In the context of business, a case is a content format that tells about the experience of solving the client’s problems. Such a narrative is built on the principles of storytelling: there is a main character who faces the enemy – the problem. On his way to solve it he meets a helper – the company or the product. Together they defeat the enemy and become better.
Cases are created by case study writer for the lower sectors of the sales funnel. They usually attract less traffic than optimized articles for a blog, but are much more effective at convincing potential customers. After all, if the customer sees that you successfully solve a similar problem, there will be less reason to doubt the choice.
A bit of statistics:
- Cases are the third most popular content format among B2B marketers, with 68% of professionals using it.
- 66% of B2B marketers consider case studies “very effective” in attracting potential customers and increasing sales, 32% – “fairly effective.
- We asked subscribers of our TV channel “Your Personal Neutive” what formats of content they prefer to promote IT projects. Cases took second place after the blog, and 19% of respondents voted for them.
As you can see, many companies rely on cases and win because of it.
Who needs to write cases?
If your business solves consumer problems and the result of your work can be objectively evaluated, you should add case writing to your promotion strategy.
For whom are cases a useless waste of time? For companies that provide a standard service or sell a simple product, Case Studies will not bring results.
The main value of such content format is the presence of conflict, a complicated and interesting situation. The hero should overcome difficulties to reach his goal, otherwise nobody will want to read the story.
For example, the implementation of an IT-solution in the client’s company is worthy of a case, but a standard site audit is not.
Important: press releases, promotional materials, advertising – these are not cases. The purpose of the latter is not to sell, but to demonstrate your capabilities through examples of real projects. All information in the material should be objective and supported by data.
The Challenges of Case Study Writing
Case Study generates hot leads and strengthens a business’s reputation, but many companies are still hesitant to use this content format. Let’s look at the main reasons:
- No story to tell. Perhaps the most common problem. You may not have any grand victories yet, but even small accomplishments can be the basis for a useful case study. As a last resort, you can write an anti-case about failure and help potential clients avoid similar mistakes.
- Clients don’t want to cooperate. Is a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) forcing you to keep achievements secret? Try to negotiate: write an impersonal case with no data or mention of the brand.
- Competitors will steal ideas. Learning systems are built on case studies, because companies share working strategies in them. But don’t be afraid that the experience you describe will help your competitors get ahead of you. You have different processes, teams and tasks. What worked in your case will not necessarily make a similar project successful.
- You need an expert. Entrusting a case to an ordinary copywriter is a bad idea. First, the format requires thorough preparation: interviews, data collection. Second, the author must understand the client’s topic and business. If your team does not have a person who can do the job well, you can go to an agency.
The complexities of writing a Case Study cannot be avoided. Follow the steps described below so that you don’t miss anything and create truly effective content.