Phone: 770-887-1462 Free Newsletter Signup

Rob Eagar

Marketing expertise to spread your message like wildfire.

  • Start Here
  • About
  • Books
    • The Author’s Guide to Marketing Books on Amazon
    • The Author’s Guide to Email Marketing
    • The Author’s Guide to Media Interviews
    • The Author’s Guide to Write Text That Sells Books
  • Coaching
    • Book Marketing Master Class
    • Private Author Coaching Sessions
    • Amazon Book Description Service
    • Media Interview Training
    • Concierge Book Launch Consulting
  • Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Bestseller Case Studies
    • Client List
  • e-Courses
    • Mastering Amazon for Authors
    • Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget
  • Free Tips
    • Articles and Hot Tips for Authors
    • Blog
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Contact

Nov 23 2015

How to Create Effective Case Studies

In last week’s post, I explained why case studies are the ultimate weapon in your marketing arsenal. That’s because nothing you can say about yourself is more powerful than what happy customers, donors, or readers say about you. Let other people sing your praises and build your credibility.

To be clear, a marketing case study is NOT:

  • A testimonial or endorsement
  • A list of your past clients
  • A description of the services you offer

Instead, a marketing case study IS a before-and-after story detailing how you created positive results for a customer, donor, or reader. The easiest way to create an effective case study is to use the following format with these four section headers:

  1. Problem
  2. Solution
  3. Results
  4. Appreciation

Below is an explanation of how to complete each section. Keep your writing brief and concise. You only need a paragraph or two of content per section.

1. Problem
Explain the problem that an individual or organization was experiencing BEFORE you got involved and sold them your product or service. What issues were causing them to struggle? What goal were they trying to achieve? What difficulty led to you being contacted? Start every case study by describing the main problem that was occurring.

2. Solution
After you diagnosed the problem, what type of solution did you prescribe? You don’t have to give away your secrets, but you do need to explain what you did to improve the customer’s condition. Describe the type of product or service that you recommended to help your customer overcome their problem. Briefly explain the overall strategy you suggested. Again, limit your word count to just one or two paragraphs.

3. Results
In this section, describe or list the specific results that your customer, donor, or reader experienced by applying your solution. Remember, you’re describing a before-and-after story. This part explains how the customer is better off after they connected with you. Use tangible examples, such as numbers, statistics, or percentages, to show detailed improvement. The more generic your results, the less other people will believe your case study. Specific results create credibility.

4. Appreciation
The final section of your case study is used to let your customer, donor, or reader praise your efforts and add credibility to your story. To complete this section, request a brief testimonial or endorsement from your customer and secure permission to display their name, title, and organization. Boil their testimonial down to the best 3 – 4 sentences. As mentioned earlier, nothing speaks louder than happy customers telling others that they’re better off because they connected with you.

Once you’ve completed a case study, use it everywhere in your marketing. Post it on your website. Bring it up in conversation with prospects. Use it in a speech. Mention it during a media interview. Share it in your newsletters and social media pages.

Preferably, group at least 3 case studies together when you display them on your website or promotional materials. One case study doesn’t sound very convincing by itself. But, several grouped together create compelling validation for you, your company, or your non-profit.

If creating case studies still seems confusing, feel free to visit my website and use my four examples as guides:

Case Study 1
Case Study 2
Case Study 3
Case Study 4

Why try to persuade people to purchase your products and services? Utilize the power of case studies and let your happy customers do the marketing for you.

 

Written by Rob Eagar · Categorized: Author Tips, Client Success Stories, Marketing Tips, Monday Morning Marketing Tips

About Rob Eagar

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He is one of the rare consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit The New York Times bestsellers list. Rob has consulted with numerous publishers and trained over 1,000 authors. He is the creator of The Author's Guide Series, a comprehensive collection of resources that teaches authors how to sell more books. Find out more at: WildFire Marketing and follow Rob on Twitter.

Publishing Predictions for 2023

January 1, 2023 Posted by Rob Eagar

As we enter 2023, let’s look ahead to the major issues that will affect authors and publishers. Here are five predictions that deserve your attention…

Continue Reading »

Book Marketing Master Class
  • About
  • Books
  • Consulting
  • Free Tips
  • Blog
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

© 2023 WildFire Marketing

Website by Wildfire Marketing