100 Days Of Content #6 – Case Studies

This blog also appears as a video on YouTube so if you get a chance to check that out, you can find it here: Simon Dell

This content is something that every and I mean EVERY business doesn’t do enough of. What is it? Case studies. Case studies should be one of the cornerstones of your content marketing. But for some reasons people find them too hard or too time-consuming to do.

So first off, what is a case study?

A case study talks through a success – and sometimes a failed – client interaction. It shows how you were involved in a client’s business, what actions you all took and then the outcomes. The idea is that another potential client can apply their situation to the case study and then see good reason to hire you. There’s one on my website showing how I generated a 20,000% return on investment for one client for example.

So how do you put together a case study?

Well, they’re really mini-narratives. So treat it like you were telling someone a story – and like all stories they need a beginning, a middle and an end. They can be blogs, photo stories, video – whatever format you think is suitable.

Why do people fail at creating case studies?

Many businesses are simply too afraid to approach their customers to ask them to appear in the case study. They might lack confidence in their delivery or feel that creating a case study might bring the client to question the value of their worth. But it’s really important you take that plunge and ask your clients for help.

Strong case studies are tipping points that can make prospective customers buy from you. They want to replicate the success they see someone else having, in their business. Have a look through jobs you have been most proud of the outcomes in the past 12 months and then get together with the client and a professional copy-writer and start to put a case study together that you can share around.