It’s no secret that content marketing is important for building your brand awareness and positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. We know it’s important to produce quality content, but then the question becomes, what type of content can bring the most value to your business?
You may be wondering which types of content you can leverage in order to attract leads and upsell current clients. Case studies continue to be one of the most effective tactics for businesses when done correctly.
Here are five reasons why case studies are worth the investment for your brand.
Show Your Prospects
Sure, it’s easy to tell prospective and current customers why your business is the best, but to really speak to a client, it’s often more effective to demonstrate your knowledge in a case study.
This is the opportunity to prove your company’s value and show that you are a tremendous asset with a real world example of a client. A case study shows how you helped a business overcome a specific challenge. In addition, this allows prospective customers to identify with the issues you present in the case study, especially if you keep it in a location where it can easily be found, i.e., your website. Connect your customers to a data-driven story that will make them want to work with you.
Focus on Specifics
You can narrow your focus on a specific industry or problem in your case study. In a blog post, you might mention specific examples to help illustrate your point, but you likely have a limited number of words to get to that point. Putting time and effort into a case study allows you to really hone in on a specific topic. And, when writing a blog post that’s more general, you can easily reference the case study for further reading with a call to action.
Stand Out Among Competitors
If you are in a highly competitive industry, case studies can be a tremendous asset in terms of setting you apart from your competitors. Position your business as the industry’s authority with research, rather than just relying solely on claims. Offer a quality resource that will answer questions and target the right customers.
If you’re not providing information to your audience, your competitors certainly will. A case study is a great way to answer questions and provide evidence of your work.
Generate Other Content
Case studies present other opportunities for new content. Was there a specific method or practice mentioned in the case study that would make for a great blog post? Share how this tactic could help other businesses in a blog post. You can also turn it into audio content with a podcast or visual content with video. Developing spin-off content will ensure you’re getting the most out of the time and money you spent on the case study.
TapInfluence works with brands and agencies to connect them with influencers through its software. TapInfluence conducted research on influencer marketing ROI for a Fortune 500 company, which was then used for a case study, webinar, and infographic, housed on one page of its website. In addition, the company also created a blog post highlighting key points from the case study. TapInfluence was able to reach new traffic through different types of content.
Promote Through Various Channels
A well-written case study will give you ample opportunity for content promotion. First, make sure your case study is accessible somewhere on your website, whether it’s located on its own dedicated page or embedded on another relevant page of your website.
In the example below, Fiduciary Trust its case studies section on the about page. Case studies are easy to locate and reference on the website, and they are all housed in one location.
All of the case study topics are specific, so prospective clients can easily find the information that’s most relevant to them.
In addition, you can promote it on your social channels. Pull statistics and quotes from the case study when posting. The right information will entice your audience to click through and read more, so really think about what users would find most interesting or beneficial.
Don’t forget about email as well. While you can (and should) certainly create a campaign around the case study and distribute it to relevant subscribers, another option is to embed a link to the case study in your email signature.
Your case study will serve as a great piece of evergreen content for your business. Make it easily accessible. Share it often and with the right audience, and it will serve as a great marketing investment.