In my last two posts (here and here), we talked about techniques for writing case studies that capture prospects’ attention. Today, I’m going to give you ten ways you can use those case studies to boost your ROI, once you’ve got them written.
1. Give it to sales.
Salespeople love case studies. They know that examples of how their offering has solved real-world problems – along with testimonials from satisfied customers – are usually far more convincing than any brochure. In fact, sales trainer Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, puts case studies at the top of her collateral list in her account entry toolkit – while excluding brochures, catalogues and most other marketing fare.
2. Mail it to prospects and customers.
This is a great way to maintain contact and raise awareness of new products and services. For nurturing leads and encouraging follow-on sales, case studies are hard to beat.
3. Use it in lead-generation campaigns.
A case study makes a terrific “bait piece” for generating sales leads through ads, direct mail, email or your website. Leads who respond to case study offers tend to be of high quality.
4. Publish it in an industry journal.
Have a recent customer success with an interesting story angle? Trade editors will be interested. Case studies get high readership, because business leaders and engineers want to know what others have done to solve problems similar to their own. And the publicity your customers will gain will encourage them to participate in your case study project.
5. Turn it into a press release.
As I mentioned last month, you can quickly abridge a case study and send it out as a press release. Indicating a feature-length version is available will increase interest among editors.
6. Post it on your website.
Want to raise your search engine visibility and boost traffic to your site? Adding new, valuable content relevant to prospects’ needs is a proven strategy. And case studies are highly relevant to your prospects’ needs.
7. Use it as a trade show handout.
Case studies really stand out amidst the ocean of data sheets and brochures that flood trade expos. With a variety of case studies on hand, you can match your handout to each visitor’s need.
8. As a speaking topic.
If you need to give a talk at that trade show or conference, a case study can make an excellent presentation. The content can quickly be turned into PowerPoint slides, and the printed case study used as a handout.
9. In your newsletter or e-zine.
Case studies featuring real customers and applications get the highest readership in company newsletters, according to Steve Slaunwhite, author of The Everything Guide to Writing Copy.
10. For testimonials.
As every good copywriter will tell you, customer testimonials are among the best tools for lending credibility to your marketing claims. When you’re harvesting quotes to use in a case study, get your customer’s permission to re-use them in your ads, sales letters, brochures, website and other marketing materials.
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Need an expert to write your next case study for you? Call me at (+39) 011 569 4951 to discuss your project and receive a free quote, at no obligation. Or email me at info@CopyEngineer.com.
