Customer storeis or case studies, either way they shine a light on your business and shows the success you have in helping our customers or clients.
You can get caught up in the different types of Case Studies. Depending upon your area of interest, study or business, what you want from a case study may be different from the discipline next to you.
Here we are focused on the business case study designed to market your business and engage with your customers. If you are a seasoned case study company, you will already know the value of the customer story and how the case study is part of a B2B buyer story.
Why create a Case Study?
You want to highlight what your product, or service, can do for your customers and potential customers. It is about success- your success as a business. You want a showcase for your values as a business with a product or service that you are proud of and want recognition for to increase your sales and leads.
Case studies work.
- According to Hubspot in a 2021 State of Marketing report, more than 30% of marketers use case studies for their primary marketing media
- Surveys consistently show that B2B buyers said they referenced case studies as part of their buying research.
They are an essential part of the buyer journey to find out about a specific product or about a solution to a particular problem the business is experiencing.
Results and the Case Study
It’s all about the data.
Use the information you have to provide concrete evidence on how your product helped business increase productivity, simplify a process to help with time management, save money, or help with getting a job done. Showcasing the results of using your product or service promotes trust in your product or service and the benefits in using what you have to offer.
- It’s in the numbers – percentage increases in results
- Your product helped increase productivity by 11% by simplifying a work process
- Before and after picture
- From using several different methods in handling documents to one document control system, your product helps companies manage their information more effectively
- Easing the pain point
- There is a frustration for business owners when they see a problem, but have no solution until your product or service shows how their business can overcome the pain point with the solution your product provides.
Note on Design
The case study itself is about words to showcase who you are and how you can help other customers, as the one in your customer story.
Once the case study is written, you will want a designed to help set the tone and show off the words that are written. Design is like the music flowing with the words in a song. Together they create the full experience.
Copywriters and designers work together to ensure your case study hits the mark to entice reading or at least scanning the case study.
Focus on Your Customers
Your customers and their experiences are what drive a case study. What problem or challenge did your product or service help your customer overcome?
You want to be sensitive to your customer’s privacy and any concerns they have about being part of a case study. It is a win-win because of the benefit of highlighting the value and offering of both companies in the case study.
Key Points to writing a Case Study
- Determine what problem your product or service solves that you want to highlight
- Identify customers who purchased your product to solve that problem
- Determine a list of questions to ask your customer that will create a story about the customer journey
- Ask for the interview
- Focus your case study on how your product solved the problem
- Be mindful of sharing only what the customer agrees to and review with your customer
- The end of the case study is where you bring it back to your company and how you can help other customers with their own journey
- Publish on your web page
The process to create a customer story moves from your product or service to your customers and back to you. Don’t forget to include the call to action at the end.
Jane McGuire is a copywriter who can be reached at [email protected]
This article was first published on LinkedIn.