their target audience and establish trust through the voice of their peers. The second reason is that there's a huge increase in subscription-based businesses. With a subscription-based business, there’s greater urgency to have customers see value in their initial trial or purchase so they upgrade and buy more. Companies are heavily investing in improving their customer experience and helping customers be successful with their investment as soon as possible, as well as supporting them through expanding their usage. And as these Forrester stats testify, advocacy – the art and science of listening, collaborating, and partnering with your customers to improve your business – is good for the bottom line. ![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/G1-jNTmeeQhcyqD7zme7i5MaJMtplzUXBE7a1ivU3bW2dktPzCCgXXqfzQ8Z552pbGhQLnhTdM6uEVMB20LsaTaNrHhjh2wDCwfnWBdfF5SMe4eLgxR99V7ZYGt0UKk7YxVNYetASTP6N9j9uAY-zTBgO23KiLZY4aHRHBZaxisYFLuTNFpsXpuZNQ) ## **How to build an advocacy program** So you can set up your own advocacy program, there’s a three-phase process I want to take you through. A lot of companies come to us wanting all things advocacy, but we need to break it down and follow this process to get started. By following this process, you're going to develop a clear proposal for why you need a program, what type of program you should invest in, and what type of investment is required. Keep in mind that you’re planning a customer program, not a one-off campaign. Your efforts here will lay the tracks for a train of engagement and value for both your organization and your customers for years to come. ### **Phase one: Define** Identify your goals, objectives, program type, and metrics Phase one is all about definition. It's a critical stage because you're looking to identify and prioritize the type of advocacy your organization needs and why. As with any initiative, you want to start with the end in mind, ask what your organization is trying to achieve this year, and then figure out how your department is going to support that goal. You need to understand what’s being done today in relation to that goal. What problems are you facing? This is so important for two reasons. The first is that all Design Thinking starts with a problem. To design a customer program, you need a clear picture of what customer problem you're solving for. The second reason is that it's very easy to set a pie-in-the-sky goal that sounds like an industry-leading approach or mirrors what your competitor is doing, but you need a clear starting place and a realistic plan that’s anchored in your organization's current reality. You'll likely have several goals, that's okay, just be sure to prioritize them. If everything is a top priority then nothing is, and it's very hard to define an effective and successful strategy that will help you get more resources to expand. ### **Member objectives: What will customers do to support your goal?** That leads us to the second portion, where we want to think through our objectives. Objectives are typically the specific projects that you want to complete to support an overarching goal. In a customer program, you need to shift your objectives to what you want your members to do in order to meet your goal. For the sake of example, let's say that you're in marketing and your goal is to generate new revenue. There are so many possible member objectives that could help you towards this goal. You might want members to submit reviews or take reference calls, submit testimonials, participate in success stories, submit referrals, or share content or referral links on social media. There are lots of different ways that customers can help meet your goal, so get specific and prioritize them beyond the broad advocacy umbrella. What are the specific behaviors you need members to do to meet your goal? ### **Who and what is available to help you?** From here, you want to find out who and what is available to help you achieve your goals. You can do this by meeting with other departments to understand their goals, challenges, KPIs, and how they currently engage customers. You might have a crystal clear focus on your goals and feel ready to move on, but it's critical to take time to meet with other teams. The first reason this is so important is that if there's alignment between goals, it will be much easier to get other teams to support your program. That’s going to make your job easier and make your program's value proposition more compelling for your customers. The second reason is part of the secret sauce. Your customers interact with your brand as a whole, so you need to see your program through your customers’ eyes. This will help you identify what the customers are and aren't getting from your organization and where your program could provide unique value to them. Throughout these conversations, you're also going to find existing processes and programs that you can leverage. ### **What program fits your goals and objectives?** At this point, you'll have a sense of what type of advocacy program you need to start with. For example, you might be thinking you need a CAB to gather feedback and inform company and product strategy, or maybe you need an executive sponsorship program to deepen relationships that support retention and expansion. You could need an advocacy program to generate different forms of social proof, or a beta program to systematically improve your products and get early advocates before rolling them out more broadly. You could even create a community to deflect your support costs and gather product enhancements. ### **How will you measure this program?** From there, you'll select KPIs based on your program's objectives and your company goals. To continue with our example of generating revenue, if you decide to prioritize reviews, you might measure the number of reviews gathered as well as another metric tied to how you use reviews. You might want to base your metrics on Customer Choice Awards, Magic Quadrant rankings, or leads from a campaign promoting the Magic Quadrant results. You could also look at A/B testing a campaign landing page to see how it performs when excerpts from reviews are included. Whatever your KPIs are, you want to establish baselines so you can illustrate your program's impact and lay the foundation for growth, whether that growth means investing in headcount or scaling with technology. Finally, make sure you have a system in place to measure your impact, even if it's just a spreadsheet. ## **Phase two: Design** Select your target market and structure your program Phase two is all about design. This is where we're going to be selecting our target market and planning our program’s structure. ### **Which members will do those behaviors?** Now that you know your goals and what you need your members to do, you’ll want to intentionally select customers to target with your program. For some simple examples, if you're looking to have high-level conversations about the direction of the market and where your solution fits in, you're probably going to want to talk with a higher-level person, like a VP or above. If you're looking for product feedback, you need people who are regularly using the product, likely even the champion or the administrator for an organization or a power user. If you're looking for social proof, you want to focus on your happy, successful customers. If your goals are more around product adoption and retention, then you're likely looking at a program for all customers. I’d strongly recommend talking with some real-life customers who fit your target market criteria in order to understand more about their role, their goals, and their pain points. You can't design a program for someone if you don't know what is meaningful to them. As much as possible, start with a narrow target, so you can tailor your program to resonate with a segment of your customer base, and not try to be all things to all people. ### **How will members complete these behaviors?** From here, we want to look at what needs to be in place in order for customers to participate in the desired behaviors we discussed earlier. For each of your specific member objectives, map out their processes, including things like where the process starts and who does what throughout the process. You may also want to note additional criteria for specific opportunities. For example, maybe any customer can participate in your online community, but you have limited resources for case studies, so you're prioritizing target industries for those. Now that you've outlined how customers are going to do the desired actions, you can identify opportunities to develop resources or define handoffs to help reduce the friction. You want to make it as easy as possible for customers to do the behaviors you want them to do. ### **What value will members receive by completing behaviors?** Now it’s time to think about how we can make it valuable for members to participate in these behaviors. What's in it for your target members? How is participating in these behaviors going to help reduce their pain and increase their gain? Understanding what's meaningful to them is going to help you here. To do this, take each of your desired behaviors and make a couple of notes about the value of participating for customers. This is a good exercise that forces you to articulate the intrinsic value of the activities you're asking members to do. It also helps you check how compelling your program is. What are you asking from and giving to members? What is your program offering that they can't get anywhere else? You'll probably need to invest in programming that will create value for your customers. Often, this comes in the form of helping them grow and meet their goals. By doing this, you'll be building relationships with your organization. Let’s look at a few examples. If you're looking to set up a CAB and you know that networking and problem-solving are important to them, you'll likely want to dedicate a portion of your CAB agenda to customer roundtables and customer showcase presentations. If you're running an advocacy program and pushing for a lot of reviews, that could get kind of repetitive over time. You might want to look at offering points for their efforts, which they can put towards swag, a conference pass, free training, or gift cards. If you're setting up regular events, like new product overviews, ask me any things, or expert interviews, you're going to make your community a much more compelling place to go to than if it's just forums where they can ask questions – you're providing a lot more material for them to learn from and spark conversations. Some behaviors are going to have a lot of intrinsic value. If a customer asks a question on your community platform and gets a quick response, that's incredibly helpful. But how are you going to make it valuable for the person who's answering the question? That’s something you need to think about. ### **Program value proposition** By engaging in this process, you’ll have the makings of your program's value proposition, which is core to your internal and external program communications. It should include why your program exists, who your program is for, what members do, what value they get, and a guide for new members on how to get started. ## **Phase three: Develop** Put the core pillars in place for your advocacy program By phase three, you’ve defined and designed your program, and you're ready to move into the final step of outlining what’s going to be required to support the program. Every program requires a combination of people, processes, and technology to come together to achieve its goals. As we look at each of these, remember that your organization already has some of what you need. Look at existing resources you can leverage, what you can build on, and what is missing and needs to be developed. ### **People: Common resourcing** From a people standpoint, it's very common to start with one person. This is typically someone in a management role or higher who starts the program. They need to be very strategic, with strong communication and relationship-building skills. They also need to be creative and organized. It's vital that they're thinking bigger than just the initial program. They need to develop a plan, roadmap, or vision, and then execute it and prove the success so they can get more resources and start building out a bigger vision with more specialized roles. ### **Developing processes and harnessing tech** From a process and technology standpoint, here are some processes that are common in advocacy programs: - **Internal communications**, e.g. program overviews, sharing wins, and forms to request customers for advocacy opportunities - **Recruiting and/or selecting members**, e.g. invitations with triggers, application forms, approved/denied criteria, and terms and conditions - **Member onboarding,** e.g. NDAs and welcome calls - **Facilitating desired member behaviors,** e.g. public usage approval forms, forum guidelines, and feedback - **Thanking and rewarding members**, e.g. points towards reward and branded gear - **Tracking and measuring KPIs**, e.g. spreadsheets and custom CRM fields Of course, the specifics will vary depending on what type of program you're starting, but between the work that you did earlier and this list, you can easily identify what is needed. Here are some common technology requirements to support those processes: - **Communication channels,** e.g. email, newsletter, Slack, and Calendly - **A list of members**, including their names, titles, company, product usage, and advocacy interests - **Reporting tools,** e.g. spreadsheets or custom CRM fields - **Program-specific requirements**, e.g. internal forms for employees to request customer advocacy, online community forums, surveys, and rewards If you don't have a budget, you can start a program with existing in-house tools and grow from there. However, requirements do tend to mature as people get weary of living in spreadsheets and emails and struggle to leverage existing data or share the data they're gathering. Teams might also feel like they're overusing advocates and not systematically giving back. Or, they may feel that the program is going well, but they need to do more to scale and automate it above and beyond what their in-house tools can support. In these cases, they often look to invest in an advocacy and community platform like Influitive that can help take their program to the next level. ## **Your customer program portfolio** By engaging with the process I’ve described, you can plan the different types of customer programs that your organization might need. You might have one platform powering your customer programs, but you shouldn't have just one uber-customer program. You should have a holistic approach to your customer programs and develop different programs addressing distinct customer segments and their unique needs. Let's look at some real-life examples and get a bit more tangible on how these programs come to life for each customer segment. ### **All-customer programs** ![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/L9GZMflrxruLyMrUA2_CiHvMjE57YChEfxhPBT78CJb_OOVikkR-MO5EYBmCM9rMKp4Lj7R1U9yw3JszRyWQeLldHmtCetAe59O7CzS7fwK-gImnCON8DKhT6i8njSL-al-2o7dboGdMMAN7EEC-I-RxWfRJ5lnttrDbrY5_Ie4N70sIvx13AEGfew) Let’s start with the programs at the bottom of our pyramid, the ones that are open to all customers. You can build a kind of one-stop shop for the activities that all users can participate in. These activities could include user forums, an area for customers to submit their product ideas and enhancement requests, and an events calendar highlighting upcoming virtual and physical events. You can also offer onboarding, training and certification programs, product announcements, and content that you would like them to read, such as customer stories to help them understand core use cases and best practices. You may also want to use this platform to highlight industry news. You could have a job board for your customer base to use too. You could also offer regular feedback opportunities about how they're using the product. What’s more, this is a great place to gather feedback for a voice of the customer program or to track your NPS. With a platform like Influitive, you can target your members with different opportunities based on their product usage, location, industry, or even something as simple as their NPS score. If they're a detractor, you might ask them for more feedback or notify their CSM. If they're a promoter, you could start sharing advocacy opportunities for them. That brings us to our next customer segment: advocates. ### **Advocate customer programs** Let’s look at some opportunities and programs geared towards advocates. Reviews and references are great initial asks to help advocates get warmed up. Success stories in case studies, videos, and event sessions are also great ways to capture your advocates’ stories. But there's so much more that your customers can do for you. They can provide testimonials for you to sprinkle into your website and email campaigns. There's beta or UX testing. They could also share content on social media or submit referrals for you. It doesn't stop there. You can tap them for user-generated content, like use cases, templates, blog posts, or ROI studies. You can also do annual awards, which are a great way to recognize top customers and learn more about new customer stories. You can be gathering first-party data about your customers for deeper insights, which will allow you to do more personalization and moments of delight with them. You might also want to offer mentor buddy programs so your most successful customers can take others along the same journey and give them the benefit of their expertise. ### **Elite customer programs** At the top level of our pyramid, we're focused on the elite customer programs. Elite customer programs are reserved for your most strategic customers, who you might select by current or potential revenue, because they're using priority products, or because they’re in a target industry. You might also choose to make certain programs exclusive if they’re tied to a certain segment of the customer base, like your most strategic advocates or super users who answer tons of questions in your community and are really active in the broader ecosystem for your product. In those scenarios, there are usually certain criteria that have to be met. For your elite customers, you could have exclusive channels to support your CABs and industry councils. You might also want to run campaigns to support executive events. With our advocacy platform, you can leverage gamification with points, badges, levels, and leaderboards across all your different programs. You can also reward your customers for their participation by letting them redeem their points for rewards like company swag, free training, vouchers, charitable donations, free consulting sessions, golf with the CEO, and more. Your rewards portfolio can be a delightful part of creating a unique and differentiated brand experience for your customers. ## **The low down...** Here's a low down of what was covered in this article. Erica identified that these three things are vital for building an advocacy program: 1. Identify your goals 2. Select your target market 3. Get core pillars in place And, oh look! Here's a nifty infographic to take with you. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/10/CMA_Infographics_3_Ds_of_an_advocacy_program--1-.png) ### Customer Marketing MeetUp | NYC | November 30, 2022 URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-meetup-nov30/ Last updated: 2022-11-02T13:12:35.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/10/giphy-1.gif) ### Are you in? Join us in-person on **Wednesday**, November 30th** for our first **Customer Marketing Alliance** ****MeetUp**, where you get the chance to connect, engage, and network with fellow Customer Marketing professionals. 💫 ****🗓 When?** November 30th, 2022 ****📍 Where?** [Phebe's](https://phebesnyc.com/), NYC, 10003 ****⏰ What time?** 6-8pm EDT Save your spot via the RSVP button below. 👇 [RSVP HERE](https://productmarketingall.typeform.com/to/zajZQRMM) If you have any questions please email your Community Director, ****Rebecca Boucher** at or your community contact **Max Bailey** at max@aircall.io [Join our CMA Community](https://join.slack.com/t/customermarketingall/shared%5Finvite/zt-1fxuf1ncw-N33zTMG~sQnMKrm9oD~B5g) so you don't miss out on any future MeetUps and events! ### Customer Marketing Summit, October 2022 | OnDemand URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-summit-october-2022-ondemand/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T11:01:28.000Z Catch up with all the action from Customer Marketing Summit. Elevate your career & reach your full potential with the likes of Salesforce, Adobe, Cisco, Dropbox, and so many more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Jennifer Susinski | Unique customer advocacy tips to perfect your customer experience | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/why-customer-advocacy-can-perfect-customer-experience-catch-up/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:17:01.000Z *"The first thing to understand is that all customers are looking for more than a product..."* In this episode, sponsored by Influitive, we talk to Jennifer Susinski about her understanding of customer advocacy as a customer advocacy and experience manager for over seven years. Her unique insight goes into the nitty-gritty of the relationship between you and your advocates, and how setting up the relationships well can last for a lifetime. [Listen to the full episode](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=a3spvxml20) ## **Key talking points:** - Tips you should implement from the start of your advocacy journey - Understand that all customers are looking for more than just a product - How managing advocacy goes beyond the job description - How to balance the values of your customers and the values of your company ## **About Jennifer Susinski:** Jennifer Susinski is a self-proclaimed pro-active self-starter, that seeks new ways to innovate and exceed performance expectations in the Customer Advocacy & Experience space. As a customer success enthusiast, her task at hand is to ensure no customer is left behind! She strives to promote her customers voices within the company, drive a positive customer experience across the board and make sure they are set up for success. Being able to quickly adjust and keep a pulse on various areas of the business that effect our customers is invaluable. This not only helps her keep customers ahead of the curve but allows her to uncover champions who provide product insight to further products and become part of the extended team helping to drive ROI. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@customermarketingalliance.com, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at eve@customermarketingalliance.com. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### The 5 core attributes of a killer customer marketing strategy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-5-core-attributes-of-a-killer-customer-marketing-strategy/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T08:17:25.000Z Customer loyalty doesn't happen by accident. It's an outcome of planning, strategizing, and executing a well-crafted customer marketing strategy that relies on clear goals and KPIs. The key to any great customer marketing strategy is the ability to stay customer-centric and focused on what your customers want and how they want to get it. **In order to achieve that, there are five core attributes of a killer customer marketing strategy that you need to develop and deploy, including…** ## **1: CX-first approach to customer acquisition** With the bulk of your customer acquisition coming from repeat customers, a focus on creating a satisfying customer experience from the very beginning is a must. When used in combination with effective marketing automation, customer experience software can play a significant role in amplifying your efforts. According to the latest edition of the Customer Experience Impact Report from Temkin Group, the most effective customer experience strategies are those that focus on giving customers what they want at each point of interaction. That means timely and relevant communication, clarity on expectations, and product/service quality. The report also revealed that the majority (66 percent) of respondents said they were likely to stop doing business with a company that had a bad customer experience. ## **2: Person-centric data analysis** Data plays a huge role in customer marketing strategies — its importance can be measured in direct customer impacts. It's crucial for marketers to leverage big data and small data to find correlations and look for opportunities to engage customers. In addition, look for commonalities among your most successful customers and use this knowledge to create more targeted offers. It's important to invest in customer analytics, data quality, and business intelligence tools, and to establish a single customer view that will help you see patterns in behavior and purchasing power. From there, you can segment customers and identify the right offer and the right touchpoints. It's also vital to prioritize mobile customer data collection and mobile channel monitoring. ## **3: Efficient budgeting and KPI monitoring** Being efficient in the way your budget is used is a crucial aspect of customer marketing. It's crucial to map your customer journey from start to finish and evaluate your customer acquisition cost and lifetime value for each touchpoint. It's equally important to monitor your key performance indicators (KPIs) so that you can quickly identify opportunities to improve. Metrics such as customer acquisition costs, customer engagement rate, average customer lifetime value, and conversion rate are great for tracking results. Customer data comes in many forms, so try to find the one that is most relevant to your customer journey and assess whether it's telling you the story you need to hear. ## **4: Test and optimize** The best strategy is the one that has been proven to work. Only 10 percent of marketing strategies are ever successfully executed. This is mostly because we're more focused on execution than we are on testing and learning from our mistakes. As a result, we don't know which strategies work until they're put into action, at which point it can often be too late to change course. So, try out new strategies. Test them. Track the results. If the data shows you that a specific offer doesn't resonate with your audience, don't be afraid to change your approach. At the same time, watch for data that suggests customers want more of something that's working. Whether it's an offer, a promotional touchpoint, or a segment, be sure to amplify it by promoting it to the right audience, through the right channel. ## **5: Consumer-centricity across all touchpoints** Finally, a customer marketing strategy must prioritize the customer at every step of the journey. This includes avoiding channel conflict by making sure that whatever touchpoints you employ — online, mobile, email, social media, chat — reflect the same tone, messaging, and visual identity. Lastly, focus on metrics that are relevant and meaningful to customers. Be careful not to collect data just because you can. It doesn't matter how much information you collect, if it's not actionable for the customer, then it's useless. The future of customer marketing lies in redefining the role of the marketer to that of the true customer advocate. It's not about quick wins or short-term wins. It's about transforming your customers' experience. ## **That’s a wrap!** In summary, the 5 points mentioned here are intended to help you define your customer marketing strategy by clearly establishing the role of your customer in everything that you do, from the overall customer journey, right down to touchpoints. Make sure your customer is at the center of all your marketing activity by including them in the process, and not as an afterthought. Sign Up For My Newsletter! Stay in touch with the latest marketing insights and best marketing practices. ### How to increase customer engagement: Universal tips for any business URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-engagement-universal-tips-for-any-business/ Last updated: 2023-03-07T14:20:43.000Z Engaged customers are the holy grail of any business. After all, they don’t stop at simply buying your product or services — they sign up for all the events you’re hosting, take part in customer surveys, read your newsletters and articles, as well as promoting your business to their friends and family. As a result, they can **increase your revenue by as much as** **70%**, according to Twilio in their [State of Customer Engagement Report 2022](https://www.twilio.com/state-of-customer-engagement). Moreover, it’s more beneficial to cater to existing customers than to keep acquiring new ones. Not only is it more effective to convince existing customers to buy from you again, but it’s also cheaper. Increasing customer retention by just 5% can [boost profitability by 75%](https://www.dnb.com/content/dam/english/business-trends/ebook%5Fanticipate%5Fcustomer%5Fneeds%5Fpt2%5Fretention.pdf), which clearly shows where your focus should be. This level of engagement is a dream of many, but is it possible to achieve for an average business? How many of your clients can be turned into brand advocates? And of course, how can you build a solid customer engagement strategy that won’t flop? ## **Get to know your customers** The key element to successful customer engagement is getting to know who these customers are in the first place. If you don’t, all your actions will be hit-or-miss, leading to disappointing results. ### **Buyer persona** To avoid this pitfall, you can create a buyer persona. This is a fictional character that represents your ideal customer. Their age, sex, location, education, job position, and interests, among others, are all considered. While the information itself seems simple enough, it’ll make a giant difference in making decisions. For example, by knowing the age and sex of your clients, you can make a better decision on which platform to market yourself — it’s a well-known fact that [TikTok is preferred by teenagers and young adults](https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/), and [Twitter is dominated by men](https://www.omnicoreagency.com/twitter-statistics/), while [Instagram is preferred by women](https://info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/communications-division/digital-communications-team/assets/documents/guides/A-Guide-To-Social-Media-Platforms-and-Demographics.pdf). Most importantly, it’s crucial to determine the problems your buyer persona faces along with their needs and wants. You shouldn’t base that on your imagination, no matter how vivid it is. You should base all your assumptions on **data and research** instead. If you already have a significant client base, it will be easy for you to run **interviews** and send out **surveys**. If you aren’t at that stage yet, your best shot would be to analyze the clients of your closest competition. Last but not least, remember that there might be more than one buyer persona and each of them will require their own marketing and sales approach. **CONCLUSION:** It’s crucial for your business to know your clients like the back of your hand, and the best way to do that is to gather enough data. You can achieve that through collecting customer feedback, surveys, and interviews. Armed with these, you’ll be able to create a buyer persona, which will help you make decisions. ### **Social media market research** Another goldmine can be found in social media. After all, not all customers speak openly to sales representatives — but they freely share their thoughts online with friends and strangers alike. That’s why joining (or infiltrating) relevant social groups should be a key element in your strategy. Not only will you be able to uncover precious customer feedback entirely for free, but also: - learn their language and sense of humor, - observe and even anticipate trends, - find out the main industry influencers, - keep track of your competition, - quickly react to any news or controversies, - build a rapport with your target audience. One of the best examples of a company that managed to engage customers in such a way is [Netflix](http://www.studyaway.com/en/newspage/detail/5f562f77b6423c3150aafece). It didn’t shy away from memes and interactive engagement with fans and celebrities alike, and it used an authentic, friendly tone of voice, so different from what you might have expected from a corporation. In the peak popularity of its shows, it seemed like Netflix was just as excited for the new seasons as the fans — and it didn’t seem fake at all. ![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kIWMOUTEahSCZ_ejbxW1ru7stj2Y6kzXyzsOpD0nyktdUo49uRYM-BMYdWJPX6Eeka8p25fBM4qEEU727ukcTZScydCVBHRQT0Bcel4O7C4KdkNIZd1SZuNRerdwzCxS_MsUlr5nxHyFZEMBAkktXGwiNYAOKY0X42fMPkShKMGzSfc2N4LMhQWb1w) As a result, Netflix [gained much more popularity](http://www.studyaway.com/en/newspage/detail/5f562f77b6423c3150aafece) on social media and, most importantly, **customer loyalty and engagement**, which are especially difficult to raise, increased. **CONCLUSION:** Don’t underestimate the power of social media — there’s a wealth of information that you can use for your gain. Not only can you gather more data on your clients, but also connect with them. ### **Data-driven marketing** The big day comes — you have everything figured out, you know your customers like the back of your hand, and nothing can stop you from dominating your chosen market. Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news. Here, the work never ends. People change, along with their tastes. Trends change even faster, and there’s always the risk of disruptive factors influencing industries in unpredictable ways. This means that your customers might change their behavior or even leave entirely, making space for new clients. Your own priorities might even change, leading to new ventures. Even if the shift isn’t drastic, it’s still worth it to keep **validating and updating your buyer persona.** That’s why collecting data on clients’ behavior never stops, as proven by the extreme popularity of selling and buying third-party data. Fortunately for consumers, that practice is [becoming obsolete](https://digiday.com/media/publishers-planning-end-third-party-cookie/) due to privacy concerns. Not only were clients apprehensive about their data being shared around without their explicit permission, but they were also concerned about security breaches. And not without reason — in 2019, Facebook’s [data from 533 million people](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56815478) was leaked, while more recently, Twitter reported a data breach concerning [5.4 million accounts](https://tech.co/news/data-breaches-2022-so-far). Those marketers who heavily relied on third-party cookies have to find different data sources to survive. In Salesforce’s [State of Marketing 2021](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/state-of-marketing-in-2021/) report, the most popular ones were indicated to be known digital identities (email addresses, social IDs), transactional data as well as declared interests and preferences. In short, **learning to better leverage first-party data** seems to be the key to success. One way to achieve that is through a [Customer Data Platform](https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-data-platform-guide#cdp), which helps manage and analyze the gathered data. It’s a popular solution used by seventy-eight percent of high performers, as stated in the Salesforce report. Some companies go one step further, turning towards **zero-party data** — like [Cheetah Digital](https://hbr.org/2021/04/say-goodbye-to-cookies), which managed to gather 750,000 unique entrants and 15 million data points through the sweepstakes initiative alone. **CONCLUSION:** Data is the most important weapon in a marketer’s arsenal. If you have trouble analyzing it, you can always use software built for that, or even reach towards the newest technologies like AI or machine learning. ## **Let the customers know YOU** Business is not only highly competitive but also oversaturated with a myriad of products and services that constantly vie for our attention. With so many household names that make purchasing decisions a no-brainer, it’s extremely hard for new businesses to stand out, especially those that offer nothing new to the table. If you want to attract attention and, eventually, [gain loyal customers](https://getzendo.io/blog/customer-acquisition-funnel/), you need to go beyond the product. ### **Brand storytelling** People love stories. In each of us, there’s an inherent need to attribute meaning to the surrounding world, share important lessons and experiences, and explain the unexplainable. After all, it’s easier to blame the alignment of stars for our bad luck than accept that a series of failures was a pure coincidence. The amount of consumed media clearly shows our attraction to a good narrative. Proof? An average viewer will spend [78,705 hours watching movies and TV shows](https://studyfinds.org/survey-the-average-adult-will-watch-more-than-78000-hours-of-tv/) in their lifetime, and that’s without accounting for consumed books and video games. And without accounting for the amount of brand storytelling that we are fed every day, whether we are aware of it or not. The main purpose of **brand storytelling** is to build an emotion-evoking narrative around the product or service. It should be memorable and unique, yet simple enough to be understood. It should strive towards the most basic emotions and instincts such as **love, desire, feeling of belonging, or safety.** Not without a reason does Coca-Cola spin a tale of a warm and cozy Christmas evening spent with family and friends amid many colorful lights. The famous Coca-Cola truck became synonymous with the holiday season, while some people even think that the [Coke brand created Santa Claus himself](https://fabrikbrands.com/coca-cola-the-brand-that-turned-christmas-red/). Another example is Ralph Lauren, who with their clothing lines managed to capture the preppy and aspirational look with timeless classics that now symbolize the [American dream coming true](https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/ralph-lauren-a-brand-capturing-the-american-spirit/). Ralph Lauren doesn’t just sell clothes — it sells a very specific lifestyle that’s coveted by many. **CONCLUSION:** Having strong brand storytelling is crucial to attracting and capturing the attention of consumers. And in order to build a strong customer engagement strategy, it’s necessary to link your product with specific **emotions, feelings, or a lifestyle**. After all, [material possessions are directly linked to personal identity](https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/7782/volumes/v22/NA-22), ### **Conscious consumerism** Now more than ever, businesses are under close scrutiny. Consumers are asking more questions and exercising caution while making purchasing decisions. In the [Deloitte report on Sustainable Consumers in 2022](https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html), **34%** of respondents claimed to have stopped purchasing specific products or brands because of ethical or sustainability concerns. This shows a steep increase in conscious consumerism compared to 2019, proving a change in consumer behavior. Expectations go even further. In the [2020 Edelman Trust Barometer](https://www.edelman.com/research/brand-trust-2020), **80%** of respondents rated it as very or extremely important for brands to **solve society’s problems** in order to earn or keep their trust. **62%** also held brands responsible for playing a critical role in **addressing challenges,** such as pandemic-related ones. Brands that deliver on all those fronts can truly win people over. Patagonia, a brand famous for outdoor clothing and gear for silent sports, managed to raise its worth to about [$3 billion](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/climate/patagonia-climate-philanthropy-chouinard.html) without sacrificing its [sustainable and ethical principles](https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/patagonia). This brand has always been [very transparent](https://www.patagonia.com/our-footprint/) about its owned facilities, supply chains, working conditions, and how they affect the environment, which was already a big advantage over its competitors. Recently, Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, donated his ownership to the Holdfast Collective and the Patagonia Purpose Trust in order to [fight the environmental crisis and defend nature](https://www.patagonia.com/ownership/). That bold move will surely attract even more loyal customers who share similar values. Let’s be honest — most companies aren’t interested in saving the world, they’re in it for profit. But remember that **innovation** has a powerful allure that can elevate you right to the top of the market. After all, [no one really knows what metaverse is supposed to be](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/06/30/the-metaverse-in-2040/) or whether it’s even needed — and yet, many [business sharks are already vying for their share](https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2022/08/25/what-long-term-investors-know-about-the-metaverse/?sh=545aec3e7877). **CONCLUSION:** In order to create a solid customer engagement strategy, you need to take into account the rising trend of conscious consumerism. It might differ between various industries and target audiences, but it’s important to take note of it and adjust to the new consumer expectations. ### **Use actions instead of words** In times of fake news and misinformation, people are more inclined to distrust. Government and religious leaders, journalists, and CEOs are under particular scrutiny. Business leaders are accused of purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations, as indicated by **56%** of respondents in the [2021 Edelman Trust Barometer](https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer). That’s why it’s no longer enough to slap a pompous wall of text on the “About us” page on a website. Consumers need real actions to follow any statements. If you want to build your brand around diversity, sustainability, or making the world a better place in general, you need to prove that you really support such values. Empty gestures won’t cut it. In 2018, when Nestlé claimed to have ambitions of having 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025, it was quickly [questioned by critics](https://earth.org/greenwashing-companies-corporations/) and called out by Greenpeace. And rightfully so — two years later, Nestlé once again gained the title of the world’s top plastic polluters in [Break Free From Plastic’s 2020 annual report](https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/globalbrandauditreport2020/?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=getresponse&utm%5Fcontent=LIVE%3A+Plastic+Polluters+Brand+Audit+Report+%26+Invitation+to+Press+Briefing&utm%5Fcampaign=Breakfreefromplastic+Membership+Master+List). Third time in a row. Of course, Nestlé is big enough to survive such an outrage. But can you? **CONCLUSION:** If you want to quickly lose the trust of your consumers, pretending to have lofty values or supporting causes only on paper is the way to go. It’s time for honesty or transparency because the public is ready to hold businesses accountable. ## **The IKEA effect and the sunk-cost fallacy** A tendency to overvalue our own work and undervalue the work of others is rather common. That’s especially clear when it comes to DIY projects — once we try our hand at it, we realize how much time and effort is needed, therefore, we start to value the end results more. There’s one company that used this common pitfall to its advantage — IKEA. By forcing people to assemble their own furniture, it made people overvalue the fruits of their labor. Even if the fruits themselves weren’t that ripe. Another interesting bias is the sunk-cost fallacy. If someone has invested enough resources — like time, money, data, social capital, or simply effort — in a particular venture, they’ll have a hard time abandoning it. ![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xiz0Zf3HcH1SktE1APk5mYJ7etGaAtqP4jucB33SsCyFqeI-DiDaxP8Pw8KsAej0oFJF2--EFOUfib-sUkKmNG8Xn-otRw1WxHPWb6GAShSSRuu_OyheI2nt9tZFn2ox5bi4obiX-D1RGHgBVbWQM28A5ARuOUKMIIep3xyBXHHsUspOxizYJBlGlw) Another good example is social media in general. Many people, although they complain about Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, stay on those sites. They already have their own friends and family there, built memories in the form of photos and videos, and maybe even marketed their business. Switching to a new site would require them to start over, convince their community to move along with them, and learn the rules and the algorithm of the new place. For many, this is too big of a price. **CONCLUSION:** Anyone interested in creating their own customer engagement strategies should take a closer look at these two biases and learn how to use them. If you need further convincing, Nir Eyal in his book *“Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”* explains in depth how crucial users’ investment is and how it's wielded by such giants as Facebook, Spotify, or Adobe. ## **User-generated content (USG)** Another form of using the aforementioned biases is to encourage your customers to co-create and co-produce within your brand. After all, social media sites like TikTok or YouTube couldn’t exist without user-generated content, which shows just how powerful it can be. How can you use it for yourself? ### **Influencers** Hardly anyone likes to follow brands, but most love following other people, especially influencers. In the marketing world, they’re a force to be reckoned with — they have the power to truly make, break, or even kill a brand. Back in 2017, tickets for the Fyre Festival sold out, even though they cost thousands of dollars and information on the festival was scarce. This was largely thanks to famous models who posted an orange picture on their Instagram profiles, saying how excited they were for the event that in the end, [was a giant scam](https://www.bbc.com/news/46945662). Despite that catastrophe, influencers are still more readily believed than brands. According to the PRNewswire, [37% of consumers trust influencers more](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/37-of-consumers-trust-social-media-influencers-over-brands-301538111.html), and the Influencer Marketing Industry is believed to [reach $16.4 Billion this year](https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/), as stated in the State of Influencer Marketing 2022. ### **Contests** To many people, contests are exciting — with a stroke of luck, you can win amazing prizes for very little effort, often enough requiring a simple like, share, or comment. Some brands go a little step further, with the Goldfish crackers being the best example. Contestants were asked to hold as many crackers in their hands as possible under the [#GoForTheHandful Duet Challenge](https://www.tiktok.com/tag/goforthehandful), resulting in [over 30 million views](https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-contest/#3%5Fsocial%5Fmedia%5Fcontest%5Fideas%5Fto%5Fincrease%5Fengagement) on TikTok. ### **Supporting a worthy cause** Moliera 2, a Polish multi-brand luxury boutique, came up with a [High Heels Day](https://spidersweb.pl/2020/10/dzien-szpilek-moliera2-ile-zebrano.html). For every picture of a high heel shoe with an appropriate hashtag posted on a specific day, the brand promised to donate money to charity. As a result, users posted over 500,000 photos on both Instagram and Facebook, leading to a giant success for the brand awareness campaign. ## **Employee-generated content (EGC)** You don’t have to count on strangers to generate content for you — your employees can do so just as well. Showing a more human and friendly side to the brand will not only will it help with future recruitment, but also in creating a better image. Happy employees taking pride in their work is a sure sign of an ethical company, which consumers respect. Also, people by nature are endlessly curious. Sharing behind-the-scenes images, your insight, and wisdom, as well as celebrating your successes and failures publicly, can make people stay interested in your brand. Engaging customers will become easier, too — you can expect [8 times more engagement](https://www.postbeyond.com/employee-generated-content/) than with content shared by branded channels. Also, it’s a great way of discovering hidden gems in your company. Nowadays, most people have some kind of online presence — some might be streaming their gaming adventures, writing thought-provoking pieces on their blog on societal matters, or hosting a fun podcast. They might already be established in certain circles and have a wide reach, so don’t let this opportunity for collaboration slide. **These people might turn out to be real gold** for any of your campaigns, so keep your eyes open! On the downside, your brand narrative might get diluted and inconsistent, as well as out of your control. Also, if your employee gets into any online dramas, your brand might suffer, so be careful in choosing your spokespeople. ### **Build a community** Belonging to a group means safety and status. So it’s not that surprising that for many people, being alone is akin to a nightmare, leading even the “misfits” to group together. As always, you can use that to your advantage, but only if you’re smart about it. The last thing you want to do is to create all sorts of groups on different channels that are supposed to be brand-worshippers. It’s all gain for the brand but none for the consumers, so nobody in their right mind would sign up for it. Instead, you should start with figuring out **what benefits your customers would gain from being in your group.** The possibilities are endless: - unlimited access to otherwise restricted content, - a peak into behind the scenes of your company, - early access to your services and products, - chance to acquire gifts, sales, or free samples. If you want to build something stronger — a highly-interactive, engaged community that will last for more than a year — you need to go a step further. You need to offer a **lifestyle.** And the best example of that is Gymshark, a leading brand in the fitness industry that connects people who share the same passion and goals. First of all, Gymshark doesn’t speak of their consumers as “clients”; they’ve chosen the word **family**, to shorten the distance. If it’s all semantics to you, think again — this is one of the simplest yet most effective ways of telling your clients you value them. The emotional connection sparks immediately. To strike while the iron is hot, Gymshark amplifies that sense of belonging in different ways. First, it organizes meet-ups and even whole [world tours](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP3pGSjBwbU&t=132s&ab%5Fchannel=Gymshark), where the fans can get to know each other and share their experiences. Secondly, anyone that uses the #Gymshark66 tag on their Instagram photo can get featured in the [Fam Friday](https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17911352587630529/) stories. Next, Gymshark hosts different challenges that can be done at home, encourages meaningful discussions ([#TalkTuesdays](https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17879776877219411/)), and reminds people of the importance of rest and mental health, all while [sharing tips and advice](https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17879776877219411/). Last but not least, Gymshark has released its own training app [entirely for free](https://central.gymshark.com/article/the-gymshark-training-app-for-ios-and-android). To sum it up, Gymshark goes the extra mile to **motivate, support, and inspire** its customers. It never fails to deliver value and hardly ever uses its social media to generate direct sales — instead, it focuses on promoting a specific lifestyle and community. The sales will follow on their own. **CONCLUSION** To keep your consumers engaged with your brand, you need to create a strong, supportive community that promotes a specific lifestyle based on shared values and goals. ## **Create loyalty programs** What if your company doesn’t sell products or services that are suitable for creating such a stellar customer journey, or you don’t have the means and resources to commit to such a venture? Consider loyalty programs. Loyalty programs are less community-oriented and they feel more transactional. The message basically is: “If you become our loyal client, you’ll pay less for our products or services”. This can mean more sale offers, best bargains, access to free samples, discount cards, and special deals for birthdays. In return, you should expect an easier time selling — it’s way easier to convince existing customers to make a purchase ( [60–70% chance](https://altfeldinc.com/pdfs/Customer%20Loyalty.pdf)) than to acquire new ones. In theory. In practice, while [more than 90% of companies](https://www.accenture.com/%5Facnmedia/pdf-43/accenture-strategy-gcpr-customer-loyalty.pdf) have some kind of loyalty program, most of them are doing it wrong, generating more costs than profit. What’s the issue? ### **Exclusivity** First of all, loyalty programs only work well when they’re [geared towards the best of your clients](https://hbr.org/1995/05/do-rewards-really-create-loyalty), those who have a longer than average history of engaging with your brand. If you offer your programs to everyone, you’ll attract opportunity-seekers who keep jumping back and forth between different companies whenever they see a new bargain. They’re not here to stay. Sephora’s famous program, [Beauty Insider](https://www.sephora.com/profile/BeautyInsider), made the wise decision to introduce three tiers: Insider, VIB, and Rogue. The first one is free to join but in order to advance you need to spend $350 and $1000 a year respectively. Each tier comes with its own perks and benefits, many of which are personalized. This approach allows Sephora to better control the program. Because of the three tiers, they make sure that they don’t spend much on low-quality clients while rewarding the best ones. Also, the tiers bring out the competitive spirit in clients, encourage them to spend more, and entice them with a highly exclusive community of the last tier. As a result, [80% of sales are driven by the loyalty program’s members](https://www.annexcloud.com/blog/sephoras-loyalty-program-beauty-insider/). **CONCLUSION:** By catering to everyone, you might attract the wrong crowd that’s interested in a one-time gain. Instead, try to employ a strategy that rewards only those who are already ### **Personalization** Personalization on a great scale, achieved through machine learning, is the key to Starbucks’ success — its loyalty rewards app is the most regularly used, according to [Manifest’s survey](https://themanifest.com/app-development/blog/food-delivery-restaurant-loyalty-apps). What makes it so addictive? By analyzing the behavior of its users and most importantly their spending habits, Starbucks ensures that rewards are suited to each consumer. After all, it would be a disappointment to get a pumpkin spice latte if you hate it with a passion. Moreover, the app is just too useful — it allows us to check the nearest shops, see their menus, and order in advance, giving us a head start in the morning rush. It’s a convenient solution to the most common of problems. Now, Starbucks wants to go the extra mile by planning to [include NFT rewards](https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/starbucks-is-about-to-make-a-controversial-change-to-its-rewards-program-some-customers-are-going-to-love-it.html) in their app. While it’s a controversial move, it shows a smart approach in trying to anticipate trends and cater to their clients’ true desires. **CONCLUSION:** Personalization is the way to go in gaining your client’s trust and friendship. Once you convince them you care about them, they’ll be more willing to spend more on your brand. And research supports that — [90% of consumers](https://shopcircle.co/blog-posts/the-importance-of-a-personalized-experience-for-your-customers) view personalized marketing as somewhat or very appealing. ### **Referrals** Another way to approach loyalty programs is to combine them with referrals. Once you’ve figured out who has reached the heights of customer satisfaction, you can try to convert them into brand advocates. After all, people love sharing their experiences with others, good or bad — so if you deliver either a horrendous customer experience or surprise them with a truly delightful one, they’ll share that with their network. You can encourage them to do it more purposefully by offering all sorts of rewards (longer subscription, better prices, discounts, etc.) in exchange for convincing other people to join. This tactic is often used by banks — for example, [Broadway Bank offers $50](https://www.extole.com/blog/9-bank-referral-programs-that-drive-conversions-and-increase-loyalty/) for both the existing customer and the new one. This way, the existing customer can earn up to $500 annually. The most difficult part of asking for referrals is **nailing down the right moment.** You can’t ask for the referrals too soon, but it’s also risky to leave it too late – once the excitement has dried up, the moment for referrals has passed . You need to find the time when they’re the happiest — maybe it’s a week after making a purchase, after they’ve left the review, or once they’ve upgraded to a more expensive subscription plan. There’s no universal answer, so you’ll have to test it out yourself. **CONCLUSION:** Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool that combined with loyalty programs can help you acquire new customers more efficiently. After all, [people trust their friends more than the brands themselves](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/social-media-users-trust-fellow-consumers-more-than-brands-study-finds/552994/) — so turn that to your advantage! ## **How to increase customer engagement: Final words** We hope that with these customer engagement examples, you’ll be able to create your own customer engagement marketing strategy that’ll stay true to your brand while enriching the lives of your clients. Remember that the most important thing is to get to know them as much as possible — only then will you be able to create a relevant experience they can’t get enough of. Also, times are changing. Consumers expect more of businesses than ever before and there are more factors to be taken into account before coming to any purchasing decisions. Put yourself in their shoes and figure out what value they gain from you, every step of the way. *Originally published at* [*https://getzendo.io*](https://getzendo.io/blog/how-to-increase-customer-engagement/) *on September 22, 2022.* ### 5 tips to write a killer case study URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/five-tips-to-write-a-killer-case-study/ Last updated: 2023-03-07T14:55:00.000Z For the entirety of my career, I’ve told stories. Personal profiles, crime reports, pop culture features, obituaries and case studies are some of the formats I used to paint pictures with words. And over the years, I learned valuable lessons. Never underestimate the Bronx. (Case in point: [“Nude dining on menu”](https://www.bxtimes.com/nude-dining-on-menu/).) And don’t forget to be human. Common sense, right? You’d think. But time and time again, we (marketers, copywriters, corporate storytellers) continue to forget the basics. If you’re responsible for writing case studies — showcasing the value of your corporate brand through customer stories — let me lend a hand. After transitioning from the world of news to corporate America, case studies were one of my favorite pieces to write. They allowed me to dig in and learn about customers’ unique successes. But they weren’t easy. And if you’re responsible for your organization’s case studies, like I was, you know there are many roadblocks between you and that polished piece of marketing gold. So let’s review five tips that will help you and your customers create a winning case study! ## **Tip #1: It’s not all about you.** It’s about the customer. Period. You want to showcase them in a case study because they did something awesome, right? That’s their success — not yours. Did your product help them achieve it? Sure. But that’s not the main point. Case studies shouldn’t be a commercial about your organization. They should highlight the incredible/inventive/successful ways the customer did a thing. Interview, write and produce the copy with this in mind, and you’ll both reap the benefits. Remember, your organization is publishing the case study, so no one is going to wonder who the customer’s taking about. Let them shine, and your org will have a backseat win. ## **Tip #2: Time is on your side.** We all love a big sale. But asking a customer to participate in a case study the moment (or even mere weeks) after they signed on the dotted line isn’t best for anyone. Give them time. Not only do they need to complete a successful onboarding, but they also need enough time to demonstrate change. The bulk of your case study should focus on how your organization/product(s) helped them achieve success in their environment. They can’t begin to explain that until they’ve used it for a period of time. To our friends in sales, (this may sting) you shouldn’t even approach a customer about participating in a case study until they’ve been with you for a minimum of six months. So take a breath and wait. ## **Tip #3: Prepare for your interview.** You may be thinking, “Wow, Jeni. Thanks for that bit of common sense.” But stay with me. These steps are often overlooked in the rush to get a shiny new story. But keeping them in mind will help set you up for success: ### **Don’t call it an interview (if possible).** - Most people hate being interviewed. But they love having conversations about what they're doing well. When scheduling, consider this subject line: *Sharing the \[insert name of company\] story* It’s a conversation, not an interview. ;) ### **Be mindful of who you interview.** - While it’s always nice to have a quote from the university president, CEO or hospital president, don’t spend the majority of your time with these folks. Talk to the people who use your product the most, as they’re the ones who know the benefits it provides. ### **Draft a list of questions that tell the story you want to tell.** - When your questions have a good, natural flow, so will the conversation. And this will lead to far more (and better) content. ### **Make your questions short and clear.** - If your question is so long that you lost your interviewee before you finished talking, you’re making things too complicated. Short and clear wins the race. ### **Don’t give the questions in advance.** - If you can avoid it, don’t share the questions before the interview. When you do, you’ll get canned, unnatural-sounding responses. This is especially important if you’re recording the interview for a video case study. Always aim for on-the-spot, genuine reactions. ## **Tip #4: Consider the perspectives.** Remember how I said to focus the majority of the interviews on the people who use your product the most? Do that, but don’t only use their voices. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is — ahem — people get lazy. Interviewing one or two people is not good enough for an in-depth case study. Let me repeat…if you are only getting the voices/perspectives of one or two individuals at an organization, there’s a very high chance you’re missing critical content. For less complex stories, I recommend interviewing a minimum of three people. For more complex stories, you’ll chat with more. But don’t go overboard either. Be mindful of why you’re talking with each person. What unique information do they hold? How will they enhance the story? ## **Tip #5: Dedicate the time (in person) they deserve.** If you’re able to conduct the interviews for a case study in person, it will turn out better than if they’re remote. That’s because the basis of getting a good story is the relationship you have with the individuals who you’re asking to participate. And…probably no surprise…it’s much easier to create genuine relationships with people when you’re in person. Meeting with your customers at their location also shows that your organization respects and appreciates their work and is willing to dedicate the time and dollars to send you on site. I’ve received this exact feedback from customers multiple times after traveling to them to tell their story. They were extremely grateful and remain some of my most dedicated customers to this day. In summary, when it comes to everything you can (and should do) to create a quality case study, the above content only scratches the surface. But these tips will put you on the right path. And if you remember to always put your customer at the center, to shine the light on them and their success, you’ll build a strong foundation for a stellar piece. Have fun on your case study journey! Not ready to finish learning? We've got a few more components up our sleeve.... [Three critical components to consider for your next case studyBefore we get to utilize social proof, we need a way to get that information. The big question here is, how do we get to see the world as our customers see it? How might we put ourselves in their headspace?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAdam Thomas![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/3-components-to-consider-in-case-study--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/three-critical-components-to-consider-for-your-next-case-study/) ### How consumer choice and cloud hyperscalers have changed the way B2B products are brought to market URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-consumer-choice-and-cloud-hyperscalers-have-changed-the-way-telus-brings-b2b-products-to-market/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:35:30.000Z *(This article was transcribed from our sister community, PMA, Customer Marketing Summit from 2021.)* This was a conversation between: **Ryan Tollofson**, Director of Emerging Communications & Strategic Marketing (previously Director of Next Gen Communication & Implementation Services) at Telus Partner Solutions. **Ayushman Sen**, Director of Stategy and Sales Enablement (previously Director of Customer Marketing) at Telus Partner Solutions. ## **Have you seen an evolution of new customer segments in the telco space?** **Ayushman Sen:** The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that segments have evolved significantly over time. I'll just give a snapshot of the last 30 years. There was a time when telco connectivity fundamentally meant landlines – most of us are old enough to remember that from our younger years. The internet was in its infancy and connectivity over long distances was expensive and dominated by national carriers. Think about where we are today. It’s such a different word. There are so many different ways in which connectivity is done. We still have landlines – they’re not yet completely dead. We also have voice over internet – think of WhatsApp and Zoom and all the other over-the-top applications that allow us to talk to each other. There’s video chat, and there’s interactive chat, where you can collaborate and work with each other. What was at one point in time a sector based purely on voice communication has now spread into different types of communication, cooperation, and collaboration between different people, and different tools allow you to do those different things. As an individual, you probably use different solutions for different requirements. You probably call your parents on the phone and use something like WhatsApp to talk to your friends. At work, you might be using Microsoft Teams or something similar. Looking at how communication has transformed and spread allows us to appreciate how, within the communication service provider industry, we now have multiple different entities, segments, and ways to provide that service. Let's take a very specific example to answer your question. Broadly speaking, we have two categories of communication services in telco today. One is where we provide the solution directly to the customer, whether it's a consumer or a business. A good example is when you buy a mobile phone from Telus, you are dealing directly with a telco – us. Now let's take the other category, where you use a network that was built by a telecommunications company, but you don’t deal directly with that company. A very simple example of that would be a Zoom call. The internet is flowing on a telecommunication infrastructure – either a phone line or the internet – but the interface is provided by a different entity. That means that we, as the wholesale telecommunication service provider, need to think about how to enable the end customer. We, of course, continue to invest in our direct catering, but it is just as important that we take responsibility for ensuring that these secondary ways of reaching the end customers are equally enabled and efficient, so that we can do our part to support communication for business or personal needs. **Ryan Tollofson:** Ayush, I agree completely with you. One way to look at it is that telcos were once in the business of providing dial tone, and then internet, but we’re more in the information management business today, and that changes who we're dealing with. In the carrier services or wholesale arm, we focus on enabling other telcos, but now we're also dealing with media companies and advertisers. We're in a world of media. There's lots of convergence happening, and that changes who our customers are, and therefore how we approach them, reach them, and engage them. ## **How are you adjusting to this change in customer segments?** **Ryan Tollofson:** Well, many things have changed, but many things have also stayed the same. I'll start with an element that hasn't changed much lately, which is that we're in a space of coopetition. We're both collaborating and competing with partners and other telcos, so there are some pretty advanced channel dynamics happening within our space. That's not necessarily new, but the scale and the pace at which we are doing collaboration have certainly changed. In partner solutions, we work with the four C's framework. Coopetition is C number one, and then our second C is collaboration. I think how we collaborate with partners has changed a lot. In the past, it was very regulated, very process driven, and very mandated. There's still some element of that; that's never going to go away in this space. Now that we collaborate at the business level, we also need to look at the value we’re creating together, how we go to market together, how we do co-marketing, and how we co-develop our solutions. That changes a lot of the conversation and steers it towards creating shared incentives and making sure that there's shared risk and shared opportunity. The third C is being customer-obsessed. We have to start with understanding the customer's needs and making sure that they are satisfied. If nothing else, the main reason for that is advocacy. We want to be able to replicate customers. We want to be able to multiply their satisfaction, create referrals, use them for testimonials, and make sure that they're able to get value out of what we're delivering them every single day. At Telus, we’re customer-obsessed, and we prefer to work with partners who are too so that together we can create that value. The fourth C, which is extremely critical, is culture. Telus has invested a lot of money, time, energy, and passion into our culture. We use culture as a rubric to decide how to form partnerships that will enable us to deliver value together. It’s part of our employee programming, our go-to-market programming, and our branding. Our branding is quite strong. The brand story has evolved, but it hasn't really changed in the last 20 years. I think it's a very powerful brand, and it's rooted in a culture of delivering value to our customers and to society as a whole and making sure that social capitalism is part of everything we do. ## **Why are product and customer marketing important in B2B ICT, and how have they evolved?** **Ryan Tollofson:** That’s a very timely question. I suspect there are probably a few software people reading this as well as telco people. I have worked on both sides, and I think that our software colleagues may be slightly ahead of telco in this space, but we are catching up. Where I think we have shared understanding is in the fact that we have to build our products and our go-to-market with customer needs at the center. Traditionally, many telcos have focused on taking products to market and then positioning the value of those products, whether you need them or not. Really, the goal of product marketing and customer marketing is to flip that process and work from the outside in to develop a product that delights the customer and meets the needs that they aren't even able to articulate. That's not easy to do when you're selling minutes, mobile phones, wavelengths, or pipeline facilities. From a telco perspective, those are widgets, and positioning them is how our sector has grown for a long time. Now that we're competing against media companies and over-the-top players, as well as competing for your attention in a sea of advertisements and offerings, everything has turned on its head. Taking telco from a place where we just put widgets onto the market to a place where we’re actively understanding customer needs and serving those needs with a product or solution is a pretty big reversal for us. I'm on the product marketing side for our Next Gen voice; I also work on product management and product development as part of that. I wouldn't be able to do my job if I didn't have the support of the customer marketing organization to reach out to our customers and understand what they need. Similarly, when I'm trying to develop a product and bring it to market, we work very collaboratively to make sure that we are communicating the value of that product and enabling all of our cross-functional teams. I, in turn, then take the customer's needs and make sure that we can develop a product that meets them in a timely fashion, and then package and price it. In summary, going from just pushing products out to understanding how to satisfy needs has been a big change for us. **Ayushman Sen:** You got it bang on, Ryan. I'll wrap it up with three points on how customer marketing has changed. I'll tell you how it was even a few years ago, how that was already changing, and how COVID has accelerated that change and taken it to a completely different scale. Initially, as a telco, we had a commodity service of connectivity, which offered a good rate and a guarantee that the quality would be good. We had a laundry list of services, which we would take to people who needed connectivity through different forms of advertisement. They would pick and choose and go with the solution that was most appropriate in terms of quality and price point. That's it. Customer marketing was over. Today, if you just think of all the different ways communication is enabled, you just can’t do that anymore. You can’t go with your list and expect people to identify which item on that list is most suitable for them. You have to know who is going to be seeing your list. You have to segment them, understand which part of your solution is appropriate to them, and understand why it is appropriate because they will not use all of your solutions in the same way. The same solution can have a very different application between one customer and another, so the story you're telling has to be presented with a case study or a video illustrating why you, Customer A would want our solution, which might be very different from why Mr. Customer B would want the same solution. That understanding of taking the right message to the right customer has certainly become more nuanced, more strategic, and imperative to success. The other thing that has evolved as things have gotten more and more digital is that what was previously unknown has started becoming known. There are digital footprints everywhere. There’s customer intent data and there’s customer intelligence data. It comes in multiple forms including cookies and forms that customers fill in. Some of that data is in marketing reports. Some of it is collected by aggregators. All that information helps you to understand what the customer desires. We convert that into a better story for our customers. That's a relatively new thing that has developed in recent years, and it’s driving a lot of change in who we take the story to and what story we present. Lastly, there’s digital selling, which was greatly impacted by COVID. Digital selling was already picking up on the consumer side of the business. People were getting comfortable with ordering cellphones on the internet, for example. On the B2B side, people still wanted to have personal relationships because they were often spending millions of dollars on a contract. It's instinctively difficult for us humans to do that – just filling in a few forms and hoping that whoever is on the other end of the form does their work without putting a face to it. It's a human instinct, right? That human instinct was broken by COVID. People still managed to continue their business, and in fact, connectivity became the crux of your ability to connect the business. We moved to a virtual world and a digital selling space, and we had to rethink how we build those relationships and engage the customer when we can’t take them to a restaurant or meet them at an event. Customer engagement became a kind of mystery land where everyone tried out different things. I’d be lying if I said this problem has been completely solved. A lot of different solutions have come up, some successful, some not. We have seen virtual conferences with varying levels of success. We’ve seen webinars, where you send targeted invitations to people to come and see a specific part of the solution. My personal take is that the success of these virtual engagements depends on a combination of the homework you’ve done to understand who you're talking to and what you're talking about, but also a bit of empathy and retaining that personal touch. That’s difficult to do over a virtual call because you can't shake hands or share a coffee. A combination of those two, if they’re done effectively, will help you to be successful as we retain digital marketing going forward, even when COVID is over. **Ryan Tollofson:** That’s a great perspective, Ayush. I would add only one thing, which is that customer expectations are now quite high. We’ve become accustomed to being able to do what we're trying to do in an online meeting. Also, when we moved in droves from home lines to cellphones, there was no forgiveness for call quality – we expected it to work exactly like a landline. Our job is to understand customer expectations when they’re continually accelerating. We also have to think about the value chain. We're not only selling to organizations, particularly with a mission-critical service like telecommunications; we're also selling to the market of one. Every single person in an organization who's using your service is going to want it to work. They’re going to have opinions about its quality and specific perspectives on how they want to use it. Therefore, we need to be able to tackle organizational needs along with each individual user. It certainly isn't for the faint of heart, Ayush, so I’m glad you're doing customer marketing instead of me. ## **Need a refresher on B2B Marketing?** B2B and B2C businesses will work quite differently when it comes to customers and marketing to those customers. The different customer segmentation types will be more varied than, say, two B2B companies, due to whether or not they’re interacting with an individual customer or a multi-level organization. In this article covers: - The difference between B2B and B2C companies, - Why this difference is important, - The differences in their customer bases and, - How they market to them when making sales. [Get a refresh ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-quality-strategies-by-learning-differences-in-b2b-and-b2c-marketing/) ### Perfect your customer marketing practices with Consumer Psychology Certified URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-marketing-practices-with-consumer-psychology-certified/ Last updated: 2025-01-17T12:06:36.000Z Consumer Psychology isn't created in isolation. It pulls in multiple skills from multiple departments, which is why this course is created with product marketers, product managers, customer success, and more.. Built in partnership with our sister community, Product Marketing Alliance, it covers everything you and your cross-collaborative colleagues need to excel in every area of this essential business skill. ## **Course overview** Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could line our customers up, throw on a pair of magic goggles and read all of their minds? Imagine the insights you could collect to influence your entire product marketing strategy. We might not have magic but we do have a consumer psychology aficionado on hand to lead you through this Masters Certification. Consumer psychology, or customer psychology, is the field of understanding why we buy and consume. It includes the choices we make, how we make them, what influences us, whether we purchase something or not, how social dynamics play a role, and much more. **The Consumer Psychology Certified: Masters** course delves into the fascinating and intrinsic relationship between consumer psychology and product marketing approaches. It’ll take you through important topics like what is consumer psychology, what is the importance of consumer behavior, what affects consumer behavior, and how consumer psychology is used by marketers. [Enroll today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/consumer-psychology-masters) ## **By the end of this course you'll:** 🧠 Better understand how to group pain and gain. 🧠 Understand how personal factors and individual differences affect people's buying choices. 🧠 Be able to identify what your customer’s default action is. 🧠 Understand how environmental variables such as friends, family, media, culture, and competitors influence buying decisions. 🧠 Understand what motivates people to choose one product over another. 🧠 Know how to identify what’s going to get your customers fired up and talking. --- > *"The Consumer Psychology course led by Alex Chahin is just a great addition to an impressive list of Masterclasses. The course covers all-things consumer behavior and shares fresh ideas for connecting deeper with customers. " *\- Iman Bayatra - Head of Product Marketing Strategy at Coachendo** ## **Meet your instructor...** Alex Chahin is the Senior Director of Product Marketing at hims & hers. He previously worked at leading ride-sharing app, Lyft, climbing the ranks from Product Marketing Manager to Senior Product Marketing Manager to Head of Core Rider Product Marketing. He also has names like American Express and Fisher-Price under his professional belt. Quite the resume, huh? We’ll be leaving all course attendees in very capable hands. ## **What's included when I enroll?** 👨🏼‍💻 4+ hours of course content. 🔥 Evidence-backed concepts, real-world case studies, and actionable ideas that you can apply in your daily work. ✅ 168 exam questions to consolidate the course curriculum. 👌 Lifetime access to all the course’s content - including future updates. 🧠 Facility to ask text-based questions throughout, all of which are answered by a PMM leader. 🔖 Official certification if you pass all the exams. ⏳ 100% self-paced - learn at a time and pace that works for you. [Get certified today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/consumer-psychology-masters) ### Tell a story they can't ignore: A CMA masterclass in narrative design URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tell-a-story-they-cant-ignore-a-masterclass-in-narrative-design/ Last updated: 2025-01-17T12:54:26.000Z Whether you’re a startup founder trying to secure funding, a Customer Marketing Director looking to transform your company's positioning, or an individual contributor looking to blow away marketing leadership with your storytelling skills, this course will give you the most cutting-edge approach to storytelling and positioning available today. ## Course overview Throughout this certification, you’ll be taken through a practical and actionable step-by-step framework centered around helping you define your product’s narrative. Including real-life case studies, awesome narrative design examples in action, the pitching process, best practices, how to get your company invested, and more, it’s packed to the rafters with everything you need to create a repeatable process and propel your product’s growth. ## Completing this course will help you… 📖 Blow away marketing leadership with your **storytelling skills**. 🔥 Help your company **stand out** from the crowd. 💪 **Elevate** yourself and your product marketing function. 🚗 Drive real and tangible **organization-wide change**. 👊 Learn from the man who’s **spearheading** narrative design. > *"This course made me realize how much I’ve been stuck in the marketing storytelling rut of 'problem/solution/we’re the best.' Marcus does a great job of outlining the process to flip the conversation to take the focus off of your company and focus on your customers to tell a story that will break through and stand out even in the most crowded markets. The class comes with a great set of tools and a great real-world case study. I highly recommend."* **\- Elisa Lippincott, Principal, 917 Productions** [Get certified today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/narrative-design-masters) --- ## You’re in good hands Meet your instructor: Marcus Andrews is the Director of Product Marketing at Pendo.io. Before joining Pendo.io, he was the Product Marketing Group Lead at HubSpot and prior to that, he spent almost four years at Google. He’s been a solid storyteller all his life, but it wasn’t until he developed the Narrative Design process that he was able to codify, replicate, and consistently create amazing stories. Throughout this masterclass, he’ll be sharing the secret sauce behind his repeatable process so that you too can be recognized as a great storyteller. ## What’s included when you enroll 👨🏼‍💻 **3+ hours** of **OnDemand course content** for you to work through at your own pace. ✅ **57 exam questions** to consolidate your learning and earn official certification. 👌 Real-life **case studies** of Marcus’ framework rolled out. 🎬 **Activities** to put all the theory into action. 🔥 **Mock pitch process** to help you prepare for your all-important business case. 📹 40-minute Q&A with **Dave Gerhardt**, CMO at Privy 💻 Exclusive access to a **narrative design alumni** channel in Slack. 🔖 Narrative Design **certification** if you pass all the exams. ## Tell a story they can't ignore > *"I thoroughly enjoyed this course!! It was sooo helpful. Not only were you able to dig further into the process that he went through at HubSpot but he also ran through a case study at another company he worked with and gave clear examples of how to execute on something like this internally and externally. I can't wait to use this with my own company!"* \-**Ashley Herbert, Head of Product Marketing at Recruitee** [ Get certified in Narrative Design today.](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/narrative-design-masters) --- ### Customer Advisory Boards: What they are and how to do them well URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advisory-boards-what-they-are-and-how-to-do-them-well/ Last updated: 2026-02-06T13:07:12.000Z With the launch of our [Customer Advisory Board Master’s course](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters), we wanted to mark the occasion by discussing the basics: what a Customer Advisory Board is and how they’re done well. We’ll be covering the following: - What Customer Advisory Boards are, - How it’s involved with customer marketing, and - Some best practices. ## **What is a Customer Advisory Board?** Customer Advisory Boards (CAB) is a case of the name ‘doing what it says on the tin’. A CAB is a group of existing customers that helps brief the company on the experience with their product, offers information on what it’s like to be a customer, and advises them on other areas where the company and customer interaction is common. Simple, right? But a Customer Advisory Board does more than just provide information; you can get similar data from [surveys and focus groups](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/), so why else would a company put a CAB together? ## **Why do you need a Customer Advisory Board?** There are many advantages to setting up a CAB for companies that have a direct interest in being customer-centric in their approach to conducting business and business changes. Customer Advisory Boards usually benefit companies that already have a good customer-to-business connection, as to be effective, it has to begin with a good foundation. That way, CABs can be used to the best of their effectiveness. Here are some of the perks: - **It offers a direct link to your customers**, in a way that is personal and guarantees a more solid and tangible connection to them. - **Helps provide direction**, both in where to take your company and your products to better align with your customers’ priorities. - **Creates champions for your brand.** Customer Advisory Boards work well when connected to an [advocacy program](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-can-customer-advocacy-boost-your-business-success/). [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## **Customer Advisory Boards and customer marketing** CABs have similar intentions when it comes to improving your company's processes as customer marketing. Customer marketing often has a hand in setting up and running such boards alongside other customer engagement campaigns. The advantages to having input from customer marketing with your CAB are numerous, but here are a few: - **Specialization** \- Customer Advisory Boards will have different motivations and priorities depending on the company and the customer base connected to it. Customer marketers are in a unique position with their intimate knowledge of both your company and your customer base to help you work out these specifics. - **Commitment** \- Customer Advisory Boards require dedication to these customers, and with customer marketing being a team that’s dedicated exclusively to your existing customers, they're some of the best people in your organization to section out time for your board. A CAB is an area that requires a lot of dedication and commitment. Without the motivation being there on either side of the board, the whole thing will crumble and fall apart. - **CABs evolve customer engagement** \- Customer Advisory Boards are essentially an evolution of other customer engagement programs. Customer marketing responsibilities are all about improving customer engagement and [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tag/customer-retention/page/2/). So, CABs are right up their alley. With their expertise in [customer collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tag/customer-collaboration/), they’re a great choice for running this type of campaign. - **CABs inform your techniques -** CABs ensure a close customer relationship by involving these customers in how you run your marketing campaigns. Their insights into your customer journey are the key to improving customer acquisition and retaining customers in a relatively cost effective manner. Understanding why they became loyal customers can give you hints into the techinques that work for your target audience and increasing both the number of new customers and customers that make a repeat purchase. ## **Best practices for Customer Advisory Boards** ### **Set specific goals** Knowing you want to connect better with your customers is all well and good, but without a tangible direction, a CAB is going to be more of a hindrance than a help. Like with any board, discussing important topics in a large group can quickly go wrong if there’s confusion and miscommunication behind the goal you’re working towards. So, make sure everyone knows why they’re there, and the goal the CAB is working towards. The aim should be specific and achievable within a specific time period. That way, the CAB will have achievable milestones to prove its success. ### **Choose ideal candidates** Picking the right people for this kind of board is vital. Intentions must align and, most importantly, there should be a universal desire for your company to succeed. This is why it can be a good idea to set up a CAB that’s connected to your advocacy program. You already know these customers well and their loyalty is near-guaranteed, so you know that these customers have the same passion as you do for improving your company’s policies and direction. ### **Create an agenda** This goes in hand with the first point, but knowing what you want to complete within each meeting will help things from going too off the rails, especially when feelings are involved. A time limit can go a long way to make sure any bigger personalities and issues don’t delay the other points you have planned for discussion. ## **Become a Customer Advisory Board master** CMA has launched its Master's certification for Customer Advisory Boards. This certification will equip you with the actionable tools, knowledge, and know-how needed to grasp the ins and outs of CABs. - Unsure how to get business buy-in from key stakeholders? - Don’t know how to source ideal CABs members? - Struggling to prepare an awesome agenda? We’ve included every minute detail, every morsel of information, every fundamental topic to ensure your next (or first!) CAB has the AI factor - action and impact. [Become a Master now](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advisory-board-certified-masters) ### Perfect your Customer Advisory Boards with CMA Masters Certified URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/perfect-your-customer-advisory-boards-understand-your-audience-and-boost-your-revenue/ Last updated: 2025-01-17T12:31:20.000Z CABs aren't created in isolation. They pulls in **multiple** skills from **multiple** departments, which is why this course is created with **product marketers, product managers, customer success - and more, in mind**. Built in partnership with our **sister-community, Product Marketing Alliance**, it covers everything you and your cross-collaborative colleagues need to excel in every area of this essential business skill. Learn from an expert in the Customer Advisory Boards field. 👇 ## Course overview Join Bree Bunzel, Head of Global Customer Marketing at Dropbox, as she shares her must-have insights and experience to help you solidify your understanding of Customer Advisory Boards. Unsure how to get business buy-in from key stakeholders? It’s all here. Dunno how to source ideal CABs members? It’s all here. Struggling to prepare an awesome agenda? Yep, you got it - it’s all here. Plus so much more! We’ve included every minute detail, every morsel of information, every fundamental topic to ensure your next (or first!) CAB has the AI factor - action and impact. **180 minutes. 1 expert. Endless takeaways.** ## Completing this course will help you… This CABs certification will help you: ✅ Understand the strategic benefits of Customer Advisory Boards 🙌 Get business buy-in from key stakeholders 🏗 Build successful Customer Advisory Boards 👊 Outline objectives and key themes 😃 Turn negative feedback into positive outcomes 👀 Define roles and responsibilities 🔥 Drive engagement among your members 🗣 Consolidate feedback and introduce action points 👌 Source ideal CAB members 👨‍💻 Prepare an awesome agenda 📊 Understand key CABs metrics Brand-new to CABs? We’ll show you the ropes. Experienced in the area? We’ll teach you new tricks. 😏 > *"If you're planning on launching your first CAB, drop everything you're doing and take this course! Not only will it provide you with valuable resources and frameworks, but it'll also help you avoid a lot of 'first time CAB' mistakes and pitfalls."* \- **Mark Assini, Product Marketing Manager at Voices** [Enroll today](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) ## **Meet your instructor…** Bree Bunzel, Head of Global Customer Marketing at Dropbox. is a bonafide expert in Customer Advisory Boards. An instructor with a 100% satisfaction rating for CAB customer experience, Bree has spearheaded a global CAB blueprint leveraged by a new events and marketing team. After experiencing one of Bree’s sessions first-hand, the former Chief Operating Officer at Dropbox enthused: “In all my years leading, this was a best-in-class Customer Advisory Board experience.” Now, with an expert with over a decade of experience, she’s fine-tuned her acumen and is primed to impart her pearls of wisdom to you. You’re in for a treat. 🔥 What's included in the course? 🎥 Expert video tuition. 🛠 3 tried, tested, and vetted templates. 📜 Coveted certification to show off to your colleagues. 🧠 Real-life case studies from a seasoned CABs expert. ⏳ On-demand access to course content forever. 💬 5 expert-led discussions. ## **The course will help you to…** 👇 Produce an awesome Customer Advisory Board 👇 Get key customer insights 👇 Enhance your product 👇 Keep consumers happy 🤑 Boost your revenue This certification will equip you with the actionable tools, knowledge, and know-how needed to grasp the ins and outs of CABs. ## Get certified today > *"There’s few better ways to get closer to your customers that a Customer Advisory Board (CAB) and in this course, the inimitable Bree Bunzel takes us through her well practiced 7-step recipe for delivering CAB excellence. Learn the steps, get expert advice from CAB leaders and all the tools you need to deliver your CAB, even if it’s your first time."* \- **Harvey Lee, Product Marketing & Innovation Director at Avast** [Get certified now](https://learn.customermarketingalliance.com/course/customer-advisory-board-masters) --- ### ABM and Customer Marketing: a one-two punch for the recession economy URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/abm-and-customer-marketing-a-one-two-punch-for-the-recession-economy/ Last updated: 2022-10-07T11:00:04.000Z Customer marketing is the fastest growing marketing discipline. As Base CEO Gal Biran highlighted in his keynote at [Obsession 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbL9Fq8hDLc&list=PLe3vrYZn6wun9W77smRYQm8VVukRGbsLk&index=10), it was the third fastest growing open position amongst all LinkedIn jobs posted over the past five years. And for a good reason. According to Forrester, companies that are “customer-obsessed” are 3x more likely to see both revenue and retention growth. For subscription-based companies, these two are highly correlated. ![Pyramid chart showing the account-based customer marketing framework. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/10/for-article.jpeg) With the economy cooling down, the customer base is the ultimate shock absorber, allowing companies to keep growing even when new buyers are harder to come by and sales cycles elongate. It is no wonder that [NRR](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/15/why-nrr-net-revenue-retention-is-the-one-metric-to-rule-them-all-for-saas/) and [NDR](https://sethlevine.com/archives/2021/03/net-dollar-retention-vs-net-revenue-retention.html) are considered leading indicators of value for SaaS companies. ## **Customer marketing is more than customer advocacy** Customer advocacy is important, but it is only a tactical manifestation of what I believe is the real goal of customer marketing. Customer marketing is about maximizing value to customers. If we obsess about delivering value to customers, adoption, loyalty, revenues, and advocacy will follow. ![Graph showing the behaviors and outcomes impacted by customer marketing - adoption, values, acquisition etc. ](https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/D5612AQFSodcVOdaUlg/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1656597176931?e=1670457600&v=beta&t=OuK_lWv7IkVTL4s2GfpaxHWgdd5foaRKxKjh7jxDjBM) ## **Why ABM is a perfect fit for customer marketing** ABM is all about knowing our audience and tailoring our marketing programs to specific accounts and relevant personas within these accounts. By definition, we know more about existing customers than about our prospects, which means that we have more data we can use to tailor our programs for these accounts. ## **The Account-based Customer Marketing Framework** To drive value to customers, it is important to consider that different accounts (and sometimes groups within the account) are at different stages of maturity in terms of value recognition. At each stage, they can benefit from different types of customer marketing programs. ### **One-to-Many Programs: Driving adoption** This is the baseline level of customer marketing programs, since we cannot deliver value without adoption. The goal here is to increase awareness to the benefits of our solution, provide onboarding guidance and usage tips, and highlight the success of other customers to create motivation (FOMO works!) Programs used here typically include a user community, onboarding emails, customer newsletters, and other programs that can be executed at scale across the customer base. ### **One-to-Few Programs: Promoting best practices to increase value** At this stage, the goal is to increase value to the customer by promoting best practices and guiding users towards more advanced functions of our solution. Here, we have to get more nuanced and craft tailored programs for specific use cases. Programs used at this stage can include best practices webinars, nurture emails, and product roundtables. ### **One-to-One Programs: Strategic engagement and value recognition** At the top of the pyramid we have our strategic customers, where we work closely with our customer success team and our champions within the account to drive adoption, best practices, and value recognition. To help the customer recognize and articulate the value we deliver, we partner with the account to define clear KPIs and work with them to ensure these can be measured over time. ## **Customer personas** The personas we engage with at the customer account get gradually more refined and more senior as we move from broad reach to more targeted programs. One-to-Many programs are mostly designed for users, while One-to-Few programs put a heavy emphasis on super users and product champions within the account. One-to-One programs add top execs and decision makers to the mix. ## **You can’t do it alone** As the focus of customer marketing expands from advocacy to the entire customer value journey, collaborations with other customer touch points within the organization becomes a critical success factor, especially as we move towards more targeted forms of customer engagement. One-to-Few programs, for example, require close collaboration with product teams to articulate and promote best practices. One-to-One programs require intimate account relationships, which can only be achieved by partnering with the customer success team. Customer enablement, support, demand gen, and product marketing teams are other important pieces of the puzzle that customer marketing must learn to work with to be effective at scale. ## **Measuring success** NPS, NRR, NDR, and net logo retention are important global metrics that align customer marketing with the company’s KPIs. To get more granular, I would suggest measuring each of these metrics for each of your customer tiers along the One-to-Many to One-to-One spectrum. As with any ABM program, the baseline metrics of engagement with target account and target personas can be useful here as well. Beyond this, the metrics will vary from stage to stage, starting with overall product adoption at the One-to-Many level and adding advanced feature adoption at the One-to-Few level. At the One-to-One level, the goal is to reach measurable success aligned with the customer’s company KPIs - increase revenues, customer satisfaction, retention, reduce cost, or whatever the relevant KPIs are. ## **Putting it all together** Customer marketing is still an emerging practice in most companies, and we can never do everything at the same time. Account-based Marketing provides a framework for orchestrating our customer programs and prioritizing them based on company goals and customer base maturity. As with any framework, how you apply it can be different from one company to another and change over time. As long as it helps you articulate some structure and priorities, the framework can be useful to align your team and communicate your strategy to the rest of the organization. ### 11 exclusive customer marketing tips from thought leaders URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/11-exclusive-customer-marketing-tips-from-thought-leaders/ Last updated: 2022-10-04T11:00:12.000Z This article serves as a sneak peek into our State of Customer Marketing report 2022, and our conversations with our community members and survey responders. With customer marketing being such a diverse role, we wanted to get some advice on how newly established customer marketers can advance in their roles. So, we went directly to the source. We asked, “What’s your number one customer marketing tip?”, and our participants delivered. ## **Take advantage of cross-functional relationships** ### **1** > *“Build meaningful cross-functional relationships – with teams like Industry Marketing, Product Marketing, Sales, Press Relations, and Events – to accelerate the scale and impact of customer marketing.”* \- Liz Greer, Product and Customer Marketing Manager at Salesforce ### **2** > *“Share the content that you’re curating for customers with your account teams. It just might inspire them with ideas that help boost revenue or improve retention.”* ### **3** > *“Work closely together with your Customer Success team and ensure alignment on programs, key activities, and goals & objectives.”* Cross-functional relationships are at the heart of customer marketing responsibilities. With such a close relationship with customers, a lot of the information gathered can be used to improve internal processes across your company. Relationships with other departments also help align your strategies with others to make sure that the picture of your brand presented to customers is consistent across the board. Our report also found that there was still a big divide between those whose companies they felt had a good understanding of customer marketing and those that didn’t. [Only 3.8% of customer marketers felt they were 100% understood.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) Consistent collaboration can help with this confusion, proving to stakeholders and other departments that your work is invaluable. ## **Ask your customers** ### **4** > *“The golden rule of customer marketing: if you are ever in doubt, ask your customers. Said in another way... Not sure about something? Ask your customers. Pretty sure? Ask your customers. Absolutely sure? ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS!”* \- Dave Hansen, Customer Marketing Director at LRN ### **5** > *“Take the time to meet with your customers and understand their roles.”* Your customers make up the biggest data source for marketing; [feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/), reviews, and other stats are what will help inform where teams will develop their [customer marketing in the future](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-will-customer-marketing-look-like-in-the-future/). So, you must be able to identify and understand who makes up your customer base, which [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) they belong to, and why they are spending money with you in the first place. No one is a good enough mind reader to create programs and strategies for your customers without needing to ask them first, about their likes and dislikes, their pain points, and needs. You are there to help your customers, and they are there to help you. So don’t be afraid of reaching out! ## **Track acts of advocacy** ### **6** > *“Track your acts of advocacy! As much as you can, make sure you are tracking all sales reference calls, case study interviews, speaking events, market research, etc. Reporting on acts of advocacy is a pillar to building your case for customer marketing at your organization. It also sets you up in a good position to ensure you’re not over-tapping customers and build fun programs like customer awards.”* \- Aunalisa Arellano, Head of Customer Marketing at Filevine Where your customers are your best sources of data, this is no good if you don’t then do something with the data you collect. And of course, doing too much data collection will also put a drain on your customers. For advocates, this is especially true. These will be customers who are enthusiastic about helping you and your brand in any way they can, but even they can experience burnout when it comes to offering you acts of advocacy. So keep track of the data you’ve collected, and contributions made, and make sure to thank and reward your biggest contributors. ## **Offer value** ### **7** > *“Consistently offer value to your customers and they will be willing to help you. Don’t overlook engagement strategies and jump straight to asks and sells!”* This is kind of a no-brainer, but when marketing to your existing customers – heck, when marketing in general – you must display and provide value to. The main piece of information your marketing should display is how your product benefits your customer. Trying to sell any product without creating a valuable relationship with your customers will come across as a demand for them to spend money with you, rather than a mutual exchange. ## **Network** ### **8** > *“Network and make yourself visible internally to customer-facing teams. Get as much air-time with customers as possible to both build your advocacy network and to holistically understand your customer’s pain points, and how your company partners with its customers to solve real-world challenges.”* Making yourself visible to others within your organization, and those outside of your organization (but within your industry), is a huge benefit to developing your personal professional journey, and how you interact with your customers. For example, our community [Slack channel](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) offers the opportunity to connect with other customer marketers around the globe to get unique insights and questions answered. Communities are invaluable resources for improving your work processes, so take advantage of that. ## **Find the right way to measure your performance** ### **9** > *“Work out how to prove what you are doing is working. Tie revenue back to onboarding & educating customers, link it to product usage, expansion, and customer advocacy.”* For stakeholders, the most important thing is to make sure that your efforts are proven to be working. Metrics, internal collaboration, and data collection can all help with this, but being able to apply how your work not only improves your own area of responsibility but other stages within the customer lifecycle as well, goes a long way to justify your importance. ## **Persist** ### **10** > *“Keep trying. A lot of new programs require internal and external education. It takes time.”* Again, with customer marketing being a position that’s still maturing, many customer marketers have to justify their position within their organization. This can be disheartening, but being persistent and believing in your programs is vital to ensure your customer marketing team will be successful. ## **Take ownership** ### **11** > *“Hold the line on what you own... it is still a pretty nuanced role and teammates and leaders will try to define it for you.”* Customer marketing is a role that tends to overlap with a variety of other positions - Customer Success, Product Marketing, Customer Service etc. Often, it may seem like you’re stepping on people’s toes, but if you have a good understanding of what your role requires, don’t be afraid to stand your ground, and own it. ## **Want to read more?** This article is a sneak peek into our State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022. You can download the full report using the button below and unlock 70+ pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing and how it fits in with the rest of the market. Get my copy ### What is customer obsession? A new way to build businesses URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-obsession-a-new-way-to-build-businesses/ Last updated: 2022-09-30T12:00:24.000Z No matter what industry your business is in, it’s your customers that fuel growth. As such, companies should be prioritizing their customers and their experiences above all else. This is where customer obsession comes in. In this article, we’ll cover: - [What customer obsession is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/01950df5-98bc-4f07-91e5-a00c232d61e0/#:~:text=position%20within%20businesses.-,What%20is%20customer%20obsession%3F,-The%20digital%20age) - [What it means for a business to become customer-obsessed, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/01950df5-98bc-4f07-91e5-a00c232d61e0/#:~:text=out%20on%20top.-,What%20does%20it%20mean%20for%20a%20business%20to%20become%20customer%2Dobsessed%3F,-While%20customer%20obsession) - [How it relates to customer marketing and its position within businesses.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/01950df5-98bc-4f07-91e5-a00c232d61e0/#:~:text=your%20customer%20needs.-,How%20does%20customer%20obsession%20relate%20to%20customer%20marketing%3F,-So%20where%20does) ## **What is customer obsession?** The digital age came with a broadening of opportunities for customers. Before, they were limited to their location and country but, now, they can choose from brands all across the globe. With this, came a need for businesses to distinguish themselves from their competitors in different ways; most specifically, with [customer experience.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) Customer obsession is a mindset within businesses where every decision revolves around improving and prioritizing customer experience over everything else. From business values and sales to marketing and customer support, everything is catered toward marketing the customer experience with the brand as positive as possible. With such a demand to distinguish your brand from your competitors for your customers, experience always comes out on top. ## **What does it mean for a business to become customer-obsessed?** While customer obsession is usually born during the [start-up phase of a business](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/), due to its importance to every other part of the business, existing companies can also become more customer-obsessed. The most important thing when approaching customer obsession this way is to understand that it’ll take time to change your current processes and your business mindset to this way of thinking. ### **Prioritize customer retention over customer acquisition** While it may sound counterproductive for a customer-obsessed company to not focus on acquiring new customers, the truth of the matter is that customer obsession relates to a brand’s relationship with their existing customers, rather than new ones. An improvement in [customer retention reduces customer churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/) which, in turn, improves [revenue](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/). The fact of the matter is that potential customers aren’t contributing to your profits. It’s existing customers and their consistent spending with your company that makes up the vast majority of your revenue. As a result, it’s a no-brainer to prioritize these people over new or single-purchase customers. Customer marketers focus on marketing to these customers to improve [cross-sell and upsell sales](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/), repeat purchases, and even [conversion to advocacy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/). ### **Make customer feedback your main drive for improvement** Customers will always know best when it comes to how your brand is experienced throughout the customer lifecycle and the customer journey. What’s important for customer-obsessed businesses is to analyze and act on such feedback. The greatest way you can express to your customers that their purchases and opinions matter is to *show them* through your actions. Data collection is vital to customer-obsessed companies, but will only show its value once changes to the business have been made based on such feedback. (This is also extremely true for employee engagement. As your employees have a day-to-day understanding of how your customers interact with your business, if your employees aren’t engaged, then there’s no hope for your customers.) ### **Set up a customer marketing team** As is reflected in this and the following section, if your marketing department doesn’t have a dedicated customer marketing team, you should think about prioritizing the types of responsibilities a customer marketer has, or build a specific team for it. Customer marketers are dedicated to marketing to your existing customers, meaning that they’re a key point of contact to ensure engagement is improved. Which products, schemes, and experiments do you have in store that would benefit from customer input? Which ones should be marketed toward which [customer segments](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) within your existing customer base? Customer marketers and their responsibilities will have these answers. ### **Prioritize revolving your business around Customer Success** Customer success is a position closest to customer engagement, gathering feedback about all stages of the customer journey. From pre-sale, post-sale, and beyond, Customer Success will know about it. Customer obsession requires teams such as [Customer Success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) to become the priority, as their position revolves around achieving and improving [customer satisfaction and customer loyalty](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-satisfaction-isnt-customer-loyalty-why-the-difference-matters/). ### **Make your customer service proactive rather than reactive** Anticipating your customer needs is a great way to begin to improve your customer service. This requires you to be consistently gathering customer feedback on all areas of the customer lifecycle. A customer-obsessed company doesn’t wait for a new campaign to go wrong before it acts. This is where customer advocates can serve to support customer engagement. Like a test screening for a movie, these customers are the raving fans of your business and are a great test for whether or not a new concept aligns with your customer needs. ## **How does customer obsession relate to customer marketing?** So where does customer marketing come into all of this? Well, if you haven’t already guessed, customer marketing is a team that’s extremely well suited to companies who are, or are looking to become, customer-obsessed. **Retention -** Customer retention is already built into customer marketing processes as a priority. Customer marketers aim to advertise and market to existing customers with the priority of [keeping these customers with the brand](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/build-up-your-brand-image-using-effective-brand-storytelling/) and keeping them loyal. **Feedback -** Customer marketers already rely on [customer feedback to improve their processes](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/). When marketing to existing customers, there needs to be greater importance put on understanding your customer's needs and pain points. Which is where feedback comes in - and where cross-functional collaboration becomes vital. Feedback about products, points of contact, and touchpoints in the customer journey are relevant to more than just one team. **Customer Success -** [Cross-functional collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ways-customer-marketers-can-work-with-their-organization/) is a part of customer marketing, as we’ve already mentioned, and Customer Success is more often the team that Customer Marketing interacts with. Both teams have a close relationship with existing customers, with a priority on improving this relationship. ## **How are customer marketing teams valued by leadership?** With our first [State of Customer Marketing Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) released this summer, we gained a lot of insights into customer marketing, its standard processes, and how it’s used in companies today. Our recent article on the topic will go through the main findings concerning the leadership team's involvement in customer marketing. Here’s what we’ll be talking about: 📈The influence of customer marketing on goals and strategies, and revenue from existing customers, 💡Whether customer marketers are satisfied with their abilities to meet KPIs, and 🤩The importance of customer marketing and customer obsession. [Get informed](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/) ### Establishing a customer marketing strategy and developing advocates URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/establishing-a-customer-marketing-strategy-and-developing-advocates/ Last updated: 2024-03-28T16:59:19.000Z This article was transcribed from a panel at one of our sister communities (PMA) events. Find out more about CMA's upcoming events. This article will go over: - Customer marketing at Zendesk, - Measuring success of customer marketing efforts, - How to convert loyal customers into advocates, and - Some customer marketing resources. ## **Introducing our wonderful panelists** **Bozena Pieniazek:** I'm Bozena, Director of Marketing at Maze, and I'm the host for today's chat with Valeria, Senior Marketing Manager for Customer Marketing at Zendesk - and, as of September 2022, is now working on customer marketing programs at Airtable. **Valeria Gomez:** I'm Senior Customer Marketing Manager at Zendesk. I'm responsible for building out our advocacy community and managing our customer reference program to bring our customer stories to life and educate a wide variety of audiences, both internal and external. ## **Customer marketing at Zendesk** **Bozena Pieniazek:** Like product marketing, customer marketing can vary a lot from company to company. Maybe we can take a step back and look at what exactly customer marketing is at Zendesk. **Valeria Gomez:** We take a slightly different approach from more conventional customer marketing. In a nutshell, customer marketing at Zendesk is a group of programs that focuses on showcasing the stories of our customers. Our approach to customer marketing is centered around maintaining great relationships with them. We give them the platform to feature their successes, so they can inspire others in the customer experience industry. **Bozena Pieniazek:** How and when did customer marketing at Zendesk get started, and what team do you report into? **Valeria Gomez:** Our team has gone through several periods of transformation in the past three years. We started purely as a customer reference team, but we’ve evolved so much because we’re now a critical resource for our company, for customer references, storytelling, and ultimately, customer inspiration. Currently, we report to our VP of Enterprise Marketing, which allows us to connect with many different kinds of customers all over the world. Right now, we’re three people, not counting our VP, so it's a small but very powerful group. ## **Cross-functional collaboration** **Bozena Pieniazek:** What does cross-functional collaboration look like for customer marketing at Zendesk? What are some of the other teams that you work very closely with? **Valeria Gomez:** We’re a highly cross-functional team at Zendesk. We work with the rest of the marketing organization, for example, on communications campaigns, and social media. We also work closely with sales and customer success. We work closely with our PMMs too, which puts us in a unique position to be close to our customers. We have a great understanding of our products and offerings, so we can translate that into the stories that we showcase with our customers. We're able to build our own partnerships with customers and empower them to inspire others. In that way, we can bring better relationships to the business world. We also enable and empower other regional teams to execute customer marketing initiatives in their regions, by providing a program foundation so they can tell relevant local stories. That’s the key – we are a small team of three, so we need to empower and enable all of these other teams, so they can replicate what we do, always keeping the customer at the heart of what they do. One of the things that product marketing does is enable other teams, so working with them puts us in a great position to do a lot of things at scale, despite only having a very limited group of people executing on that. It also puts us in a position to build trust with our customers. Because we are part of this wider group, we can make sure that we make the most of each conversation with each of our customers. **Bozena Pieniazek:** So when you say empowering, it's about using customer stories to empower the sales team or local marketing teams to get Zendesk in front of the target audiences? **Valeria Gomez:** It’s about a couple of things. One, we want everybody to be great storytellers. We want everybody to know the best and most relevant customer stories. For example, if you're a sales rep, you should know a handful of stories that are relevant to the industries and segments you’re selling to. Our customer marketing team empowers you with those resources and teaches you those stories. For regional marketing teams, we make sure that when they tell those stories in their markets, the voice is consistent with the rest of the company. Sometimes they use different agencies or their own resources to create their programs, so we want to make sure that everything has the same feel, the same quality, and the same way of engaging with customers. ## **Measuring the success of customer marketing** **Bozena Pieniazek:** What are some of the metrics that you look at to measure whether your customer marketing is successful? **Valeria Gomez:** One of the things is just how we engage with our customers. We look at how often our customers participate in all the activities we plan for them. Obviously, we also pay attention to how much our activities influence the pipeline, but our main goal is to give this platform to our customers to showcase their success. Every time they participate, speaking at our events, talking to our team, talking to our leadership, participating in a written customer story, and things like that, that's how we measure success. Every time they participate on our platform, it’s just the best thing. ## **Developing loyal customers into advocates** **Bozena Pieniazek:** How do you successfully develop loyal customers into advocates? What does that look like for you? **Valeria Gomez:** I truly believe that cultivating and nurturing relationships with customers is the best way to drive customer advocacy. We put maintaining great relationships with our customers at the heart of everything we do. We do this not only because it's beneficial for us as a company, but mostly because we care about the individuals in the companies that use our products. We emphasize the human component in our customer marketing programs because they are the people who are changing the business world. For me, in the end, it’s always about being helpful, staying human, and truly caring for our customers. ## **Customer marketing wins** **Bozena Pieniazek:** Can you give me an example of a customer marketing program or initiative that has been particularly successful at Zendesk? **Valeria Gomez:** Something that is very close to my heart is Luminaries, our community for engaged leaders in customer experience. We provide a platform where they can share stories that showcase their expertise. They can also network with other customers from all over the globe. Our Luminaries program enables us to nurture those customer relationships and provide a cohesive customer program foundation for all Zendesk customers to engage with us as part of a unified experience. It also allows them to share stories, best practices, and lessons learned with the community as a whole. **Bozena Pieniazek:** That's really interesting. I had a chance to look at the Luminaries landing page before this chat, and I was very impressed. It looks like a great initiative. I'm curious to know, do you have to proactively reach out to those customers, or do customers come to you to participate? **Valeria Gomez:** They often reach out to us to participate. At Zendesk we emphasize relationships, and that's how it starts. Through this program, our Luminaries can participate in a lot of opportunities, including exclusive networking opportunities. It’s a great way for them to get recognition for all the amazing things that they do in their company. They can also interact with us, give us feedback, and share their ideas, and we can showcase their exceptional customer experiences and stories on different platforms. So yeah, they generally come to us, although sometimes we reach out to them because some people are not aware of the program. I have to say that we have a really good customer base in our Luminaries program. **Bozena Pieniazek:** That's great. How long has this program been running? **Valeria Gomez:** We launched during the pandemic. We had big plans to launch during our user conference in March 2020\. Unfortunately, we couldn't do that, so we had to pivot quickly and launch it online. We have over 3000 customers participating in our program right now, and we’re really looking forward to meeting them in person soon. We love to engage with our customers, so we'd like to hang out with them and get to know them. The digital world is great for reaching people across borders, but we also believe that you need to build relationships in person. We want to provide that so customers can engage with us and they can engage with other people. ## **Getting creative with customer stories** **Bozena Pieniazek:** I'm curious to know, what is something else that you're excited about? Do you have any initiatives or programs on the roadmap that you’re looking forward to? **Valeria Gomez:** Absolutely. First, we’re planning to take our Luminaries to our customers in person. That's on our radar, and we want to do it as soon as we can. Another thing that I'm very excited about is exploring other ways that we can showcase the voice of our customers, especially around multimedia assets in this new digital time. For example, we need to reinvent what customer videos are going to look like. We can’t always be with our customers in person, so we need to find a way to still tell the stories that our customers deserve and make sure that we keep these videos human. We have a few ideas, and hopefully, we'll be able to share a few examples in the next few months. **Bozena Pieniazek:** That's great. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with. I guess it's a challenge these days. Of course, the pandemic made filming difficult, but also as companies are growing and you have more and more international customers, it's a challenge to connect with them – you can't always send a video team everywhere. **Valeria Gomez**: Absolutely. And we want to tell local stories that are relevant to different markets. When you have to travel with your video crew or find a local agency, it's a little bit challenging. We did a small project with our social media team creating new digital assets with the new slogan “champions of customer service.” We created some short digital videos, but because our customers couldn’t be there, we had to be creative with images, headshots, voiceovers, and things like that. We always want to have our customers in front of us though, so we’re looking forward to doing more of that soon. ## **Customer marketing resources** **Bozena Pieniazek:** To wrap up, if anyone is interested in learning more about customer marketing, are there any resources that you would recommend? **Valeria Gomez:** There are also a lot of things online. PMA has put together a lot of great resources on customer marketing, so you can access those. You can also look into industry resources like Gartner and Forrester. They have a lot of resources. They’re not all free, but if you have an analyst in your company, you can check if they have a license and access those reports that are curated for high-level industries. Then there’s LinkedIn. The customer marketing community there is small but growing, and I think everybody is really willing to really share their ideas. Sometimes when I want to bounce ideas off other people, I just reach out to them through LinkedIn and say, “Hey, I know you're in customer marketing. Would you mind taking 30 minutes for a virtual meet and greet?” Most people in customer marketing, believe me, are more than willing to share what’s on their minds. **Bozena Pieniazek:** I think sometimes it's the best way to learn – reach out to your peers, get their feedback, and see what they're doing. That worked well for me in product marketing. I would just reach out to people either on PMA or on LinkedIn and have a chat with them, see what they were doing, and learn from them. Thank you so much for this chat, Valeria. It was super interesting. **Valeria Gomez:** Thank you so much for having me. ## **Cerificate for customer advocacy** Over recent years, companies have shifted their focus from customer acquisition to customer retention and engagement. This course will provide you with the perfect resources, mentor, and development needed to keep up with and excel during this change. **Customer Advocacy: Certified** will take you through the foundational skill and knowledge needed to launch and manage customer advocacy programs and excel in your career. Propel your business growth by prioritizing and supporting your customer experience. [Get certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-advocacy-certified-masters?%5Fgl=1%2Anpvaut%2A%5Fga%2ANDg1OTAzMTk5LjE2NjA3Mjg5MDI.%2A%5Fga%5FENBEF4TD6M%2AMTY3NTA3ODY3Mi40MzguMC4xNjc1MDc4NjcyLjAuMC4w) ### Deena Zenyk and Liz Richardson |The importance of VoC in your customer and market research | Customer Marketing Catch-up URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/podcast/the-importance-of-voc-in-your-customer-and-market-research/ Last updated: 2023-06-06T10:22:04.000Z “We’re really looking for the voice of the customer when it comes to feedback when it comes to their experience and their sentiment around your organization and how that impacts their willingness to collaborate with you on things that extend beyond just buying your products or services…” Deena Zenyk and Liz Richardson discuss with us how you should incorporate the Voice of the Customer into your customer and market research, and why such a technique is so important for customer-centric marketing and developing a strong customer advocacy relationship. ## **Key talking points:** - Deena and Liz’s journeys from music and journalism to customer marketing, - What VoC is and how that relates to customer advocacy, - How to get started with Voice of the Customer, and - Some common pitfalls businesses fall into when design a program. ## **About the guests:** Deena Zenyk is a top 25 CMA influencer. She’s a customer advocacy strategist with more than 15 years of practitioner and consultancy experience. This includes an extensive portfolio in strategy development, program design and management, and an all-star record of strategic customer advocacy clients within enterprise-level organizations such as IBM, Salesforce, HPE, Oracle, EMC, VMware and Cisco. Liz Richardson is a Customer Advocacy and Engagement Aficionado. She is a passionate innovator and subject matter expert in the world of customer engagement, customer experience, advocate marketing and customer success, with a reputation for building high-caliber teams, strong customer relationships, and pushing the limits of innovation. Liz and Deena are co-founders of Captivate Collective, a consulting service aimed at maximizing a business's success with their customer strategy from acquisition to advocacy. ## **Join the conversation:** What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact [hello@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:hello@customermarketingalliance.com), speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the [Customer Marketing Alliance Community Slack](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) channel. Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, and contact our copywriter at [eve@customermarketingalliance.com](mailto:eve@customermarketingalliance.com). [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/09/CMA_Slack_AD_3.png) ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) ### What does the customer marketing role look like in 2022? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-customer-marketing-role-look-like-in-2022/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:35:42.000Z 2022 saw our very first[ State of Customer Marketing Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/), which went over a variety of different topics related to the position. This article serves as a sneak peek into the report and our conversations with our community members and survey responders. It’ll cover: - Responsibilities and value drivers in customer marketing, - Customer advocacy program and contact with customers, and - Team and stakeholder metrics. ## Responsibilities A customer marketer’s core responsibilities are tied to improving customer retention. As such, the majority of customer marketing responsibilities are program management **(33.3%)** and customer feedback collection **(33.3%)**. In a distant second are customer conferences & events **(11.2%)**, with cross-selling/upselling bringing up the rear **(7.4%)**. We also have messaging, and ‘Other’ making up **3.7%** of answers each. ![Graph showing responsibilities of customer marketers. Details of sections in body of text. ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mWEOSeOvLD-2c5uZLTDgP5SQhIaXNTftTgX-PshtYjSJIXaUQVRcfCMMcPwfqaEkKSDZS36vsMb2k2E8J77FI49FEWxVGZNbphNm1XoqxihqMRSIMAy0TwrHysQJ3-nHIBuOWI2SHIU1MVwse1Uex-NmEnIsZScHog54tMId8UUJ1_8uIAMPzO3e4Q) Responsibilities that were mentioned in the ‘Other’ section include references, networking, and customer advisory boards. Program management requires a lot of collaboration with the customers involved. To get a better understanding of customer feedback, and [which ones are the best for the kinds of information you want](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/), get more in-depth information with Laura Culbertson’s article. [Collecting the right kind of customer feedback: Everything you need to knowWhen it comes to marketing using the Voice of the Customer, the first step in creating such a program is collecting feedback and aggregating it across the channels where customers are giving it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceLauren Culbertson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/Customer-Feedback--1--2.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/collecting-the-right-kind-of-customer-feedback-everything-you-need-to-know/) ## What are the biggest value drivers for businesses? When we broke down what the biggest value drivers are for customer marketers and their business, the highest was customer advocacy/ambassador program management at **33.3%**. This was followed by case studies and success stories **(14.8%)**, and customer advisory boards **(11.1%)**. This is mostly consistent with the highest percentage of responsibilities, that of program management and customer feedback. Customer conferences and events also came in similar positions for each collection of answers. Taking into consideration the fact that advocacy programs are prevalent as both key tasks for customer marketers and big value drivers for businesses as a whole, it’s no wonder that many consider it to be the part of customer marketing that’ll be the most valuable within the coming year. > *“As you grow the customer marketing function in your organization, I would encourage you to organize your team to have someone focused on managing scaled customer programs and supporting higher-volume internal requests (e.g., sales references, product feedback) and another person focused on managing high-touch customer programs (e.g. CABs, executive councils) that help you building relationships with your most strategic customers and driving impactful advocacy (e.g. keynote, success story) with them.”* \- **Erica Anderson,** Vice President of Practice Management, Influitive Kevin Lau, Senior Director of Customer Advocacy & Engagement at F5, gave us a glimpse behind the scenes on our podcast, Customer Marketing Catch-up, on [the essential tenets he ascribes to in order to instantly elevate his advocacy programs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/kevin-lau-three-essential-tenets-that-instantly-improve-your-customer-advocacy-plan-customer-marketing-catch-up/). ## Customer Advocacy With customer advocacy being such an important part of customer marketing, we delve deeper into what current organizations have set up in terms of supporting customer marketers that turn [loyal customers into advocates](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-increase-customer-retention-rate-and-boost-customer-loyalty/). When we asked participants, “Do you have a customer advocacy program?”, it was positive to see that **39.3%** of respondents said yes. The majority of respondents answered that they were in the process of creating an advocacy program **(50%)**, with only **10.7%** answering no. ![Graph showing advocacy program stages - details are in the above body of text. ](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2tFUtdY9fT1qvltyK6OOPfZCOVu20dp68lJOP0fDSp0jq_FVNn3rpfcPpDXmSGGOwTN_er8F5d7XqiRXYYE9I4fsLls3QWP5CUVYE_JmTSP8fEzn__jwKvvKEHcrEBMxijrrUsnzWC16L__QsJrptKkJCSAHp88nFuP-Sv3bGACfbDHkoSr1yvtWBw) As you can see, **89.3%** of our respondents either have, or are about to have a customer advocacy program. This supports what our contributors said. With just over half of our respondents in the process of creating an advocacy program, we’ll see an increase in the number of companies that have invested in advocacy programs. We delved deeper into those that said they already have an advocacy program in place, to see what impact their program has made on their business and how they manage their program. ### How are advocacy programs managed? There are a lot of tools out there that can be utilized by customer marketers, which optimize and automate a number of different tasks that customer marketers are involved in. We wanted to know if this was the case with advocacy programs. Looking at the results of how our respondents manage their programs, it seems that there isn’t one unified approach yet. The highest percentage at **37.5%** was manual tracking, followed by customer management tools **(33.3%)**, and spreadsheets **(29.2%)**. It seems that, currently, management tool vendors are not supplying the right kind of tools for those tracking advocacy. As advocacy increases in scope and importance in the coming year, it’ll be interesting to see if this need gets addressed. We asked those that used management tools to clarify which they were using. The most frequent answers included Influitive, Salesforce, and Crowdvocate. Other answers included HubSpot, Vitally, Gainsight and SlapFive. > *“Customer marketing is often measured by customer retention. However, since customer retention is shared with CS and a lagging metric, I encourage customer marketing teams to look at leading indicators of customer health (e.g. NPS, product usage) compares for program members vs. non-program members. Then, make sure to track requests and outcomes for the use cases they’re supporting (e.g. reference calls, success stories).”* \- **Erica Anderson,** Vice President of Practice Management, Influitive ## Impact of an advocacy program Next, we wanted to see where companies found advocacy had the biggest impact. Around half of our respondents said that, with the introduction of their advocacy program, they saw an increase in case studies **(52.9%)**. This would make sense, as advocates are customers who aren’t just loyal to your business but actively help promote it to others. Case studies are a great way to do this as they’re useful for [marketing and sales pitches](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-role-of-customer-advocacy-in-sales-and-support/). Case studies show your product working for others to help reassure prospective customers that you’re worth it - it’s a classic case of social proof working in action. ![Bar chart showing the impact of advocacy programs - details in body of the text, but 'Other' made up 5.8%.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CUMFw_yrrGjPcHswSis3w12hS3eVbjFeB7-v4gqaLnlAmd2my82Y6Swa-EXkaf7McyRjEteyUW-_-fJoobO-ryxYJKP7gcH_6fGpvbEPlj14r2rHCD799d4QrAtTy95LeiNk-wbrilA2ct4EPf-S62vfmDJe5cE9YqejroHd8QVG8Re_jAeYcFKaNw) The next highest factors that advocacy programs impacted were an increased Net Promoter Score **(17.7%)** and increased referrals and cross-selling/upselling making up **11.8%** of answers respectively. Net Promoter Score is a score that determines the likelihood of customers recommending your product or services to others. This, alongside increased referrals, shows that those with customer advocacy programs have a higher likelihood of customers coming to their site under the recommendation of others. Forbes maintains that customers acquired through referrals have a [**37%** higher retention rate ](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2015/06/23/love-it-or-hate-it-influencer-marketing-works/#7987d474150b)than those without. Many companies are still holding onto the fact that customer acquisition is more of a priority than retention. But an increase in referrals that turn into loyal customers shows [how much more important retention is](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-is-customer-retention-important-the-essentials-you-need-to-know/). Without advocates shouting your name from the rooftop, the harder it’ll be to successfully acquire and retain new customers. Those that answered ‘Other’ stated increases in things like win rates, development, awareness, and market leadership. ## How many customers are advocates? Considering the impact of advocacy programs, we wanted to get an idea of how much of their existing customer base was made up of advocates. The ideal scenario would have every customer be an advocate for your business, but, since this is an unrealistic goal, getting an understanding of the current percentages of advocates can give us a starting point. Overall, the majority of our participants stated that **5-10%** of their existing customers were made up of advocates **(41.6%)**. The next highest categories were 0-5%, and 15-20%, both making up **16.7%** of answers respectively. The 10-15% and 25-50% range came in lowest, making up **12.5%** of answers each. ![Bar chart showing percentage of customers as advocates - Details are in the above body of text. ](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/lrB4H5H1-RGCjYW1RIaFBukwkI4HhSmpgh7ZotrzC68ojhMrD9-LfKKkZ0R3BmJCMKiE-D8-qqUIZ7kYt4PB0iMmwx2jGqz4489S2sEEy3juAGzABRsz1iGv3hDQTyOrmZdvZU_48BjQLRZOwvTIUGIjuFyC_ydGL0jZQbF6RlPv7SplRiTEFtZvjA) It’s important to note that there was a difference in advocate percentages between the companies that do and don’t currently have an advocacy program in place. The average answer for those that said they did have a customer advocacy program rose from the average 5-10% to the most common answer being in the range of 15-20%. Having a 5-10% range of advocates is nothing to scoff at, but it would be good to see an overall increase for customer marketers as a whole, especially as only **29.2%** of respondents cited their company advocates making up 15% or more of their existing customer base. With so many companies currently in the process of creating an advocacy program, we’ll hopefully see the average percentage increase within the year. [What does the future of customer marketing look like in 2022?2022 saw our very first State of Customer Marketing Report, which reviewed different topics related to the position. This article serves as a sneak peek into the report and our conversations with our community members and survey responders.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/daniel-lerman-fr3YLb9UHSQ-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-future-of-customer-marketing-look-like-in-2022/) ## Contact with customers With this in mind, we wanted to know how often customer marketing teams interact with customers. Customer marketing is a role in which feedback and communication from customers is vital. It was interesting to see that the two most common answers were 2-3 times a week **(22.2%)** and a handful of times a month **(22.2%)**, which is a big difference. Following up these answers were once a week **(18.5%)**, every other week **(14.8%)**, and every day at **11.2%**. When comparing the number of advocates with how often companies maintain contact with their customers, we found that those with the highest percentage of advocates, **15-20%** and **25-50%**, had contact with their customers each week. This ranged from every day to once a week. Overall this shows what we already know to be true: that valuing the customer-business relationship increases customer loyalty. ![Bar chart showing the amount of time customer marketers talk with customers.](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1imhu-GQM4VAmpQCREfrIuW-a10wLOfhEumK_symUuBqePIUmKUq7yPcCMEj0G6s7qM1m8GZffje7CER_2QHhpeIkfk2FZivpYBnR9MkJvUgzTqJHKFL7hqnT-L6J0VLuMNbvO-8RNdqgCfc5-DSQ_5S_AFrF3yc15Txf6YYzVr6wU-F2GqJ-udRVw) It’s good to see that only **3.7%** of respondents said that they never speak to customers, but this could be even lower. To carry out those big-value tasks mentioned earlier, you need to have customer insights. Those that selected ‘Other’, cited interacting with customers once a month, quarterly, or a couple of times a quarter. Customers are the ones who interact with your business most often; they’re the ones going through the customer journey and no amount of internal feedback or guesswork will ever equal the value of getting that first-hand customer experience. The more frequently you interact with your customers, the more up-to-date your information will be. That way, you can help anticipate changes in your clientele and the market, and address any pain points and issues before they become big enough to cause churn. ## Team metrics We asked our participants, “What metrics does your team use to measure your efforts?”. As so much of customer marketing is relationship-based, it can often be hard to accurately measure the performance of this type of team. Here’s an in depth review of the common team structures in customer marketing in 2022: [Enlightening facts about customer marketing teams structures in 2022This article is based on a survey of 2022 customer marketers. This will go through the main findings concerning team structures including size, position, cross-functional collaborations and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/caleb-angel-Hq32VUY0xMg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/) Out of our respondents, **34.6%** said they measured their efforts by acts of advocacy. This is in line with the 40% of respondents that said they had an advocacy program. But what about those that don’t? It seems that the metrics chosen to measure performance are yet again quite divided. Renewal rate was the next highest percentage wise at **(19.2%)**. Then, at a significant dip, churn rate and number of testimonials make up **7.7%** of answers each. ![Triangle bar chart showing the team metrics](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4SBvtHqSaF5lbyH6SmwDX28vVIcH41Jb4jHT-9H_B1DS2dnJvWfMg9bqeXQk_SsFCCSH7mSoY_as8ncckwu8eaqzw5GaoUCMGFF4vwSnkmgXCzCke92369CpXfkML57flG_67p-YY5PPf_JXnh4FgJKDGfb-7d18Xh6AsKDCr-TnQziuKUwXoUlw_w) Answers when participants selected ‘Other’ included upselling, opportunity and revenue metrics, pipeline influence, Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), and Net Dollar Retention. Surprisingly, **7.7%** of respondents said they don’t use metrics at all. We asked **Kevin Lau,** Senior Director of Customer Advocacy & Engagement at F5, about why this might be. He said: > *“The one area where Customer Marketing professionals struggle the most with is effectively proving ROI and impact to their leadership teams. It’s not anyone’s fault - we have always been taught to focus on the relationship with the customer first and worry about the hard numbers later.* > *This is why demand teams historically have received the majority of marketing team budgets and resources - everything they do is measured and tracked back to pipeline and opportunity influence. In the meantime, we as Customer Marketers are having to play catch-up as we figure this out. Until we have the tools, resources and budgets to do this holistically, it’s going to take some time.”* ## Metrics for stakeholders When considering which metrics would be most useful, not necessarily for measuring performance, but ones stakeholders find most valuable, we saw an interesting change in answers. This time, churn rate **(18.5%)** and renewal rate **(18.5%)** took top spots, with acts of advocacy **(11.1%)** and number of case studies **(11.1%)** coming in at more distant seconds. Net Promoter Score **(7.4%)** and number of testimonials **(7.4%)** came joint third. ![Triangle bar chart showing stakeholder metrics.](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/R14gN6vzu29sVFpHXaxkzFMtl1Ju-CrxALjzCCJ_kVin7ViE4f9cANccA08gBCYJOFauky96mlsuwtNT3ozjR5bRVh0OcmswW8UNBz9WEigZivXNYn3UuDH2oyzSvqwPC5F6icYTx0pH5gpHPH5unU-HRuZD90GjVRfcHC3FffV8o6I3Vj1e7lfVNQ) It’s interesting to note that, though most teams don’t use churn rate as a metric for measuring their performance, it’s acknowledged to be an important rate for stakeholders. There seems to be a divide between customer marketers and their collaborating members. Perhaps this indicates a larger issue with how those outside of customer marketing understand and value it. Hopefully, we’ll see a unification of metrics and how the customer marketing profession is monitored over the coming years. ## Want to read more? This article is a sneak peek into our State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022\. You can **download the full report** using the form below and unlock 70+ pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing and how it fits in with the rest of the market. ### How to establish a strong customer marketing strategy as a startup URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/ Last updated: 2022-11-17T10:42:24.000Z Your customers are your absolute lifeblood as a startup. Developing a customer marketing strategy as early as possible will only pay off in the long run. Read on for how and why you should be going about it. - [Why customer marketing is essential for startups](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/#:~:text=customer%20marketing%20strategy-,Why%20is%20customer%20marketing%20important%20for%20startups%3F,-When%20you%E2%80%99re%20starting) - [The benefits of customer marketing for startups, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/#:~:text=also%20maintain%20it.-,Benefits%20of%20customer%20marketing%20for%20startups,-The%20greatest%20part) - [Seven steps to the ultimate startup customer marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-establish-a-strong-customer-marketing-strategy-as-a-startup/#seven-steps-to-the-ultimate-startup-customer-marketing-strategy:~:text=alongside%20your%20customers.-,Seven%20steps%20to%20the%20ultimate%20startup%20customer%20marketing%20strategy,-1%29%20Know%20what) ## **Why is customer marketing important for startups?** When you’re starting up, business growth is most likely going to be your highest priority. But, at the beginning of the business journey, the best thing to do is start as you mean to go on. In this day and age, it isn’t flashy advertisements, big deals, or fun features that get you ahead in the game but, instead how your brand treads and prioritizes customers. With so many companies to choose from for similar products, the best way to distinguish yourself is by delivering an [excellent customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/). Customer marketing allows you to interact with your customers in a unique way; it prioritizes [customer retention over customer acquisition](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/tactics-for-improving-customer-retention/) which, though it may sound like the opposite, actually works to not only rapidly increase your business growth, but to also maintain it. ## **Benefits of customer marketing for startups** The greatest part of beginning your [customer marketing strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/kickstarting-customer-marketing-at-your-company/) during the early stages of your business is that it’ll inform and influence how you expand your business and your goals going forward. Customer marketing holds a unique insight into the way your customers think and can help you avoid some big pitfalls later on if you [begin your expansion](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/) with this knowledge already under your belt. ### **Develop your buyer personas and user personas** [Buyer and user personas](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-personas-are-and-how-you-can-reap-the-benefits-of-them/) are a great way to give you and your team direction when developing strategies that revolve around your customer. Personas are a kind of cheat sheet, a representation of your ideal target customer with their demographics, needs, pain points, and habits clearly displayed in one place. They can go hand in hand with [battle cards for your sales team](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/support-your-advocacy-strategy-by-using-authentic-brand-storytelling/) and can provide customer-facing internal teams with the base knowledge to cater their interactions and marketing campaigns to the right people. This all starts with evaluating your current customers first. Though you’ll already have a good idea of the kinds of people your brand wants to market to, you may find there are other avenues for you to pursue. This information comes from gathering [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/), conducting experience surveys, and hosting focus groups and interviews to get the best idea of who exactly makes up your current customer base. Knowing when they joined, how long they’ve been with you, and what attracted them to your brand in the first place can tell you a lot about the personas you’re already targeting well, and those you’ll want to do more for. Gathering this information is where customer marketers come in. Being a start-up, you may not have a dedicated customer marketing team (given that the majority of customer marketing teams are currently [only made up of 2-3 people](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/)). But customer marketing tasks are also taken on by customer success, product marketing, and other marketing teams too. So, make sure these teams have good cross-functional collaboration to get the best out of this type of information gathering. Want to get Persona perfect? Take our Persona Certified Masters course now. [Get certified](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/persona-certified-masters) ### **Establish your customer segments** Along a similar vein, customer segmentation is another way of grouping your customers together to better market to them and their specific needs. While you may currently have a small group of existing customers, finding out the key characteristics or demographics that make up this group goes a long way to understanding how best to approach marketing to new and potential customers. This may be a specific location or age group, or they may have similar searching habits and frequent the same social media site. Each of these will tell you something about who your customers are and, in turn, how to market to them. ### **Prioritize customer loyalty and customer retention** We said earlier that customer retention should be a priority more than customer acquisition, and we’ll maintain this statement regardless of whether you‘re an enterprise or a start-up-sized company. But this is particularly important for start-ups. Companies with a customer base in the millions will suffer less if there’s a high turnover of customers. For start-ups, those initial customers, and their loyalty, are a huge part of determining whether or not your business will survive. Start-ups that begin their trade using a customer-centric approach ensure that customers get the best experience possible with their brand. This will mean gathering and acting on customer feedback about various touchpoints throughout the customer journey. This includes marketing, both pre- and post-purchase. ### **Produce lasting communication channels** When customers begin with a customer focussed outlook, the vital thing to do is open communication lines between you and your customer, and then keep those lines open. Keep an eye on where your customers like to hang out. Is it on forums like Reddit, social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, or somewhere else? Be present in the same spaces your customers are so you don’t have to rely on them coming to you. Once you’ve established a strong following on these platforms, and that you’re active on them, customers will get used to reaching out and volunteering feedback themselves. If this becomes a common practice in the early stages of your business, it’ll become an easier habit to maintain, even as you grow. ### **Start as you mean to go on** All this being said, what you do in the first few years of your business's existence will reflect how the future goes. Setting up this customer-centric and [customer-obsessed style of service](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/) at the start will mean that even ten or more years down the line, you’ll be able to continue growing and adjusting your practices alongside your customers. ## **Seven steps to the ultimate startup customer marketing strategy** ### **1) Know what your goals are, and give them a time limit** There are many ways you can go about [structuring your goals into specific steps](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/), but the most important part of doing so is to make sure you impose a time limit. For a start-up, there is likely a very long list of things you want to accomplish in order to set your business up for success in the future. The reality is that you won’t be able to do everything all at once. So prioritize what you want to achieve first with your customer marketing strategy, and set a date you want to achieve it. This will not only give you and your team something to aim for but will also make it easier to set up the steps you need to take to get there. ### **2) Know your audience** This goes back to our points on personas and [customer segmentation](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/), but the best way to implement a successful marketing campaign is to understand who you’re targeting. And get to know them in a variety of ways. Talk to some of your most loyal customers one-on-one. What made them stay with you? Conduct short and longer surveys and interviews for the customers that make up your silent majority. What’s their experience been like and how does that compare to your competitors? Knowing your customers will influence how your brand grows and even where it goes in the future. ### **3) Have compelling messaging** Messaging is how your brand communicates and presents itself to those outside your organization. This is in the copy of your email marketing, how you answer complaints, and how you market your product. Tone and style should be consistent when communicating via messaging, which should be common practice across your organization even as new members are added to your team. Not only that, but your messaging should hit important points for your target audience. Don’t tell them what you offer, show them *how* what you offer fixes their problem. And do this in a way that makes your brand memorable so you can stick out from the crowd. ### **4) Prioritize clear content marketing** Content marketing is a great way to develop an awareness of your brand. This can be through social media, a blog, or forums, but the main goal is to know exactly how this content will inform readers of your product (without being outright sales-y). The upside with this type of marketing is that you can gain a following on these platforms, and use them to increase conversions. Be transparent and let your potential customers glimpse behind the scenes into what they’ll be paying for, and how you work as an organization. When customers feel like a part of the business themselves, it nurtures loyalty to your brand and can help you start the journey to growing your customer base while having a consistent bottom line of revenue. ### **5) Develop a relationship with your current customer base** Along the same vein, don’t try to ask for loyalty and then not do the same in return. Customers like to know that you are as much on their side as they are on yours. So take an interest in their needs and pain points. Demonstrate that these matter by taking action when you receive complaints. When launching new products, show them where the idea came from, what problems this new product will solve, and more. Customer marketing is also one of the main starting points for customer advocacy strategies. The aim of these programs is to give back to your most loyal customers, the ones who shout your name from the rooftops. These customers usually only take up about [5-10% of a customer base](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/why-customer-marketing-and-advocacy-should-be-considered-a-two-way-street/), so it’s vital to keep them on side. Reward their enthusiasm by getting enthusiastic yourself. Identify areas where you can offer rewards, exclusive gifts and opportunities. ### **6) Don’t overpromise and underdeliver** One of the worst things you can do when marketing your product to your customers - both potential and existing customers - is to promise it can do more than it actually can. Your product is not magic and, as a start-up, you will most likely be more limited in what you can offer compared to the enterprises within your industry. Building a level of trust and transparency with your customer base helps them stick around until you’re able to offer those features in the future. ### **7) Develop customer loyalty and string referral systems** The benefits of connecting with your customers throughout the customer lifecycle are numerous; it can inform your internal practices, help direct product improvements and marketing campaigns, and can also leverage customers to support your marketing. We spoke briefly about customer advocacy. This concerns customers in the latter stages of the customer journey, who’ve been returning and loyal customers for a significant period, and who aren’t likely to [churn](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/). These customers are usually enthusiastic about supporting your goals and so can be used to entice potential customers into making their first purchase. This is most commonly referred to as [word-of-mouth marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) and can be a lifesaver for start-up businesses. Marketing campaigns and advertisements are pricey and, while they have their place, they’re not the most effective use of resources for new businesses. Potential customers are far more likely to trust other customers than anyone else. So, giving your customers a space to rave about your brand does a lot of the marketing legwork for you. Advocates can be used for case studies, reviews, and testimonials. They can also be a good source for referral marketing, which is the practice of offering an incentive for the customer to recommend your product or service to a new customer. This style of marketing improves customer relationships and saves marketing budget money, which can be used more effectively elsewhere. ## **Common practices** So there you have it, a quick overview of the benefits customer marketing can bring to your new business. There are a lot of common practices and tips for setting up customer marketing, which can be found in our recent [State of Customer Marketing Report 2022](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/). Or you get advice directly from the source using our [Customer Marketing Alliance Slack channel](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), where marketing peers can interact and discuss areas of customer marketing. Get a deeper understanding of how customer marketing works within real-life businesses today. ### CMA's ultimate guide to Voice of the Customer (VoC) URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/ Last updated: 2024-07-26T10:55:13.000Z In this guide, you’ll learn almost everything you need to know about the voice of the customer, including, but not limited, to: - [What VoC means,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=platforms%20for%20VoC.-,What%20does%20Voice%20of%20the%20Customer%20mean%3F,-Voice%20of%20the) - [Why VoC is important,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=growth%20and%20revenue.-,Why%20is%20VoC%20important%3F,-Voice%20of%20the) - [How VoC fits in with other customer marketing concepts,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=Eve%20Chatfield-,How%20does%20VoC%20fit%20in%20with%20other%20customer%20marketing%20concepts%3F,-VoC%20as%20a) - [What a Voc strategy is,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=of%20data%20too.-,What%20is%20a%20VoC%20strategy%3F,-A%20VoC%20strategy) - [Some common stumbling blocks](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=your%20key%20stakeholders.-,Common%20VoC%20mistakes,-Collecting%20feedback%20might), - [How you can measure the success of your VoC program, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=How%20can%20you%20measure%20VoC%20success%3F) - [Some tools/platforms for VoC.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-cma-guide-to-voice-of-the-customer-voc/#:~:text=look%20like%20this%3A-,VoC%20tools,-For%20start%2Dup) ## **What does Voice of the Customer mean?** Voice of the customer, also known as VoC, is a concept within customer marketing that is often elusive and trickier to pin down. There is a lot of overlap between VoC and other concepts within this sector but, in essence, VoC is the act of capturing what your customers are saying about you. ### **What is the objective of VoC?** The aim of VoC is to collect feedback from your customers across multiple touchpoints in the customer journey. This feedback is then put into the hands of those making decisions within your business, allowing them to make continuous improvements to your processes. The objective of VoC is, therefore, to make your organization more customer-centric in how it approaches each and every part of the buyer's journey, and [how to then market to your customers using this information](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-voc-stand-for-the-fundamental-core-of-good-marketing/). The results of incorporating VoC into your practices will reduce customer churn, improve user experience, increase customer loyalty, and, in the long run, support sustainable growth and revenue. ## **Why is VoC important?** Voice of the customer strategies are most effective for mid-size and enterprise-size companies. Small and start-up businesses usually don’t have to combat the same issues VoC attempts to tackle as they have a much smaller customer pool to interact with. For larger companies, VoC helps return to that small business feeling and avoid the very common siloing of information as more teams and departments get added. VoC has the advantage of getting mid-size businesses ahead of the curve when it comes to growth so that research and customer feedback are not lost with this growth. VoC also supports other changes: ### **An opportunity for service improvement** This one is perhaps the most obvious but is no less essential to know. Voice of the customer relies on collecting customer feedback from all the touchpoints along the customer lifecycle and then implementing this feedback to improve the customer journey. Feedback is no use if you don’t take it in, analyze it, and then take action. You’ll be gathering and storing data for nothing. VoC strategies give you the opportunity to build on and improve your current services using the advice of those who use it the most, so whatever plans you put in place address the pain points your customers have. Increasing customer satisfaction will not only satisfy your existing customers but also entice new customers. All of this goes a long way to improving the community surrounding your business: [How customer marketing supports community frameworksWith community frameworks, the relationship between you and your customer community is mutually beneficial, as these frameworks work toward your customer’s individual goals, which, in turn, gets you closer to your business goals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/08/william-white-TZCppMjaOHU-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-customer-marketing-supports-your-business-community-framework/) ### **An opportunity for product development** In the same vein as service improvement, customers can also tell you a lot about your product, and give you an insight into which features are most desirable and even ones which are missing. Your products must have a good user experience, otherwise, no one will use your product. Another point is that this information provided by your customers can also give you an insight into your competitors. If a customer mentions that “this company has this feature, but yours doesn’t” or “I prefer the product from this company because…”, **listen** to this! If a company is delivering features and products that are of interest to your target audience, then think about how you can implement them into your own product and how you can one-up your competition. Customers are invaluable resources for [competitive intelligence](https://www.salesenablementcollective.com/growth-hacking-with-real-time-ci/), so don’t let this part go unnoticed. Perhaps you already have these features in place but your current marketing copy isn’t highlighting these to the customers that are interested in them. Aunalisa Arellano goes in depth on CMA’s podcast, Customer Marketing Catch-up, how to effectively communicate these features to your audience. [How to effectively communicate your features, products, and services to your customers | Customer Marketing Catch-up“Customer marketing is just going to continue growing... it’s just getting that growth and then taking root so that it’s a pillar in almost every marketing team.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/08/2.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-effectively-communicate-your-features-products-and-services-to-your-customers/) **An opportunity for marketing efficiency** Collecting feedback gives you an insight into what your customer’s priorities are for your product, but also showcases what your current customer base looks like. This can give you insights into the demographics that your product is specifically targeting, be it age, location, income, gender, etc. Gathering this information is invaluable to make sure your current marketing techniques are [targeting the right people. ](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/ultimate-guide-to-customer-segmentation-the-what-why-and-how/) The type of people that respond to your VoC strategy is the people you’ll want to be targeting, both in existing customers and potential customers too. This may involve you reevaluating and adjusting your idea of who your ideal buyer and user personas are, and it can go a long way to making your efforts more effective. ### **An opportunity to perfect your brand story** How you present your brand to your audience is important, not just in the way you meet their needs, but also in how your values align with their own. [Creating a story for your brand is a great way to show how your brand prioritizes your target audience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-storytelling-works-to-perfect-customer-marketing/), and how your value proposition aligns with their needs and values. Getting insight into how customers experience your brand is a good starting point for how your brand is perceived. VoC data can tell you which parts of your current storytelling are working, and which parts you might want to change. Here are some examples of brand storytelling being shown through advertising: [Top five commercials that have memorable brand storytellingBrand storytelling is important to connect with your customers. Advertising campaigns are most successful when they’re memorable (for the right reasons).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/07/ramon-kagie-YXdQLn6ohbo-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/top-five-commercials-that-have-memorable-brand-storytelling/) ## **How does VoC fit in with other customer marketing concepts?** VoC as a strategy on its own works well in combination with other processes and can help support your team's other initiatives. **Customer relationship marketing -** [Relationship marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/b2431815-3320-4745-88d6-7fe244e79cbc/) combines quality customer service and marketing. The aim is to build a strong and long-lasting relationship with your customers. To make this kind of marketing work, you have to *know your customer*, which is where the feedback from the VoC strategy can come in. **Customer lifecycle marketing -** VoC strategies aim to collect data from customers at all stages of the customer journey. [Lifecycle marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) prioritizes personalization in both marketing and communication in order to convert the customer to the next stage in the lifecycle. VoC can help you understand how your product, brand story, and services can be improved to meet these customers’ expectations and get them one stage closer to customer loyalty. **Customer reactivation marketing -** [Reactivation marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfect-customer-reactivation-marketing/) targets customers who have lapsed or churned, and aims to get them to return to the fold. It also works to prevent that customer churn from happening again. By embedding the voice of the customer into your marketing and using the feedback collected to make service improvements, you can help prevent this same customer churn. Showing your customers that you not only listen to your customer's comments but take action based on them goes a long way to show how much you value them. **Customer experience strategy -** [An experience strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) is more specialized as it focuses on collecting data surrounding your customer’s thoughts after interacting with your services. They cover the touchpoints along a customer journey. VoC also relies on collecting data from these stages but will work through the customer's overall thoughts on the brand rather than specifically their experience of interacting with your brand. Nonetheless, VoC supports this kind of data too. All of these rely on a deep understanding of consumer psychology. Learn how to tap into **Consumer Psychology** to reap the rewards of understanding behavioral economics with our **Masters Certification**. [ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w1000/2022/10/CMA_Certified_CTA_Banners_Consumer_Psychology4.png) ](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/consumer-psychology-certified-masters) ## **What is a VoC strategy?** A VoC strategy is a process to get the voice of the customer implemented within your other marketing processes. There are six main stages of this strategy: **Define your goals -** Like any other program, Voice of the Customer programs won’t be successful unless there’s a [clear goal set out from the beginning](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/). So, make sure you and your team know why you want to implement VoC and what your ideal results will be at the end of the program. **Set contact types -** When asking customers for feedback, don’t just set up a single survey and be done with it. Make sure the way you collect customer feedback, and the channels you use to contact your customers are varied. [Getting a mix of quantitative and qualitative feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) will give you a much more accurate view of the current landscape of your customer experiences. **Gathering feedback -** Now is the time to begin data collection. You can do this in a number of ways, including through customer surveys, focus groups, and customer interviews. The priority is to make sure the data you collect covers as wide a section of your customer base as possible. **Analyze feedback -** The next stage is to analyze and apply this information to your current internal processes and strategies. Without this stage, your strategy will be for nothing. Make sure you’re taking in all of the feedback and then prioritizing the most vital and most doable points. It’ll be noticeable if you immediately try to fix a customer’s needs without considering the best way to do it first. Quality over quantity always. **Act -** Use your analysis from the last point to feed in changes to your internal processes, but also your product and services. **Evaluate action -** Measure how these changes impact [customer experience](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/10-components-to-building-a-solid-customer-experience-strategy/) and efficiency internally. Setting a reminder to look back on the changes you made will make sure any unsuccessful changes don’t get lost, and will also reassure you and your team that the successful actions implemented still work. **Review strategy -** The final point, once you’ve finished the duration of the strategy, is to then review it as a whole. What stages went smoothly? Which did not? How can you change your strategy to make things more successful next time? Karim Zuhuri goes through an example of how a VoC strategy was implemented at SafetyCulture: [Perfect marketing processes by giving your customers a voiceEveryone knows it’s important to pay attention to customer feedback, but how can we use that feedback to solve customer problems and show that our users’ opinions are at the heart of our practices? By being the voice of the customer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceKarim Zuhri![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/patrick-fore-5YU0uZh43Bk-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/be-the-voice-of-your-customer/) We also have a blank ‘Voice of the Customer Strategy’ framework available with our [pro membership plan](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/signup/): ![Screenshot of the voice of the customer framework available with CMAs pro membership](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DgdA3oHZKC3BSfvkXcalSiZ5L_E0mg6Kl_WAd5hbsFSytCIwkLPRSPea5tF3iepXdTSG0ac5akZLqdw-nwRXTWqqmynQtEoElJ9fhS_YWN3ccL6HO5F7axM_L6ontoQ4zEzq9hQlIehBwanyfyoyOvkZGWAcAhJO9pKSMAjYnIfkdxnHarVW1jpYKw) ### **VoC best practices** #### **Evaluate the whole customer journey** The worst thing to do is to present a VoC strategy that doesn’t represent your whole customer base. Neglecting or forgetting a [segment of customers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-segmentation-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-help/) while representing the others is almost worse than no strategy at all. To avoid this, make sure you know your customer base inside out, specifically [where they are in the customer journey](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/). Understand the sentiment of customers at each stage of the journey and make sure they’re represented. [Mapping out the customer journey and finding your audienceAlthough often represented in linear form, the reality is that there are often cycles or skipping across the journey. It’s key to mention that each consumer will approach this journey differently - this is why personas are at the heart of customer journey work.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceAmie Stephens![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/04/mantas-hesthaven-_g1WdcKcV3w-unsplash--1--1.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/mapping-out-the-customer-journey-and-finding-your-audience/) **Use multiple channels** There are multiple ways to collect feedback from your customers, just as there are multiple ways in which customers can speak to you. Beyond a simple survey or Q and A, there are also indirect ways in which customers can express their thoughts about your brand. Things like forums, social media, and review sites can give you indirect feedback, and offer you insights customers might not disclose if you ask them directly. Combining both indirect and direct feedback while using multiple channels means that you can get as much feedback from as much of your customer base as possible. #### **Personalize** When making requests for VoC feedback, quotes, case studies, wherever format it is, it’s important to make things personal to the person you’re reaching out to. Get invested in each customer's experience with your brand, and make a note of the unique experiences they’ve had or the products they’ve brought. Making a note of these, and making them a part of your VoC strategy shows customers that you’re invested in them for more than just making a sale. Make sure they feel the relationship with your brand is reciprocal, and that they see you more as a partner in the experience, rather than a faceless corporation. #### **Apply it to other data** Feedback from VoC works to not only improve customer marketing practices, but your strategy could hold the answers and solutions to other teams' problems as well. Collaborate with your sales, marketing, and customer success teams and provide them with access to the data you’ve collected. And vice versa. Other teams may help you realize some of the sources of customer issues. Cross-departmental collaboration with the rest of the business can go a long way to improving your business as a whole, not just your customer marketing strategies. And your VoC strategy goes further, proving it’s important to your key stakeholders. ## **Common VoC mistakes** Collecting feedback might seem like the simple task of putting together a survey and then distributing it out in the market. But a lot can go wrong with a survey that can turn your customers off wanting to help you. ### **1) Poor survey design** When collecting feedback, you want to take up as little of your customer’s time as possible. If your survey is long or complicated, customers will most likely drop out of the survey instead of finishing it and you won’t get the data you need for your strategy to be effective. Your survey should cover the important features and touchpoints that need improving the most, and the larger your data pool, the more valid the results will be. ### **2) Failing to keep the survey focused on the experience** Trying to kill two birds with one stone doesn't work when your strategy relies on specific information, especially when it revolves around your customer experience with your brand. The way you collect your feedback should reflect your desire to improve the customer experience. If you use surveys to collect feedback for other areas of the business, or worse yet, to try to promote your products or services within the survey, you’re essentially telling your customers that “your experience with our brand is not our top priority”. You’re already setting yourself up for failure because no customer wants to support a brand that doesn’t also support them in return. ### **3) Knowing why you’re asking the question** Make sure the purpose behind each question is clearly defined. Know which stage in the customer journey you’re talking about and which teams need the answer to this question, and keep the question itself simple so that your customers also know what you’re asking. Remember to be realistic about what you can solve (this comes down to proper preparation in the ‘Define your goals’ section). Asking about things you can’t change means the data you collect is useless. This may also lead to customers being unsatisfied with your responses and may make things worse for you rather than better. Remember to also decide on [how you will measure your success](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) in completing this goal by choosing appropriate metrics and targets for you and your team to work toward. [Important factors that impact customer marketing metrics, and how to choose your ownMeasuring customer marketing performance using quantifiable metrics is tricky due to the relationship-based nature of the role. That being said, there’re a variety of metrics to choose from and the ones you go for will depend on your organization and how you run your team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/09/william-warby-WahfNoqbYnM-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) ## **How can you measure VoC success?** Though the greatest evidence for your success with your VoC strategy is what your customers have to say about your improvements, there are also a few quantitative metrics that you can use to measure your success as hard evidence to present to key stakeholders. ### **Net Promoter Score (NPS)** This score is the likelihood the participant will recommend your brand to someone. This is easily measured as a simple survey question with a scale of one to ten and can be a part of a longer survey, or used as a pop-up on your website. The NPS score has three categories for responses: - **Detractors -** Answers from one to six - **Passives -** Those that answer from seven to eight - **Promoters -** Those that answered nine and ten The NPS score is then calculated by taking away the percentage of promoters from detractors. ![{ promoter % - detractor % = NPS }](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cVCiXI8D7cRBBFLiSih0Ayp7W3orr_4Xypli5Qk70Kjre7fBRQagjTgr1QoXEQNR94B500M6PYFrpIfrMYzKSD4wJt1DmxuW-zhgyrOjV6mGh9rWuoPjhPmQghFH7bWv6S-63nM2YOGbuNY96xPCnDrYzrMNekfS4X8cQ6Yhdm8bdTHi3NETgqBaEA) ### **Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)** The Customer Lifetime Value is a measurement of how valuable a customer is, not just on a purchase-by-purchase basis, but throughout the whole relationship with you. Simply put, the CLV formula is as follows: ![{ customer value x average customer lifespan = CLV }](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PBHtXYOlexWUuciQJzXacenJxWMGUC80dve_wY1397rEo6uKjxej-oOBuODkfLGpM4pZcleUXr9PIhNE4EWxewfxtHMuqI6varWd_FRbJPbWL6XftNLPXA-VIzxoVAxEEJNCchIqsVxnkbmCs_O__SAvh6NbGDfYh-0ZBLLD6ZjQGAv69YbM2rxelA) #### **Finding customer value** To get there, you’ll need to find the customer value and average customer lifespan first, which will take a few more calculations. First, let’s dive into finding customer value. You’ll need: **Average purchase value** ![{ total revenue/no. of orders = average purchase value }](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B0HrovX3a9pJeuWhsHuDUtmCh1SgZu4p1NM6T2_gn7pcuou4fs-5a6lZjRalAnEvH6CaJeqimDp2zPcQEUJDzneUPNwY4-mC8apT1F6d0TNWOrUFtxe3CrJA3pbBjVtbbdVIzsL1CfL0AFT2hqK61LNpdPio1caPbzKLfiEZGB97lc8ZH9IV_VxFQA) **Average purchase frequency rate** ![{ no. of purchases/no. of customers = average purchase frequency rate }](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yUuTAubSIctC8nDGMPG2vmSJJN90yoJtIT-rai4ptC9jt0CwhIM_v3_QQ22UJ3N2-iTOPLBRcj2KmK9p43JGaUKV0SNr0Gyp0jDDrwDVV0Pjt_Bw1Vu1QQcqZRlAf88HO_7LNxSPMTtwXN0GcvOkHYU-F5fUUrq8R_D6Q44bIObnvVPLlHWPX16C6A) Customer value is found by multiplying the results of these two together. So your calculation will look something like this: ![{ average purchase value x average purchase frequency rate = customer value }](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NYHpauW61aEvE63fOgzONFdYMsWm13Dq8Fk9vQs0Fcvf2BwHMDQimCmRoLCH5tgMg7Y_jPqO4gWg8UkXkqkKg0jGtRXm2-KziGVtdEPztqrdf6OXMABpPKD1HmPIg-RIZphkHYnbmPByOF6AlPirES997einiLm9Hn5B5n5X5OucwEx_lP0j4XaEFA) **Finding average customer lifespan** To complete the formula for CLV, we need to find the average customer lifespan for your customer base, which consists of two different pieces of data. And by customer lifespan, we’re referring to the number of years the customer will stay at your company. - Sum of customer lifespans - No. of customers You’ll divide these two pieces of data together to get a calculation that looks like this: ![{ sum of customer lifespans/no. of customers = average customer lifespan }](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/iTT9soPYc2THjlvGsE33WY3iGh8Bb8hqSYQe7R2detlBn1Ka0O69tufJho5LmNU-TzBhzonp1pFrMnuDBYBJp-ElR7mifBZzMK4qDUNcCqS0BrkdUNPQFGfFUmpUvGZbk-hhBymrYFTfpINL5vkMdN-WmKtyKNLY7cImQUxlznbenC1iBXAcxte0OQ) There are tricks and processes you can use to lengthen the lifespan of your customers. To learn more, check out the article below for an in-depth look at lifecycle marketing. [What is customer lifecycle marketing and how is it used?Engaging with your customers is a basic building block when marketing your business. Where other processes become involved only once a sale has been made, customer lifecycle marketing plans interactions throughout the whole customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/alexander-schimmeck-PBwnVjl0Axg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) ### **Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)** Much like NPS, the Customer Satisfaction Score is presented as a percentage to represent the number of positive reviews about you and your services. This is also recorded on a numbered scale - it can be from 1-10, 1-5, or any other number range. For this calculation, you’ll need: - The number of responses - The number of positive responses within that number Your formula will look like this: ![{ no. of positive responses / no. of survey responses x 100 = CSAT as a percentage }](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AdySWhv6y7T-3XB4euJpgbh-hdEuy7iuJoMtA-gl6JYHks80SbTVCBl_8WLdhBgAerNCF9Nva7IYCJcJNuOwAZOX29vOyZdXGlfFjVZc0RnJc2VHNlKK1TFRJK4hqBmR09skWl4U3sJhmPDtyRKYfBEZhRiImF3CDSkDe7DWkdGYKaW6UQf1_53ExA) ## **VoC tools** For start-up companies, keeping up to date with all that’s going on with your customers is relatively simple. But when your customer base starts expanding, and your company grows with it, keeping up suddenly becomes a lot more difficult. We’ve put together a small list of tools that can help translate, automate, and collect the feedback data from your customers, so you can focus on the more important stage of analyzing and implementing it into your strategy, [without compromising growth](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/). As with all platforms, these come with their own list of pros and cons and will suit different needs, so choose carefully and consider your specific goals for your VoC programs. ### **Medallia** Medallia is a platform that collects customer experience feedback, both direct and indirect, and then translates it into real-time insights. It can be used across multiple platforms and its auto-generated reports can give you a great starting point for your strategy. **Pros:** - Word cloud engine - Can track customer complaints **Cons:** - Can have inconsistencies in word cloud results ### **InMoment** In a similar vein, InMoment gathers customer feedback and creates reports on this data. Like Medalia, it’s a cloud-based platform that also hosts solutions regarding market experience and employee experience. **Pros:** - Prioritizes holistic customer relationship management - Comes with customer journey maps to identify touchpoints **Cons:** - Limited in customizable options - Does not offer survey templates ### **ConfirmIt** ConfirmIt is a source to create surveys and questionnaires. It also uses five different stages to analyze the customer voice, beginning with identifying your business needs and issues and ending with helping you act on the results. **Pros:** - Flexible integrations - Most feedback types are customizable **Cons:** - Limited survey types - A small variety of beginning templates ### **MonkeyLearn** MonkeyLearn is a tool that can be integrated into other apps, offering a no-data text analysis. The platform can help you tag certain words/sentiments and then collate this qualitative data into simple analysis charts. **Pros:** - There is a free option available for this platform - Is easy to use with little to no learning curve **Cons:** - There are limited integrations - There are only a small number of templates available ## **Continue your learning with CMA courses** Now that we've given a wide variety of the basics of VoC as it relates to customer marketing, and if you’re interested in learning more, then our Customer Marketing Core course offers a comprehensive learning environment. You can delve right into: 👩🏼‍🏫 12 modules 📙 40+ chapters ⏰ 10+ hours 🔖 Official certification 🔥 6 fireside chats 👨🏼‍💻 100% self-paced Want to get your whole team leveled up? We offer both individual and team rates. [Kickstart your progress now](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/alumni10https://certified.productmarketingalliance.com/p/customer-marketing-certified) ### What does the future of customer marketing look like? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-future-of-customer-marketing-look-like-in-2022/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:38:59.000Z Here at Customer Marketing Alliance, we’re dedicated to keeping customer marketing continually moving forward with our thought leaders, community members, and events throughout the year. 2022 saw our very first [State of Customer Marketing Report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/), which went over a variety of different topics related to the position. This article serves as a sneak peek into the report and our conversations with our community members and survey responders. It’ll cover: - [Changes our contributors would like to see,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-future-of-customer-marketing-look-like-in-2022/#:~:text=in%20our%20community.-,Changing%20for%20the%20better,-Change%20begins%20with) - [Where our respondents think customer marketing is going in the future,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-future-of-customer-marketing-look-like-in-2022/#:~:text=your%20existing%20customers.-,Customer%20marketing%20is%20a%20fast%2Dgrowing%20role,-LinkedIn%20found%20customer) - [The most valuable parts of customer marketing according to customer marketers](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-future-of-customer-marketing-look-like-in-2022/#:~:text=into%20the%20future%3F-,The%20most%20valuable%20parts%20of%20customer%20marketing,-There%20definitely%20is), and - [The career aspirations for customer marketers in our community.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-the-future-of-customer-marketing-look-like-in-2022/#:~:text=customer%20marketing%20position.-,Customer%20marketers%20aspirations,-We%20asked%2C%20%E2%80%9CWhat) ## **Changing for the better** Change begins with those involved. Customer marketing is a completely varied role with its thumbs in more than a few pies. So, we asked our contributors about the one change they’d like to see in the future for customer marketing. Here’s what they said: > *“I would like to see it elevated to the level of product marketing or demand. I believe there is not enough weight put into the lifetime value (LTV) of a customer.* > *I know, I know, you won’t have customers without a strong positioning and without demand, but the market really needs to put more emphasis on keeping customers happy, engaged, and increasing their share of wallet.* > *I feel like customer marketing right now and traditionally has just been looked at as a value add.”* \- **Aunalisa Arellano, Head of Customer Marketing at Filevine** > *“I want customer marketing serving as a unifier across all of marketing by leading with a customer-first approach in everything that we do.”* \- **Liz Greer, Product and Customer Marketing Manager at Salesforce** Becoming customer-centric is a trend that has been increasing in the last few years, but needs to be recognized more as a vital position for businesses that want to leave a mark in the market. Not only that but companies that are customer-obsessed work to prioritize customer engagement and retention. This begins with the base values a company chooses to hold itself to. To see companies increasing the value of the customer marketing position within their structure shows that customer obsession is a priority. [Read more on customer obsession.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/) > *“If my pie-in-the-sky dream could come true, it would be that organizations realize the top priority of any community is to first and foremost drive value to its members.* > *So often organizations see communities as a pipeline to fulfill their marketing efforts. And while they can help in this space, it shouldn’t be the focus. Let’s all collectively shift and put the needs of customers first.* > *When this happens, I guarantee everything else will follow.”* \- **Jeni Asaba, Senior Manager for Community Engagement & Advocacy at Jamf** The biggest mistake when it comes to what advocates bring to the table is this link with marketing. Affiliate and advocate marketing are all legitimate forms of marketing, but your advocates are customers first, not just free labor for getting your name out there to potential customers. The relationship between your advocates and your business must come first, specifically the value you can give them. [Relationship marketing focuses efforts on nurturing the relationship with your existing customers.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enhance-customer-loyalty-with-relationship-marketing/) ## **Customer marketing is a fast-growing role** LinkedIn found customer marketing to be the 3rd fastest growing job title in 2021\. With that in mind, we asked our survey responders a similar question: ‘Where do you see customer marketing going in the future?’. Here are some of the answers: > *“Many indicators are predicting we’re in for a bumpy economic ride. As we look at the next year, it will be valuable to closely manage your program data, track the revenue you’re influencing, and understand your programs’ value against key organizational OKRs. Data will be critical as we meet whatever challenges may be coming.*” - **Elizabeth Raffa, Senior Customer Marketing Manager at HackerOne** With the fallout from the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the economic downturn will be a cause for concern for all companies. Customer marketing is in a valuable position to support companies through this, as[ it’ll be successful customer retention strategies that’ll keep companies afloat by stabilizing the bottom line](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/doing-right-by-your-customers-prospects-without-sacrificing-the-bottom-line/), rather than customer acquisition. Others that took the survey had different answers: > *“I think it will become more formalized as a marketing specialty and eventually expand to industries outside of technology. As companies see the value in customer marketing, they will expand the teams and there will be subspecialties within customer marketing.”* > *“I anticipate that the interest in customer marketing will begin leveling off a bit as hiring cools.”* > *“It will become about community and engagement management.”* > *“I think that customer marketing will begin leading efforts with customer success and start owning more of the marketing strategy.”* > *“I think it will keep growing, especially in the US. For Europe, it’s a relatively new role but I expect it to become more common.”* > *“There’s so much career potential: I think there’s a huge career trajectory for customer marketing. If people are successful, I could see a driven customer marketer climbing the ranks to a Chief Customer Officer role.”* > *“Eventually, I see it moving out of product marketing (or a subfunction of any team) and becoming its own team within marketing.”* > *“There will be more emphasis on product-led growth being owned/ influenced by customer marketing.”* > *“I see customer marketing becoming a specialized role within product marketing, which is a strategic team within most B2B companies.”* > *“I see it taking over what used to be called “insights”. Customer marketing is more integrated into day-to-day operations, whereas insights teams tend to be more academic in nature.”* > *“There will be more clarity on what the function does within the organization, with clearer lines between customer marketing, product marketing, and customer success.”* > *“The next few years will see customer marketing reshaping and redefining itself to encapsulate more than just advocacy and community building.”* > *“It will be as important as Product Marketing/ABM, particularly for SaaS companies.”* ## **What will our customer marketers prioritize going into the future?** ### **The most valuable parts of customer marketing** There definitely is a future for customer marketing and it’s bright. We’re living in the age of the customer and there’s more attention than ever by companies to focus and prioritize on the post-sale customer journey and experience. With this being said, we wanted to focus on the parts of the role our customer marketing participants thought would become most valuable in the upcoming year. With these insights, customer marketers can see what others will be prioritizing. Most common were answers relating to community and feedback: > *“Definitely case studies.”* > *“It’ll be customer advocacy.”* > *“My priority is my customer community.”* > *“Our most valuable will be our go-to-customer programs.”* > *“We’re wanting to focus on capturing more testimonials and developing new advocacy programs.”* > *“Our priority is to begin understanding the customer better for epic campaigns, customer loyalty and referrals to new clients.”* > *“We’re looking to unify our processes by connecting our different programs together.”* > *“We’re going to be focussing on Customer Advisory Board and engagement programs, specifically focused on top strategic customers.”* There were a few that focused on other areas of the business, including [increasing revenue,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/generate-more-revenue-using-customer-expansion-techniques/) which can be done through [cross-selling and upselling](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/) opportunities with your existing customers, and prioritizing events and campaigns: > *“For us, customer marketing’s definitely becoming a more formalized function with dedicated associations/events popping up more frequently.”* > *“We’re going to be running always-on campaigns for sourcing up-sell and cross-sell opportunities.”* We asked our contributors the same question and here’s what they had to say: > *“Relationship building has been, and will continue to be, the most valuable part of my work. It’s the foundation of everything else. So, if anything were to change, my hope is that it would be the awareness that building relationships with customers is what sets up any community program for success.” - *Jeni Asaba, Senior Manager for Community Engagement & Advocacy at Jamf** This sentiment has been reflected more recently by **Dave Hansen, Customer Marketing Director at LRN**, in a[ recent article on customer marketing metrics.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/) Hementioned that, with younger communities, he likes to focus on nurturing the community itself without worrying about metrics. > *“Instead of pressuring our young community to provide the 3 Rs or other content, we're focused on growth \[…\] and engagement through discussions. No additional metrics or goals... let's build a strong foundation.”* Again, the most important part of customer marketing is relationship building rather than specific tasks. It’s through successful relationships that companies can flourish alongside their customer base. > *“A greater importance is placed on customer insights and how we translate these insights into sales and marketing strategies.” - *Liz Greer, Product and Customer Marketing Manager at Salesforce** > *“Advocacy. Customer advocacy is huge right now in the B2B space. I think it will only keep growing.” - *Aunalisa Arellano, Head of Customer Marketing at Filevine** Our contributors are available to talk to on our [Customer Marketing Alliance Slack channel](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), so consider joining our community to ask them about their part in this report. Our community is a fantastic resource to keep up to date with the landscape of the customer marketing position. ### **Customer marketers aspirations** We asked, “What are your career aspirations for the next year?”. It seems that the future of customer marketing is looking good with **49.8%** of participants saying they want to progress up the customer marketing career ladder. **30.8%** said they were happy where they were. ![Graphic showing the percentage of responses for the question 'what are your career aspirations for the next year?'](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EbtaufJpftgeNmH6tx34NkRBMzxCbyBF7Dm2amrduPxMpwlDW5t94Rv_LseK9akHsIAKCLKjzohO1ZLZWatyCZwFRG7STurpt0Ghbd_FXkGkwW4n5qMglhfda8EGZu5NPMlPDuhANNMalAuEN8521soT17BgElmZ2qE7YEUkq-vc4SATkEgQpFMtQ) It’s reassuring to see that customer marketing is a role that people are not only happy to continue doing but are wanting to progress through. Hopefully, we will see an even bigger increase as customer marketing progresses and cements itself into the business processes as a norm. Customer marketing is a role that has been around for more than a decade now, and is in the process of fully maturing into its best realized version. Huge strides have already been made in establishing its value to businesses. Influitive’s State of Customer Marketing Report found that **98%** of executives rate customer marketing as either very important or important to the overall success of their organization. But we’ve still got a ways to go in this value being reflected in the resources and budget available to customer marketers. And we’re here to witness every stage of development for this role in the upcoming years. ## **Want to read more?** This article is a sneak peek into our [State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/). You can download the full report using the form below and unlock **70+** pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing and how it fits in with the rest of the market. ### SaaS customer education marketing requires solid customer profile URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/saas-customer-education-marketing-requires-solid-customer-profile/ Last updated: 2022-09-16T10:13:23.000Z Unless you have a good set of customer profiles, you cannot create effective education services marketing, or for that matter, you cannot create effective training courses. This is a bold statement, and maybe “cannot” is too strong a word. It is not, however, bold to say that good marketing (just like good instructional design) requires a solid understanding of your audience (your learner). It’s time for us to get good at creating customer profiles. Designing education services marketing is a lot like designing learning experiences. Step one is about analyzing the need, and the need begins with understanding the audience. In marketing, the audience is a potential buyer of your product (training). In instructional design, the audience is the learner; the person taking your course. Now I’m speaking your language, right? Permit me to make another bold statement by saying that the best way to understand your audience is to build a customer profile. I am sure that makes sense to you. It is logical and reasonable. Most of us have been in meetings during which people talked about building customers profiles. Or maybe people used the words “buyer personas.” We all sort of nod in agreement, while secretly thinking to ourselves, “I agree and believe we need to build customer profiles, but I don’t know how to do that.” You are not alone in that thinking. Few of us know how to build customer profiles. We don’t have a method for it. Good news. There is a method. ## **Value proposition design.** In a [previous article](https://blog.learndot.com/learndot/the-first-step-in-your-education-services-marketing-plan), we talked about why value proposition design is a critical first step in your education services marketing strategy. And then we gave an overview of the value proposition canvas. In this article, we'll go into more detail on one part of the value proposition canvas: The customer profile section. The customer profile part of the canvas has three parts. 1. Customer jobs 2. Gains 3. Pains That’s it. If you understand these three things about your education services customers, you will understand them well enough to design and market training that addresses the specific needs they have in the context of learning the software they purchased from you. What could be more important to have in a customer profile? Demographics? I don’t think so. As we go through and build a customer profile of a project management software administrator, we will see how relevant this profile is to understanding our customer. ## **The customer segment and the customer profile** Before we get into the customer jobs, gains, and pains, we need to clarify the difference between customer segment and customer profile. The right side of the value proposition canvas is called the customer profile. The act of writing down the customer jobs, gains, and pains, and the prioritizing (or ranking by importance) those three things, is creating the customer profile. We want to examine a customer profile in this way, so we can figure out how to provide value to that profile and to provide value to the most important things that customer profile cares about. You create a customer profile of a customer segment. You may have more than one customer segment. For example, your customers segments likely include: 1. **Decision-maker:** owner fo the function you are selling training to. 2. **Champion:** person who persuades the decision-maker to buy your training and the person who will implement your training on their team. 3. **Primary consumers of your training:** these are the people who take your training). You might look at these as the roles you create training for: administrators, end users, developers, managers, etc. For each customer segment, you will create a unique customer profile. If you have four customer segments, you will create four customer profiles. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s build our first customer profile. ## **Customer jobs** Building a customer profile starts with understanding customer jobs. Think of the jobs as the tasks your customer segment needs to perform. This is not as simple as it first appears. We don’t want to only think about the functional jobs someone needs to perform. There are social jobs and emotional jobs that are equally important to understand. Functional jobs are easy to understand. These are the tasks people perform. Social and emotional jobs are a little more difficult to get. Social jobs include how a customer might want to be perceived by others at work? “I want to be perceived as an expert in a software tool; to want the boss to think I am capable.” So, one job of a software administrators is to look capable configuring permission schemes. For example, administrators like to be experts, right? When a manager asks whether we can “integrate this tool with that tool,” the administrator wants to be able to say “I can do that. Sure….there is a function in the software designed specifically for doing that. “ OR “Hmmm….Let me look into it…I think there is a way to do that.” Emotional jobs include those that help customer customer to feel good. Maybe that is job security. Maybe it’s reduced stress from knowing how to use the software or feeling secure that one can find answers in the documentation. > ***Functional, social, and emotional jobs comes from jobs to be done theory*** > > *If you’d like to learn more about customer jobs, we recommend studying the works of Tony Ulwick, one of the originators of Jobs-to-be-Done framework. His book,* [*Jobs to be Done: Theory to Practice*](https://jobs-to-be-done-book.com/) *is on Amazon, of course, but you can get the PDF of the entire book for free here. Also, I interviewed Tony on* [*Helping Sells Radio*](https://helpingsells.substack.com/p/episode-63-tony-ulwick-on-building-483)*.* For purposes of this example, we will pick one of our customers segments, which would be one of the primary consumers of your training courses: an administrator. What jobs does an administrator perform? Here are some. ### **Functional jobs:** 1. Provision new users 2. Set permission schemes 3. Configure settings 4. Set up integrations 5. Monitor performance 6. Present data/results/reporting in a weekly management meeting 7. Stay on top of new technologies 8. Find (or just know) answers ### **Social jobs:** 1. Look smart in from on peers and bosses 2. Help others use the software 3. Share preferred methods and processes ### **Emotional jobs:** 1. Improve skill set 2. Advance career 3. Job security 4. Earn certifications We want to think of as many jobs as we can and get them on the list. Later, we will rank them by importance. But in this exercise, we need to get them all down. ## **Gains** To quote from the Value Proposition Design book, “Gains describe the outcomes and benefits your customer wants.” Notice the end of that sentence…gains that “your customer wants.” The gains don’t describe what your training products deliver. Gains are not a list of product features and benefits. Gains are just about what the customer wants to get better in their work life…in the jobs they are doing. I call this out just to remind us to complete this customer profile thinking of the customer only. Not the training products we have or plan to have. I have made this mistake. Here are some ideas for gains an administrator might expect when learning new software: 1. Hands on for practice 2. Teaches real examples 3. Applicable ideas 4. Gives me tools I can use 5. Gives me a credential This is a short list but gets you started. When creating a list of gains your customer expects when learning new software, you might ask yourself a few questions: 1. What savings in time, money, and effort would your customer want or expect? 2. What training methods would your customer expect? Quizzes? Job aids? Check Lists? An instructor? Short, targeted topics? Long, in-depth training? 3. What would make learning software easier? There are more and better trigger questions in the Value Proposition Design book. ## **Pains** As described in the Value Proposition Design book, pains are anything that annoys your customer about the job they need to do or prevents them from doing it. Pains might also be risks they have in that job. You might ask yourself the following questions to get this exercise started? 1. What is costly about doing this job? 2. What risks does the customer have on this job? 3. What tasks are difficult or time consuming? 4. What makes customer feel bad? 5. What gives customers a headache or is otherwise a pain in the neck? There are more and better trigger questions in the Value Proposition Design book. Here are some examples of pains a project management software administrator might experience: 1. Responding to end user “access/permission” questions 2. Troubleshooting 3. Monitoring performance (“why is it slow?) 4. Vague, fluffy training courses (waste of time) 5. Courses covering why and what, but not how 6. Too much theory 7. Boring content 8. No clear path to applying What are pains your customers might face in learning new software? ## **Ranking each job, gain, and pain** As you build your customer profile, get as many jobs, gains, and pains on your list as you can. Not all will be equally important, but the more you can get down on your list, the most likely you are to find the most critical ones. Once you complete your three lists, you will then rank them each in order of importance. You don’t have to be perfect here. Just re-order your list of gains, for example, on a vertical list putting the most critical ones on top and least critical ones on the bottom. For pains, put the most painful ones on top and the “mere annoyances” at the bottom. Ranking these is important to help you prioritize what training courses you build and even what marketing should focus on first. In a world of limited resources, you can only run a limited number of marketing campaigns or build a limited number of courses. Assume one at a time. (maybe two). So, focus on gains, pains, and jobs at the top of the list. ## **Customer profiles come first** We all talk about building customer profiles, but few of us have a methodology for building them. I didn’t. Until I starting using the value proposition canvas. In the context of deciding what courses to build for customers and how to promote those courses, a good customer profile is a necessary first step. Don’t move on with them. ### Streamline customer marketing with journey and product insights to impact advocacy and upsell URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/streamline-customer-marketing-with-journey-and-product-insights-to-impact-advocacy-and-upsell/ Last updated: 2024-05-20T16:35:19.000Z My name is Gal, I'm the co-founder of Crowdvocate, and today we're going to talk about streamlining customer marketing by associating it with the journey and product insights, and how all that can impact advocacy and upsell. I'll start by giving a little intro to Crowdvocate, then I’ll run through the pillars of B2B customer marketing and share some tips on how to get started. Then we’ll look at how to use data to streamline engagement across the customer journey and how to engage with your customer advocate base at scale. Lastly, we’ll explore how customer marketing drives revenue and how to leverage references and advocacy for upsell opportunities. Let's dive in. ## **The pillars of customer marketing** Crowdvocate is the only purpose-built platform for customer marketing that can also be leveraged by product marketers. It's a holistic approach to managing advocacy programs. lifecycle engagement, upsell, expansion, reference automation, loyalty rewards, and much more. It's a holistic approach because we believe that customer marketing *is* holistic. For us, customer marketing is everything post-sale. On top of what customer success does, customer marketing can also scale adoption and content for your customers. We run events, user groups, and CABs. Customer marketing can also look after communities and user forums. Engaging all of those activities and leveraging the data from them is part of what customer marketing can do, both for the company and the community. Of course, there are different types of advocacy. There are reviews, customer stories, and customer feedback and input. There are reference calls, and there’s reference content. And then there's lifecycle marketing to drive upsell, cross-sell, and expansion. There’s also the overall communication of activities, events, and whatnot. The thing is that for your customer, all those activities are part of the same thing. They all form the sum of their engagement with you. They don't see the separate programs. They’re a user of product X, and within their journey, they onboard, they join a user group and maybe a customer advisory board. They might be active in your community and maybe take a reference call or say yes to an upsell. That's their journey. That's how they see it, and that's how you should see it too. You need to tie all the pieces together. ## **Four tips to get started with customer marketing** Before you do that, here are four tips to get you started. We've seen them work with all our customers. The key thing is not to start with a platform with a plan. ### **Tip #1: Define your strategy and KPIs** What’s your year one goal? What numbers do you need to reach at the end of the year? Maybe that's the number of advocates. Maybe it's the number of upsell revenue or campaigns that you run. Maybe it's the number of people that participated in reference calls or the number of deals that leverage reference calls. There are so many things you can track, but your targets have to be numeric. You also have to agree on your goals with management in mind, and the best way to start is by understanding the company's KPIs and aligning with those. If the company wants to focus on upselling this new feature, the customer marketing program should support that. ### **Tip #2: Collaboration is key** You want to collaborate with everybody. Customer marketing is the quarterback of the organization. You're talking to internal marketing teams because you need their help, and they need your help with demand generation because that requires customer-generated content. You’re talking to sales because they need references, which are obtained and approved by customer success. Product teams can help you move more messaging and get feedback. And of course, you have to get executive sponsorship to run these programs. ### **Tip #3: Talk to your customer** You also want to talk to your customers. Talk to them directly. When customer marketers don't have direct access to customers, it's not good. You want to be able to talk to the customers and find your own champions, not just trust your account managers or CSMs to tell you who the champions are. You should also try and find more accounts and people within those accounts that your cross-functional colleagues haven’t realized are champions, You want to consult at least your top 20 customers. Treat them like your internal CAB, and they’ll tell you what can work, what they're willing to do, what rewards should look like, and what programs they think are cool. ### **Tip #4: Measure and share** And the last tip, of course, is to measure and share. You have to track and measure numeric results, and then you have to blow your own horn. You have to let the whole organization know about the influence of customer marketing. ## **How to streamline your engagement with advocates** Those are the four tips to get started. Now, let's talk about how you engage with customers throughout the journey. ![Screenshot showing a table that described the customer journey from 'customers first login' to 'upsell message'](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/TmLOZxPQgq_HK7edUhZF0zKcy6wuAhS4whT8rycJ1uW2sw5QLXLMO3acl6qSE6B62IpGM0wfwWj5KPcwk2jmwaTOo_YJc-H928thXKg3Zw_aImQiWvDAUy7B8dF25zLHs8_H_zwQnDRbHnlpT0sSlhj-LPOYdsbzwkAakl61Ed-trqfoXaQVwH1gyA) Let’s look at a typical customer journey. When customers start working with your product, they receive a welcome message, then they go through onboarding. At some point, they become activated users – maybe after a month, maybe after three months. And then, ideally, you start turning them into advocates. You might ask them to write a review, participate in an event, give a quote, and so on. And at some point, you might even want to advance that journey and invite users to join your customer advisory board as a consultant or maybe join a beta group. Later, your company could upsell or cross-sell to these customers. You want to tie all these stages of the customer journey together. The way Crowdvocate does that is by tying that journey to company data. We leverage CRM data, for example, showing which products customers do and don’t have. That helps us identify upsell opportunities. We also track how frequently they’re using the product, whether they’re satisfied, and their health scores. Maybe a customer logged into the community. Perhaps they're even a contributor. Perhaps they signed up to the academy, finished the courses, and got certified. They might be active in the blog and interested in specific types of content. We take all that data from the CRM and other data sources and then apply it to the journey. Combining all those data points gives you a holistic picture of the customer's journey. That's how you can tie all your activities together and engage in the journey in a way that suits the customer. Different people with different titles in different countries using different features of your product in different stages of their lifecycle should get different messages that are relevant to their journey. That's how you activate users – by tailoring your engagement to them. All communication should be personalized to their journey and where they are with your product. ![screenshot showing to graphs. On the left is the same table on customer journey. On the right is an advocacy score timeline from 'referral' to 'joined reference pool'. ](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XuPEvTTJfKSfhlfJSV2gHKzNT7UtNDGFk9l0aM_1KWQGvvL7rdSYlX63QQOfCLCbQKNmJgHp7usggeE9Zthm0uJYA7oTC8J0GrJVz_riiq0lyDTzgULK89dychmOpYBPniqAqlMitwTGpIrOiw2HwIdBS9LKBdt59ZhSCr7-Fp2KnSsVbwzUJ7cUOQ) When we do all this, that basic customer journey we talked about becomes much more insightful. We can build a timeline for each customer, showing CRM data, advocacy activities, and how each one taps onto another as they climb the ladder of advocacy, becoming more engaged and developing a true partnership with you. When you track the customer's advocacy activities, you can raise the bar each time you reach out. If you see that they’ve joined the reference pool, you might want to ask them to speak in a webinar. If they’ve spoken on webinars, maybe you could see if they’d like to speak to an analyst. That's how you grow the customer into a champion. You can use data to learn about each customer and where they are in their journey. Maybe your CSM or account manager is only engaging with three contacts on that account, but there are 20 users within that company, some of whom love your product and are happy to talk about it. They could be your Trojan horse, your go-to in that company when you want to run a campaign with them. I get a lot of questions about how to tap into executives. Well, maybe you want to start people further down in that company who can bring the executives to the table, or maybe you need to create different journeys for executives, for power users, and junior users. Engagement data helps you see all of that. ## **Building engagement at scale** When you have data, you can build personalized engagement at scale. You’ll be able to identify the individuals most suited to different types of advocacy activities, based on their job title, segment, and use case, and then reach out to them. And how do you reach out to them? Reach out to them everywhere and anywhere in any way. Some customers will answer an email, but only 20% of them might open the email to begin with. Some customers will respond to an in-app message, but if they're very senior, they might never be in your app. Some customers will engage on Slack, by text, by visiting a designated customer portal, or after seeing a pop-up when they join your virtual events. That's how you engage at scale. You don't tell them, “This is where you have to go,” or, “This is how we engage.” You let them choose from a basket of different engagement types, and add that data to your CRM. That way, your team can see who’s engaged, who’s an advocate, how they like to engage and how frequently, and how we're going to leverage them this month and the month after that. ## **How advocacy and referenceability impact revenue, loyalty and upsell** The last thing we're going to touch on is how you leverage customer marketing to create business impact. Customer marketing can influence all the pillars of revenue that SaaS companies, and indeed most companies, have. ![This is a screenshot showing a table with three sections: new sales, upsell & expansion, and loyalty and retention. This is referring to business impact.](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/EU1HavlRLZmKholFpyLKzDpRF4UpQyJohlAc61XHDT6f7qWTdJzqISEqcBlfN_Qu4G76hR6MWjQW-MHwPbP58ADfA87BCLdRJ-7eUdeBy4gwZr_NvEgqwVIYjn-C5xjeYE7JynLShBJixLIOYnavFUPKTqJVKrFPf4bntwcOz95OoFS6maedYSrQQQ) Customer marketing influences new sales. Reference calls, customer stories, and reference content can all help you close deals. Reviews can bring leads, and a lot of advocacy activities influence demand generation and support new business. For most B2B companies, between 40 and 70% of new deals have touched advocacy in some way, shape, or form. The second pillar of revenue for companies is upsell and expansion. Upsell and expansion normally account for roughly 40% of a company's revenue. We saw that more than ever in the pandemic. Companies started saying, “If we're engaging our customers in our advocacy program, why don’t we leverage that for upsell? If they love us so much, why don't we increase their share of wallet? Why don't we market to our customers and turn them into even bigger customers?” For that, you need advocacy. You need to find a customer who had feature A from your platform and added feature B. Then, you take that customer story and serve it to your existing advocates who haven't yet purchased feature B. Advocacy, customer stories, and even reviews can all serve upsell, cross-sell, and expansion campaigns. If you want to expand to another division within a bank, you can use your champions in division A to promote your product to division B. Why do a whole external campaign and try to target that bank via LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter when you already have champions in a different division? Lastly, research shows that the more engaged customers are, the more loyal and likely to repurchase they are. So, advocacy and customer marketing influence retention, and you want to prove that. You want to show that the accounts that engage in your customer marketing programs retain more than others, ideally 30 to 50% more. ## **Proving your impact** As we’ve seen, customer advocacy and reference programs have a business impact. They impact new revenue, they impact upsell, expansion, and cross-sell revenue, and they impact retention revenue. To prove it, you have to track the right data. We sometimes talk to customer marketers or advocacy managers who tell us that their metrics focus only on how many advocates they have, how many customer stories they created, or where they stand on reviews compared to their competition. Those metrics are great, but they're not the metrics that your CRO, CMO, or CEO cares about. You have to tie your programs to dollars. You can do this by building revenue-driven campaigns. You can add, for example, an upsell campaign. You want to start by working with product marketing to identify a cohort that is ready for upselling right now. Within that cohort, you need to find your champions. From there, you can run a nurturing campaign where you educate your champions about a new feature. You can even survey those customers about the pain that your new feature solves, then give them social proof from another customer within the program who has taken that upsell journey. Finally, you can ask them if they’d like to talk to an expert in sales. If you add that lead to your CRM, you can track it. Think of it as a CMQL – a customer marketing-qualified lead – and pass it on to a sales colleague to close that deal. You want to measure that, of course, and attribute it to ROI. If you have a platform that tracks this automatically, that's great. If not, you have to find ways within your tech stack to show how many referrals turned into deals, how many references influenced deals that closed won, and how many upsell campaigns turned into opportunities and revenue. You also have to agree with your internal teams, like sales, how much of that is attributed back to you so you can show your execs the direct attribution of revenue you have. The easiest way to do that is to say, “Listen, can we agree that one percent of every deal that advocacy influences is attributed to customer marketing?” Most sales teams will say, “Sure, one percent, who cares?” One percent of $100 million is a million dollars, which is not that big, but you can still attribute that and show that you influenced $100 million and have direct attribution of $1 million. That’s going to help you in conversations about getting a bigger budget for your function. ## **Let’s sum up** We’ve covered what customer marketing is in our eyes and how it relates to the entire customer journey. We’ve looked at the pillars of customer marketing and the many ways we can engage with our customers. We’ve also discussed how we can help move our customers up that advocacy ladder. I’ve shared some ways you can tap into the customer journey and grow the lifetime value of each of your users, not only in terms of their share of wallet, but also because they’ll help you bring in other new customers with their advocacy. Finally, we’ve looked at how you show the value of customer marketing and use that to grow your internal resources and team. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope it’s given you some food for thought. ### Is customer marketing valued by leadership? URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/is-customer-marketing-values-by-leadership-stats-for-2022/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:40:09.000Z With our first [State of Customer Marketing report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) released this summer, we gained a lot of insights into customer marketing, its standard processes, and how it’s used in companies today. This article will go through the main findings concerning the leadership team's involvement in customer marketing. Here’s what we’ll be talking about: - [The influence of customer marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/7ad0bb6c-f0be-490c-8bf7-8615d97b77ee/#:~:text=and%20customer%20obsession.-,The%20influence%20of%20customer%20marketing,-With%20customer%20marketing) on [goals and strategies](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/7ad0bb6c-f0be-490c-8bf7-8615d97b77ee/#:~:text=in%20their%20position.-,Influence%20on%20company%20goals%20and%20strategy,-First%20off%2C%20we), and [revenue from existing customers,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/7ad0bb6c-f0be-490c-8bf7-8615d97b77ee/#:~:text=6/10.-,Influence%20on%20revenue%20from%20existing%20customers,-We%20then%20asked) - [Whether customer marketers are satisfied with their abilities to meet KPIs](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/7ad0bb6c-f0be-490c-8bf7-8615d97b77ee/#:~:text=5.6/10.-,Are%20customer%20marketers%20satisfied%20with%20their%20ability%20to%20meet%20KPIs%3F,-We%20next%20asked), and - [The importance of customer marketing and customer obsession.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/p/7ad0bb6c-f0be-490c-8bf7-8615d97b77ee/#:~:text=the%20upcoming%20year.-,The%20importance%20of%20customer%20marketing%20and%20customer%2Dobsession,-The%20question%20of) ## **The influence of customer marketing** With customer marketing still considered a relatively new addition to how businesses run, we wanted to know a little more about how customer marketers currently feel in their position. ### **Influence on company goals and strategy** First off, we asked, “On a scale of 0-10, how much influence do you feel you have on your company’s [goals and strategy](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-make-and-structure-your-marketing-goals-why-its-important-for-them-to-be-flexible/)?”. In this case, zero means ‘I have no influence at all’, and 10 means ‘I have a lot of influence’. It seems that customer marketers think they have a relatively decent influence on their companies’ goals, with the majority **(65.4%)** rating it at a six or above. On average, respondents rate themselves at a **6/10**. ![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BHb2xX3Ut9YZVRriSa9MXxrQpBd_8Vf-vSiKE-U5ZVt2HyhpmiT5SU-EtaXslSCvrv4jFQBgLsyRK38U4tSW3f44GGlWlQTD7ZvP4i-yKGvvuAfS_AfHjOwasWwMiChRUcUQTfpLNBDwpI4GvRLRC3sBxnLHcdoTGDwNuFiLOXa5w2Pc0cruommXKQ) ### **Influence on revenue from existing customers** We then asked, “On a scale of 0–10, how much influence do you feel you have in driving the [revenue existing customers make](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-advocacy-and-its-positive-impact-and-influence-on-revenue/) for your company?”. **53.7%** rated themselves as a six or above, with an average rate of **5.6/10**. ![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/alMstL14rHdg7bLN6Yjvn8CvXqloqjcKcEYCuKAzXWz8jEILc8lk-URH8vlJ7oRX9yM7671x8eq2Bl8Ft2AkQHacpGCZai1-7d5R41ayJvrNawqr9Wl6e-YIh6asQeo9WfdcK_QU1M4Hnc0IG6yvtzTJ2eiJ6Lz2ZirDStaM3-e9jKXYCQE_HxvJpg) ## **Are customer marketers satisfied with their ability to meet KPIs?** We next asked how satisfied customer marketers are with their ability to [meet KPIs.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/indicators-for-success-why-the-difference-between-okrs-and-kpis-are-important/) When we asked about how [they measured performance and what metrics they used](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/important-factors-that-impact-customer-marketing-metrics-and-how-to-choose-your-own/), there seemed to be a big variety of answers. But, in the case of KPIs, this doesn’t seem to be the case. At the current largest majority, **84.6%** of participants said they feel somewhat successful, **11.5%** said they feel neither successful nor unsuccessful, and **3.9%** said they felt somewhat unsuccessful. It’s important to note that no one selected that they feel ‘100% successful’ or ‘100% unsuccessful’. ![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/g62uaStmnFzzYG-2xY-lcvbBGDSEEeMWMMDYO_sJoMVbWbIExkW2kQa_OthVU4fzJyT63kM-juBpqN6Urlhuo6vBw8M05wPSacs-h-oTXBDCXaZhyypbV6pJyVhPkt9QlHiXgEouyGhiprzPP_5pEz4NKbuf4MH04CyCWBVhfVrpxj3iYvd4vPocPg) From what we’ve already uncovered, it seems that a lot of the things holding customer marketers back from being 100% successful in meeting their KPIs is a problem of resources. With budgets varying wildly, and the majority of customer marketers coming from one-person teams, customer marketers are currently making do with what they have access to. Team size also seems to have an effect on the ability of customer marketing departments to meet KPIs. **100%** of those in teams of **3-10** found their ability to meet KPIs ‘Somewhat successful’. Those with teams between **1-3** were where answers swayed more negatively. And it seems from the results of this question that customer marketers are generally confident in their own abilities to meet KPIs, so as the stance of customer marketing changes, we’ll hopefully see an even higher percentage next year. ## **Are customer marketers invited to leadership meetings?** Along the same lines as the previous sections, we wanted to cover our basis for how customer marketing is considered in all areas; this includes leadership. When we asked our survey respondents if they ever got invited to leadership meetings, the results were evenly divided. **34.6%** said they never get invited to leadership meetings, and an equal **34.6%** said they did. **30.8%** said they only get invited sometimes. ![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Gep7BGeHenhdGjJwU43PwwsOIA1KwTb2I3rZapO64MNTD69trEFFzbL4vVZmPbgTdzHmn_L9OhizisnvIH9Ml6vzTPLeBMdYWULXZfF-zAE88F10s9AS0BM0amNhBTmhyTUvnAPt14LZZyGQKVDWQp5Ecg7FPplDYe_bRyeC23jEBVnj2WDqO5kR_w) Again, the divide here is telling. It seems that there’s a lack of cohesion on whether customer marketers should be invited to meetings, and if they should be invited each time. As customer marketing has an impact on a significant portion of the customer journey, having customer marketing insights (even with subjects such as onboarding or product) can be invaluable. With the value of customer marketing diminishing depending on how other teams and stakeholders understand customer marketing, it’s vital that customer marketers be given a space to teach others. With only **34.6%** of customer marketers being invited to leadership meetings, this change needs to come from the top. It’ll be good to see more customer marketers invited to offer their expertise at these types of meetings in the upcoming year. ## **The importance of customer marketing and customer-obsession** The question of whether or not customer marketers are valued by the leadership of an organization often comes down to how customer-centric the core values of the organization are. This customer-focused business is now commonly referred to as being “customer-obsessed”. This definition is directly related to customer experience. It describes companies that are constantly looking to improve and evolve their customer experience strategy with their consumer base. As such, a customer-obsessed company will be more focused on existing customer satisfaction than trying to obtain new customers. As customer experience is one of the most important differentiators between companies, this should be a priority. If you’d like a comprehensive report on the current state of customer obsession, Forrester released a recent [report](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/how-and-why-to-bother-with-customer-obsession/) covering some of this. Customer-obsessed companies will prioritize [customer retention](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-reduce-customer-churn-and-increase-customer-retention/) over customer acquisition, often the company's work focus will revolve around [customer success](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/) and other customer-facing teams, and have [customer feedback](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-determine-which-customer-feedback-strategies-are-best/) as a primary source of data collection. These companies should have leadership teams that can put themselves into their customers’ shoes, should be able to listen and act on customer insights and prioritize them over their own opinions. This is only possible if they’re accurately informed about their customer base from the teams that work with them on a daily basis. Customer marketers fit this bill to a T and, as such, should be able to have access to, and discuss the state of the company's customer base with the leadership team - which means being invited to meeting with them on the regular. [A Slack community member](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) pointed out this vital quote from Geoffrey Moore which encompasses the importance of this concept: *“In a world where supply exceeds demand, product is no longer king. Customers are now the scarce ingredient in the economic equation and vendors need to become more skilled as courtiers; they need to invest as much capital in relationships as they do in product.”* To become a part of invaluable discussions, come along and check out our [Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/) where we consider points such as this on the regular. ## **Want to read more?** This article is a sneak peek into our State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022. You can download the full report using the form below and unlock a whole **70+** pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing and how it fits in with the rest of the market. ### How to improve retention by making your customers your growth priority URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-improve-retention-by-making-your-customers-your-growth-priority/ Last updated: 2024-03-11T11:42:51.000Z Any customer marketer worth their salt knows that paying attention to customer feedback is key to success. But how can we make leading with the customer a cross-departmental mission? **Amanda Malko, CMO of G2**, one of the world’s leading peer-review service providers, sat down with Will Whitman for an episode of our sister site’s podcast [CMO Convo](https://www.cmoalliance.io/cmo-convo-making-your-customers-your-growth-priority-amanda-malko/) to share her insights on the benefits of customer-led growth and how you can implement it in your organization. = ## **About Amanda** Amanda Malko is an award-winning go-to-market leader who thrives on leading high-performing, cross-functional teams. Her career focus is on hyper-growth companies working at the intersection of marketing, creativity, and technology. She’s the CMO of G2, the world's largest software marketplace, reaching more than 60M software buyers every year, and is a regular advisor to SaaS startups each year. Before joining G2, Amanda led the Partner Program and Academy at Mailchimp. She has also served as CMO of 360i and Tongal and been Head of Marketing for IgnitionOne. ## **Q: What is customer-led growth?** **A:** Reviews are a great place to start thinking about customer-led growth. If you’re shopping on Amazon, you probably have a review strategy where you compare what people are saying about different products before you decide what to buy. It’s an inherent part of how we shop today. It's not far-fetched to think thatin your business life you’re going to behave in the same way. You want to know what your peers are thinking and use that trusted customer voice to guide your decisions on, say, what software to buy. Customer-led growth means paying attention to this feedback and using it to drive your organization, and it can apply to any business, whether it's B2B or B2C. At its core, customer-led growth is about leading with the [voice of your customer](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-does-voc-stand-for-the-fundamental-core-of-good-marketing/) and using it to shape everything from how you build your product to how you go to market. That means starting from the perspective of your customer, not your own organizational perspective, or the perspective of your product. While we all know that we should be keeping the customer in mind at all times, putting that knowledge into practice across the entire organization is a bigger challenge. ## **Q: What advantages can customer-led growth bring to your organization?** **A:** If you can define what customer-led growth means across your organization, it's going to result in better products, better marketing experiences, and better sales experiences – better experiences across the board basically. That means you're gonna capture more interest and more revenue from your customers and meet their needs over the long term. The other benefit is that if you continue to lead with the voice of the customer, not only will you see more success in growing your revenue, but your customers are going to stay with you longer because you're continuing to meet their needs and listen to what they want, even as the market and your product evolve. It’s not just about that upper funnel; it’s about retaining revenue over time. ## **Q: What processes can organizations put into place to get long-term customer-led results?** **A:** It starts with defining the way that you as an organization are going to tap into the voice of your customer. If you’re in B2B, using software is a no-brainer. I talk to CEOs at large enterprise software companies that look at their G2 reviews every week. You can set up a Slack channel, and every time you get a review on G2, take time to see what people are saying about your product. That’s a goldmine of real-time feedback, and you can also aggregate it over time to get a clearer picture of what people think of your brand. So at the very least, you need processes that help you check in with your customers on a more regular basis – not just in an annual focus group. But how do you tap into that and then share those insights in a way that's scalable and helpful for every part of the organization? It’s easier said than done, but reviews are a great place to start. There are certainly many other ways too: people use things like Pendo, and Medallia to do real-time NPS. Qualtrics is a great example of a company that leaned into that. I always love doing Qualtrics surveys to get feedback on things. I think the first thing is to define what you need to understand, then decide how you’re going to do that, and lastly put a plan in place to make sure that the voice of the customer is shared in a way that's actionable for every part of the organization. And that'll look different from the CEO to product to sales. ## **Q: Getting this real-time feedback from your customer is going to challenge a lot of leaders’ preconceptions about how their companies are doing and what they should do next. It could be potentially quite ego-bruising. How should they deal with that?** A: That's such a great question, and it's so true. I've seen that look of fear. In a former life, I did a lot of consulting, and I would often start with, “How well do we know about our customers? Do we know enough to make these decisions and make them well?” I’d see that moment of fear like, “Oh no, we had it wrong.” It's usually quickly followed by delight. Because once you can find what customers want, or where there's friction in the product, you can fix it. The CMO of 6sense – I love this – she has this phrase, *finding the red*. When you can find the red, or red flags, you can celebrate that and say, “Okay, we had it wrong. But now we're listening, and we can get it right.” That's such a great opportunity. It flips the feedback from something that could be scary to something exciting. I also think if you check in on customer feedback regularly, you're never going to be surprised. Your customer doesn’t change overnight, so if you're always listening, you're not going to be caught off-guard. That’s the delightful thing about finding ways to more regularly tap into what's happening with your customers: you can iterate with them over time and not find yourself in that “oh no” moment. ## **Q: When you're not getting “oh no” moments and everything's going great, how can you utilize positive customer feedback to capitalize on that success?** A: It’s key to use customer advocacy to drive word of mouth. Hopefully, your customers will become one of your best marketing channels, refer new customers, and bring more people to the top of your funnel. As for reviews, one of the best things you can do is to use them in your marketing. Let’s say your implementation time is half that of any other software company, so you can realize time to value faster than your competitors – you probably have some great reviews on G2 about that, so you can go to your market and say, “Don't take it from me – here's some actual feedback from our customers.” Also if you're on review sites, you're getting feedback and ratings on how certain features and attributes of your product stack up against those of your competitors. Why not bring in this trusted, verified feedback to create some competitive landing pages and one-sheet sales decks that help people understand how you compare to the rest of the market? Another way is to take insights from reviews and use them to inform your overall messaging. You think you know why you’re great, but why not tap into your customers and see why they think you’re great? ## **Q: How can we build on customer stories?** A: One of the things you can do is elevate your customer's voice and make them co-marketing partners or thought leaders with you. You want to get your B2B customers to share their stories about what you've done together in a way that feels authentic. That could be on your company blog or publication, or even on a channel that you don’t own – somewhere that you know your customers like to spend their time. Elevating your customers like this can serve multiple objectives; it’s also an opportunity to build customer communities. Airtable is a great example. They have a platform called Airtable Universe where customers can show off their Airtable projects, share use cases, and learn from each other. What I love about that is it's an atypical case study, if you will. They just put the platform out there and said, “I think you're going to love sharing projects with each other,” and guess what? They did. Airtable doesn't have to go around and beg users to share their projects – they just created a forum for people who inherently want to come together and share. Not every product can lend itself to this kind of platform, but many can. Sometimes just leaning in and creating a space for people to share is an amazing way of elevating your customer. ## **Q: Let's get into some of the nuts and bolts of customer-led growth. Are there any KPIs that we can use to measure the success of customer-led approaches?** A: I love this question. I think there's a two-part answer to it. The first one is – and there's been a huge amount of research on this – if you lean into the voice of your customer, you should see the metrics that you use for your regular business, whether it's revenue or product adoption, grow as a result. When you orient around customer feedback, you're gonna see better results across all areas of your business. However, I would say that one of the top metrics is NPS. That's something that you can continue to measure to get a quick pulse on how it’s going and whether your work is resonating with customers. Reviews are another great way to measure success. We ask for NPS as part of G2’s review process, but also overall rating and satisfaction. The benefit is that you can gauge customer satisfaction across different areas of the experience, from customer service to implementation. Drilling into where you're doing well or not so well in those attributes can help you understand where you’ve nailed it and where more work is required. Ironically, the customer service experience is one that's often overlooked when we think about being customer-led. It's unfortunate because as a customer that's one of the most pivotal entryways you have into successfully using and adopting a product. Rather than looking at customer service as a cost center, we need to be using it as an opportunity to surprise and delight our users and satisfy what they're looking for when they reach out, and again, that’s going to drive those NPS scores up. ## **Q: Speaking of different parts of the business, how can we get everybody on board with customer-led growth?** A: Ideally, you align with every functional stakeholder across the business. You want to get everybody from customer success, to support, product, design, and marketing involved. You want it to be super cross-functional, but you don't have to do it all at once. I think it comes down to what you’re trying to achieve. If there are particular areas of the business where you feel like there’s more opportunity, you can start to lead there. I used to work at MailChimp, and they have experience principles created from customer insights about what they value in their product experiences. We created one of those experience principles for each persona based on their particular needs, and we did workshops with every functional leader, to help them understand and translate the principles into their work. Action items on how to bring these principles to life were created for each team, and they were distilled down into a very simple five-principle framework that everybody could understand and rally behind. Now whether you’re contacting support, seeing our advertising, or using the product, it feels consistent, not just in the way it looks, but in the way that you experience it as a human. That consistency is absolutely essential. There’s nothing worse than when you have a delightful sales experience, you think everything's going to be great, and then you’re handed off to someone else for onboarding and your onboarding is a train wreck. Even if the experience isn’t bad, just having a different tone can be really off-putting. It’s true in our personal lives too. If I'm one way to you now and then we go out for a beer and I'm a totally different person, that's not delightful. Whether it's a good experience or not, you want that consistency. ## **Q: When do you think is the right time to take a customer-led approach in terms of stages of business growth? Can a tiny startup implement customer-led growth from day one?** A: I think it's critical. If you're a tiny startup, speed is everything. If you can move quickly in decision-making and product design, you're off to the races. The companies that do well early on obsess over customer feedback because they don't want to waste time building something only to find out six months later that it's useless. They're constantly iterating and getting customer feedback to make sure that they're solving real needs. Anybody can use customer-led growth. It's about taking the time and appreciating the need to take a step back and ask whether you're making decisions from a place of real customer insight or not. And if you’re not, being willing to do some homework and decide how to move forward. I think people often wonder if getting customer feedback and using it to guide your processes is too slow. But imagine if you don't, and you wait six months to find out that what you’re doing is not working when you could have just asked. ## **Q: What is customer-led growth going to look like as we move forward into 2022 and beyond?** A: One of the things that I'm excited about as we look towards a potentially cookieless future is the ability to lean into the voice of your customer through things like intent data. It is such a huge opportunity for marketers because, to me, it's a much more qualified signal than what you think I want based on my demographic. If I raise my hand, and you see that I have intent for a product, that is one of the best ways to get in front of me with valuable information because I've already shown my interest. And so thinking about customer-led growth is also going to be important as we think about how we target our customers in an increasingly cookieless, and privacy-first world. We see about half of our customers using intent data in some way and the other half not. I think that the other half is gonna catch up this year because we all have to, right? We're all gonna have to figure out new ways of reaching our audiences, and I think that's really exciting. *Listen to the original podcast here:* [CMO Convo | CMO AllianceA podcast with one central question in mind: what does it take to be a great chief marketing officer? And there are no better people to answer this question than those who have lived the CMO life.![](https://www.cmoalliance.io/favicon.png)CMO AllianceCMO Alliance![](https://www.cmoalliance.io/content/images/2021/04/CMO-Convo-Meta.png)](https://www.cmoalliance.io/cmo-convo-podcast/?wchannelid=vmp1p6vrw9&wmediaid=mscsclffnc) Being customer-led required customer research - collecting feedback, starting conversations, and accurately representing your audience. Our **Customer Research Certified** course will take you through the fundamentals of conducting accurate and representative customer research, leaving no stone unturned. [Get customer research certified today](https://certified.customermarketingalliance.com/p/customer-research-certified-masters) ### Enlightening facts about how customer marketing teams are structured URL: https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/ Last updated: 2024-07-19T10:43:33.000Z With our first [State of Customer Marketing report](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/state-of-customer-marketing-report-2022-2/) released this summer, we gained a lot of insights into customer marketing, its common processes, and how it’s used in companies today. This article will go through the main findings concerning team structures. Here’s the overview of what we’ll be talking about: - [The role of customer marketing within a company,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/#:~:text=our%20Slack%20community.-,Role%20in%20a%20company,-When%20we%20asked) - [The size of customer marketing teams,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/#:~:text=for%20your%20viewing.-,The%20size%20of%20a%20customer%20marketing%20team,-Next%2C%20we%20asked) - [Who customer marketers report to,](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/#:~:text=the%20coming%20years.-,Who%20do%20customer%20marketers%20report%20to%3F,-Knowing%20the%20general) and [cross-functional collaboration](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/#:~:text=Editor%2C%20and%20Events.-,Cross%2Dfunctional%20collaboration,-Outside%20of%20customer), - [The people customer marketers interact with, and](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/#:~:text=with%20product%20marketing.-,How%20many%20people%20do%20customer%20marketers%20collaborate%20with%3F,-We%20asked%2C%20%E2%80%9COn) - [A few example structures from our Slack community.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/enlightening-facts-about-how-customer-marketing-teams-are-structured-in-2022/#:~:text=Eve%20Chatfield-,Example%20structures,-When%20we%20put) ## **Role in a company** When we asked our participants “Which department does customer marketing fall under?”, the overwhelming majority were in marketing and [product marketing](https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/what-is-product-marketing/), at **59.3%** and **33.3%** respectively. Customer marketing seems to have found a home within the umbrella of marketing. Customer marketing is still a role looking to cement itself into a specific department, and [the results suggest its place is within marketing](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/). [The marketing organizational structure: Where does customer marketing fit?In general, customer marketing has its fingers in a lot of different pies, so to speak, and, as such, often gets assigned to a variety of departments (some fitting better, than others).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/06/zdenek-machacek-jbe0iCwo-U0-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/) But, due to the variety of its responsibilities, we also found that customer marketing is housed under customer success **(3.7%)** and customer experience **(3.7%)**. ![Graph showing the above stats in a colourful bar chart. ](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/soHYKAajmS8KrNlCr24OjN7AN7_RjBVyrhKvq75DiWCj9yZbfglH62nZikH4eboYsXFpszsPi8r-GoxvEGN5HQDXOkg1SC4Jw4K3PnU6SaTrIPqeM7EI_yM0AZ6D4xI_EP-8EZniTTgluC1-HIkc21W27-jpa13ycEIlf14-IQRyKpo7undc5jinjA) When we put this question to our [Customer Marketing Alliance Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), we also got answers that included corporate marketing communications, demand generation, revenue, and sales. Noting this, there’s obviously some way to go before customer marketing becomes unified under one department, and, with its cross-functional nature, it can fit well and collaborate with all of these different departments. Our article [“The marketing organizational structure: Where does customer marketing fit?”](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/the-marketing-organizational-structure-where-does-customer-marketing-fit/), collates and analyzes all of these comments together for your viewing. ## **The size of a customer marketing team** Next, we asked about the size of customer marketing teams. The majority of participants answered that their team was made up of only them **(44.4%)**. Teams of two to three **(25.9%)**, and teams of three to five **(25.9%)** came in at a joint distant second. Teams of 5-10 brought up the rear, making up only **3.8%** of answers. ![Graphic showing the above stats as circles with highest percentage filling in more of the circle. ](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ag4KtbFPF3X4uAXtZG1fwwGRWju18TWBoKrzTDSdksXe20txPePOA7wySbi8dGWBtMB-X-HXSSEQGjRBFGZzBdACeXvuiW7XBA5aUTB3fAWXD4dI_MUxKQElK6IhdpAfsmT8b4dI2TlntsIqcL7rbTt-ED9ScZ3iUitAgreqH09YOdrT4SVxQeNqSA) When comparing team size and company size, there seemed to be **no correlation** between the two. Enterprise companies have teams of both one person, 2-3 people, and teams of 3-5 working in the customer marketing department. The same can be said for mid-growth/scale-up companies. Mid-growth companies have teams of one, 2-3, 3-5, and 5-10. It’s interesting to note that, despite only a small percentage of survey responders coming from small-scale/start-up companies, the majority of customer marketers are working solo. However, this may answer why most customer marketers have a high level of work experience prior to taking on this role. It seems that companies may be experimenting with customer marketing by having a single experienced customer marketer on board. It’ll be interesting to see how/if this number changes in the coming years. ## **Who do customer marketers report to?** Knowing the general sizes of customer marketing teams, it’s also important to understand who they report to within the overall organizational structure. The largest proportion, by a small margin, was made up of those who report to senior management, at a total of **53.9%**. These include Head of Marketing **(7.7%)**, Head of Product Marketing **(23.1%)**, Head of Customer Marketing **(19.2%)**, and Head of [Customer Success ](https://www.customersuccesscollective.com/what-is-customer-success/)**(3.9%)** respectively. A total of **30.8%** of our respondents said they report to people directly in C-suite positions, such as CMO at **23%** and CEO at **7.7%**. ![Horizontal bar chart showing the above stats](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ewJ--ML73X85ThcVnkeXbQFJ0e59c45P1Id9j7-mtvQfqbmKd1oi2UvE0Br_QUb3Jmlw1AQwRPBah6B8osMKpkjiyi_okiD_kk956dbokwWVkRwdkIlk7lL9PZ7o8oScya9wSvEwqNoW_-YpkNdZcY6MujL6q4r59XYly0z_QAV39VdXz3oOWGCeNA) **15.4%** of our respondents chose ‘Other’. Their answers included, for the majority, positions linked to lifecycle management, such as Director of Lifecycle Management and Lifecycle Management Manager. This is something worth noting as it brings up another area in which customer marketers are utilized. Whether it’s the lifecycle management of a product or a customer, customer marketers have a foot in both camps, so to speak. With responsibilities such as [cross-selling and upselling products](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/how-to-best-implement-cross-sells-and-upsells-into-your-customer-marketing-strategy/), and a customer marketer’s close relationship with existing customers and advocates, it’s not surprising that [lifecycle management is connected.](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) [What is customer lifecycle marketing and how is it used?Engaging with your customers is a basic building block when marketing your business. Where other processes become involved only once a sale has been made, customer lifecycle marketing plans interactions throughout the whole customer journey.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/05/alexander-schimmeck-PBwnVjl0Axg-unsplash--1-.jpg)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/what-is-customer-lifecycle-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-by-businesses/) We also asked our customer marketers “Who reports to you?”. The majority said that no one reports to them, which is understandable given that the majority of participants work alone, or in very small teams. Those that do have people reporting to them included a majority of other customer marketing positions such as Customer Marketers, Customer Marketing Managers, Marketing Executives, and Customer Advocacy Managers. There were also other support roles mentioned, such as Coordinator, Editor, and Events. ## **Cross-functional collaboration** Outside of customer marketing and marketing in general, there’re a few other departments which customer marketers work closely with. Interestingly enough, for our group of survey respondents, the team they work most closely with was customer success **(50%)**. **30.8%** said product marketing is the team they work most closely with, and the remaining **19.2%** said they work mostly with sales. ![Above stats shown as a circle graphic with the highest percentage being represented as the largest of the three circles. ](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6MkbR3JT23ji0xJtVAr1Yx4z-sNGFBuvv7lw7_4z6Oxan4KM-QbmOpDPtjmnx4jXCZI42rwznGiLLSOgORbqIlMeoW5BSWVNwQgsaqyXsq7xsgy_2fgFe3_cSFTcVzfQCCHD442cUgiyYFblMJAW6Ikxr4vvJlWsJHL87C_r4fZdM4n3MxsBf_j9VQ) This is an interesting point given that so few answer to the Head of Customer Success. It seems that, though collaboration between these two departments is most important, this isn’t reflected within the team structure. This can suggest that, while it’s important for these departments to interact, their roles are distinct enough for their structures to be mostly separate. If this is the case, then product marketing would be a closer role to customer marketing, given that a higher percentage of customer marketers answer to the Head of Product Marketing, and that **30.7%** of participants collaborate most closely with product marketing. ## **How many people do customer marketers collaborate with?** We asked, “On average, **outside** of your customer marketing team, how many internal people are you interacting with each day?”. Using percentages, we found that **30.7%** thought that **30-40%** of their role involved cross-collaboration. ![Bar chart showing the stats mentioned in the text also inclucing a range from 0-80% with the smallest percentage being 3.9% for the 70-80% range](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bFS2qGSAqWEP7ftl70S6rglgtVRZ4bRdOdSUccVERLbPPWW6JkuYql9LwCL7Ehs9OYghC2ry_Ug-bxm48lqXf5edzkAKMK29EVlIxmiWJ4W1F02HRrldbvGB7ZZi7exN1wxRJ5mTIGkf9VByp6sy0wWohdblIxHtaO074n0Z0wCQHf_LKEfW75AjXA) On either side of this range, **30.8%** spend 30% or less of their time collaborating with other departments, and **38.5%** spend 40% or more of their time collaborating. With customer marketing being a role that relies a lot on communication, both internal and external, it’s good to see that it’s an integral part of most customer marketers’ roles. We’ll hopefully be seeing that percentage increase over the coming years. [Customer Marketing Catch-upWelcome to Customer Marketing Catch-up! With our wonderful host Amie Stephens, listen to conversations with some of the biggest names in customer marketing today. Get insights from professionals about how to navigate the world of customer marketing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/04/android-chrome-192x192.png)Customer Marketing AllianceEve Chatfield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/4c/164ccee2-1afe-418d-8b1c-b185533d0b88/content/images/2022/08/CMA_Catch-up_Podcast_Assets_Influitive_3.png)](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/customer-marketing-catch-up/?wchannelid=hv4xtk99vv&wmediaid=humbyy2xqn) ## **Example structures** When we put this same question to [our Slack community](https://www.customermarketingalliance.com/join-the-customer-marketing-community/), a few members were kind enough to go through the structure their teams currently use: **1\. CMO > Customer Marketing Director > one Customer Marketing Manager and one Senior Customer Marketing Associate** > *“Very, very broadly... As the CMD, I oversee all of Advocacy, plus renewal and growth initiatives. In addition to advocacy, CMM owns events (we hope to add an events coordinator under her in the future). SCMA also works on growth campaigns.”* **2\. Director of Customer Advocacy -> Advocacy Program Manager.** > *“We’re currently exploring expansion into customer marketing initiatives. I think the team at Samsara has a great team set-up!”* **3\. I report to our VP of Portfolio Marketing -> CMO.** > *“On my team I have 5 roles separated into 2 disciplines: *References and Case Studies (2FT EEs)* and *Community (3FT EEs).** > *The Community discipline covers Community Management (online and offline like events), Customer Programs (i.e. advocacy, CAB), and Customer Retention & Communications.”* ## **Want to read more?** This article is a sneak peek into our State of Customer Marketing Report for 2022\. You can **download the full report using the form below** and unlock a whole 70+ pages of unique insights into the current state of customer marketing and how it fits in with the rest of the market. _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._