What are Case Studies and Why should you feature them on your website?

Unsure what a Case Study is?

Let me tell you why they are so important for every business

A case study is simply a story about how the solution you sell, solved a problem for one of your clients or customers. When executed well, they serve as brilliant social proof and ‘free’ marketing for your business.

A success story

Without a doubt the case studies you feature for your business should essentially be success stories. You want to take the reader on a journey where they feel a kinship with the featured client, so they can empathise with the issues they face.

The customer or client in your story should always be the hero, they learn how to overcome their problem, or the ‘villain’ whatever form it takes, with the help of a trusty guide, that’s you, and your business.

The case study follows them as they explain how lost and frustrated they were trying to find solutions before they found you, and your business. The reader will learn about how they and why they decided to use your business and the journey of working iwth you.

This may not have been all plain sailing, but in the end the reader gets to hear about how brilliant the hero’s life is now, after using your solution to solve their problem.

What makes each case study unique?

The secret in the sauce for case studies?

One-on-one interviews with your happy clients and customers. Each case study is different because each and every customer journey is different.

Plus, the case study is authentic and original because you’ll be using your customers OWN words to express frustrations, successes and lessons learned.

Why are case studies such an effective marketing tool?

People trust people.

Social proof sells.

Referrals are the number one way new customers find businesses.

So, use the words, testimonials and referrals of your own happy customers and share them with your potential audience on your website, socials, LinkedIn, print media anywhere you like.

Shout about these success stories, they are the best pieces of marketing material you have! Don’t keep them to yourselves!

Tell your story

Remember that the key ingredient of a winning case study is a one-to-one interview with a happy client or customer. Don’t just get them to complete a form or ask them closed questions, get into a conversation with them and tease out those brilliant quotes that will show off just why your business is the one to choose.

Make sure you set the scene with placing your client firmly as the ‘hero’, we need a brief profile of them, a back story if you like of what brought them to you in the first place.

Never paint yourself or your business as the hero, clients and customers want to be the heroes of their own story, they don’t need another one. What they need is a guide. Someone experienced and educated in the solution, who will help steer them towards a successful outcome.

To get a far more in-depth explanation of this way of telling story I highly recommend you read ‘Building a Story Brand’ by Donald Miller. His advice is invaluable, and you’ll never watch a movie in the same way again, I assure you!

Not much of a storyteller?

That’s OK! We all have our strengths! And you may have noticed I have referred to case studies as ‘free’ marketing. That’s because you and I both know that no marketing is truly free, even if you’re not paying someone else to do it for you then you are paying in your own time.

It will be no surprise to you that writing and storytelling are two of my great loves and happen to also be services I provide.

So, why not let me take care of your case studies, whilst you focus your energies where your talents and loves lay. You got into this business because you enjoyed it right? So, delegate out those things that don’t!

As part of my case study service, I will conduct an interview with the client or customer of your choice and use their brilliant words to paint a bright and illustrative picture of how the solution you sell solved their problem.

If you’d like to talk more about how I can help you then please, drop me an email here.

Or get in touch and I can send you an example of the work I do.

I always love the chance to have a coffee and chinwag so please, follow this link and book in today!