If you are looking to make a purchase or book a service what is the one thing many of us do? Research. Whether that is asking friends and family for their opinion and recommendation, or going online and looking up reviews. 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020. This figure speaks for itself, so how do you ensure that what you are selling comes across the way it should – look to use case studies.

If you want to attract and convert more customers, you need to provide them with information, and proof that you’re the best at what you do - that’s where case studies come in.

What is a case study?

A case study is a piece of marketing material, usually a page or two in length, that looks specifically at your work with one customer, or concentrates on the use of a specific product. It’s designed to help you promote your business by showing how your product or service has helped a customer in the past. They are much more specific than web pages or blogs, and allow you to give real-world examples of your products or services in action. It offers quantifiable information that those researching can trust and allows a customer to gain a better understanding of your service or product.

Think of case studies as telling the story of a customer’s journey with you, and the benefits you’ve been able to provide. They are a commonly used marketing tool for many businesses and work well to gain trust.

There are usually specific details that must be covered in a case study:

• Introduction of the customer
• The problem
• How it was solved
• And what the outcome was

Addressing each of these points helps to tell a story and give the reader a real sense of the product or service and if it will be right for them.

How to tell a story

Storytelling is one of the most powerful pieces of marketing collateral you can have. Creating compelling, captivating and creative content that converts should be a priority for all brands, regardless of size or industry.

By telling the story of your client’s journey, you can evoke emotions in prospective customers, and give them a way to put themselves in the role of client and see how you actually work. And because we connect with stories, they are one of the best ways to connect with customers. Furthermore, studies have shown that case studies are a very successful way of converting prospects into customers. In fact, 62.6% of business owners say that using case studies increased the number of leads coming into their business, while consumer surveys showed that case studies rank as the third most influential content marketing type for businesses, both large and small. So not only are they a great way to connect with your customers, but they are one of the most persuasive types of marketing you can invest in. 

Getting the right information for your case study

There are several ways that you can put a case study together. If someone has commented about your product or service on social media, contacted you via email or even spoken to you directly, ask them if they want to share their experience. If they felt compelled enough to let you know they were happy in the first place then why wouldn’t they want to share their story? It is also important to include your own research and statistics to back up the points made by your customer. This proves it is not just a customer heaping praise on your company, but it has quantifiable results.

Before you start to put the case study together it is important to understand what you want to achieve from it. Are you trying to highlight a specific issue your customer had because it’s a common issue among your clients? Do you want to use it as a more general promotional piece? Are you looking to promote a particular product? Or are you looking to emphasise how your solutions work in a specific industry? Knowing what you want to achieve will help you ask the right questions of your client, and focus on the right areas when writing the case study.

How to get the case study out there

Once you have your case study ready it is important to know how to use it. Only publishing it on your website won’t achieve the results you want so it is important to use the case study as part of your marketing campaign.

Conversion tool - One of the most effective ways you can use case studies is within the sales cycle. If you have a prospect who is on the fence about using you, having a case study on the product or service they’re buying can be the nudge they need to trust in you and commit. By accessing a case study, they can actively compare their situation to the one in your case study, and see just how well your solution could work for them. These work best as an independent PDF, with one case study covering each of your core services for maximum impact.

On your website - Having a web page exclusively for your case studies gives prospects a place to read through your case studies and see your results for themselves before they commit to buying from you. Case studies are the ultimate social proof, so make sure you clearly label this page and make it easy to find. 

Social media – Use social media to get your case studies out there. You can give tasters of the case study. Pick a relevant quote or snippet of information that shines the best possible light on you and sing it from the rooftops.

Video – Why not create videos of the case study. Use an animation, simple written content or even an interview with the person who is reviewing your product or service. This is a great way to directly communicate to your customers and lets you be creative.

Email marketing – You have probably built up a customer database, so why not use it to your benefit. Send a well-designed eshot of the case study with all the information and facts. This is also a great way to re-engage with customers that may not have used your services or brought from you in some time and might just be the push they need to use you again.

Newsletter – Another great way to get the case study out there is to use it in a newsletter. If you send out a monthly newsletter to your customers use a case study within it so they can see how and why your products or service is the best. It can also be a great way to introduce your customer to a product they did not know about.

Stories are one of the single most enduring parts of human culture, so it’s no surprise that startups and multinationals alike are utilising their power to create and develop genuine connections with people. As Richard Branson said, ‘we would be nothing without our story’. Storytelling enables businesses to develop a deeper relationship with their customers, building up brand loyalty and long term commitment. Case studies are a huge part of storytelling and should be incorporated into your marketing campaign. It is not only an invaluable asset to substantiate your product or service but also helps to prove that what you're offering is useful and of good quality.

Looking for more information on case studies?

Case studies are just another way you can communicate with your clients through content marketing, and that’s where we come in! At Lion Spirit Media our team of experts can not only craft you compelling case studies, but we can weave them into your wider marketing strategy. With our help, you can get the most out of every word, and convert even more prospects into sales with your great content. If you’d like to find out more, visit here.