- July 16, 2015
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Life Is Too Short For Boring Case Studies
Sharing a testimonial from a happy customer is the next best thing to word of mouth. And case studies go a step further by offering specific usage examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Give your case studies the impact and flair they need to impress and persuade. The best way to stand out is by not resorting to the same old template used in everyone else’s case studies.
To help liven up your tired old case studies and turn them into compelling stories, here are a few suggestions compiled from the Content Marketing Institute.
Talk With Actual People
In order to have a good case study, you need a good customer. If you’re the one tasked with writing the case study, don’t settle for a canned, second hand quote. Make arrangements to talk with an actual customer.
You’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of storytelling in marketing. Think of your case studies as different stories told about your business from the perspective of your customers. The best way to get an authentic-sounding story is by talking with an authentic honest-to-goodness customer. You’ll get a real live story, instead of a bunch of puffery.
Just make sure you get the client’s approval to mention them by name. Without the example of a real customer, there’s not much point.
Make Your Customers Sound Good
Case study quotes don’t need to be taken down verbatim. After all, this is a sales tool, not a news report. It’s not only permissible, it’s advisable to edit and proof customer quotes for clarity and grammar. As long as you don’t fundamentally change the meaning of the quote, your customers will appreciate you making them sound articulate.
Show the Forest, Not Just the Trees
Clients may not be able to see the relevance of their situation for others. But you’ll need to look at the bigger picture to see why your larger audience might relate to a customer’s story.
Set the scene for your reader by addressing the broader business implications of the case in the opening line of your study. This will provide immediate context for those who are not already familiar with the particular client or industry.
