Are you supporting your marketing funnel with different content types to drive conversions?
Prospects in the middle and bottom of the funnel (MOFU and BOFU) seek in-depth information about the specifics of your products and services, and case studies are great content pieces to help you nurture trust and showcase your offerings.
But there's more to building a case study than writing about the "before" and "after." The content must resonate with your audience and direct them down the sales funnel to ultimately book a meeting or make a purchase.
In this article, Robert Kurtz, writer and content strategist for Spot On, shares his experience creating a compelling case study for our client, QuicksortRx, to build trust with its audience.
Case studies provide real-life examples of what a company can do for its clients. They illustrate why a customer selected the vendor and how the company uses specific products and/or services to achieve success.
Meanwhile, the storytelling element makes the content engaging and relatable. It illustrates the pain points clients encountered before deciding to work with a vendor and concrete results that have helped solve those challenges. Ultimately, a case study gives readers the confidence to take the next steps in their buying journeys, such as contacting sales or requesting a demo.
"I think of case studies as a more detailed online review like those you see on Google and Yelp. They tell the story of how a provider generated impressive results for a client — and how it can do the same for those reading the study," says Kurtz.
Additionally, case studies can help you round out the content in your funnel. For example, QuicksortRx lacked extensive MOFU and BOFU content to demonstrate tangible results they’ve achieved for customers. Case studies bridge the gap between top-funnel (TOFU) pieces that serve informational purposes — such as blog posts — and BOFU content critical to nurturing leads across the finish line.
Here are our top tips to help you make a case study shine:
"When we work with clients, we are always on the lookout for customer success stories to highlight. We regularly check in with clients to find out what organizations have used their products to achieve great results and if those customers would be willing to share the outcomes," says Kurtz.
Also, seek out success stories with tangible results and metrics. For example, one of QuicksortRx’s case studies showed how it helped its clients achieve $5 million in tracked savings.
While anonymous case studies are still powerful, you can make the content even more valuable by mentioning the customer's name (with permission) and quoting client team members.
"Make the process and outcomes relatable to prospects in similar organizations and situations,” says Kurtz. “For example, someone reading the QuicksortRx case study should come away thinking, ‘If the product helped this client save $5 million, what could it save me?’”
Interviewing client contacts or stakeholders can help you tell a story from the customer perspective and make it more relatable. Adequate preparation is critical to making the most out of this step.
Kurtz explains, "Gather background information before the interview by speaking with the vendor. For example, when did the client start using the product, and what successful outcomes should we highlight? I also want to learn about the person I'll interview, such as how they have worked with the company I’m writing about, to help me structure the conversation and ask appropriate questions."
You should find out what differentiates your products, why the customer chose your brand, what they love about your products or services, and how they achieve success by using them. Answers to these questions can help you distinguish your brand and appeal to the right audience with concrete, measurable impact.
While showcasing metrics and results is essential, it's not the be-all, end-all. A successful case study should take the readers through the problem, situation, or challenge; how the customer tried to solve it (e.g., what didn't work or only partially helped); and how they implemented your solution to achieve results.
Referring to his work with QuicksortRx, Kurtz remarks, "Healthtech companies solve complex problems — results generally don't happen overnight. You should communicate the process, such as what it's like to work with you and what experience the audience can expect. Also, focus on how you help your clients succeed."
You can use graphic design elements to highlight key takeaways, showcase customer quotes, and draw attention to results. Plus, a good layout can improve readability and make it easier for the audience to engage with the information.
Break up the content into digestible sections, use subheads to make the piece scannable, and include images and graphic elements (e.g., icons) to increase its visual appeal. Don't forget to add your business name and URL in the template — along with a call to action — to drive brand awareness and lead conversions.
Case studies are effective marketing tools, and you should get them in front of as much of your target audience as you can. "We typically advise clients not to put case studies behind walls. You want to tell the world about these success stories and make it easy for more people to see them," says Kurtz.
That’s why a multi-level distribution channel is key. Once you publish a case study, post it in your website's resource section. After that, share it out on your company’s social media platforms, include the link to the case study in your email newsletter, and directly engage any leads that have gone silent with your new content piece to help drive traffic and possibly reignite cold opportunities.
You’ve invested time and effort into publishing case studies. How do you get more mileage out of them?
It’s best to repost the link on social media to support different messaging or update the case study periodically (e.g., with the latest metrics) and distribute it again to your email list. Use the content to support your blog posts and add a link to the case study in either the body text or your CTA to generate leads. (Bonus: Internal linking is good for SEO!)
You can also create related content from the case study. For example, you can ask the client to record a video testimonial based on the case study’s results or participate in a webinar to share its experience and success.
"Our clients also take those success stories and use them to pitch columns to publications and support speaking engagement proposals as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen their brand exposure and credibility. You may even invite your customer to share the stage with you at conferences and participate in webinars. It's very powerful when someone is willing to vouch for you in front of their peers," says Kurtz.
Case studies provide concrete and relatable examples to help you build trust with your target audiences. They should be an essential component of your content funnel to address your audiences' needs and concerns during the consideration and conversion stages.
Spot On helps healthcare SaaS companies develop meaningful content and case studies to strengthen their content funnels. Schedule a time to chat with us to see how we can design a plan that resonates with your target audience and nurtures leads to convert.
