When you want to buy a product or service, what’s the first thing you do? Most people ask someone else.
The next thing they do is ‘Google it’, read reviews and do some online investigation to see what the word on the street is (including the social media street!).
Case studies that work provide evidence that a supplier can deliver on their promises… and that they have real, happy customers. They are a powerful sales tool, providing you and your business with credibility.
Over 90% of people look at product reviews, social media & websites before making a choice. This is true for both consumer and business products or services.
Showcasing what you’ve done
Over 70% of all B2B sales professionals find case studies critical to closing deals (research from the Content Marketing Institute). This is because they provide proof from an independent party that your work or product is as good as you say it is! You too can use your own case studies to make that sale!
So, case studies are an invaluable tool when it comes to establishing proof that what you’re offering is valuable and of good quality.
How case studies help close sales or generate leads:
- They reinforce the benefits of using your business
- Show the features of your services
- Display your ‘added value’ and expertise
- Provide evidence of your ability giving you credibility
Creating quality case studies
Writing good case studies which people will want to read is hard. I’m sure you’ve read many yourself and thought ‘how dull’ – especially with subheadings like ‘the challenge’, ‘our solution’ etc. On top of that, Google reads the subheadings and gives them more importance than the rest of the text. Using exciting, interesting headings is good for the reader and your SEO at the same time!
To engage your readers (and improve your Google rankings) you need:
- Great headlines and subheadings
- Pictures which help tell your story
- Interesting narrative, which draws in the reader
- Bullet points to underline important sales messages
- Strong ‘call to action’
- Reasons your prospects should buy from you
- Well optimised pages for your keywords