Are You Using Case Studies for your Small Business?

Check out this affordable tool that can skyrocket sales!

One of the fastest and cost-effective ways to create a marketing piece for your business is to write a case study. Not only can you hand it out to potential customers, but media members love them!

What is a case study?

Look at a case study as a testimonial with more detailed information. You basically give a before-and-after story about how you helped a customer reach their goals.

Depending on the style and brand image you want to convey, your case study may consist of a single page with easy-to-read content and images, or you might have several pages describing specific technologies, percentages and statistics, datelines, and more. The more information you provide, the more credible your case study appears to others.

Now, if you have a small budget, you can easily create a simple case study to get sales moving:

• Start by contacting one of your top customers and ask for an interview.

Tell them you would like to create a case study from their experience using your products and services, and your interview should take about 30 minutes. Then, ask appropriate questions that really tell the before-and-after story of how you helped their business solve a specific problem.

Let them know when you start that you are going to record the interview so you have their permission. Then, have an inexpensive transcription service transcribe the interview (Temi, Rev, Fiverr, Upwork, and others).

• Create your case study.

Edit the transcription to create your case study. You can just follow samples of your favorite businesses online (or take a look at the samples on www.rembrandtwrites.com).

Give a good explanation of what your customer does, what their problem was and how you provided a solution in a certain amount of time. If you are not a writer or just don’t have time to create this, get some help from a trained copywriter, local college student or a friend. You can always start with something short and simple and expand from there.

• Promote like crazy!

Once your case study is complete, let everyone know about it! Post it on your website, share it on social media, send it to customers, add it to your emails, and more. Also, don’t’ forget to send it to the local media. They love these personal stores of real business owners seeing success!

Case Studies Work.

Testimonials are a must-have for business success. But, try to expand your testimonials into case studies that include specific details, statistics, graphics, and personal stories.

This way, you have a cost-effective marketing and public relations’ tool you can use in many ways to generate new sales and positive, online awareness. Plus, it’s unique and original information that the competition can’t touch!

Just be sure your case studies are well-written, void of mistakes, ready for the press, and reflect your brand image (if you can add search engine optimization keywords, that’s an extra bonus). This is the only way to create a credible piece your target market will read and possibly share with others.

Author Melanie Rembrandt is known as THE small business PR expert. She helps boost sales, awareness and credibility fast with a unique combination of targeted, SEO content-marketing strategy and public relations. If you want to get results and save time and money, check out her “Simplify Your Small Business” podcast here, and contact her and her team at Rembrandt Communications, www.rembrandtwrites.com.