Tips for incorporating customer case studies into your content marketing strategy
Customer case studies are one of the most powerful forms of content to use in your marketing efforts. Let’s be real, no one wants to hear you talk about how great you and your business are. Enter case studies! Through case studies, individuals can learn about the emotional connection consumers have with your brand, as well as gain valuable insights into your business.
Case studies are not only a powerful brand storytelling tool, but they also act as proof that your products or services deliver results. Below, our crew outlines how you can get started using customer case studies in your marketing efforts.
The Power of Case Studies
Anyone can claim their product or service is the best, but not everyone has the data to back it up. Case studies act as that social proof – proving that your product or service works, including data to back your claims. Using this data, case studies can help your business:
- Position your company as a market leader
- Generate leads
- Educate consumers on the value of your products or services
- Boost your credibility
- Display your success
What Makes a Compelling Case Study?
A case study is ultimately a compelling customer story that breaks down the process your business went through with a client to help them achieve the results they were seeking. To create a compelling case study, we suggest following the format below:
- Start with an attention-grabbing title
- Include visuals (like graphics, charts and quotes) to engage readers
- Explain your solution or strategy to the problem
- Include the facts and data to show where your customers began and where they ended up with your help
- Don’t forget to include a strong call to action at the end
Where to Showcase Case Studies
The good thing about sharing case studies is that they can be shared in various locations using multiple formats. Repurposing case studies to appeal to audiences across different channels is a smart and easy way to make your content go further. Here are a couple of ways you can incorporate case studies into your content marketing strategy to gain the most value:
Website
Case studies can be placed in multiple locations on your website. You could create a dedicated case study page with a library of your work. You can also take out portions of case studies and place them on your website homepage to prove to visitors immediately that you can get them the results they desire.
Sales and Marketing Teams
Consider creating PDFs of your case studies and passing them along to your marketing and sales teams to use when communicating with prospective customers or clients. Sharing real-life examples that focus on value will help the team connect with prospects, sound more credible and could ultimately help reel in a new lead or sale.
Email Marketing
Adding case studies to email campaigns, workflows, newsletters, and even your email signature is a good option to help build brand awareness and nurture leads.
Blogs
Another place you can repurpose case study content is on your business blog. Case studies can inspire your audience and encourage them to act by clicking a call-to-action button that leads them to the next stage of their journey. Adding blogs with targeted keywords can also help boost SEO by adding more valuable content to your site.
Social Channels
Boost social media engagement with case studies by sharing a link to the case study on your website, pulling quotes from the client, or creating Ebooks. Be sure to create eye-catching graphics, and tag the customer to increase the likelihood that they will also share the link on their social profiles and help spread the word. These social media posts will help you build trust and boost credibility with your social media audiences.
How VSSL Can Help
If you’re looking to reach, engage, and attract new customers, customer case studies are a great marketing tool to use. They not only tell a story about your brand, but also build credibility, and showcase how your products or services have fostered success.
Need some inspiration to get started on building your customer case studies? Take a look at some of our work or get in touch with us.