This is a guest post by Brooklin Nash who writes about the latest tools and small business trends for TrustRadius.

Versed in online platforms and social media, customers are getting savvier and more resourceful. They are looking for authenticity in vendors and versatility in their products.

Direct mail and PPC still have a place in online marketing, but vendors will have to get to know their customers in order to stay on top of the content marketing game.

Why is Your Customer’s Voice Important for Content Strategy?

A recent study found that 76% of buyers use reviews during the discovery phase of the buying cycle. Maybe they’ll use them to find new products, or maybe they’ll use them to evaluate the product or service. Either way, tech-savvy businesses should be capitalizing on this new focus in their target audience.

In a similar study, TrustRadius listed some of the most common information sources used by B2B buyers. User reviews were near the top, second only to product demos and ranked as more influential than even the vendor website.

If your target audience is already looking for and utilizing customer reviews in their search, the question becomes: how can you use your customer’s voice to give them what you’re looking for?

Three Guidelines for Getting Started – Optimize Your Content Strategy With Your Customer’s Voice

There’s quite a bit that goes into successfully using your customer’s voice to create powerful content. Here are a few guidelines as you start down that path.

Listen to Reviews, Adjusting Your Content Strategy Accordingly

Taking the time to read reviews and take them seriously means you’ll have a better idea of what your customers find valuable about your company. If the majority of reviews focus on value, or customer service, or usability – then you should too. Content that is attuned to what customers highlight in their reviews is more powerful content.

Integrate Your Customer’s Voice Across Channels

The best way to use your customer’s voice is to actually incorporate review quotes into your content. You can feature a customer on social media, include a short snippet in every email, or make a particularly positive review front and center on your landing page. If you can, include customer names and photos. The more authentic and personalized the better. Remember: you will most likely need permission from the review site to use customer reviews in your branded content.

Treat It As a Process

Gathering a few user reviews on a platform won’t be enough. Neither will simply throwing up a quote on your sales page. Using your customer’s voice means listening to it and responding to it. Engage with reviews as they roll in – thank customers for positive reviews and respond publicly to negative ones. Both kinds of engagement will show prospects that you care.

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This is a guest post by Brooklin Nash who writes about the latest tools and small business trends for TrustRadius.

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About Brooklin

Brooklin Nash writes about the latest tools and small business trends for TrustRadius. When he’s not writing, you can find him reading YA dystopian fiction (with guilty pleasure) and cooking.

You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.