What are case studies in marketing, and why are they important?
Humans love a good story.
After all, storytelling fires up loads of chemicals in our brains. (Don’t believe me? Read about it from Forbes.) Stories are engaging, concrete, and far more memorable than a list of facts or statements.
We also tend to be influenced by people similar to us, and many of us appreciate concrete examples and evidence.
These things are exactly what case studies take advantage of.
Case studies are a powerful business tool that can seriously strengthen sales funnels and increase conversions. They turn customer experiences into impactful stories that can be used in email campaigns, on websites, on social media, and across other channels.
What do case studies even look like?
A case study details a successful customer experience, starting with the customer’s original problem and ending with the results achieved through a business’ product/service. The 3 basic components are:
Identification of the customer’s problem
Description of how the brand/product/service addressed and solved that problem
Review of results
These components, of course, are jazzed up to create that compelling story format. Emotions are conveyed, quotes from the customer are included, statistics and data are highlighted, and thoughtful formatting is used for visual appeal. Oh—and a smart, effective headline that supports the case study’s purpose is plastered at the top.
Writing a case study involves finding a happy customer who both represents your target audience and is willing to participate, asking that customer to participate in a case study, interviewing them with the right questions, collecting data, and organizing all of that into a compelling but clear story.
If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is…but this is why copywriters who love writing case studies exist. And, trust me, the benefits of using case studies wisely certainly make the process worth it.
What are the benefits of case studies?
The power of case studies comes from a few different aspects:
Storytelling
Like I said earlier, stories send our brain chemicals into a happy frenzy. Stories engage our minds and stick in our heads. Because case studies leverage storytelling, they are more memorable than a mere list of facts or a sentence-long testimonial. Memorable brands = more consumer action.
Stories also provide a concrete example of what a business does, so potential consumers can picture what their own experience would be like.
Social proof
Social proof is a concept that describes our tendency to be influenced by the actions and thoughts of others. For example, many people look at others’ reviews before deciding to buy a product/service.
While case studies are sort of like a detailed testimonial, they’re even more powerful than regular reviews. Here’s what I mean:
The people who leave regular reviews on a brand website don’t have a face, name, or personality to the rest of us on the internet. They’re a stranger. Case studies give a face, name, and personality to the happy customer, creating this sense of familiarity among the audience. People tend to trust recommendations from people they know, and case studies tap into that.
Clarification & Evidence
By describing the step-by-step process by which a business solved a customer’s problems, case studies help clarify any confusion or questions that an audience may have. They’re an engaging example of how your service/product actually operates.
In addition, they also prove that a service/product accomplishes what it’s supposed to accomplish. The best case studies will use statistics and data to prove results.
TL;DR
A case study details a satisfied customer’s experience with a product/service. It describes how a product/service solved that customer’s problem(s).
Case studies involve interviews, thoughtful formatting, and a lot of strategic copy, but they’re a powerful marketing tool that can increase conversions.
Case studies help businesses by leveraging the power of storytelling and social proof, and answering audience questions while proving that you work.
Looking for a hand with case studies? Reach out!
See you next time,
Megan
