Creating Compelling Case Studies - Tips and Tricks - Part 3

Case Studies - Your Closing Argument

In many cases, a well-crafted case study serves as the closing argument to your prospect, designed to illustrate why your product or service addresses their pain points and is a better alternative to your competitors. In this series, we examined why Case studies have emerged as a pivotal component of effective marketing programs, offering unparalleled insights into real-world applications of products and services, "Creating Compelling B2B Case Studies Part 1."

To be effective, a case study has to be structured using best practices designed to narrate a story and compel the reader to take the next steps. We outlined these best practices in the second blog in this series, "Crafting Case Studies For B2B Marketing—Part 2."

For better context and understanding, we recommend that you first read those articles before considering this blog about the Tips and Tricks that Prevail Marketing has used to ensure our clients' case studies serve their intended purpose of converting the prospect into their customer.

Promoting Your Case Study

There is a rule about content marketing that applies to case studies. If you build it, they won't come. Even the most compelling piece of content is worthless if the targeted prospect does not see it. There is a marketing axiom that is universally accepted that states:

Content is King! But Distribution is Queen, and She Wears the Pants!

That is why effectively promoting your B2B case study is crucial for reaching your target audience and generating leads. A well-crafted case study may fail to deliver its full potential if not disseminated strategically. We have found that some distribution channels are the most efficient and impactful in getting your case study in front of decision-makers and influencers. Here are six of the most effective distribution methods for case studies:

1. Social Media: Leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can significantly enhance the visibility of case studies. Social media provides a broad reach, enabling the case study to be shared and discussed by a diverse audience. The distribution of these case studies needs to be tailored and targeted to specific professional audiences by using targeted hashtags and engaging visuals.

These social channels offer opportunities for engagement, allowing authors to connect directly with interested individuals who can easily forward and share the content with those in their organization most likely to benefit. You can also potentially gain amplification of the case study where others like, share, or provide valuable feedback or insights.

2. Online Industry Publications or Blogs: Publishing case studies on industry-related websites, blogs, or online journals can reach a wide but targeted audience, including professionals and enthusiasts in the respective field. Online publications offer several benefits, such as easy accessibility, search engine optimization (SEO), and the ability to include multimedia content, enhancing the overall impact of the case study.

   Maybe the most significant benefit is the perceived endorsement when your case study is associated with or found in a trusted industry. Readers who rely upon that publication for information and education will see your case study as an extension of that organization, and some of their trust will be transferred to your brand.

3. Industry-Specific Forums: Distributing case studies through industry-specific forums can send your case study to a targeted audience who will share and discuss it. They will often further amplify the distribution by resending it to others or sharing it on their social networks.

4. Emails: Whenever we develop a new case study for a client, we always have them send it to their internal email list. First, we ensure the list is segmented so that we know the information will resonate with the receiver. Doing this has several benefits. If they are already a customer, getting this information will further ratify and enforce their decision. If they are a decision-maker still in the consideration stage, it will serve to address any doubts or reservations. If they are influencers, it will allow them to "look good" when they forward the information to the individuals who will be deciding.

5. Co-branded emails: One of the most powerful methods of obtaining distribution of your new case study is by using a co-branded email to distribute it. Co-branded emails are a marketing strategy where you leverage the relationship that a respected third party (industry publication or association) already has built with an audience. By partnering with this host, you gain access to their email list to send out a case study their audience would be interested in. They are given a link to a landing page to download the gated content in exchange for their contact information. The individuals who do engage are now part of your email contact list for further outreach and nurturing. Although this is a paid marketing initiative, you can get guaranteed distribution results if you are a good negotiator.

6. Presentations and Webinars: Presenting case studies through live or recorded presentations, webinars, or online workshops can be highly engaging. This method allows for a more interactive experience, providing an opportunity to explain the case study in detail, showcase supporting visuals, and address questions or comments from the audience. Presentations and webinars can also be recorded and distributed afterward, extending their reach and impact.

Conducting a comprehensive promotion strategy for your case study can enhance brand visibility and solidify your market position. By utilizing various distribution channels, B2B companies can maximize their case studies' impact and ultimately drive business growth.

Tips and Tricks to Optimize Case Study Performance

Over the years, we have found some tricks and tips to help ensure that the case study is presented to the prospect at a time and place that optimizes the results. We recommend that before you implement these ideas, you verify that they are consistent with any findings you made during your Discovery and Assessment and the Buyer Persona Development Process.

We also recommend that you experiment with these recommendations. While they have proven the most effective over time, there are always outliers. Most marketing involves continuous experimentation and A/B testing to improve results.

When to Share The Case Study

Like any content, the best time to share the case study is when the prospective buyer needs to see it to continue down the buyer's journey. The obvious way to help ensure that the case study is available when the buyer needs to see it is by having them prominently displayed on your website.

Prevail Marketing recommends that you have a specific link in your main navigation and a page dedicated to them. If you have different verticals and products or target different buyer personas, the case studies need to be displayed in a manner that is easy to find.

That broader question is how to utilize case studies in marketing and nurturing campaigns. Many marketing professionals have a different opinion. Let's examine the numbers:

• 83% of B2B marketers use case studies as a top-of-the-funnel content type for lead generation. (Content Marketing Institute)

• 68% of B2B marketers use them for mid-funnel content. (Content Marketing Institute)

• 70% of B2B marketers using them as bottom-of-the-funnel content. (Content Marketing Institute)

We believe the answer to when best to utilize case studies can vary. The only way to fully understand when they should be incorporated into marketing and nurturing campaigns is based on what you learn in your discovery and assessment process. Let your targeted buyer personas tell you when they want to see them.

In general, during the awareness stage, unless your case study tracks exactly the problem they are facing, they are not ready to consume that information. They first need to build a foundation of trust. B2B buyers consume an average of 13 pieces of content before making a purchase decision, and case studies are a crucial part of that content mix but are often better utilized during the consideration phase of the buyers' journey. (Demand Gen Report)

Supporting this theory are the buyers themselves. 64% of B2B buyers want case studies during the consideration stage of the buying process. (Demand Gen Report)

One size does not fit all, so incorporate these discussions into your buyer persona investigations and reports.

Should Case Studies Be Gated?

Gating a piece of content means that you require the prospective reader to provide their contact information or other data before they can view the content.

As a general rule, case studies should NOT be gated. There are several reasons for this rule. First, most case studies are delivered in the later stages of the buyer's journey, and by then, if you are using the right tracking tools and a CRM, you already know who is downloading or looking at your case study.

However, the principal reason for not gating a case study is that it is far more valuable to ensure prospective clients see and read your success stories. Enacting any barriers creates friction and can cause the prospective client not to complete the required task.

Including the Name of the Former Client in the Case Study

In the ideal world, you should ALWAYS include the former client's name in the case study. If your prospect knows the company being discussed, it will be far more persuasive and encourage them to take action. Too many companies are shying away from disclosing former clients for fear that a competitor might try to target them. However, if your performance was as good as your case study suggests, that seems to be a poor reason not to include them in light of all the benefits they derive.

The ONLY legitimate reason for not including the former client's name is that you could not obtain permission to include them. The former client is often reluctant because it might hint at something that could benefit their competitors.

In that scenario, we recommend you still build a case study but refer to the company more generically, such as a "mid-size cyber-security company."

Conclusion

Effectively sharing case studies is crucial for increasing their influence and reaching an audience successfully. Using the six distribution strategies mentioned earlier enables marketers to guarantee that their valuable findings receive the recognition they merit. Incorporating tactics such as creating compelling headlines, captivating visuals, and segmenting the audience for tailored dissemination can greatly improve interaction and effectiveness.

Ensure to inspire sharing within your circle of friends and consider repurposing material to maintain its novelty and significance.

Using these techniques and advice, companies can highlight their achievements and build stronger relationships with their audience, which in turn enhances business performance in the long run.