Case Study

Of all the forms of sales and marketing techniques that target you as a B2B customer, which one draws you in the most? When I talk to our clients, they agree on one thing. Their customers will engage more with a  Case Study over a direct sales pitch or brochure. Their customers are serious people who put fact before fluff.  It’s the best advertisement that you can make wrapped up in the detailed testimonial of a  real customer! 

Why does a Case Study video work? 

There are three primary reasons, but the last one is the key.  

Sales: Case Studies are versatile. They can serve as a training tool, a lead-generation tool,  and a conversation starter. A quality video Case Study can be the hub of your marketing efforts. It can support spin-offs including infographics, e-books, and LinkedIn posts. 

Relationships: Going back and working with a customer on a Case Study reinforces your value to them. Telling their success story strengthens your relationship for the future. 

Trust: At their heart, Case Studies are a story. An honest, well-structured story wrapped around solid customer results delivers trust. It never demands it. 

What makes a great Case Study? 

You’ll know you’ve got a great case study video when your prospective client sees themselves in the story. They can see their own problems solved. They can see themselves as the hero of their own story by using your product or service.  The key here is that it’s all about them solving their own problem. You help them, but it’s not all about you. There’s no room for ego in a great Case Study. It’s not all about you solving it for them.  

They’re always Batman. You’re always Robin.  Your job as Robin is to keep the focus on Batman as the real star.  

How will you do this? 

Use Relatable customers: Customers your target customer will recognise as their own reflections. The closer the match, the more parallels they'll draw with your Case Study customer. 

Realistic time-period: Ensure you cover a meaningful time-period. You deliver more than the fun of the ribbon-cutting event. The prospective client needs to see the sustained benefit you deliver, not a one-off sugar hit. 

Use real data to drive insights: …after all, numbers drive action. We want the prospective customer to take that data to drive insights that deliver them to you. Compelling data is the basis for their evaluation, and expenditure. It’s the theme of your Case Study story. 

Finally, don’t be afraid of your failures:...life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and neither are your results. The trust you’re seeking to build will be stronger if you can show not everything is perfect. Everyone who has ever done anything worthwhile has made mistakes.  Show that you’re the same as everyone else. Show you’re honest enough to admit it,  resourceful enough to fix it, and wise enough to learn from it. 

The verdict? 

A solid Case Study video is an essential on-line marketing tool for growing your business. It’s not a tool to coax a viewer’s trust in return. 

By showing facts over fluff it generates trust in return. 

So, Robin! What are you waiting for?  

[Ed: ...against my better judgement, I've decided to leave this next line in. Apologies to all.] 

“Quick. To the Batmobile!”