The Case for Case Studies

Amid the ever-growing ways to tell stories that showcase the good works of your organization, don’t forget the tried-and-true case study.

Case studies are relatively easy to write and illustrate, and they can be used in a variety of ways to connect with your most important audiences. Here are three of the best reasons to keep case studies in your marketing rotation.

1. They are not all about you: Because case studies are typically about one of your partners, clients or customers, you can put the main focus on their success while strategically highlighting how you helped them achieve their goals. This lets you emphasize your strengths and capabilities from a show-don’t-tell perspective that doesn’t come off as a hard sell.

2. They tell a story: When it comes down to it, case studies are stories that follow a formula that has proven to keep readers attention for eons. They start by presenting a problem or conflict, and then pivot to show how the problem was resolved. The more you can frame your case study in a compelling narrative form, the better chance you have activating your reader’s brains to capture their attention and even move them to action.

3. They build credibility: Case studies are presented in a familiar format that typically blends relevant facts and data with strong real-life examples. For those reasons, case studies are viewed as a trusted source of information. In fact, one study found that 97% of B2B customers said case studies are the most reliable type of content when evaluating services.

By all means, use all the tools at your disposal – video, podcasts, social media, etc. – to get your message out.

But don’t forget about case studies as an effective and engaging way to highlight a successful client or customer – and your good works.