Setting the scene: why do we need case studies

Why your client should be the hero of the story

Case studies can humanise the often abstract solutions your brand might be offering. They can help ensure that your audience knows that the service or product you’re providing is something they need.

Case studies are one of the most important marketing tools available, and a style of content you should be using to your advantage – here’s why.

What is a case study?

A case study is fundamentally a story.

Like any story it would contain the introduction, setting the scene and establishing the hero (your client or customer). And the middle: a challenge that the hero must overcome. However, unlike slaying a dragon or rescuing a princess, this hero can outsource to find their answer. This is where your company comes in. The ending will describe the solution to this challenge, something that your company has done for the hero to ensure their happy ending – be that improving their business functionality, saving costs or indeed, making more money.

Most case studies are structured in this way, explaining the challenge, why the company needed to find a solution and then how your company stepped in to deliver it.

Why are case studies important for brands?

When searching for a solution to a problem they are facing, it is estimated that customers go through 70-90% of the buyer’s journey before making contact with the sales team. What this means for your brand is that the customer will already have the knowledge to make an informed decision about the solution they may need. So, the content you provide on your website, while remaining informative, would need to provide more than just what you do. It needs to explain why your potential customer should choose you to do it.

Using case studies not only provides a detailed explanation of what you have done for a company in the past – it places your audience’s needs at the forefront and gives them a happy customer to identify with.

82% of all consumers read customer reviews and look to their peers to influence their purchasing decisions. Although this is something that seems routine for B2C marketing strategy, it is equally important in a B2B context. Professional relationships are built on trust, and any positive testimonial is a true endorsement, one that prospective customers will see the importance of.

Case studies can be used dynamically. If your website or social media content seems full of written content, a case study is something that can be easily illustrated using infographics or videos. They can also be placed in varying positions on your website and social media channels – positive reinforcement of your brand shouldn’t be restricted to just one page of your website.

Getting started with a case study

The key to any case study structure is to include the main points of the story:

• Challenge
• Solution
• Benefit/impact

But to engage your audience (and potential clients) your storytelling skills will have to come into play. This is where you set the scene, providing details of how your company solved the problem and any ongoing benefits, before concluding with a strong takeaway, convincing readers that you are their best option.

Although this is the basic content each case study tends to contain, there are many different options when it comes to how you choose to present it. This completely depends on your target audience.

For help on the content of your case study see here for a blog from our archives which covers the fundamental ideas that need to be taken into consideration.

Even if your customers always have happy endings, it can be daunting to know where to start. If you have a customer success story, we can help you to tell it, get in touch today.

If you need support to write engaging, audience-driven content for your B2B brand or agency, contact Copestone today.