The Business You Lose Because You Don’t Develop Case Studies
Chris Mulvaney is the CEO of CMDS. I make things... I’m the creative entrepreneur with passion for (re)making brands and inventing solutions to problems no one knows exist.
The Business You Lose Because You Don’t Develop Case Studies
Case studies are one of the most effective ways to help B2B buyers find a solution, build trust with customers and build business. Here’s how.
Your Audience Has a Problem
Your target audience has a problem. And they’re highly motivated to find a good solution (and particularly cautious about the wrong ones). Your goal is to show them why and how your brand is the right answer. Fail to do this and you have given up the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and prove that your way will actually work for them.
The result? Business lost.
Seems obvious, but so many businesses make this mistake. If you don’t show the value of your products or services, prospects have no reason to buy from you. It is no secret that in today’s highly competitive business world, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd and connect with their audiences on a deeper level.
So, the question is: What causes potential customers to abandon your business and buy from competitors? But, more importantly: How can your business prevent this kind of lost business from occurring?
The answer is storytelling through case studies.
Before even thinking about earning their business, you must first earn their trust and demonstrate your ability to deliver on promises. And one of the most effective ways to do this is through immersive case studies that share a story, educate and persuade.
Why Are Case Studies Important for Business?
Stories have the power to captivate and inspire, as well as influence people’s actions. This makes case studies an invaluable tool for businesses looking to build brand loyalty and drive more sales.
In a 2023 survey, the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) reveals three types of content marketing strategies that are most popular and effective for B2B (business to business) marketers. Whether you’re a commercial real estate leader or a pharmaceutical company, here’s what your peers are investing in right now:
- 89% focus on creating content: articles of 1,500 or fewer words.
- 75% emphasize video creations to tell their story visually.
- 67% develop case studies to build business.
There’s a reason why so many of your peers are investing in case studies… just think of all the business you’d lose if you don’t develop them, too.
Let’s take a look at how case studies can help build business through:
- Strengthening Trust,
- Delivering on Promises, and
- Providing Ongoing ROI
Strengthen Trust
Building trust with B2B buyers can be a challenge. Customers don’t just want to “take your word for it,” they want to see proof. If a buyer has any doubt about your solution, your competitors can swoop in to woo them and steal the sale instead.
The single best way to combat doubt and hesitation is to leverage the experience of your previous clients to show them that everything will work out.
Besides, people want to feel as if they are experiencing something great. Powerful case studies can help you connect with your target audience, build trust with new clients in the beginning of the buying journey and even solidify connections with current customers. With the right case study, the audience actually puts themselves in your story. They help you build that valuable level of trust by opening a dialogue based on what you can do for them rather than what you’re trying to sell.
This kind of ‘social proof’ content adds relatability and crucial credibility to your brand in an original way.
Deliver on Promises
B2B buyers are actively seeking out resources to help them better understand a problem or need they’re up against. They will research many companies online before they even make contact, let alone make a purchase. But, it can be a minefield for them to navigate through everything as they arrive at the best decision for choosing the right partner.
It’s because they’re actively looking for the right resources, that when they come across a story in which they connect with and that provides educational value, that they absorb everything with an open mind. If your website lacks this level of sustenance, customers may think your service may be the same.
Show them you can deliver what they’re after and that you have the capacity to deliver results.
Provide Ongoing ROI
Once you earn their trust and demonstrate your ability to deliver on promises, case studies can help generate new revenue. But it doesn’t stop there.
What makes case studies even more important? Its versatility and ability to provide valuable ROI across different platforms. While the initial investment for a case study is more than sharing a testimony on social media posts, the evergreen results of building this kind of trust will last a long time.
Case studies are such an advantageous investment because they can be repurposed in the marketing mix – everything from a blog post and PDFs to a video for your website or social media to infographics for newsletters.
It’s clear that the importance of a highly engaging case study can’t be underestimated.
Why Not Just Share Reviews?
Reviews only tell a portion of the story.
And in the marketing world, storytelling is all-powerful. By creating an emotional connection that resonates with the audience, an effective case study can help people understand the value, see the benefits, and even inspire them to take action. From start to finish, they will journey through the case study and visualize how your product or service will help them find the right solution.
How to Develop a Case Study
If you want to develop a growth-driven case study, you first need to find the right candidate. Unlike other marketing strategies, you need a real-life scenario to model your case study. The first step is to reach out to previous clients who have experienced success and ask their permission to use their case as the structure for the study.
Maximize the Impact of Your Case Study
Everyone wants to know the secret sauce. Show your audience what your client went through and how they followed a specific path to success. When you tell their story through a case study, it shows that you can lead them the same way and that you have this strategic path that they can follow.
This is not an advertisement. It’s not a promotional post. It’s a powerful resource designed to help your prospects better understand the problem that they’re facing. To maximize the impact of a case study and attract the right person toward your offer,
- Create a captivating introduction which includes a relatable challenge for your audience. Think about the solution your readers are searching for, their needs and pain points.
- State actual statistics based on the featured client. Be sure to highlight metrics the customer experienced before and after doing business with you.
- Describe a clear narrative on the decision process of your client. Capture their deep conviction so it is not just heard, it’s felt.
- Keep the focus on telling your client’s story that includes an elaborate depiction of solutions provided to the satisfied client. Capture the feelings they were experiencing, their pain points and transformational moments. Make it relatable.
- Exploit your competitors’ weaknesses. What other solutions did your client try (that didn’t work) and why did they ultimately decide to work with you?
- Include a direct quote from the client about why your solution worked for their situation. Be sure to make them the champion.
- Identify your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and infuse your value-based solutions to address their needs.
- Mix it up with other industry-related tips to create an in-depth educational experience.
- Create a clear call to action that drives readers to the next step: how to contact you and get their solution!
Remember, when people buy from you, they’re not just buying your product or service, they’re buying a feeling. And when you, as the business, carry that feeling into your offer, the audience genuinely senses it.
You know your customer’s biggest problems. Take advantage of their successes and show new customers how your solution will fix theirs, too.
Generate New B2B Business
It’s clear that content marketing through case studies is crucial for B2B marketers. If you’re ready to add this marketing strategy to generate new B2B business, start by reaching out to your high-profile clients who have left reviews in the past.
Call us at (732) 706-5555 today to learn more about building your brand through case study writing and/or videos!