Case Studies
How does a case study influence your decision as the customer
Whether B2B or B2C case studies are simple and effective tools. If implemented correctly a case study will reassure the reader that your product or your service is the right one for them. Word-of-mouth marketing is valuable and proven to be much more effective when compared against traditional methods. With this in mind it should come as no surprise that 2008 saw an increase of spending on word-of-mouth marketing, a huge 14.2% jump up to $1.54 billion.
A case study is in essence a story or a recommendation from someone who has had first hand experience with exactly what you – the customer – are looking at. Lets face it, who doesn’t love a good story? As the customer we need to know that what we are looking at is going to work for us, case studies are able to provide this knowledge. A case study allows the reader to identify on a personal level and share their current experience with someone else. Get this right and you have your sale.
Hold on though, a business can’t just stick any case study in any place and expect it to be effective and answer all of their prayers. Like all other marketing techniques there is an art to it and a few ground rules must be practiced. Always be sure to select case studies that home in on exactly what you think your audience wants. Select carefully and absolutely always select positively! Speak directly to the potential customer, offer a number of studies that are all slightly different but at the same time equally specific, this will increase your chances of connecting directly with the potential client and their current state. Creating a point of connection is vital as it acts to build trust, therefore it builds a relationship.
A further benefit to utilising a great case study is that you can assume that the customers that provide this material are already avid fans, they love what you do and they want everyone else to know it. Allow the customer to rely on his fellow customer’s recommendation that your service is reliable, efficient and just what they need.
Help your fans to promote your services. The customer trusts his fellow buyer.