Customer Success

What are Case Studies?

OpenView

September 3, 2010

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This is a part of a series that was cre­at­ed to help you create case studies for your com­pany.  This series will walk through the process, nec­es­sary roles, in addi­tion to guides for each role to help your com­pany get started quickly.

Trust + Value = Sales

Case studies are among the most effective content marketing tools available for gaining trust and proving your value with prospects. And ultimately, trust + value = sales.

Buyers are smart. They’re not going to buy from you simply because you have a flashy website, sent them a charming e-mail, or presented an animated PowerPoint. They want evidence — evidence that your product has helped other companies like theirs, and that the investment was worth it.

Regardless of your industry or offering, there is a lot of competition out there. With a lot of competition comes a lot of content, which is probably overwhelming your target audience. Professionally produced case studies will help you stand out from the crowd. Case studies aren’t doctored by marketing teams – the proof is right there, in your customer’s own words. And if the words don’t say enough, the numbers should. There is no denying the value of a product if you have quantitative results showing how it helped another business save/make money.

The case study provides a real-life example of a very satisfied customer that:

  • Had a pain point
  • Saw value in the solutions that your company offered
  • Had a successful implementation/experience with your team
  • Achieved measurable results from your company’s product/service

Of all content, audiences are most often drawn to case studies because they are curious about:

  • The return on investment (ROI) – reassures prospects that they will get bang for their buck
  • The companies/brands using your products – the bigger the brand name and the closer the brand to your prospect’s company, the more legitimate your business appears to your prospect
  • Relatable pain points – prospects find comfort knowing that you’ve solved problems similar to theirs
  • Direct quotes from customers about their experience – quotes bring a real voice to the content and make the story more believable

Next week, I’ll explain why it is important for expansion stage companies to invest in case studies by explaining the business benefits.