Why Now Is A Great Time To Write Case Studies
Case studies are one of the most valuable pieces of content and marketing tools a business can have. When a potential customer is comparing suppliers and products they're faced with a lot of the same technical information and it can be hard to make a decision purely based on specifications or price when there is not a lot of difference between comparable sources.Case studies put that information into a meaningful narrative which also highlights the way you operate as a business, your approach to customer service and your problem solving abilities.
A convincing case study can make all the difference in a business decision, because it tells the customer more about you and your service or product than a specification sheet, or even a demonstration video can.It is also worth bearing in mind that a case study, whether published online as a standalone page, or as a downloadable PDF are easy to share among key decision makers, so this content will reach far more people than just those who visit your website, and that's the kind of organic word of mouth marketers dream about.
The period we have endured with a lockdown, and the strange new world we are trying to function in now, is fertile soil for case studies.Not all case studies have to be about a particular project, you can write up a positive piece about how your business adapted more generally to the new situation and how you handled that change with your staff and customers.Perhaps written as more of an advisory tale than a straight case study; these stories are very valuable for your reputation and your position in your industry.
There may also be many examples of how you managed to fulfil a customer's requirement in trying circumstances, and these are a standard narrative for a case study. The story should take you through the basic premise of the project, outline the potential challenges and how they were identified and lead you through the implementation.To conclude the piece, summarise how the challenges were overcome and how you coped with any unexpected changes to the plan, and end with a statement of the project completion and how that customer's needs were addressed.If you can incorporate a testimonial or even just a paragraph or two from the customer's point of view all the better, this shows that not only was your customer delighted, they wanted to shout about it. A happy, vocal customer can be just as effective as a well-designed advert when it comes to getting business through the door.
Set aside some time to look over the events of the past few months and pick out some of the more interesting stories and projects that have arisen. Remember, they don't all have to start with a positive angle, sometimes what starts out as a negative (such as an unhappy customer or a faulty product) ends up as a positive – being able to tell this change of heart story, could be more persuasive than a case study obviously written as a puff piece. We know that how a brand or company handles controversy or mistakes has more of a positive impact on customer perception than that initial negative influence does, so don't be afraid to lay bare the problems and issues you may have faced.
When you have written your case study, or employed a writer to weave your notes and information into a fully formed story, make sure to publicise it on your social media and through your email newsletter to get the word out. If the customer in question is happy with their experience, they may also be amenable to spreading the word through their network, widening your reach straight away.
