Picture this: Customers are looking to replace their Email Marketing Software. As they evaluate different options, they look for products with features that suit their needs and preferences. Most importantly, they want to prove that your product works.
You can tell your own story, but the problem is 9 out of 10 customers don’t trust what you say about your brand. Instead, they want to hear from other customers who have used your product and benefited from it. This is where case studies come in handy.
Case studies provide skeptical clients with evidence backed by data, numbers and analytics. It’s a valid, direct endorsement from a satisfied customer that tells others, “Come and buy this product: it enables me to achieve these results, and it will work for your business as well.”
Where to use case studies
Case studies are an important part of your Content Marketing Strategy. There are several places where you can present your case study to drive social proof and conversion:
- your page: 92% of prospects seek social proof before making a purchase. Adding excerpts from case studies on key pages and key landing pages will increase conversion rates.
- Nurture emails: If you have a case study on a feature or product your customers want to buy, send a targeted nurturing series with that case study.
- Sales and Marketing Teams: When customers are in the consideration stage, you can send them targeted case studies. Sales and marketing teams should also learn to use case studies at the right moment in the buyer’s journey.
- Newsletters: Case studies are a great resource for your newsletter series, whether you’re looking to build new relationships or strengthen existing ones.
- Marketing Videos: Creating video case studies or testimonials helps potential customers see what your product can achieve from a third-party perspective and may convince them to buy. In fact, Two-thirds of customers claim they would buy After watching the recommended video.
- Blog Posts: You can also use citations from case studies to add credibility to the information in blog posts and articles.
Identify the right client for the case study
Not all customer stories are suitable for case studies. For a case study to truly appeal to your clients, it has to be authentic, credible and captivating.
When picking candidates for a case study, consider the following:
- Company Size: The size of the company that is right for your case study depends on what you want to achieve. If you want to add more SMEs to your customer base, then write a case study about a small business; and vice versa.
- Challenge: Evaluate your target audience and identify the problem you want to solve. Then, identify the specific product feature that solves the problem. Finally, search your customer base and select customers who have similar problems and use the same features to solve them. Chances are, if you use that client as a case study, the story will resonate with your target audience.
- Results: Remember, for a case study to have significant impact, it must present cold hard data. For this reason, choose a client with solid numbers to back up their anecdotal results. Direct quotes can also be collected to spice up case studies and improve narrative flow. After all, you’re telling a story, so make it exciting!
- Other things to consider include: pick a client you’ve worked with recently, ideally one that requires a minimum level of approval. That way, the proposals you make in your case study will be approved in a timely manner — and you won’t have to delay months waiting for the law to give them their stamp of approval.
Basic Case Study Questions to Ask in an Interview
Asking the right questions to your clients can make or break your case study. The questions you ask will vary depending on your industry and the angle of your case study, but here are some basic questions to start:
- How did you find us?
- When did you start working with us?
- What was the start of working with our company?
- What problem are you trying to solve?
- Have you evaluated our competitors or other solutions to your problem?
- What made you decide to go with us?
- How do our products/solutions solve your problems?
- Do you need any help using our products/solutions and how did you get it?
- What are the main benefits of using our products/solutions?
- What are your three favorite things about our company?
- What would you say to other people considering us?
1: What is your background?
Getting a client’s backstory is a great way to set the foundation and tone for your case study. It might even help guide your case study down paths you haven’t considered before. Even better, these personal stories engage potential buyers and help them connect with your customer base.
2: How did you know about us?
3: When did you start working with us?
4: What was the beginning of contact with our company?
5: What problem do you want to solve?
Every buyer is struggling with a problem. Your case study should focus on one problem, so ask users what problem they are trying to solve. This question will give readers (and you) insight into how people perceive and use your product.
6: How has the problem affected you?
Most buying decisions are based on emotion rather than logic. Expand on this question by asking how the problem affects the customer’s bottom line, what difficulties it creates, and how it makes people feel. Ask open-ended questions and try to elicit as many emotional responses as possible.
7: What possible solutions have you considered?
There are always multiple ways to solve any problem. If those reading your case study can see that customers considered other solutions, they will trust the recommendation more. Buyers always start with a list of options and then narrow the list until they find the best fit.
8: Why do you choose our products or services?
Readers of the case study will be interested in the decision-making process that previous buyers went through. If they identify with the process, they are more likely to buy the same product.
9: What happens if you don’t buy?
Asking this question repeats the original question. Hopefully this is the same problem readers are trying to solve. It highlights the consequences of delaying a purchase and increases the likelihood that the reader will make the decision you want him or her to make.
10: What risks did you consider?
Every decision has risks. They won’t go away if you ignore them, so you need to address each risk to reassure your potential clients. This helps readers overcome their natural aversion to adventure. Risk analysis has two main components; how likely it is and how severe the possible consequences are.
You can reduce your perceived risk by offering a ridiculously over-the-top warranty that offers far more than the standard money-back guarantee everyone offers.
11: What reservations do you have?
This is similar to risk analysis and gives you another way to find out why people might not buy from you. If one person has reservations, other buyers may have similar feelings and need to question them before making a purchase decision.
12: Do you need any help when using our products/solutions and how did you get it?
Let potential clients experience what it’s like to work with your company. Do you have 24/7 support? Personalized account management? Give your customer service and support a chance to shine.
13: What are the main benefits of using our products/solutions?
14: What measurable benefits have you seen?
This question gives your case study respondents the opportunity to address the value of your product and describe exactly how it solves their problem. As the last question is more persuasive because the reader can see that the feedback is credible. It is more effective to give praise after a detailed risk analysis and consideration of alternatives.
15: What are your three favorite things about our company?
16: What would you say to other people considering us?
Bonus: Can you provide creative assets?
Be sure to ask your clients for avatars, company logos, and other branding elements that you can add to their case studies to make them more personal and authentic to your audience.
You know what you need and how your studies need to be organised. If you just ask someone for feedback on your purchase, you’re getting unstructured and rambling compliments that lack credibility. A structured response will save respondents time and give you something more valuable.
do your best Customers value your partnership and want to help you succeed. They will most likely be happy to participate in case studies. All you need to do is ask.
