When a company or individual considers hiring or investing in a company, it is foolish for them to do so without taking time to do their due diligence. They will talk to those around them, look the company up in the BBB, and spend time checking out the company online. In fact, according to a survey by BrightLocal, 88% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Making sure you’re making the right investments is extremely important, not only for your peace of mind but for the security of your money, checking out sites such as SoFi can help you with your investments and the best way for you to manage your money.
So, with the importance of online reviews in mind, ask yourself – “What is my company doing to encourage people to want to work with us?” If your answer comes up lacking, then now is the time to take action. And while there are many steps you can take – press releases, social media, videos, etc. – one choice that many overlook is case studies.
Never considered posting case studies? Think about this – a survey by Content Marketing Institute revealed that case studies ranked 5 out of 12 in the top five marketing methods. (The preceding 4 methods are social media content, e-newsletters, blogs, and website articles.) But what is it that makes case studies so valuable? Here are just a few benefits of having case studies as a part of your website:
· Social Proof – Case studies provide potential clients the confidence needed to make the next step. A case study, unlike testimonials, puts the value of a product or service into action by showing the reader how the company accomplished a specific client requested task using their services or product. A well-written case study will also include quotes from the client so that the reader sees the value of working with your company.
· Reusable Content – A case study is versatile as it can be across a number of platforms and employ many elements such as video content, pictures, infographics, or even a podcast of the study. The more methods you incorporate, the further your reach.
· SEO – We all know the value of SEO for our website. A case study is the perfect opportunity to hone your search engine optimization tactics in a creative way. Even better, no two case studies will be the same, so there is no fear of duplicate content.
· Customer Advocacy – A case study gives you a chance to show the customer that they are important to you. Instead of you talking about yourself, you are focusing on the customer and showing how your product helped benefit their situation.
· Tell a Story – Case studies tell a story. Rather than lengthy How To text, a case study shows your service in action. People remember stories better than facts, so capitalize on the story.
· Cost Effective– A case study is a great way to make the most of your marketing budget as they take fewer hours to produce as it is simply using information you have on hand, versus needing to do more research.
As you create case studies for your website, you will be surprised at how well they work, and how much better you get to know your client family. These client connections will go a long way towards boosting your company within your industry and beyond.
The Alpine Communication team has much experience in helping companies craft effective case studies. If you would like to learn more about implementing case studies for your company, give our team a call today. We would love to help you.