The Customer Creator Principle in Action

We've talked a lot about the theory behind The Customer Creator Principle. For a full recap, you can check out the article here.

If you’ve been wondering what all this looks like in practice, then you're in luck! 

Because now, we're going to take a closer look at a business who are leveraging Customer Creators to grow their revenues, increase market share, and build success for the long-term.  

Let's get started!

Brand Profile - Precision Metal Art

Brand Bio

Brand Name: Precision Metal Art

Website: precisionmetalartusa.com

Year Founded: 2016  

Niche: Personalized Home Decor

Social Reach: ~158,000 Likes on Facebook, ~16,300 Followers on Instagram

Reviews Collected: 40,000+

Background Information

Precision Metal Art are an American home decor brand that specialize in a range of premium and customized pieces. Founded in 2016, the business serves customers worldwide for the past 6 years from their base in the USA. 

Their product range spans custom commissions, patriotic pieces, tailored gifts and outdoor decorations. Their best-selling products are a mix of all of the above, but their most acclaimed product - by far - is the personalized Split Letter Monogram.

With over 12,000 reviews, the Split Letter Monogram has proven a hit for housewarmings, weddings, and other landmark occasions. 

With a social reach of over 170,000 across their core platforms, Precision Metal Art has built a strong base of loyal customers.

To date, Precision Metal Art has amassed more than 40,000 reviews through Loox. This amount of social proof is a clear indicator that they have nurtured a high level of trust with their customers. 

Let's take a close look at exactly what they're doing to achieve this. 

Brand Assessment

Precision Metal Art makes significant use of visual reviews across their entire website. 

This is smart: as of the best methods for boosting brand credibility, showing off the myriad positive testimonials your customers have given you is a quick and easy way to build an initial base of trust with your customers. 

Here's how these reviews are showcased on the website's home page: 

And here's an example of how they use reviews on product pages: 

Putting these clearly authentic Customer Creator images on pages where people will be making their buying decision is a powerful asset for brand credibility. 

The images feel authentic while still being a good demonstration of what the products look like in a variety of situations. 

At the bottom of the image above, you can see the start of their footer - another area where you can score some quick credibility wins with your audience. 

Taking a closer look at their social media profiles, we can see that these are optimized for credibility as well. 

Specifically, let's consider their Instagram account.

Their native posts on the platform are a mix of product shots, customer testimonials and themed promotional images. 

Where things get really interesting is with the content under "Tagged" on their account. 

Much like their native content, these posts contain a number of paid-for promotional pieces with influencers. However, they also include several posts which appear to have been spontaneously posted by happy customers - like this, this, and this. 

The key points to note about these posts are as follows: 

1. Highly credible imagery - while the product is clearly visible in each, they're not "professional" product photos.
2. The products feature in each, but it's obvious that they're either a secondary feature or they're simply being included out of appreciation
3. They're exactly the type of credible endorsement which lend authenticity to a brand... even more so than an influencer shoutout or other paid channel

Precision Metal Art is doing a fantastic job at building a strong base of credibility with their customers. Their website makes great use of visual reviews on the home page and product pages. Their social media accounts are consistently branded. 

It's clear that their customers care enough about the products to give them genuine, unsolicited support. That’s exactly what every brand needs to put The Customer Creator Principle into action.

Applying The Credibility Checklist - How Does Precision Metal Art Stack Up?

We have now taken a close look at Precision Metal Art's business, social media and customer reviews. There's a lot to like - and a lot they should be proud of. 

Let's apply the two rules of our Credibility Checklist and see how well they're following them. 

Remember: the more closely you stick to these rules, the easier it will be to encourage Customer Creators to support your business in every way they can. 

Rule 1: Think "Remarkable" Over "Marketing"

One of the hallmarks of a remarkable product is that your customers will look for opportunities to show off their purchase and recommend you to others. 

That’s at the heart of the Customer Creator Principle: providing such a fantastic experience that people are delighted to go above & beyond for you. 

We can see from their reviews and social media that they're getting plenty of enthusiastic support from people without the financial incentive to provide it. 

By providing an excellent product and high levels of customer service, the brand enjoy a continuous stream of reviews like these: 

See the common thread in each of these? Love. And that comes courtesy of Precision Metal Art's focus on providing remarkable service to their customers.   

Rule 2: Focus on The Long-Term, Not The Short-Term

Another core component of The Customer Creator Principle is learning to view everything you do in the proper context. 

The hallmark of a credible brand is being able to focus on nurturing a long-term relationship with their customers. 

A long-term focus can be reflected in something as simple as providing a world-class product. That's because a fundamental part of building meaningful connections with purchasers is delivering value in the form of what they buy from you. 

As we've seen, Precision Metal Art ticks all the boxes in this regard: 

Likewise, being attentive to your customers’ needs upfront (before they've ever purchased from you) is a key aspect of building credibility with potential buyers. 

There's no guarantee that everyone you speak to will end up taking action. But for those that do? They'll remember how considerate you were when you didn't need to be. 

A long-term focus shines through in all you do. 

Remain focused on sustaining your connection over months and years. Don't churn and burn by prioritizing short-term acquisition at the expense of repeat business. 

Avoid this, and you'll set yourself up to benefit from more and more Customer Creators joining the cause with every passing day. 

Key Learnings

There are many lessons to learn from Precision Metal Art. That said, here are the main takeaways to bear in mind: 

1. Creating a standout business begins with providing a world-class product.  
2. Visual reviews are a tremendous asset for your business when used correctly. Don't be afraid to showcase them at every relevant opportunity . 
3. A frictionless buying experience is valuable - but a smooth customer service experience is just as important when it's needed. Consider your own customer service processes. Could you make things simpler? How could you deliver a better level of service to purchasers? 
4. All the little touchpoints a customer has with your brand (whether it's DMing you on social media, hearing a friend talk about you, or getting their package in the mail) matter more than you might think. Present your business consistently and credibly everywhere you can - trust (and Customer Creators) will follow. 

Conclusion

Building a brand that’s worthy of the love and support of dedicated Customer Creators doesn’t happen overnight. 

While stories about businesses like Precision Metal Art are inspiring because they teach what we could do to make our brands succeed, it’s easy to get discouraged if you’re not quite there yet. 

If this is you, then don’t worry. 

The point here isn’t that you’re too far behind to catch up.

It’s to remember that everything you do as a business will help, maintain, or hurt your credibility.

It’s that small actions, compounded over time, can help your brand compete with the best of the best. 

And it’s that, when all else is said and done, there’s nothing more important than building high-trust relationships with the people you serve. 

Precision Metal Art’s story could be yours, too. 

If you’re ready to leverage The Customer Creator Principle for all it’s worth, put your own brand to the test. 

Use The Credibility Checklist to gauge your performance and guide your decisions. 

Implement this knowledge to make a meaningful difference in your business. 

When you look back 6 months, 12 months, or 5 years from now, you’ll be glad you started today.