Case studies are exceptionally valuable for demonstrating expertise and value. They can quickly and efficiently communicate authority and credibility: your understanding of complex client challenges and how to resolve them.
For a case study to be effective, it must directly relate to the outcomes achieved and focus on what your prospective clients care about most:
- Value
- Performance
- Risk Mitigation, and
- Business Impact
The case studies should demonstrate how your market authority, unique competitive differentiators, and approach are applied to create superior outcomes.
Your organization’s thought leadership and core marketing message should be clearly identifiable as the root causes of the excellence achieved in executing against the client's requirements. While effective as standalone sales enablement content, case studies should not abandon top-of-funnel marketing themes, but rather support them – and in turn – inform them.
Anatomy of a Case Study
When writing case studies, the following key elements should be presented in a clear and focused narrative:
- A brief overview of the client business;
- A strong client challenge statement;
- The impact of the challenge on the client (cost, risk, performance, business impact);
- What was needed to transform the client’s challenge into the desired outcome;
- Why they chose your firm to implement the solution;
- The specific solution provided and why it was the right solution;
- Focus on the client delighters and any unique aspects of what you delivered. (This could involve second-order effects that are important, and even unexpected.);
- The specific positive outcomes for the client (ROI, increased revenue, risk mitigation, etc.); And finally,
- A very brief description of your firm and contact information. Let the case study itself do the talking and introduce your organization.
The case study should be as long or short as it takes to tell the story and should not be salesy. The content should be high signal/low noise to clarify your product or service’s unique value propositions and client benefits.
Case Studies must demonstrate your industry authority, expertise, and your ability to solve complex and dynamic client challenges. They must be laser-focused on what prospective clients care about most: value, performance, risk mitigation, and business impact.
Lead. Frame the debate. Be expert.
This is content logic.