Big Button Blog

The power of Customer Advocacy

Written by Mark Burgess | 04 Feb 2025

Why is Customer Advocacy so powerful?

 

Customer advocacy is a hugely powerful way of convincing new customers to get on-board.


Customer advocacy videos are a potent tool for driving sales and building trust. Our clients have witnessed remarkable results:

  • Over £3 million in influenced sales for a single client.
  • 50% reduction in cost per engagement.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, these video case studies for Customer Advocacy are called ‘Customer Stories’, and they provide a more in-depth look at how and why a customer chooses to engage with your product or service. They have a truly authentic feel and can bring significant credibility to a brand; they demonstrate an understanding of your customer, their unique problems, and a detailed and positive account of how your service helped deliver solutions.

Even before your audience engage with the content in detail, the fact that a customer was prepared to go on record and take part in your video is already impactful - it demonstrates a significant level of trust, and as such is far more valuable than a written case study. There can also be a vague sense that written case studies are somehow inauthentic, perhaps even manipulated, so seeing a participant talking first-hand about their experiences is much more compelling.

How do I persuade my customer to take part? What’s in it for them?
It all sounds great, but there is a catch - you must convince your clients to take part! You may be lucky enough to have status as a trusted partner, and enough goodwill may exist for you to open some doors. If not, there are a few ways you can persuade your clients to get involved based on the potential benefits to them:

  1. Free marketing
    For the cost of a few hours to take part in filming, your client gets exposure to your audience and increased brand awareness.


  2. Reputational advantage
    We’re lucky enough to work with some brands whose clients are very keen to be associated with them. If you happen to be one of those companies, use that to your advantage.


  3. Free content
    Once completed, you can offer some or all of the video content to your client - is there a separate edit that you could produce for them at zero cost that would be useful? Maybe that recruitment film they don’t have the budget to make?

Manage their expectations
When you begin talking to clients about visiting their office or taking them to a location for filming, they may start to panic. How much time will that take? What are they going to ask of me? What if I’m terrible on camera?! All of these concerns can be addressed with a clear plan, so it’s worth preparing answers and planning accordingly. Ask your agency to join the prep calls and manage expectations - they’re the experts and can put your client at ease.

Make the process as smooth as possible
You’ll need to be organised, flexible, and ensure efficiency throughout the production. Get everyone on the kick-off call with them so that their concerns can be addressed, and everyone understands the important details of their particular story. Then, during production, schedule the day to use the minimal amount of everyone’s time. With planning, a good director will be able to get what they need from contributors very quickly, saving time on the day without compromising quality. If done well, the session can be relaxed and enjoyable for everybody. Your agency is the expert. Involving them early in the process will make things run more smoothly and enable you to create better content. They’ll consider everything we’ve discussed above.

Big Button’s approach has generated positive feedback after shoots because we understand that your client is doing you a favour and their experience is paramount. It takes precedence over your requirements on the day. Many of our clients tell us that the experience of filming and collaboration has enhanced the relationship with their client — so maximise it as a strategic opportunity to build and establish your customer relationship.

By addressing these concerns and embracing the power of customer advocacy, your business can unlock significant growth and build enduring relationships.

Can we have your thoughts?
We’re keen to learn what people think about the growing trend towards Customer Advocacy videos. Can you take 3 minutes to complete our survey?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GNX953X