5 ways you can use content marketing to improve your customer service

As a business owner, you want to be sure that you offer the best customer service possible. High-quality customer service is something that people remember — it helps customers feel cared for and understood, building trust with them. This will help you create a loyal customer base, which will ultimately get you more sales!

Publishing helpful content can make life easier for both your customers and your customer service team. This will provide your prospects with options for customer self-service, as it will help them find the exact answer to their questions or concerns without having to talk to a live agent.

In this article, we’re going to outline how you can use content marketing to improve your customer service. Let’s get started.

Publish the answers to customer questions you often receive#

A lot of businesses will get the same questions about their products and services time and time again. By publishing the answers to common queries on your website, you can help your customers and save your employees time and energy. 

To start, check in with your customer service team to see if there are questions they get frequently. Compile these Q&As into an FAQ page and put them somewhere where it’s easy for the customer to find. 

Next, conduct some question keyword research. Head to a tool like Answer the Public with a list of words and phrases related to your business. Plug these words or phrases into the tool, and you’ll be offered a series of questions that people are searching for on any given topic. See if these questions are worth incorporating into your content and FAQ pages, as well!

If you publish question-based content, your customer service team can also use these resources to help future customers they speak to. If someone gets in touch via email, social media, or live chat, your customer service team can send these resources over for more information and future reference

Let’s take a look at an example of a business that has created question-based content to answer common customer queries.

Chewy, an online pet supply retailer, answers a common customer question in their article entitled, "Why Do Cats Like Water From a Faucet?" The article discusses the evolutionary reasons why cats prefer to drink from running water instead of a stagnant pool. They go on to showcase a few of their pet fountain products that help to hydrate a cat while meeting their evolutionary needs. 

Not only is this article great at answering the customers’ questions, but it’s a great form of customer service, as well. A reader looking for the answer to this question finds the reason for this behavior and the solution on a single page, saving them time on the phone with their vet or with Chewy. 

On your website, think about what questions people have about your industry or niche. Answering these questions and providing your customers with solutions is an excellent form of customer service that saves them time and energy of all parties involved

Create buying guides to help customers make the best decision#

A lot of the time, your customers might need some extra help to make a decision. You can help them find the right solution for them by creating buying guides that will help them weigh up their options, narrow down their search, and consider the pros and cons of different options.

Keep in mind that buying guides are supposed to be informative, not promotional. You might want to push a certain product or service, but be sure to highlight the benefits of the different options that are available. If you can show your customers that you want to help them make the right decision for their needs, you’ll help build trust with them, making it a great form of customer service.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of buying guides and comparison pieces for inspiration.

Best Value Schools, a resource for students and educators looking for the best schools for their interests, has a series of comparison pieces that are very helpful to their target audience. 

For instance, in their article on the best online universities of 2021, they outline the tuition costs, program details, locations, and more for a variety of different schools. They also finish the article by discussing what students should look for in an online school. Because it’s so thorough, this article is very helpful in helping website visitors make the decision that’s right for them, so it’s a great customer service-focused piece. 

On your website, think about what quality products or services you could recommend to your target audience. Even if you don’t directly benefit financially from offering these articles, you’ll build trust in your industry and help improve your relationship with your target audience.

Jivochat does something similar in their article on the best live chat apps to boost sales. The article discusses a variety of free and paid options for live chat customer service solutions. 

Of course, Jivochat offers their own service, but the article is not overly promotional. It outlines the pros, cons, and specific features of a wide variety of live chat apps and acknowledges that they might not have the perfect product for everyone. Implementing this strategy shows website visitors that Jivochat genuinely wants to help their audience make the decision that’s right for them. This builds trust and can encourage readers to spend money with them in the future.

On your website, you can certainly write buying guides and comparison pieces that highlight your own products. That being said, be sure to acknowledge that your competitors’ services have their perks, as well. This is a transparent and reliable way to improve your customer service and audience relations. 

Publish case studies so your customers know what to expect#

In order to provide the best service possible, you want to ensure that your customers know what to expect from your products and services. Publishing case studies about your past work can really help with this — they’ll show who you’ve worked with in the past and what results you were able to achieve for them. 

Case studies offer a great way to provide high-quality customer service. As you’re connecting with potential new clients or customers, you can send your past case studies straight to the people who want to learn more about what you’re capable of. 

Let’s take a look at a few examples of companies that publish great case studies on their websites for inspiration.

Bizango, a web design company based out of Seattle, shows off their past work on their gallery page. They have an extensive portfolio of designs they’ve put together for past clients. 

Think about how important this is for a web design company. Potential clients are going to want to get an idea of what Bizango’s design style is and if they’ve worked with similar companies in the past. By offering this portfolio, Bizango serves their potential customers well — they don’t have to get in touch with a Bizango representative in order to get an idea of what the company can do.

Portfolios like this offer a great way to showcase your work. Hair salons, web design businesses, or bakeries would all be served well by using a portfolio-based case study strategy.

Loganix highlights case studies on every service page. By doing this, we make it easy for potential clients to see what we’re capable of doing as it relates to the service they’re looking for. Potential clients don’t just have to take our word for it — the case studies speak for themselves.

On our link-building service page, for instance, we highlight how Rankings.io was able to greatly increase their local SEO rankings with our services. A website visitor can simply click through to the case study and see if these types of services would help their company.  This helps clients find a solution to their problem more quickly and saves our customer service team time on the phone, making it a great form of customer service.

On your service pages, consider highlighting case studies relevant to that particular service. This gives the potential client concrete evidence that you’re good at what you do, saving time on informational meetings and improving the customer service experience.

Lastly, Jivochat has a more traditional approach to case studies, publishing their processes and outcomes from previous clients. For instance, in one post, they outline how JivoChat was able to help Armyoriginal grow their business. The article outlines how an online chat feature from JivoChat helped Armyoriginal’s customers find the right products and move through the sales funnel because of the easy access to a customer service representative. They help the reader know what to expect from JivoChat services, thus helping to eliminate the need for an initial meeting about what you can offer. This can save them time, and therefore improve the customer experience.

Start keeping track of how your products and services are helping your customers and clients. Compiling these results and posting them as case studies on your website can help build trust with potential clients, show them what to expect, and ultimately provide them with a better experience.

Create demonstrations to help customers get the most out of your products or services #

To help your customers get the most out of your products or services, it’s a good idea to create demonstrations that show how they work. These could come in the form of articles, diagrams, or videos, depending on what works best for your business. If you want to show off unique features, videos can be a great way to do this. 

Creating video content is a great way to help you provide better customer service. Instead of having to call or email your customer service representatives, a user can just watch a video or read an article in order to get the answer to their questions. 

Let’s take a look at a company that has created a quality product demonstration for inspiration.

As a technology giant, it’s unsurprising that Apple consistently publishes excellent product demonstrations. That being said, because iPhones are generally similar from year to year, it’s vital that they can wow their customers by showing off what their latest products can do. This product demonstration for the iPhone 12 is no exception. In the video, they highlight some of the more impressive features of the new device, including its capability for displaying high-quality graphics and gaming, taking professional-grade photos, and their new spill- and drop-resistance. 

Not only does this product demonstration get customers excited about the iPhone 12, but it shows them what they can expect from the product. Instead of having to decipher tech specs and read about all the new features on Apple’s website, a potential customer can simply watch the video and get the most important information, making it much easier for the customer to get the most out of their new iPhone 12.

On your website, provide some simple but exciting product demonstrations. They can work as excellent post-purchase resources that show your customers how to get the most out of your products, leading to happier customers.

Regularly publish blog posts that address customer pain points #

If customers feel like you’re able to anticipate their pain points and help solve them, your company will build a strong reputation. Creating helpful blog posts that address these pain points can show that you really care about your customers and their needs. 

Additionally, a lot of businesses will get a lot of customer queries that are relevant to their field of work, but not necessarily specific to their products or services. Creating blog posts that answer these types of questions can still provide good customer service, as they save both your employees and customers time working through traditional customer service channels.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of businesses that provide this kind of content as inspiration.

Bookyourdata, a direct marketing company that creates easy-to-use email contact lists, addresses customer pain points well in their article on identifying your target market. 

The article covers how to collect current customer information, using focus groups, studying competitor data, and more. This is a great way for Bookyourdata to address their customer pain points. Some of their target customers — those getting started in email marketing — might not have any idea where they should begin. By providing this article to get them started, they provide some helpful hands-off customer service and build trust with the reader.

On your website, think about what issues people in your industry have when they’re just getting started. Creating content based on those can help show that you care about their needs and will improve their overall experience.

The RealFX Group, a real estate agency in Texas, does something similar in their guide to private mortgage insurance. The article covers who needs private mortgage insurance, how much it costs, how to get it, and more.

First-time homebuyers are likely searching the internet for answers to questions about this topic and, if they come across this article by The RealFX Group, their questions about private mortgage insurance can be answered before they even talk to a real estate agent. This will help prospective homeowners to feel a lot more confident when thinking about buying a property. Additionally, they won’t need to call a customer service agent on the phone to get these answers, saving both the customer and the company time.  

Addressing customer pain points like this is a great way to improve the customer service experience. On your website, think about what general questions people have about your industry and that they would want expert help with. By addressing them, you’ll gain more loyal customers. 

Lastly, JivoChat has an article that outlines a variety of different customer retention strategies on their blog. The article covers omnichannel customer service support, having fast delivery and returns, surveys, and more. From a customer service perspective, this article is very helpful to both clients and the business. Readers can get expert advice without having to make a call to or set up a meeting with JivoChat. Additionally, JivoChat can provide support to their clients on this subject without having to repeat the same information over and over again.

For new business owners, this is a really important introductory article. It helps address the early growing pains of running a new business in a single, easy-to-read article. On your website, address pain points that people have related to your products, services, or industry in general. This way, a website visitor doesn’t have to get in touch with your customer service team in order to find the answers — they can use your articles as references. This strategy will improve the customer experience.

Summary#

Content marketing is one of the most versatile tools that you have at your disposal as a website owner. In this article, we outlined how you can use content marketing to improve your customer service. Some of the strategies we discussed include conducting question keyword research, writing buying guides and comparison pieces, and more.

Need more help with your marketing strategy? Check out the JivoChat blog. They have articles on social media marketing, customer service strategies, and more.

Aaron Haynes is the CEO of Loganix, an SEO fulfillment partner that supports marketing agencies and professionals. The company specializes in helping businesses to improve their online visibility and ultimately make more sales. The Loganix blog has a lot more information and advice, so make sure you check it out if you found this article helpful.