Businesses need to communicate reliability and trustworthiness. Case studies allow brands to create relevant and engaging connections with prospective customers and are an excellent way to showcase how valuable your products or services are. A case study is an analysis in which a company identifies a situation, recommended solutions, actions taken, and shares a discussion of factors that contributed to the success or failure of the project. Jayson DeMers, writing for Forbes, describes them as an analysis of a given situation to demonstrate an effect – more specifically, the benefits of your services or products are being clearly defined for your target audience.
Case studies are one of the top three most important marketing tactics for B2B organizations. They tell stories that paint pictures and evoke emotions while serving as the foundation for the why – how problems are solved. Successful case studies not only tell a fabulous story, they support the story with descriptions of fabulous user experience, from beginning to end. They allow you to showcase a client before, during, and after you provided services to them. They are also an opportunity to communicate how your expertise differentiates you from your competitors and show how well you understand your customers.
While they require time and often negotiation on the type of information to be disclosed, case studies provide a niche specific means to communicate to a targeted audience. They help cultivate a desire for your product or service and also help build credibility and trust with prospective clients.
Benefits
Much of marketing is geared toward consumers in the awareness phase of the buyer’s journey. Case studies target and speak well to consumers who have entered the consideration stage of the journey. They build social proof more effectively than straight content, an important consideration given that 70% of online consumers look at reviews prior to engagement or purchase. They provide an opportunity to explain your business products or services and authenticate that what you are offering is valuable and of high quality.
Case studies allow you to establish your expertise and show how you are a problem-solver within a particular niche. They help showcase your brand as a thought leader. These stories relate to prospective customers that you are comfortable within their industry and understand their specific needs.
They offer completely original content and an additional avenue for natural keyword use, increasing SEO. Case studies also lead to supplemental content, a framework for additional blogs, articles, videos, etc. You can incorporate quotes and other bits and pieces into all of your sales and content marketing materials. Each customer’s story provides information that is reusable across other channels: social media, blogs, etc. – and allows you to establish links back to the case study and your website.
On your website
Case studies should be easy to find on your business website. Create a separate page for them that is accessible from all other internal pages. Highlight one case study on the home page and other, relevant internal pages that also link to the separate case study page. Users will appreciate filters that allow them to find studies by industry, format and topic.
Structure
There should be a logical flow to case studies. Explain the challenge, introduce solutions, describe the actions taken to overcome the challenge, and sum things up with a happy ending. They should be created in a straightforward format and easily skimmed – dynamic headline, executive summary in the introductory paragraph, subheads, bullet points, and attention-grabbing quotes in the sidebar.
There are two most used formats: Problem – Action – Result, and Question & Answer. Whichever format is used, it is recommended that case studies begin with a quick overview of the conflict, resolution, and results, so readers may understand the full story regardless of whether or not they choose to read the entire case study. Some businesses opt, instead, to also create a short version of the case study with a quick summary, bullet points, and clickable key word tags. They can then choose the long or short version depending on the marketing channel being utilized.
For the P-A-R format, start by discussing the challenge. What goal did the client want to accomplish? Then outline different solutions available to address the problem and discuss how and why a particular solution was chosen, how it was tailored to the client. Finally, offer proven results that showcase your product or service as the best solution to the problem. Tell what your resolution achieved, what impact the results had on the client’s business and if there were added benefits from the process.
The Q & A format follows a similar path but it tells the story from the perspective of the customer. The client is also likely to use industry terminology that will speak to others in that industry. This first-hand story telling can often be more effective than a third person narrative.
Develop headlines that capture readers’ attention. Be sure they include active, powerful verbs and tell the “what” in 10-15 words. Share specifics about products or services and describe specific strategies used to address the challenge and solve the problem. Show actual data as possible so you support your claims with facts. Use numbers and measured metrics instead of vague phrases, for example, “from 50 to 200” versus “a significant increase”. If the case study client doesn’t care to have specific numbers shared, use percentages instead of actual numbers and provide visualization of data with charts, graphs, etc. whenever possible.
Incorporate quotes from your client throughout the study. These quotes can also be used elsewhere on your website and in marketing materials. Include a profile of the customer or their business and, if the party is willing, list their contact information for the benefit of interested prospects. At the end of each case study, offer related resources to continue consumer engagement even if they are not yet ready to contact you. It is recommended to include a clear, persuasive call to action button on the page as well.
Remember that case studies are not about promoting your business. They are about the customer and meant to educate consumers and increase conversions. These studies provide relatable evidence of the value of your products or services. They provide a real-world example of your solution in action – how you were able to help a customer solve a problem and accomplish a goal. Do you want to use case studies to help remove objections? If you’d like to know more about how to eliminate doubts of prospective customers and convince them to engage with your business by showing them how you’ve helped others like them, contact us today!