Build Your Brand For Free- Put Business/Customer Case Studies On SME Joinup At No Cost

December 12, 2015

As a small business, you’re always looking for a way to make your brand stand out among the competition. It’s important to find inspiration for something unique that fits your brand, but it also helps to learn from the success of others. So, where will you like to put your marketing money?

Increase conversion rates by 39%.

If you’re sold on the idea of content marketing, you need several different types of content and a lot of it to build your reputation and attract traffic to your website. Writing a case study is one of the best business blog topic ideas for new and established business bloggers alike.

When you can demonstrate how your product or service creates actual results for your customers, new leads will flock to you, instead of your hunting for them.

Nowadays, 9 out of 10 people are looking at online product reviews, posts on social networks, and so on before making a purchasing decision. Most customers know that a little online research could spare them from a bad experience and poor investment of your budget.

Case studies are an invaluable asset when it comes to establishing proof that what you’re offering is valuable and of good quality.

According to Content Marketing Institute, U.K. marketers use, 12 different marketing tactics on average, with case studies being the fifth most popular after social media content, e-newsletters, blogs, and website articles. It doesn’t stop there: The CMI also reports that 63% of Inertnet marketers believe that case studies are effective marketing tactics. (source:blog.hubspot.com)

Okay, so you know now case studies work. The question is, what are they, as majority of the crowd have no idea and hence do not take importance to write one. Also, they are not aware of how do they work? And how can you squeeze the most value out of them?

Good case studies win business Telling the story of how real customers have successfully used your product or service convinces others to buy it.

We start with the basics first, as not many of us are aware of what case studies are, and how they can be helpful in gaining limelight for your business.

What is a case study?

Also called as success stories, these reports depict a problem and illustrate how your product or service solved the problem. Most business case studies work like testimonials and are based on a particular client’s success, while others show how you used your own methods to build your business.

Some case studies are more like experiments. Internet marketers create case study blogs and websites all the time to see what they can learn about search engines, social media, and more.

The point of writing a case study is to share data and results of a specific situation so everyone can learn what works and what doesn’t.

Why writing a case study is beneficial to your small business

Case studies show your expertise and experience in your industry. Proving what you know and that you can get results builds your reputation and brand. Who doesn’t want to hire an expert?Wondering how writing a case study can help your business.

Case studies provide concrete examples to your prospects, helping them see exactly what you can do for them. Saying you’re the authority in your field is a lot more powerful when you can back it up with actual results.

Writing a case study can help your customers and leads solve similar problems. All content marketing should offer value, so the more problems you can solve, the more brand loyalty you’ll get in return.

Case histories are an indirect endorsement of your company. The more endorsements you have–whether indirect like case studies or direct like testimonials–the more new leads and customers you’ll get.

You can use case studies to showcase specific features and benefits of your product or service. You may sell your offer to lots of customers, but each client will have a unique result thanks to one particular aspect of your offer. Case studies let you promote the same product or service multiple times by focusing on different aspects that generate different results.

Case histories attract more qualified leads. There’s a reason case studies are also called success stories–they draw in prospects with a good story they can identify with. Everyone loves a good story, so writing a case study that makes people want to find out what happens next can lead to more customers.

Different types of case studies for small business

Now that you know the benefits of case studies, let’s know more about different types of case studies you can consider:

Blog posts : These are the easiest to publish if you already have a blog set up. Just write up the case study as a post, and then hit publish. If you’re short on time, this is the easiest way to create and share a case study.
PDFs : The next way you can create a case study is as a PDF. This the most popular way to do them. The benefit of PDFs is that you can create something that looks very professional and presents the case study in an easy-to-read format that includes callouts and special informational sections. PDFs can also be e-mailed to prospective customers for easier viewing.
Infographics : These may take a little bit more time to plan and design than your average case study, but they’ll present information in a visually appealing way that’s likely to be shared via social networks. Infographics are also great ways to convey information in an easy-to-understand format.
Videos : Last but not least, videos are another possibility. Instead of writing up a case study, you can create a video that interviews customers and shows how they’ve used your product. This ends up being a rich, interactive experience for prospective clients.