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"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
In today’s knowledge-fueled society, education is a critical aspect of a successful marketing campaign because it both explains your product’s features while convincing customers to choose your product over a competitor’s. Without investing the time and effort into making a case for why customers need your product and how they will benefit from it, your marketing efforts may fall flat. Here are 8 tips for educating potential customers.
1. Convert Current Customers into Product Evangelists
If you have an existing customer base, one of the best ways you can educate other customers is by letting your loyal customers do the convincing for you. Author Alex Goldfayn calls this approach to customer education “evangelist marketing.” He writes in a blog post on Mashable, “It’s not difficult to create evangelists — you simply have to do the work that most businesses do not do.” This includes building lasting relationships with customers and soliciting feedback when appropriate.
2. Utilize Beta Testing
Testing your nearly-finished product prior to its official launch offers two substantial benefits. The first is that beta testing allows you to identify and fix any problems with your product. The second, lesser known benefit of beta testing is that you put your product in the hands of potential customers while at the same time getting their feedback. Input from your beta testers can be invaluable both in refining your overall customer education campaign and selling your product to the very end users themselves. It might even make sense to charge beta testers a discounted rate for your product to ensure that you get serious input and that your product is marketable. “In exchange for their feedback, beta testers get early access to the product, a dramatically reduced price, and the ability to help shape the final version,” says New York Times best-selling author Ramit Sethi.
3. Show Instead of Tell
If you have a product that is best appreciated when seen in action, consider setting up a demonstration for prospective customers. This could entail providing a preview of your product, displaying an interactive sample product on your website, or offering demonstrations of your product’s features either in-person or online. According to Greg Kirsch of Intouch Solutions, “When it comes to establishing credibility, nothing beats a product demonstration.”
4. Let the Numbers do the Talking
If you have access to data illustrating how your product has helped past clients, consider creating case studies so that prospective customers can see first-hand the benefits of working with you. As Siobhán McGinty of HubSpot explains, “Case studies are an invaluable asset when it comes to establishing proof that what you're offering is valuable and of good quality.” The best case studies will include tangible information on how your product benefitted a client such as before and after results, statistics highlight improvement, etc.
5. Speak their Language
One way to successfully educate prospective customers is to keep them coming back for more. This involves creating useful content such as blog posts, slideshares, e-books, newsletters, and more. According to Nick Scheidies, “Having a blog is the single most important thing a business, cause, or person can do to advance online.” Not only will you get the chance to highlight your communication skills, you’ll also build a reputation as an expert in your field while promoting your business.
6. Dig into the Nitty Gritty
In the pharmaceutical industry, crafting white papers about the problems you address can go a long way to boost your reputation while providing much-needed information to prospective customers. White papers are unique in that they go beyond a broad overview of your product’s benefits and features by including research and other detailed information that showcases your particular expertise and experience. As B2B publisher and content marketer Jeremy Knight notes, “The combination of learning followed by persuasion makes [white papers] one of the most powerful marketing tools available.”
7. Harness the Power of Feedback
When planning your customer education campaign, feedback from current or former customers is perhaps the most useful information you can acquire. This feedback can enable you to get a clearer picture of who your prospective customers are, what they need, and what they need to know to make purchasing decisions. According to Susan E. Wyse, “feedback and opportunities to use that feedback helps to improve and enhance...and that information can be used to make better informed decisions.” Used well, this feedback enables you to couch your message in language that will resonate with your prospective customers.
8. Hire the Pros
If you don’t have the time or resources necessary for customer education, hiring outside help may be the best option. Outside help can assist you with acquiring feedback from current customers, creating content geared toward your target audience, and developing evangelists who will loyally support your company.
Do you have a successful customer education program in place? We develop customer education programs for those selling to the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, we are launching an exciting new feedback tool for companies who need expert insights into the pharmaceutical business landscape. Follow us for more information or contact Brian Bamberger today.