The classic example: One of the most crucial pieces of marketing material, but also one of the most tedious to read. The issue here is that if you lose a reader, you also lose a potential buyer. There is another option!
Here, I'll teach you what it takes to craft a case study that readers will eagerly devour. An engaging and motivating case study that generates sales.
Define the term "case study" in detail.
A case study is an in-depth account of how one of your actual clients used your offerings to solve a specific issue. I used the term "story" in a very specific way. A successful case study is like a tale in which the main character (your client) faces challenges but ultimately triumphs thanks to your product or service.
Case studies should leave the reader feeling like they are the protagonist in their own tale. Customers need to feel that they can identify with the featured customer's struggles and that your product or service can help them reach their own personal objectives.
The purpose of a case study in business.
Here are some general rules (specifics may vary depending on the nature of your organization; for example, a kitchen renovation company may be able to convey their whole narrative with photographs, whereas a software invoicing solution may not).
The standard recommendation for a case study's length is between 500 and 1500 words.
We also recommend include a conspicuous "snapshot" segment of 100 words or fewer.
Most of your words should go into the advantages and outcomes section.
Try to avoid using more words than necessary. Use visuals and consumer feedback to tell your story.
What NOT to Expect From a Marketing Case Study
Potential consumers may acquire trust in your company by reading a case study, which is an on-brand, data-driven, impartial resource. Find out what they are not in the next paragraph.
A case study is not a news release. Case studies are not limited to promoting new goods; they may be utilized alongside product launches. Actually, to get the greatest use out of them, case studies should be as timeless as feasible.
To begin, case studies are not commercials. Case studies may be utilized in part on landing pages and in ad text, but the case study itself should not be an advertisement. It's not a matter of fancy language or trying to entice a buyer. Truth-telling is at the heart of this.
Case studies that do you justice are not promotional pieces. Their focus is on the customer's experience. Marketers often overlook the reality that case studies are, at their core, tales, leading to the production of dull, forgettable garbage. They focus too much on tools like brand voice or message matrices and too little on the narrative structure that makes tales so effective. Or, even worse, they can't help but boast about how wonderful their firm is, the cardinal sin of case studies.
Instructions and a template for drafting a case study
We've established what a marketing case study isn't and why you should be creating them; now let's talk about how to craft one that's interesting enough to be read.
Like a newspaper's headline, it should clearly state what the piece is about. Subheadings that provide more information or a customer endorsement are not required.
In a nutshell, include the client's name/industry, the product/service they used, and some high-level metrics on their success towards the beginning of your report.
Presentation to the Client: Briefly (in one or two phrases) describe the client and emphasize some aspect of them.
Outline the issue, the desired outcome, the potential negative outcomes, and the customer's concerns. Put quotations in there.
Explain how they stumbled onto you, what made them decide to hire you, the problem you solved for them, and the steps they took to execute your solution. Put quotation marks around such phrases.
Outcomes: Specify the outcomes and any additional advantages that surfaced as a consequence. Put quotations in there.
In closing, relay any extra compliments from the consumer and any words of advise they have for similar persons or companies.
As an illustration from a case study
Let's break down each of those stages into its component parts with the help of a made-up scenario. Kumbo Digital is the name of our company, and Currigate is our customer.
1. In the first place, have a concise headline.
Something along the lines of a newspaper's headline might be appropriate here. Subheadings that provide more information or a customer endorsement are not required.
2. Give a quick overview
The most crucial information should be presented first. Amongst them are:
Name of Client/Service Provider/Business Sector
Effects of Using a Product/Service (ideally three stats)
3. Present the customer
Give a brief description of your client, including their name, company, and location, and share a highlight from working with them.
4. Explain the issue, its repercussions, and your concerns
Describe the problem the client was experiencing or the obstacle(s) standing in the way of the client achieving their goal(s).
Do not forget to include consumer feedback, including any apprehensions they may have had about trying out your product or service.
5. Specify the steps you took to solve the problem.
Tell me how they heard about you and why they decided to do business with you.
Include details on the product or service they purchased, its implementation, and the customer's experience with it. Keep it short!
6. Discuss the advantages and outcomes
Disclose the client's use case, the outcomes, and the value added that resulted from your product or service. Put in quotations and solid evidence (statistical data, before-and-after images, time-lapse videos, etc.)
7. Wrap off with a call to action and closing remarks
Include the client's future plans, any extra quotations or praise, and any recommendations they have for comparable prospective customers.
Last but not least, wrap things up with a call to action inviting readers to get in touch with your company and/or a link to see other case studies.
Advice on crafting a compelling case study that draws in new clients.
Okay, so that was a very simplified case study example; but, there is more to a case study than the sum of its parts. Listed below are eight best practices for producing a compelling case study that will attract and engage prospects and ultimately result in closed sales.
1. Put the customer first and simplify everything for them.
It's crucial to make the procedure as straightforward and simple as possible for the customer, just as you would when asking for a review. Communicate with them and ask whether you may utilize their success story as a case study for your company.
Spell everything out as precisely as you can, including:
Essentially, what happens (20 minute interview, follow up with a draft for their approval).
When will the case study be available (on your website? PDFs circulated around sales staff, etc.
A face-to-face meeting, a phone interview, or an email exchange are all viable possibilities.
Can there be any advantages (exposure on social, for example).
When you give them a detailed description of what to expect, they will be more willing to spend time with you.
2. A prominent image should accompany the findings.
Like any excellent narrative, you don't want to save the best for last when presenting your case study's findings to the reader. It's important to get to the findings quickly so that readers may move on to learn more about the methodology used to get those results.
3. Find a unique perspective.
To make a case study interesting, one has to do more than just talk about before and after pictures of a kitchen or a website. However, there is always wiggle area for imagination.
Pay special attention to consumers who have a unique use case for your product or who have more harsh circumstances.
Insert a thread into the narrative that relates your field to theirs (this might mean puns).
Immediately grab the reader's attention by dropping a hint about the study's most compelling finding.
Make sure to highlight the client's individuality throughout the narrative.
If you can find a unique slant, it will make for a better tale. Your case study will be more interesting to the reader if you tell a good tale.
4. However, ensure that it is accessible to everyone who may be interested.
Your perspective is the "hook" that will get people interested in what you have to say, but it's crucial that EVERY prospect can connect to and empathize with the challenges your case study's "protagonist" faces. That involves focusing on the people who are most likely to become clients and the difficulties they face on a regular basis.
5. Make them seem good (and consistent)
Don't add insult to injury by cramming a boatload of text and data onto a page; case studies aren't known for being riveting reading. You can quickly absorb the main points of a case study if it is visually appealing, well-structured, and easy to scan.
Use that structure for all of your case studies if you can. The procedure will become more streamlined, and the prospects will have an easier time understanding the material, all thanks to this.
6. You should play a supporting role, not the lead.
Your organization should always be portrayed as the supporting cast member whose assistance was vital in your client's success. You may attribute the success of this strategy to two factors. Initially, you'll want your readers to put themselves in the shoes of the case study's hero. If you can't stop raving about how awesome your business or product is, this will be far more challenging for you to do. Second, if you write in a more modest style, your reader will be more likely to take you seriously.
7. Let your customers do the talking.
Your duty as the storyteller is to weave a fascinating tale about how your featured customer overcame obstacles with the help of your product or service, but that doesn't mean your protagonist doesn't have a say in the matter.
You may add authenticity to your tale by quoting the characters as they relate it. It will help break up the monotony of the text, provide believability, and make the protagonist more real to the reader. Use paraphrase and comments in an interview format to avoid rehashing the same information. Prepare the transition and make place for the client's quotation, then step back.
8. Make sure your expectations are reasonable.
Yes, we want to make a helpful tool for potential clients, but let's be honest: no one has ever won a Pulitzer Prize for a case study, and no matter how well-written it is, it won't go viral on social media.
Salespeople may use case studies to assist persuade prospects to convert, or self-motivated leads can utilize them to learn more about your firm. In addition to that, nothing. They are written for the relatively small but highly qualified subset of your target market that is seriously contemplating making a purchase from you.
Thus, you shouldn't get discouraged if your case study material doesn't receive as much attention as your finest or even average content. Not that they're supposed to. However, this is not an excuse to stop making them or to get preoccupied with perfecting them.
Example of a Case Study in Business
Some real-world business scenarios are provided below to illustrate the use of the guidelines presented here.
LOCQLiQ
We think the case study structure of LOCALiQ is quite cool, but hey, that's just us being smug. The features that win us over:
Top-notch image at the top.
Instantaneous consumer profile and metrics.
Separated into manageable chunks with problems, answers, and outcomes.
Layers of paraphrase, remark, and direct quotation from customers.
Intercom
As you can see, you already had a glimpse of something up above! The features that win us over:
The client's identity and positive characteristics are carefully described with great care.
A pleasant blending of graphical elements and actual photographs (one of our landing page design trends).
In the style of a newspaper headline (but with a rhyme): Intercom is an Atlassian product that enables scalable sales and support.
Predominant findings from the data
Quick look at some key metrics and popular add-ons in the snapshot sidebar.
MailChimp
As you can see, you already had a glimpse of something up above! The features that win us over:
The client's identity and positive characteristics are carefully described with great care.
A pleasant blending of graphical elements and actual photographs (one of our landing page design trends).
In the style of a newspaper headline (but with a rhyme): Intercom is an Atlassian product that enables scalable sales and support.
Predominant findings from the data
Quick look at some key metrics and popular add-ons in the snapshot sidebar.
Wrike
Wrike elevates the concept of a case study snapshot. The features that win us over:
Like Intercom, except with a customer's photo instead of simply their name.
The combination of images and visuals is excellent (like Intercom).
Huge picture that shows you pretty much all you need to know at a glance.
Intensely positive data.
Slintel
Slintel, a business intelligence platform, provides our last case study example from the world of marketing. The features that win us over:
Leoforce's meeting bookings with Slintel have increased by a factor of 2 thanks to the catchy headline, logo, and color scheme.
That their RevOps manager wrote it (explain).
The following are some examples of descriptive headings: Inaccurate information is the problem that must be solved.
Extensive informational results and significant citation callouts.
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Salty Red Dog Marketing, LLC is a marketing agency in Red Bank, NJ, Westport, CT, and everywhere in between. We service businesses with marketing strategies, digital marketing, social media, and consultations.
Contact: info@saltyreddogmarketing.com
Phone: NJ: (732) 802-6205 // CT: (203) 429-9671
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