Case studies are a potent B2B marketing and public relations tactic. They are ideal for building trust and credibility, highlighting benefits for customers, reaching specific audiences, educating customers and portraying the company as an innovative, solution provider.
B2B business marketers say case studies are the most effective tactic they use, according to a Content Marketing Institute study. The study found that 69 percent of marketers believe case studies are effective. The next best tactics are in-person events (67%), blogs (65%), and e-newsletters (65%).
Nevertheless, a poorly organized or badly written case study can cause more harm than good.
Experts offer these tips to help PR pros and marketers create convincing case studies that explain the solution’s benefits and lead to conversions.
Follow the story pattern. Case studies usually follow a familiar pattern that’s proven to work. State the customer’s problem or issue, citing key business metrics. Describe the solution or resolution to the problem. Describe how the customer benefited from the solution by citing key metrics. Some experts advise veering from the structure if needed. Other possible formats include Q&A and first-person narrative.
Focus on the customer. Consider the customer, not your company, the hero of the story who faces a challenge or goes on a journey and overcomes adversity to reach triumphant conquest. That means avoiding quotes from your company.
Quantify benefits. Specific numbers that quantify the solution’s benefits are ideal. The solution saved the customer X amount of dollars or gained X number of new customers. In addition to the data on the single success story, including average benefits for a range of clients adds credibility. Nebulous statements like “doubled traffic” fail to build authority. Use very specific numbers to quantify benefits. If you can’t cite data, describing qualitative benefits is the next best alternative.
Make it readable. Many people today skim rather than read. Pulled quotes, a sidebar summary and liberal use of subheads and bullet points helps them quickly absorb your key points. Citing specific numbers in the title, subtitle and bullet point summary prominently relays your main message.
Quote them. Writing quotes yourself then submitting them to the customer for approval usually produces more compelling content. Natural-sounding quotes build credibility, while “frankenquotes” filled with stilted corporate jargon put readers to sleep. Obtaining real customer photos, not stock photos of models, also helps connect with readers.
Recruit the customer. Convincing the customer to allow their name to be used for the case study is the critical and often challenging first step, says Steve Hoffman, CEO and founder of Hoffman Marketing Communications, in a post for MarketingProfs. The trick is to explain how they will benefit. Like a trophy, the case study will display their success story to their customers and portray them as an innovative problem solver. You’ll also need to obtain the customer’s input during the study’s creation and their approval of the copy and graphics. Giving them a PDF file or even a framed hard copy of the success story can help make them feel good about participating – and provide them with a showpiece for the office.
Allocate time. Finding a qualified writer, preferably with experience writing case studies, is essential. Assigning adequate staff time is a common obstacle to completing good case studies. Even if planning and interviewing are done well, the report will flounder if the writer lacks time to complete the job.
Bottom Line: Case studies are among the most effective marketing techniques – perhaps the most effective — for B2B firms. By explaining how a product or service solved a customer’s specific problem, businesses can educate potential customers and build credibility as an innovative solution provider.
Other Articles
Case Studies Have Real Value: Seven Tips for Writing a Success Story That Succeeds
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How Experts Write Case Studies that Convert, Not Bore
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10 Rules for Perfect Case Studies
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William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
