Ways Customer Success should influence Marketing

Most companies still think about marketing in terms of a funnel- a bunch of leads go in the top, and a few customers come out the bottom. But leading SaaS companies have starting thinking about Marketing as less of a funnel and more of flywheel.

“Whereas funnels lose their momentum at the bottom, flywheels leverage their momentum to keep spinning. Also, because they preserve momentum so well, all of the additional energy you add to spin it faster adds to the capacity of the whole.”- HubSpot

In a flywheel marketing model customers are at the core of your strategy and messaging, which makes Customer Success an integral partner in crafting and influencing your marketing plan. Here’s a few tactics to incorporate Customer Success teams into your marketing strategy.

Ideal customer profile

Customer Success can define the characteristics that make a good customer to ensure marketing is attracting people and companies that are more likely to find value in your products and become long-term, satisfied customers.

Case studies

Current customers help articulate the value your product and services bring customers. This is your chance to share your differentiators and give prospects a sense of what it’s like to work with you. Compelling case studies and testimonials attract leads and increase sign-ups.

User marketing

Getting users to sign-up is just the beginning! Customer Success and Marketing need to work together closely to create a consistent customer experience. These two teams should collaborate on identifying key actions that increase the likelihood of a customer being successful, and to use this data to create campaigns that engage customers through a blend automation and human touch.

Referrals

Customer loyalty and advocacy are cultivated by a Customer Success team that is focused on delivering value and delight. Satisfied current customers are a great lead source for referrals- don’t underestimate how much positive word of mouth can amplify your marketing efforts.

An infinite loop

Hyper-growth SaaS companies have pricing models that allow them to capture additional revenue as customers receive incremental value from their product and services, or to upsell/cross sell products to grow ARR. Customer Success teams directly impact this process by assisting customers in achieving their goals and influencing expansion and retention. This makes Customer Success an integral part of your company’s marketing engine- by attracting interest from current customers in complementary products or services, engaging them through mechanisms that deliver value, and sufficiently delighting them to repeat the process over and over again.