If you need a video for your business, would you hire a company that simply states they produce high-quality ROI-generating content? Wouldn't you rather see the quality of their work first and read the recommendation of someone who has worked with them personally through case studies?
Reading and watching reviews is part of most consumer’s buying journey. In fact, a whopping 81% of people conduct online research before purchasing something. B2B sales are no different, prospects are doing their own research on a product or service before purchasing. You can learn a lot about a company's reputation by reading reviews from past customers.
Case studies can be extremely effective as motivators and objection removers. Using case studies in your marketing will help your customers not only see things logically but also see what a happy customer looks like.
What are case studies and how do they help you?
Case studies analyze specific instances –– or cases if you will –– that show how your product or service has been effective in the past.
By using case studies, your prospective clients can get to know your customers on a deeper, more personal level. And when you showcase how you helped past customers, you help potential customers make informed purchasing decisions.
When writing your case studies, be sure to keep the following in mind:
- Who was the customer?
- What was their need and what goal did they have?
- Are they a typical customer?
- What did you do to meet their need and help them achieve their goal?
PRO TIP: Case studies were ranked “very important by” 52% of B2B buyers while evaluating vendors.
With 88% of consumers trusting online ratings and reviews, case studies prove to be a reliable way to establish social proof – ranking up there with blogs, ebooks, and video.
And from a marketing standpoint, using case studies is so impactful because those who read about success in their own industry will assume the same approach will work for them.
By using case studies in your marketing, you’re demonstrating that you are:
- Comfortable in a specific field
- Familiar with industry-specific needs
- Have the expertise to provide targeted results to that industry
How and where to use case studies in marketing
Using case studies in blogs
It's more likely that your audience will see your case study if you follow up with a blog post and promote it on social media. Consider highlighting an obstacle, challenge, or issue your company or customer overcame. Show the steps taken to address those issues in your blog post.
For example, if we had a case study detailing how a customer built trust in their company using video, we might create a blog post called “Client Case Study: Using Video Marketing To Build Trust In Your Company”.
Remember, a blog post about a customer success story is about showcasing how your customers have overcome challenges rather than promoting your brand, product, or service.
Using video case studies
When buying a product, most consumers don't want to spend too much time reading, right? As we've mentioned before, 96% of users watch a video that explains more about a product or service to learn more about it. It's much more convenient for them to watch a video that explains everything they need quickly and clearly.
Just like written case studies, video case studies should include data and statistics. Then at the end of the video, include a call to action of what happens next. If you can demonstrate how your business is solving client problems while emphasizing the benefits over features, you'll be golden.
Through video, individuals can connect emotionally with brands, products, and people. Having your customers explain why your product or service works will help you establish a stronger connection with future prospects. In turn, this leads to more sales and loyal customers.
Using case studies on your website
You can use a sales page to display your case studies or feature them directly on your homepage (this way your web viewers will see clear proof of satisfied customers right away!).
Here are a few ideas for presenting your case studies:
- Feature quotes specifically from your case study on your home page
- Create a landing page and include testimonials and/or video case studies
- Have a separate section specifically for case studies or an image displaying a case study
Case studies using nurture emails
Case studies are an excellent resource for email marketing. To help reconnect those leads that have gone cold, send out a nurture sequence and include your case study. Our favorite method? Using "product-specific" segments.
Do you have a case study about a specific product or service? Look at your analytics and see who was once interested in that product or service. Then send a targeted email to this list of subscribers with your case study attached.
Case studies on Social Media
Using case studies on social media is actually pretty easy. The best approach? Share your case study link and tag your customer.
And if you want to get the right people clicking through your case studies (of course you do, that’s the whole point, right?) you should post them in a way that inspires them to take action, rather than posting “New case study, here’s the link.” Craft your post in such a way that you keep the focus on the benefits, be clear over clever, and direct them to the link.
How else can you use case studies in your social media?
- Make your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn covers stand out! Show a happy, smiling customer with a quote
- You can add your case study to your LinkedIn publications or pin it to your profile
- Join relevant groups and share your case studies
Using case study quotes
According to Accenture, 41% of consumers switched businesses over a lack of personalization. And as we mentioned earlier, case studies give readers a chance to learn more about past customers on a very personal level.
When adding quotes from your case study to your website or social media profile, you might want to choose ones that are specific, outcome-oriented, or metric-based.
For example, "XYZ increased our email subscribers by 80% in less than a year!" versus "XYZ is great, we loved working with them!"
Bonus tip: Aside from adding these quotes to your social media profiles and on your website, you can use them in client presentations, product pages, and email signatures.
Case studies in newsletters
In addition to nurture sequences, case studies can also be included in newsletters. You can use this to both gain new clients and establish better relationships with the ones you already have.
After all, we all crave a sense of belonging – it's in our nature. So when a company treats its customers like friends, they're not only more likely to attract new prospects, but existing customers are usually proud to show their support.
Case studies for sales teams
Did you know 70% of buyers fully define their own needs even before speaking with a salesperson? And 44% look for specific solutions before contacting a seller.
Because consumers are becoming more informed than ever, this is making sales more complex. Therefore, sales representatives need to have content on hand that addresses every stage of the buyer's process. That's where the use of case studies comes in handy.
You've probably heard the saying, “the right place at the right time”. Well, when you use case studies during the right moments of the buyer's journey (such as when they are actively comparing solutions and providers) you can eliminate objections by demonstrating how effective your product or service has been in the past.
