I read a report recently, conducted by Demand Gen Report, where they claim an astounding “73% of respondents viewed a case study during their research.”
I see this as a signal that people want to use case studies as part of their buying decision.
So then, why do I see so few of them when I surf different business websites. I’m not implying that they are totally nonexistent, but they seem to be far underutilized for the amount of demand that’s out there. I estimate that only about half the websites I go to are using case studies as part of their marketing system.
Half is still pretty good considering the number of content options there is for businesses to choose from. But, the way I see it, case studies are as powerful of a marketing medium as the traditional sales letter.
Good ones contain all the same elements as traditional sales copy and are presented in story form; which we’ve all figured out by now, one of the most powerful ways we can communicate with our audience.
So, let’s dive in so I can show you just how useful the traditional sales letter can be for your marketing plan.
Shows how your team solved a customers problem rather than just pictures of completed projects.
Case studies begin with the introduction of the customer’s problem. It will present challenges which complicate the project and limitations which need to be built into the final solution.
I love looking at the problem stage when I’m reading other case studies. This gives you a good look at how a business or a team within that business goes about solving problems. A good case study concentrates on creating a sense of security and integrity in the services they provide.
Our goal in doing business is obviously to sell a product or service. But, at a much high level of thinking, our customers don’t want to buy our products.
They just want their problems solved. If they could solve their problem without buying anything, they would be money ahead.
So, it’s our job to help them solve their problem first and it usually entails us selling them something.
Good case studies are written in exactly the same format. We write them from the angle of solving the customer’s problem with all the limitations and considerations which go along with it.
The more complicated the problem, the more your company shines as the problem solver. If the stock off the shelf solution works for everyone, the case study isn’t as powerful. The case study works its magic when problems get more complicated and your company appears to have the only solution.
Gives the customer an idea of what it’s like to work for you.
When the potential customer begins looking for a solution, one of the largest unknowns is what it’s like working with your company. Most businesses want easy solutions.
I don’t say all because there just might be someone out there wishing for a horrible customer experience just to make life interesting. But, I don’t know of any. I know when I go shopping for a solution, I want to know exactly how the entire transaction will go before I even put down any upfront cash.
The well-written case study gives customers the feel of being taken care of in every step of the process; with no surprises and no dysfunctional disorganization.
A good case study lays out the entire working process to leave no doubt in the mind of the shopper much of the load is taken off of them.
Once a case study is flushed out it can be used for various different sales and marketing solutions
Here is one of the best aspects of the case study. Once these are written, the content can be repurposed to just about anywhere within the marketing funnel.
Do you want it up on the website so potential customers can read them anytime they want, no problem.
Do you want to create a color graphical brochure your sales team can use as a handout or trade show ‘take away’, no problem.
How about taking the content and turning it into a video production for different points of distribution on the web, no problem.
Unlike many other forms of content like blog posts or news articles, case studies can be repurposed and used in several different areas of your marketing or sales.
What are the basic elements written into a good case study?
Even though it’s all content, each marketing piece is written with slightly different elements. Like I said earlier, the case study is much like a traditional sales piece we’d see while flipping through a magazine.
It has elements which are easy to scan for those who don’t have the time to read the entire article. And, it contains quotes and testimonials to provide elements of social proof.
Just like in stories, the first part sets out to lay out the problem and tell about the challenges of the project. The middle section goes through the problem-solving process and the actual creation and implementation of the solution. The last part illustrates the take away for the customer and how they’ve benefitted from the solution.
If you’d to see the typical layout and construction, here is a link to one I did when I was working with small business clients here in Milwaukee. Behling Racing Equipment
Like I said though, they can take on just about any form. Many companies are incorporating beautiful graphical design to create a very attractive sales brochure style case study. I partner with different designers to give my case study client the option to get whatever they would like.
I can’t think of any more cost-effective marketing content than the case study. For what you pay in compared to what you get in return, I can’t see anything more valuable.
If you would like to discuss getting some case studies done for your business, drop me an email to kev@kevinkatzenberg.com