I’m doing a lot of case study work these days. I’m interviewing my clients — and often talking directy with their clients, too — to craft compelling stories for these businesses to use on their websites, in email marketing, in proposals and elsewhere.
My experience writing case studies goes back many years (truth be told, decades) to my Corporate America days. I worked on lengthy, multiple-page write-ups that were bound into hard-copy RFPs and shorter case studies that were featured in hundreds of kinda boring PowerPoint presentations.
Sometimes the corporate case studies I drafted never saw the light of day — argh!! — because it could prove difficult to get approval from the featured companies.
Please allow me to digress. Corporate America is full of lawyers and compliance folks who don’t love going on record saying their company is happy with who they do business with, even if they are quite happy! There could be potential risks in doing so, especially in the financial services industry where I spent many years and earned a head-full of gray hairs that I cover up every five weeks. One of the reasons I love working with small businesses is that they’re pretty much bureaucracy-free!
A case study is a business success story that encourages people to make a purchase or buy a service.
Why Your Business Needs Case Studies
What’s your experience with case studies? If you’re new to the concept, a case study is a compellingly crafted success story about your business. You share the case study with prospects to encourage them to want to work with you.
I googled and couldn’t find the definitive proof that case studies work. But my eons of marketing experience tells me they’re important to have. And I bet your business, no matter what you sell or service, could benefit from a few good case studies to have at-the-ready.
I’ve written and read dozens of case studies, maybe hundreds, and here’s why they deserve a spot in your marketing bag of tricks.
Case studies show you’re a problem-solver. The typical format of a case study includes the business problem, the opportunity if the problem’s fixed and how a particular business, like yours, saved the day.
If your case study includes measurable results — “Our client reports selling 20% more widgets last year, thanks to our efforts.” — and/or a direct quote from the client, it makes your case study even more persuasive.
They’re an easy read for prospects … or they should be. The world needs more chunky, 11×17-folded-in-half marketing brochures, said no one ever. A case study will be easier for you to create and easier for your prospects to digest. You can get your point across in 4–5 paragraphs, maybe even fewer.
The best case studies are compelling and believable. People can sniff out an exaggerated claim, so make your case study “most sincere” — that’s an HT (hat tip) to Linus. (I recently watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” again.)
Here’s what my client, Czarina Carden from First San Francisco Partners, says about these marvels of marketing.
Director of Marketing Czarina Carden from First San Francisco Partners
A case study can be one of the most effective forms of social proof — the more specific, the better. When done right, a case study should be a powerful and relatable story about how your product or service helped someone solve a clearly identified challenge in a tangible way. And when someone can connect with that story, it can bridge the gap between prospect to customer. – Czarina
A great case study speaks — heck, it sings! — to its target audience. I’ve learned a lot this year from my business coach, Ilise Benun of Marketing Mentor. She’s reminded me more than once how important it is that your marketing speaks to your audience.
Business coach for creative professionals Ilise Benun of Marketing Mentor
The goal of a case study is for the reader, who should be your ideal prospect, to identify with the subject (your featured client). That’s why the emphasis should be on the pain they felt before you cured it, the problems they had before you solved them and the challenges they faced before you swooped in and saved the day. – Ilise
A case study takes time, but it’s so worth the effort. Case studies can take a while to develop, trust me. First, you need to figure out what story needs to be told and why. Then, you (or someone like me) will reach out to gauge the client’s interest in officially sharing their story with you. Next, you might interview the client to get their thoughts. Or you could write it on their behalf and get the client’s approval.
Once you complete the case study, you’ll need to decide where it should go on your website, how you might use it in an email blast or the best opportunity to share it with a prospect in a proposal. But it’s all figureout-able … and, once the case study’s ready, there’s no stopping its marketing mojo.
Here’s why my fellow Queen Creek, AZ, resident and client Andy Brenits of Brenits Creative is a case study fan.
Principal & Creative Strategist Andy Brenits, from Brenits Creative
There is no better way to demonstrate how your expertise helped a person or business achieve their goals, than by writing it up as a case study. A case study will help prospects understand the full scope of what you did and the results of the work, in a way that allows you to toot your own horn without blowing it. Additionally, your client will probably love that you are showcasing the work you did for them. This could serve to deepen your relationship and build even more trust in you. – Andy
Case studies do the selling for you. Are you a rock star at explaining what you do and why people should work with you? I occasionally stumble over the best way to explain why people should hire Melanie the Marketer. But, with a case study, you’re never tongue-tied, because your sales story is perfected and packaged and ready to impress.
Here’s a final thought on the power of case studies from Ilise.
Case studies are perfect for that crucial moment, rather late in the “buyer’s journey,” when your ideal prospect is close to making a decision. That’s when they are hungry for anything that will help them decide. So don’t censor yourself or scrimp on word count. Be generous and give them everything they need to choose you. – Ilise
Make the Case for Case Studies
Have I convinced you case studies are worth your time? Hope so. I can guarantee you’ll have crazy-good content to share with your target audience … and we can never have too much of that.
If you’d like my help creating compelling stories about your success with clients, let’s talk! I enjoy this type of writing and love helping my clients share their wins with the world.
Here’s a case study I wrote for Ilise’s business after interviewing her client, Aaron Dougherty in 5 Lessons from a Photographer Who Found His Dream Clients. Let me know what you think of it via email or with a tweet to @meldeardorff.
