Bazaarvoice’s Client Success Directors help you leverage customer insights to develop better products, create more powerful marketing, and deliver more inspiring shopping experiences. In this ongoing series, we’ll introduce you to some of our top CSDs. Learn how they help clients maximize their ROI and get more from the Bazaarvoice platform.
User-generated content (UGC) can be leveraged to help you strengthen your relationship with your target audience, increase your organic search rankings, and improve your product line.
But Bazaarvoice’s programs go beyond *just* helping you get more reviews on your site. Our Client Success Directors are here to help you leverage UGC to improve and support every aspect of your business strategy. We sat down with one of our Client Success Directors, Maud Billet, to lift the veil on what it’s like to be a CSD at Bazaarvoice and show how UGC can take your business to the next level.
Currently reading: “How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know” by Byron Sharp
Currently streaming: “The Michelle Obama Podcast” on Spotify
Fun fact: Has a 6-pound Pomchi (a cross between a Pomeranian and a Chihuahua) named Goliath.
What do you do to ensure a client’s program is successful?
At Bazaarvoice, every program starts with a discovery call. Before we even talk about UGC, I want to understand my partner’s businesses and the goals they hope to achieve. How do they position themselves in the marketplace? Where do they see their brand in five years? The answers to these questions help me develop customized programs for using UGC to support their overall business strategy.
It’s similar to a fitness coach. Everyone comes in with different goals — maybe they want to lose 10 pounds or improve their upper body strength. My goal is to create a customized program that helps them achieve their unique goals — minus the burpees.
How do you stay in touch with a client?
After the discovery call, the communication schedule depends on the client and their needs. Some clients I check in with almost daily to refine their UGC roadmap. Others, I hold regular coaching sessions with to help them access and use all of the amazing data that’s available to them. Whatever the client needs, I like going out of my way to show them what’s possible.
I also connect with all clients during our quarterly business reviews (QBRs). These calls give us a chance to measure their progress and ensure every aspect of the program is still relevant to their evolving needs. We also use this time to discuss e-commerce trends and identify opportunities they can pursue. Finally, we want to wrap up the call by setting up their next round of performance goals and answering any questions they have about marketing, e-commerce, or UGC.
In every client communication, I want to empower my clients to share all of the great opportunities we discover with other stakeholders in their organization. In addition to market trends and other reports, I also want to give clients the tools they need to help others understand what changes must be made to achieve their e-commerce priorities.
How do you help clients measure the ROI of their program?
There are loads of ways to help our clients measure their success. We can compare conversion rates on pages with UGC and those without. There are also value drivers like the increase in Google rankings and time shoppers spend on each page. I also love showing clients how to use customer feedback to improve their products and overall catalog. Most of the time our clients are quite surprised to see these powerful metrics. It’s like they didn’t realize what was possible.
What do you love about your job?
I love the flexibility and creativity. We have so many great tools and frameworks that can be customized to create something great for each client. I want my clients to see me as a profit partner and not just a provider. It’s so much fun customizing my advice and programs based on what resonates with them.
What is the best piece of work advice you’ve ever received?
My favorite piece of professional — and personal — advice is to “eat the frog.” Basically, it means starting your day with the task you’re least looking forward to. When you get the unpleasant stuff out of the way first, you can spend the rest of the day focusing on activities you enjoy.
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Looking to partner with a world-class UGC provider with the client success team of your dreams? Let’s chat.
