As marketers we have plenty of tools and resources to help convey our value to prospects and leads. Utilizing everything from video content to infographics can help influence your target audience. However, one of the most overlooked resources we see are case studies. Not only do case studies serve as customer and client success stories, but they give prospects a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the kind of work your company can produce and the results you can achieve. If you aren’t currently utilizing case studies in your marketing plan, we highly recommend that you start to do so.
Here are a few easy ways to leverage case studies for your B2B marketing strategy:
Feature Case Studies on Your Website
If your digital marketing efforts are working, prospects are likely landing on your website to learn more about the services you offer. They’ll likely find strategic messaging conveying the issues that yours solutions address, but prospects probably want to hear more than just generic messaging. Prominently featuring case studies on your website can help to instill a certain confidence in your offerings, as prospects can hear directly from other satisfied customers. Of course, always remember to obtain client approval before using case studies on your website or elsewhere.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make when offering case studies, is they are only available for download or buried so deep that visitors can’t even find them. [Tweet “We recommend creating multiple paths that will lead visitors directly to your case studies.”] You can even feature them prominently on your homepage for increased effectiveness. Case studies can be useful tools in capturing leads, however, make sure you’re strategic about utilizing them as offers, as well. It’s best to have a few that are “free”, requiring no information, while the more in-depth case studies, or those that may even be whitepapers, require a minimal amount of information for the purposes of lead generation.
Additionally, do your best to organize case studies so prospects can find ones that actually apply to them. They can be organized by industry, solution or product type, geography, etc. Any specification that you can give your case studies will only help prospects learn about the ways you can help them.
Utilize Case Studies in Content Marketing
A key component of any well-rounded B2B marketing strategy is content marketing. When developing content and offers, such as e-books, whitepapers, templates and more, case studies are a great resource to consider. In particular, statistics and detailed solutions from case studies can serve as guides for how other businesses can grow, just as you helped your client to. Keep content marketing funnel in mind when creating these offers. You don’t want to use anything too generic for an e-book, as you likely won’t have many conversions, while valuable information such as strategy recommendations can be utilized as an offer at the top of the funnel.
Promote Your Successes on Social Media
Believe it or not, case studies are actually great content for social media, as well. Not only can you tag your client on social, but you can begin to attract your desired audience with targeted messaging. Instead of using generic messages, get specific about the results that were achieved with the case study, what kind of industry your client was in and the challenges that you were facing. Outside of Facebook and Twitter, you can also add your case study to your list of publications on LinkedIn and share it in relevant LinkedIn Groups. Utilizing social media to help spread the word of successful client stories can go far to help reach your target audiences.
Case studies are an invaluable resource for any business and should be an integral part of any B2B marketing strategy. As with any marketing plan, always keep your target audience top of mind as you create case studies, offers, blog posts and more.
Do you need help developing a well-rounded B2B marketing strategy? KCD PR may be able to help you create a plan to help you increase your leads and ultimately grow your business. Click below to learn more about what it’s like to work with us.
