As a complete sales asset, case studies provide social proof of whatever a company or organization claims. Social proof is exactly what it sounds like: evidence that shows that your product or service has the kind of value that people publicly say it does.
Case studies provide people with evidence that a company’s product or service can solve a business problem. Because case studies are stories, they follow an intentional arc that takes the reader (hopefully a potential customer) on a journey through the problem, challenges, solutions and results.
There’s a reason I constantly mention that case studies are the best social proof.
If you read my case study myth debunking series, you know that SaaS company leaders peg case studies as the most effective marketing tactic that increases sales:
Additionally, you know that people overwhelmingly read case studies in full:
So, how do case studies do this?
How do they provide social proof?
The answer is the fundamental elements of case studies.
I’m going to go over three.
#1: Quotes from real people (and the right people)
This seems…obvious, right?
However, you’d be surprised at how many organizations, companies and agencies do not include quotes from their clients in their case studies.
In my professional opinion, it’s a huge missed opportunity.
Clients can tell the story of their success with an accuracy that you can’t because of their perspective.
Clients’ words are credible
They are a lot more credible than yours.
Why?
In the first part of my case study myths series, I discussed how easy it is to fake reviews and testimonials. I also covered how easy it is for potential clients to believe that companies with case studies are just tooting their own horns.
So, when you have quotes, you completely remove those doubts.
(No one is going to (hopefully) risk the end of a professional relationship and/or a lawsuit by faking a quote from their client.)
Look at this quote from a case study about Urban Development Institute by Yapla:
Notice how it gives you a kind of before-and-after story. Louis-Philippe tells you that before, their team spent a lot of time on administrative tasks. Now, since those tasks are automated by Yapla, their team has more time to do more important things.
What this quote does is give you insight into the challenges and the results. And this is just from the quote at the BEGINNING of the case study!
So, when I talk about social proof and case studies, this is what I mean. For a quote to do that kind of work is pretty amazing.
NOTE: Also notice that there is a picture of the person who gave the quote. That adds EVEN MORE credibility to the story.
So, next time you’re considering a case study, contact the client first for their story (and their photo!).
#2: Thorough demonstration of how the product/service works
Generally, great case studies thoroughly demonstrate how their product or service solves a problem. People who write case studies can do this by following the case study sequence created by expert B2B case study writer Steve Slaunwhite:
These details clarify the story you’re trying to tell. Furthermore, they show readers how your company works and how your team(s) work through a business problem.
This is social proof because including specific details about the “how” provides readers with entry points to relate to the client.
Also, they describe the kind of value you bring to your clients as a result of the “how”.
Look at this case study about DoorDash by HubSpot:
As I wrote in the first part of my case study myth series:
The “case” is an in-depth exploration of how DoorDash was struggling to communicate with their B2B clients, costing them sales and client retention.
The “study” is the explanation of how HubSpot’s expanded marketing solutions helped DoorDash automate key steps of the email campaign creation process, ultimately reducing the usual time it took for DoorDash to create email campaigns.
Beyond the format of the case study, it’s the inclusion of the client that does most of the work here, optimizing the credibility and social proof of HubSpot.
The right questions matter just as much as the story
There’s something that should be clear:
In order to really understand the details of any case study, you or whoever is writing it has to ask the (right) client the right questions.
You want to ask questions that really show the trajectory of the problem from bringing (problem) through the middle (challenges/solution) to the end (results).
For example, you’ll want to ask your client about what they were doing before coming across your product or services. Also, you’ll want to ask them what about those circumstances led them to your product or services.
HubSpot has a long list of case study questions that can help you out. Here’s a sample of them:
#3: Use of metrics
Metrics like numbers and impact make a world of difference in a case study.
Why?
They show you concrete results of the work a company did for their client.
It’s really that simple.
Look at the results of this case study about the Robb Nash Project (mental health awareness for young people) by D2L:
There are two numbers in the highlighted part: 20% increase in learners indicating interest in mental health services and a 60% increase of learners who became known to mental health professionals in their schools.
Those numbers show exactly what the title says: results.
And those results show that there is a measurable impact of the service/product that D2L provides. This is very credible to readers and shows social proof of success and/or impact.
Look at it this way:
Would you trust a nonprofit organization that couldn’t tell or show you what the impact of their work has been?
How about a company that couldn’t tell you what kind of results they produce for their client?
My guess is that you wouldn’t trust either.
Like quotes, numbers are hard to fake. One word: lawsuits!
Over to you
Case studies are original stories that position your company for a successful display of social proof.
Furthermore, you can optimize the social proof by repurposing it into multiple formats.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:
You really can’t lose when you invest in case studies.
Ready to get started and show the world what you do best?
Let’s get in touch today.