ClickInsights: Tips on how to write a better Case Study

Posted by Ambal Balakrishnan June 11th 09

ClickInsights is an Expert Interview Series brought to you by Connect the Docs (ClickDocuments blog). In ClickInsights Expert Interview Series we feature "top-notch" industry experts and thought leaders and get their insights, opinions and predictions. We also ask for their suggestions on what reports, whitepapers etc to read to keep abreast with latest trends in their industry.

Case studies are the perfect marketing tool. The best way to convey your marketing message is through the voice of a successful and happy customer. We have invited Case Study Experts to shed light on the following question: If you could give our readers one tip on how to write a better case study, what would that be? Read on to get their insights.

Recommended Resources from Experts on Case Studies

Blogs

Casey Hibbard's blog Stories that Sell
Cindy King's blog CindyKing
Michele Linn's blog Savvy B2B Marketing
Stephanie Tilton's blog Savvy B2B Marketing

Books

Casey Hibbard's book Stories that Sell
Jill Konrath's book Selling To Big Companies
Joe Pulizzi's and Newt Barrett's book Get Content. Get Customers.

Others

Steve Slaunwhite’s Cracking the Case Study Market
LinkedIn Group – Success-Story Marketing Group
Stephanie Tilton's 6 Steps to Successful Case Studies
Jonathan Kranz's eBook: Making Your Case: Everything You and Your Colleagues Need to Write Compelling, Lead-Generating Case Studies

Casey Hibbard

Blog Stories That Sell Twitter Casey_Hibbard

“Always write for your audience”

Casey Hibbard's Bio

Casey Hibbard is the founder and principal of Compelling Cases, Inc. Over the past decade, she has created and managed nearly 500 customer stories for dozens of companies, including Level 3, USA.NET, Jobfox, Qwest, Great-West Healthcare, Vocus and Verio. She is the author of the first published book on the topic of customer case studies, Stories That Sell: Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Asset.

Casey Hibbard's Tip

The best case studies will create an “aha” for your prospects. To do that, stay absolutely focused on the audience. From the questions you ask to customer quotes to the headline, everything should be focused on the messages you want your specific audience to know.

Define your audience on an organizational and individual level. For example, your audience might be a director of HR at a small to midsize manufacturing company. Or maybe it’s the senior systems architect of a large healthcare company. What one type of prospect wants to know is different from another. Always write for the audience.

Casey Hibbard Recommends

For writers and marketers, the first book on customer case studies just came out, Stories That Sell: Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Asset, in ebook or printed formats. It covers the complete process of creating a story from start to finish to usage.
Steve Slaunwhite’s Cracking the Case Study Market how-to manual is a great resource for writers looking to profit in this field.
Join LinkedIn Group – Success-Story Marketing Group for discussions about all things related to using customer stories in sales and marketing.

Cindy King

Blog CindyKing Twitter CindyKing

“Remember the international reach of your case studies”

Cindy King's Bio

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Specialist based in France. She uses her dual background in sales & marketing, in international business development, to help businesses improve their international sales conversion. She is also adept at content marketing, international web marketing and social media marketing.

Cindy King's Tip

Remember the international reach of your case studies. Case studies are used to reach clients through: Content marketing plans, Social media marketing campaigns, Web marketing. When case studies are used online these case studies reach international readers too. If you want to avoid pushing away these international readers you should give a little thought into how you write your case studies. For example:

Write with extreme clarity to make comprehension easy for non-native English speakers too
Be sure to explain the process outlined in the story in a way that is easy to understand for people who live elsewhere

This way your case study will appeal to a broader audience. If you want to be proactive in developing these international markets you can even use case studies within an international lead generation strategy. This is where you use country and industry specific case studies to connect with foreign customers in a strategy of international business development. To write better case studies within an international lead generation strategy you need to get your strategy right before you start.

Cindy King Recommends

Casey Hibbard's book Stories That Sell: Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Asset
Jill Konrath's book Selling To Big Companies
Joe Pulizzi's and Newt Barrett's book Get Content. Get Customers.

Michele Linn

Blog Savvy B2B Marketing Twitter MicheleLinn

“Know your audience”

Michele Linn's Bio

Michele Linn is a freelance marketing writer specializing creating buyer-focused B2B marketing content, such as white papers, research reports, feature articles and case studies. Her business is devoted to making the job of B2B marketers easier by producing effective content and providing insights on how they can market it. Her website is Linn Communications.

Michele Linn's Tip

Know your audience! Every case study should be targeted at one specific audience; a one-size fits all approach is not effective. Understanding your audience can impact who you will interview, what questions you will ask, what facts you will focus on, what format you will use and how you will promote your case study. For instance, if you are targeting your case study at an executive decision-maker, you need to interview a person who is in the same role, write the story using terms this person understands and focus on details that are relevant to this person, such as ROI or the cost of implementation. This would be an entirely different story than one targeted at technical users who may want a more detailed explanation of how the tool works.

Michele Linn Recommends

Casey Hibbard's blog Stories that Sell
Casey Hibbard's book Stories That Sell: Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Asset
Jonathan Kranz's eBook: Making Your Case: Everything You and Your Colleagues Need to Write Compelling, Lead-Generating Case Studies

Stephanie Tilton

Blog Savvy B2B Marketing Twitter StephanieTilton

“Break out of the one-size-fits-all mindset”

Stephanie Tilton's Bio

Stephanie Tilton is an expert case study and white paper writer who helps B2B companies advance the sales cycle by engaging prospects and customers. Harnessing her unique blend of technical knowledge, marketing savvy, and writing skills, Stephanie has crafted nearly 100 case studies and white papers for leading brands such as Akamai Technologies, EMC, Macromedia, Novell, SAP, and Symantec. Her website is Tenton Marketing.

Stephanie Tilton's Tip

According to MarketingSherpa, less than 38% of B2B marketers say they tailor their content to specific stages of the buying cycle.[Source: MarketingSherpa’s 2008-2009 Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide]. That fact is clear when it comes to case studies. The majority of companies produce one-size-fits-all versions of these powerful marketing tools.

Unfortunately, the standard "problem-solution-results" case-study formula doesn't resonate with every person involved in the buying process. For example, technical evaluators making a short list of possible solutions want different details than business users who are just starting to explore options. The most effective approach is to align case studies with the buying process and each prospect's role in that process.

Continue to produce case studies that help prospects visualize how the solution will help them overcome business challenges or achieve their goals. But don't forget to offer stories that address common objections early in the buying cycle. And make sure you satisfy the needs of technical evaluators, who want to read lessons learned by customers that have already implemented the solution.