We often hear people say that products and services sell themselves with customer stories, but it isn’t that simple. The way the story is told matters greatly, as a company’s offerings continuously evolve and usage as well as results may not be cut-and-dry or even impressive in raw form.
The key to a great case study is making it relatable to an organization’s target buyer, as well as compelling for a decision maker trying to address key challenges quickly and effectively.
Following are three keys to getting the story right and leveraging the full power of customer case studies for marketing success and increased leads.
1) Align With Your Buyer Profile – Your potential customers need to feel connected to the issue addressed in the case study, so take the time to outline the problem through the lens of your target buyers. Interview current customers to identify patterns of why they chose your company, and weave these messages into the case study. And, if you’re showcasing a particular vertical market, include angles and points that showcase your knowledge of the marketplace – these are competitive differentiators.
2) Address Business Challenges – While the nuts and bolts of technology offerings may drive the results, it’s important to tell the story on a business level, which can then be supported by more technical details. Why? Explaining how the technology solution or services helped solve the business problem will help your potential customer make a business case to their C-suite for using your solution. Then, depending on whether your target buyer holds a business or technical role, tailor the remainder of the case study story and results accordingly.
3) Include Succint Customer Quotes – The story of a successful customer’s experience goes a long way, but be sure to include actual to-the-point quotes from executives who worked directly with your company and can offer a first-hand account of the stellar work you delivered. Sharing these types of details provides a higher level of validation for your company and shows that customers have been truly satisfied with the results as well as the technology solutions and resources who performed the work.
Once your customer case study is ready for prime time, share it across multiple marketing vehicles. This may include promoting it for media opportunities, hosting a webinar with the customer’s participation, or executing an email marketing campaign with the case study as a driver for setting up an introductory call. Either way, telling the right story will help bring forth prospects who are interested in engaging your company to help them achieve similar successes.