• About Us
  • Write for Us
  • Paid Content Solutions
  • Contact Us
ExpertHub
  • HOME
  • LAUNCH
  • BUSINESS
  • LEADERSHIP
  • MONEY
  • SUCCESS
  • NEWS
    • All
    • Company Posts
    • ExpertHub Today
    Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

    Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

    Global Tech companies

    Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

    Innovation Summit

    Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

    Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

    Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

    Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

    Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

    SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

    Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

    Trending Tags

    • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
    No Result
    View All Result
    • HOME
    • LAUNCH
    • BUSINESS
    • LEADERSHIP
    • MONEY
    • SUCCESS
    • NEWS
      • All
      • Company Posts
      • ExpertHub Today
      Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

      Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

      Global Tech companies

      Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

      Innovation Summit

      Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

      Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

      Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

      Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

      Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

      SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

      Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

      Trending Tags

      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      No Result
      View All Result
      ExpertHub
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home BUSINESS Marketing Marketing Tactics

      Use Case Studies for Effective Marketing

      ExpertHub Staff by ExpertHub Staff
      Oct 27, 2009
      in Marketing Tactics
      19
      Use Case Studies for Effective Marketing
      Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

      RelatedTopics

      Effective Video Strategies For Your Online Store

      Importance of Having A Marketing Calendar

      How to Implement Marketing In A Small Business

      If you’re a successful business owner, you probably have a roster of clients that have successfully used your product or service. Customers that have experienced greater profits, improved productivity or reduced labour expenses as a result of your company aren’t just trophies on your business mantle. They are fodder for publicity. In fact, they’re gems.

      Each time one of your customers benefits from your product or service, you have the potential for a case study. A case study makes your business into a personal story, a living example of what your company can do to help others.

      From the media’s perspective, this “proof of concept” is often the key factor in deciding whether to include your company in an article. In a reporter’s eyes, case studies give context to a story, providing concrete examples of how a business or product improves costs, productivity or efficiency.

      Potential customers are also persuaded by such anecdotes because they offer a third-party endorsement from an industry peer. It’s one thing to tell a business prospect about a client’s success, but having that same story appear in the pages of an influential magazine or newspaper holds significantly more sway. It’s a seal-of-approval for your business and the services you provide.

      When contemplating a case study, the subject doesn’t have to be well-known or influential. In fact, the “who” is less relevant than the “what” and the “how.” If the story is compelling and the results are dramatic, then the subject can be almost any business, from a Fortune 500 to the corner mom-and-pop store.

      Writing a case study

      Case studies usually follow the same basic story arc:

      1. The subject of the case study has been dealing with an issue for which there is no apparent solution.
      2. The company tries several options before coming in contact with your product or service.
      3. After incorporating your product or service into their operations, the client quickly sees improvement and realises gains that weren’t otherwise achievable.
      4. Of course, there are often subtleties to the story that require deviation from the standard format. However, it’s best to think along these basic lines when crafting a case study because it allows you to organise your thoughts in an easy-to-follow manner that resonates with reporters and readers.
      5. You should also include as much detail and supporting material as possible. Quantitative results, such as actual productivity gains or increased revenue, provide unambiguous proof of success, while qualitative feedback, including quotes and letters of appreciation, bring the human element into the story.
      6. When crafting a case study, a direct, honest approach always works best. Don’t ever exaggerate or falsify claims. Reporters have a nose for stories that are too good to be true, and when the truth is uncovered, the aftermath will be far worse than the benefit you would have gleaned from any slight inflation of fact.

      How to use a case study

      Case studies are particularly suited to trade publications, industry websites and monthly magazines. In fact, editors will often request a case study to support an article, as it adds colour.

      Although news-focused articles and press releases are less likely to include case studies, don’t overlook them as a possible distribution vehicle. The most common use of case studies in a press release involves a company with a product in beta. Often, during this period, outside clients are recruited to test the product and provide feedback. In such instances, you could use a short case study in your launch press release to provide third-party comment on your product’s benefits. But when doing so, use the case study as a teaser so you can save most of the meat for your individual pitches to key reporters.

      Including case studies in press releases is also valuable when your case study illustrates a complex or difficult application. For instance, imagine you have a new software product that has helped a customer expand sales of new, hybrid cars. Your software may not be sexy, but the cars are. Combining the two would make your story more exciting. In fact, incorporating photos and multimedia content into your story would potentially bring you media attention far beyond your initial expectations.

      When conducting outreach, focus on publications and websites that are important to your customers, as these are the outlets that potential future clients read. Remember, the ultimate goal of developing case studies and generating publicity is to create new business opportunities.

      Another benefit of case studies is that they have a long life. Depending on where you’re placing the story, your case study could be featured in many different publications and in a multitude of articles. In some cases, you may just want to concentrate on one part of the case study. In others, you may want to expand on the topic and make it a feature. It all depends on your audience and the type of media outlet you’re targeting.

      Recruiting customers

      If you’re unsure about asking your customers or business partners to be part of the story, remember that it benefits them as well. A case study not only provides publicity, but it also paints both parties in a positive light. Of course, if your product or service has helped to correct an unsavoury or illegal problem, your customer may not be so keen to talk about it.

      So the next time you close a deal with an interesting client, take a few seconds to consider whether the story is worth telling to a wider audience. If your friends and business contacts would find it interesting, the likelihood is that the media will, too.

      Case studies often follow the same basic format:

      • Identify the challenge a particular customer faces.
      • Describe the solution provided by the company.
      • Illustrate the measurable results gained from using the service.
      • The anecdote should demonstrate how your company’s product or service was a key factor in solving your client’s problem. It doesn’t have to be solely about your product or service, but your influence must be vital to the success.
      ExpertHub Staff

      ExpertHub Staff

      ExpertHub’s award-winning team of Staff Writers deliver unique, insightful and curated content from successful business leaders, authors and subject matter experts. This highly-experienced team understands the information that business readers are looking for, what’s unique and impactful, and how to distil key ideas into actionable insights.

      Quick Links

      • Business Plan Advice
      • Business Plan Format Guide
      • Business Plan Format
      • Sample Business Plans

      NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

      Sign-up for Weekly ExpertHub Updates

      * indicates required




      EXPERT INSIGHTS

      Mo Rafi - 4 Banking Secrets

      4 Banking Secrets That Most People Don’t Know About

      by Mo Rafi

      Mo Rafi founded Rafi Credit Consulting Inc, a private consulting firm based in Toronto, Canada.

      RevenuePartners Time Management for Sales Teams

      Advice from RevenuePartners to hack sales team productivity

      by Andrew Honey

      Time management is one of the costliest challenges in business today. Here are 6 hacks from RevenuePartners to help you...

      Top Reasons Why You Should Study Business Administration

      Top Reasons Why You Should Study Business Administration

      by Adrian Lomezzo

      Administration course, these reasons should help you make the right choice

      Effective Video Strategies For Your Online Store

      Effective Video Strategies For Your Online Store

      by Frank Hamilton

      Video marketing is an incredibly powerful digital marketing technique. Here’s how you can use it for e-commerce to promote your...

      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Data Privacy Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      No Result
      View All Result
      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In