Case studies are a powerful tool for content marketing, particularly when businesses sell to other companies. These success stories from customers provide evidence that different people have bought and valued your product or service. This helps build brand loyalty and continues the buyer journey.
According to a DemandGen 2021 study, 62% said that they rely more on practical information like case studies and webcasts to aid them in their decision-making process. Why? They consider them more trustworthy.
As a copywriter, I read many case studies to see what works. Some are successful, while others fall short. The majority fall in between, using some but not all of the best copywriting techniques.
What transforms a mediocre narrative into a B2B case study? I have listed eleven things that every success story must contain. I have also included a few examples from real life.
Quick Overview
11 Characteristics of a B2B Case Study
1. It’s true
2. The title is eye-catching
3. It shows your product in an actual setting
4. This helps the reader understand your product or service and how it would solve their problem
5. It is based on a format that has been tried and tested
6. It has an interesting marketing angle
7. It includes quotes
8. This gives us measurable results
9. The information is sufficient
10. The objective is to achieve the desired outcome
11. It’s a good ending
11 Characteristics of a B2B Case Study
1. It’s true
Is it too obvious? Perhaps not. It is possible to write about a service or product using real data, but in a fictional context. These are not case studies. These are business use cases. They’re a different kind of story. Every word in a case study must be accurate.
Don’t invent any facts or add an imaginary quote to your story to inject some energy into it. You will regret it. You will lose your reputation if your featured customer complains or your “facts are disproven”. Always be honest
2. The title is eye-catching
If no one reads a case study, it won’t be very effective. The best way to get people to click on it to learn more is to use a headline that grabs their attention. It should be written in simple, direct and strong language and mention your solution, your customer, or the result.
The best titles use the present tense, even when they are describing a previous event (e.g. Widget Boosts Local Grocers’ Sales by 10%). This gives the reader an impression of freshness and immediacy. It is useful when a content piece has a long shelf life.
Case Study Example
The case study of Fractl on how it helped Porch.com increase its online visibility and its high authority press mentions, is a good example of a title that grabs attention. Anyone who wants to increase the number of unique backlinks to their website will be interested.
3. It shows your product in an actual setting
A case study for business is not the same as a product page or a brochure. It’s also not a testimonial. A business case study is a real-life success story. The main characters are real people working in an actual company. They get to tell us about how they used (or did not use) your solution.
If you’re using this type of marketing, the stage set-up is important. Make sure that your office, factory, or field can be verified and is authentic. Real settings give your story more credibility and make it more interesting to read.
4. This helps the reader understand your product or service and how it would solve their problem
Why do businesspeople read Case Studies? They’re searching for answers to questions. They hope that your solution will be the one for them. It’s important to tell your story as a way of solving a problem.
Most effective case studies allow readers to visualize themselves using your service or product. They will enable them to visualize themselves overcoming a specific business challenge. You’re one step away from gaining a new client if you can do this.
Example of a case study
Bastian Solutions’ case study, “Optimized Workers By More Than 50 Percent,” addresses a challenge that many production managers are likely to be familiar with: how to make a company’s manual palletizing process more efficient while reducing labour costs. The integrator explains not only the client’s business challenges but also the technologies used to achieve impressive results.
5. It is a tried and tested format
In a narrative format, case studies tell the “how and what” of your success. It makes sense to order the story chronologically because many B2B services and products can be complex. This will help readers understand the problem and your solution.
The majority of case studies are divided into four parts: the client, the problem, the solution, and the benefits. This is a logical format that guides your audience through the situation. By all means, stray from the traditional approach. Make sure that the key elements remain.
6. It has an interesting marketing angle
Sometimes, I am asked to write a story about a successful business with a vague angle. Then, I have to sit with my client and ask, “What’s the main takeaway from this story?” They need to identify what they want to emphasize to achieve their marketing goals.
Understanding that finding happy customers and writing about their experience is not enough for an effective case study. The success story should highlight a single benefit in the entire piece. This could be comfort, convenience, cost-cutting or productivity.
7. It includes quotes
The best case studies contain quotes, both from the customer and from the company. It’s simple. Your content will be more credible. You’ll have a hard time convincing readers of the truthfulness of your reporting without a few key characters’ words.
Quote your client if you only want to quote one person. Quote a colleague if you have space to spare and want to include a different viewpoint. This person should be someone involved in the story.
Example of a case study
Adobe Experience Cloud’s case study, “Home Depot Increases its Personalized Campaigns By 62% in One year”, illustrates the use of quotations. Quotes are used not only as running text, but also as pull-outs with a picture of the person quoted. They prefer a narrative format to the more traditional four-part format.
8. This gives us measurable results
Avoid general phrases such as “reduce significantly” or “improve substantially”. You should be as specific as possible and include measurable results before and after each story.
Tell your customers by what percentage their revenue has increased. Show how much money they saved on their energy bill or how many orders have been placed. You have to ask your customers the right questions during the interview to obtain these details.
9. The information is sufficient
Senior buyers, purchasing agents, and procurement managers are difficult to convince. They spend a lot of time analyzing, researching, and evaluating new and existing suppliers and their products. They have an eye for detail and a great ability to absorb information.
You’ll need to give enough information if your product is complex, expensive or of high value. This will help you explain how and why the product works. This level of detail will be very interesting to buyers in the decision and consideration stages.
10. The objective is to achieve the desired outcome
It is not appropriate to use a case study as a place for a direct sales pitch. Your target audience will either be looking for more information to understand their issue better or for a solution.
Never, ever, exaggerate. Readers of business magazines are interested in a balanced perspective on what you’re selling. To appeal to this need, you should come across as both knowledgeable and fair-minded. Focus on facts and not emotions.
11. It’s a good ending
Many case studies are either a waste of time or abruptly end. It’s a shame, as this is the place where you can move your readers on to the next step of the buyer journey. This, after all, is the purpose of your publication.
Consider a simple summary, or even a quote from a client. Maybe a simple reminder that the problem highlighted should be addressed. Always include a Call to Action at the end of your article. This could be a request for a quotation, an appointment, or a technical specification.
Case Study Example
Case study “Samco increases product lifetime x10 using SimScale”. The customer is given two options to take action. SimScale’s Start Simulating button and Request Demo button are prominent. SimScale also adds “No installation, credit card or special hardware is required” to remove objections.
Wrapping up
It’s a good idea to tell the world about a satisfied customer. There are two ways to do it: one is effective, and the other is not so much. You must convince B2B customers that your product or service is worth the money. Your case study will be successful if you include all eleven of the features listed above.
