Trying to sell a product to any new audience can often feel like an uphill struggle. There’s no reason to trust you. You aren’t a long standing player in the market. Your product isn’t familiar to them.
This is especially true for SaaS companies or digital businesses. Why should people pay you money for a tool or product they won’t physically receive?
Peer Marketing was predicted to be one of the biggest Marketing Trends of 2020. When a friend, peer, or colleague recommends a product you’re more likely to trust their recommendation than just a random Google Review. But if you aren’t well known yet, it’s unlikely somebody will be recommending your product personally.
That’s where case studies come in.
Using case study examples can be a great way to recreate the peer recommendation experience online. Showing the value that your customers have found in your product acts as a baseline proof that your product is worthwhile.
Relying on online reviews can be very hit and miss; an online reviewer might not touch the biggest features of your product, or the review might be badly worded or even negative. Case study examples are different because not only are potential customers getting the social proof that your product works from a real person, you can also showcase your product in action.
Showcasing your product in action is where you can differentiate yourself from your competitors by stressing your Unique Selling Point (or your USP), and proving the benefits of your product and your USP.
There are hundreds of different makes and models of computer printers in the world, but if yours can scan and print from a smartphone, you’d want to show it off, right? And saying “this printer can scan and print from a smartphone” is all fine. But saying “Susan saved 16 hours of back and forth busywork by scanning and printing documents directly from her smartphone” is a lot more emotive. It taps into a customer’s pain point and presents you as a solution.
Top tips for an effective case study:
1. Use data to back up your case study examples
D.R.E.A.M. or Data Rules Everything Around Me is a well-known motto that growth marketers live by, but it’s important for marketing across the board. Data sells ideas. If your customer increased their revenue by 100% by using your tool, include that in the case study. It is much more convincing than a vague “our product helps increase revenue”.
2. Use emotive and persuasive language in your case study
Emotive and persuasive language is a great selling tool, and you should harness words that drive action in your case studies. Phrases such as “drive sales” or “exclusive discount” have been used by salespeople for years to convince customers to take the leap. People want to feel like they need to act now or miss out on huge personal benefits. Use this language in your case study for maximum results.
3. Humanize your case studies
Make your case studies as human as possible by including actual quotes from your customers, alongside their photos. Videos are even better but can be more difficult to obtain. Using a direct quote in a case study is really beneficial because you can then repurpose the quote for social media content.