A marketing case study is one of the best ways to show off your results and persuade potential clients to work with you. It highlights your successes and walks viewers through a story of how you helped a similar client solve problems and generate tangible results. Marketing cases studies go beyond simple testimonials by showing real-life examples of how you were able to satisfy your customer’s needs and help them accomplish their goals. With great case studies, you will be able to highlight your successes in a way that will make your ideal potential customer become your customer. The following are some tips on how to make your case studies a powerful asset in soliciting business.
What is a case study?
A case study in marketing is a document or web page that includes several basic parts:
- Description of the subject: Explain your customer’s or client’s history and important points.
- Subject’s goal: Identify your customer’s or client’s goal for the project so readers understand what to expect.
- Hypothesis for strategy: Tell your audience what you expected to happen after you implemented your strategy for the customer or client.
- Implementation of strategy: Take the reader through the step-by-step process you used to help your customer or client.
- Results of strategy: Deliver the results in as much detail as possible, preferably with a quote from the client or customer.
- Concluding findings: Explain what this case study has taught your specifically and how it can help other people.
Why it’s Important
A marketing case study is not only the perfect content to educate the sales team with data-driven points, but it is also a document that serves as testimony for those outside of your organization. The case study will give you credibility, flaunt your customer wins, and give you a narrative for additional content. You’ve taken the time to understand your customers. Your products, services, or tactics have proof of data to show your strategies work, now it’s your turn to make a case study work for you.
Tips for Creating a Successful Marketing Case Study
Formatting
No one enjoys huge chunks of texts or messy formatting. The first rule of thumb? Keep it simple.
Like other inbound content, case studies do not have to be complicated. When it comes to length, 500 words work best. Worry less about word count and more about telling your story. Also, like other forms of content, incorporate effective formatting elements, such as:
- Headers
- Images
- Bulleted lists
- Quotations
- Bolded text
Most importantly, it’s up to you to find out what’s best for you and what resonates with your end-users.
Include the Facts
It’s important to show real numbers and facts to back up the information in your case study. Rather than using terms such as “doubled traffic” or “tripled conversions,” display the actual numbers. You want data to be crystal clear.
Ultimately, numbers should contribute to your overall story. They’ll outline real results, and when properly portrayed, data can show exactly where your customers began and where they ended up with your help.
Tell a Story
Case studies should not be dull and boring. Tell a story: this was the challenge; this was the solution; these were the results.
Write in the narrative. Be efficient with your words and focus only on what is relevant. Relay events in chronological order so it is easy for your target audience to grasp the pertinent details and appreciate the outcomes that you achieved for your client
Now that you have some tips and a better understanding of what a case study is, it’s your turn to try it for yourself. Just remember to back up your information with solid data so potential clients can be pursued to work with you and have a clear understanding of what you’re conveying.
