Client testimonials are great when it comes to providing social proof your business. And what ever size your business, they’re like SEO gold.  However genuine case studies can prove your business walks the walk and talks the talk. They can make or break your bottom line.

So why should you invest in case studies? I mean if you get them done properly, they can cost between $1000USD and $1500USD. Why do you need them and why should you want them?

Review and testimonials only tell half your story. But having evidence-based case studies which tell the good news on how you helped a customer solve their problem is really effective marketing. They can increase your conversions. And they also work as a lead generation tool for your business.

case studies

What Are Case Studies?

If you’re actively working on ways to market your business, you will know all about the power of storytelling.

Everyone loves storytelling. We’re brought up on it from a very young age. So we love to hear stories. Especially ones with a happy ending. Think of any great fairytale. For your business, case studies can create empathy with your customer. Why? They’re creating empathy, and it showcases how you understand what their pain points are.

A picture can paint a thousand words and you are doing that with your case study. And if you get your customer wanting to scratch that itch, you will be the solution for them.

A story-based structure can describe how your customer or business problem was overcome within the framework of your product or service. Plus it sets you up as an authority in your space.

What is the case study structure?

While there isn’t a case study structure, there are three key areas to remember when it comes to case studies. And they follow a very popular tried and tested copywriting technique. It’s all about outlining the problem, explain the different solutions available, and then show how your product or service can solve that problem

The key point? Make sure your case study highlights “what’s in it for me?”  from your prospects’ perspective.

Now let’s look at the specific reasons case studies matter when it comes to increasing website conversions and directly driving sales.

Why Use Case Studies?

The aim of a good case study is to tempt the reader into finding out more about you. To ask for more information, and to get them one step closer to buying from you. Here are five ways you can use case studies to bolster the success of your business.

You Can Be Niche-Specific

Case studies are niche-specific. By their very nature, you cannot be anything other than laser-focused on the outcome in relation to your copy. It’s going to be hard pushed to miss the mark.

What’s crazy is so many businesses don’t use them. They are way more effective than brochures or traditional sales collateral.

You Can Prove Your Authority

There is nothing that is more reliable than statistics and claims based on fact. And now, with so much fake news on social media, people, that’s your audience, struggle to trust and believe what they read.

Plus, with a review, people are understanding that often it can be based on bias when it comes to the person writing it.

A case study is created using researched conclusions. If you decide to publish this, then those documents help you position your brand as an authoritative figure in your industry.

And if you KEEP producing these insights and case studies, you can fast-track your way to being seen as someone who is a leading light in your genre.

You Show You Can Solve A Problem In Your Case Study

Case studies show the problem and then the solution. Your product page can explain how you can help someone. But you can give a lot more information in your case study. For example, if you have a health food supplement, you can use a real person who can talk about how it helped them. You cannot do that on social media. And if you do, it’s seen as fake. Case studies in health and wellness are imperative to enabling readers to see that your product is genuine.

You can also show off the “why” of using the product as well.

You Can Use Them To Provide Spin-Off Content

If you have a limited content budget, you may have concerns about investing in case studies. It can seem like a lot of cost and a time commitment. However, despite the investment, they are more efficient as a marketing tool. And you can repurpose the content.

For example, you could add it to your newsletters, or your sales funnel. And then once you have the insights from the research, you can use this in a multitude of ways. On your social media for example.

You Can Maximize Your Content

Case studies can take weeks or months to create. If you are using a number of different sources, it can be incredibly intensive. So you want to make sure they are written in such a way that your client either wants to purchase or at least join your email list. Then they can go into your sales funnel. That’s why it helps to use someone to gather that data for you. And write those ‘good news’ stories that will sing your business’s praises.

If you want to learn more on how to create case studies, you can contact me here for a free discovery call.