Friday 9 February 2018

#SproutChat Recap: The Importance of Case Studies

We all understand that customer stories are a hugely integral part of marketing collateral, but how exactly does one go about creating a case study? And how can one showcase these case studies to their audiences and prospects?

In this week’s #SproutChat, Sprout All Star Elite, Erika Heald, joined us to share her insights on the value of case studies. This week’s participants chatted about the distinctions between case studies and use cases, best practices for conducting a case study and how to leverage them in your social strategy.

Full Context Creates a Better Story

We often conflate the terms use case and case study. Both are great for highlighting customer stories in your content strategy, but there are key differences. A use cases speaks to the benefit of a specific feature or use, while case studies provide a story in full-context—including the issue at hand, the resolution reached and key metrics throughout.

Think Beyond B2B

While case studies may seem like a strictly B2B marketing move, they can be used in consumer marketing as well. Consumers are genuinely interested in hearing how brands have helped people achieve their goals.

Highlight Quick Information for Social

If you want to pull from case study content for social keep in mind that speaking to your social audience is much different than a one-on-one sales call. Tailor how you deliver content on your social platforms by sharing small nuggets of hard-hitting information or engaging visuals.

Communicate With Success Teams

While in the process of identifying potential case study interviewees, take care to connect with any individual that has an existing relationship with the point of contact for the account. This might be someone on your client success or sales team, but could also be a personal contact. Be sure to check in on the status of this person’s account and how happy they are as a client.

Test out Videos

Videos can be a great addition to your overall content plan for case studies. Even if you don’t have the resources for larger video production, you can utilize video for conversations with your interviewee to set a more conversational tone.

Put the Customer First

First and foremost, when interviewing someone for a case study, take the time to get to know them. Start the conversation off about their role at the company and background about themselves professionally. Setting this tone from the start tells customers right off the bat that this project isn’t merely about work, but about putting them first.

Join us next Wednesday, February 14, to chat with special guest, Marketo, about the relationship between social media and email marketing. Until then be sure to join our Facebook group to connect with other folks in the industry.

This post #SproutChat Recap: The Importance of Case Studies originally appeared on Sprout Social.



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