Are you struggling to convert web visitors and sales leads? Watch our webinar recording or read further to discover how effective case studies can help boost sales for your business.
How to Build a Convincing Case Study
A case study is a great way to show potential clients the benefits of your product or service. By profiling a client who had great results, you can show how what you’re offering can help others achieve their desired outcomes.
When selecting a case study subject, look for clients who are ideal fits for your business. These are individuals or businesses that have benefited greatly from what you have to offer. By showcasing them in a case study, you can attract more customers like them.
To write a convincing case study, start by highlighting the problem your client was facing before they came to you. Then, detail how your product or service helped them overcome this challenge. But let’s dig a little deeper into how to make your case study make a lasting impression.
Tell a story
Tell an engaging story with a clear narrative. The client is the central character or the hero.
First, set the background and show the context of the problem. Focus the problem as one that affected the client’s main goals, and then show how your solution solved the problem and brought effective results.
Lead with results
Lead with results in a case study to inspire the reader and show them what is possible.
When writing a case study, you don’t want the reader to have to scroll through waves of text to get to the meat of the story. Instead, lead with the results and let the numbers speak for themselves. This will grab the reader’s attention and make them more likely to take action.
If you’re not leading with results, you’re missing out on a powerful way to connect with your reader and make a lasting impression.
Include relevant data
Including data in your case study is essential in order to demonstrate progress and success over time. This will help readers understand the linear path to success and see how your product or service has helped other people or businesses achieve their goals.
Data is a powerful tool that should not be ignored when writing a case study. Include as much data as possible to show how your product or service has helped people.
Give the customer a voice (testimonials)
Allowing the case study subject to be the narrator is a great means of social proof and storytelling. Giving the subject client a voice makes your story more real and inspires readers to visualize their own version of success.
Inclusion of testimonials in case studies is one way to show, not just tell, potential clients that you are credible and trustworthy.
Let graphics do the heavy lifting
It’s no secret that case studies can be pretty dry. A huge wall of text describing a process or product can be tough to get through, even for the most dedicated reader. But by including graphics, you can break up that text and help your reader visualize what you’re talking about.
Graphics are also a great way to show off complex processes in a neat package. By including before-and-after shots, flowcharts, or diagrams, you can make your case study that much more engaging — and understandable.
Don’t make it about yourself
You are just the guide, the client is the hero. If your story is overshadowing the client’s, then you need to rethink your approach. No one wants to read a case study where you are saying how great you are. The story is about the client, and they and their successes should always be in the spotlight.
Techniques to Inspire Interest & Conversion
Emphasize specific numbers
When displaying your client’s results, emphasize the numbers. They are hard-hitting, inarguable, and require less context to understand. Resist the temptation to cram all of the best results and success metrics into one case study.
Avoid big blocks of text
As mentioned above, too much text can be overwhelming. Try to break up text into short bite sized paragraphs and add some graphics to make it easier on the eye. Take a stab at reading below:
Did you make it past the first paragraph?
Break it down (problem, solution, results)
Make it easy to read and skim or scan. Remember different people have different reading styles, but most people will want to skim and read quickly. To achieve this, we recommend a short, three-part approach. Outline the problem, describe the solution, and show the results.
This pacing establishes a logical path that is easy to grasp in a short amount of time.
Link to relevant services
Linking relevant services can go a long way in persuading potential clients to learn more about the specific solutions that your business is able to offer. Think of these links as the epilogue, the last note beyond the conclusion of your story.
Don’t forget SEO & internal links
Have well-chosen slugs, title tags and meta descriptions in order to optimize your ranking on Google search results. The first step in doing this is to select a relevant high-volume keyword. You can use a tool like Ahrefs to help you choose, but you can start by thinking about what someone would search in Google to find your case study.
Once you have chosen your keyword, place it in every area of your page structure. Lastly, be sure to link your case study pages to your service pages and vice versa.
Add a popup (optional)
A non-intrusive popup linking to your case study page can be very helpful in filtering site visitors through your sales funnel. Although, it’s best to place these pop ups along the margins rather than in the center of the screen. Avoid smacking your visitors with something they are likely to just swat away.
Where Case Studies Fit in Your Content Strategy
Publish at least one on a quarterly basis if you are a small business
Case studies are a fantastic way to convince prospects who are still considering their options. As such, you want to ensure that you are publishing several case studies per year to keep your mid-funnel prospects engaged.
They are a handy tool that can help push active leads over the goal line. It’s recommended to touch base with your sales team to learn which kind of case studies can have the biggest impact right away.
Leverage case studies in your marketing campaigns
Case studies act as great fuel for your marketing engine. Promote them via your newsletter, social media, or in email nurturing campaigns. There’s no better way to celebrate your client’s success than to share it to a yearning audience.
Conclusion
Case studies are a perfect way to promote and showcase your work to prospective clients. A varied portfolio of informative, engaging and eye-catching studies is like a highlight reel that allows you to show your most successful collaborations and help to sway prospects. Regularly published and promoted case studies can make a world of difference to your business, and give you an edge over the competition.
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