How to Create Credibility with Brand Case Studies

Information is everywhere.

Whether it’s blogs, eBooks, videos, podcasts, or even infographics, it seems like everyone has something to say. In fact, 28.3 million people in the US update a blog at least once a month.

The trouble is, with so many people talking at once, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for customers to decide who they should trust. The only way your would-be clients can feel comfortable buying from a company they don’t already know is with #SocialProof.

Now that 81% of customers are using the internet to research products and services before they make a purchase, B2B companies are relying more heavily on case studies as the ultimate source of social proof. Case studies combine the emotional review of a genuine customer or client, with carefully structured branding and statistics, to give you a powerful piece of sales material.

So, how can you cultivate credibility with case studies?

Why Do Brands Need Case Studies?

Before we look at how you can use #CaseStudies in your marketing, let’s examine why they’re so valuable.

In simple terms, case studies are the ultimate way of proving to your B2B clients that you’re not “all smoke and no cigar.” While anyone can claim that they have the best service or product in the world, most customers won’t believe those statements until other credible; third-party customers step in to substantiate them.

Case studies can be valuable to both B2C and B2B brands. However, they’re more common among B2B companies who need to give leads the logical information they need to invest. Case studies take customer testimonials to the next level by demonstrating how your product and services can help your target audience. For instance, BaseCamp’s “Customer page” introduces the features of the service they offer, before giving visitors an opportunity to explore individual customer stories.

Each story covered by BaseCamp addresses a specific issue that affects the company’s audience, making it easier for the brand to resonate with their clientele, and generate credibility. In simple terms, brand case studies prove that you can genuinely give your customers the solutions they’re looking for.

How to Implement Case Studies into your Content Marketing

A #CaseStudy is currently one of the most valuable forms of marketing content available.

The Content Marketing Institute list these studies as the fifth most popular tactic marketers use to earn customer attention. While there’s plenty of evidence out there showing the potential of case studies, it’s not always easy to figure out how you should implement this social proof into your content campaign. With that in mind, we thought we’d offer a few suggestions.

1. Create a Page on your Website

Case studies are extremely valuable pieces of marketing material. If you want them to have the right impact on your audience, then you need to give them space to shine. At Fabrik, we created our “Portfolio” page to show off our case studies. However, you can call your page anything you like, from “Success Stories” to “Our Work.” Just make sure that customers know where they need to go to see examples of what you can do.

2. Put Case Studies on your Landing Pages

After you’ve created your case study, you’ll have plenty of useful results, information, and quotes that you can use throughout the rest of your marketing material. Quotes and numbers taken from case studies can be a great addition to your landing and product pages, as they give your customers another reason to trust you. Remember, the quotes you use should be measurable, and results-focused.

3. Create a Video

While the standard format for a case study is a written document, you don’t have to publish your study as just a document. Once you’ve got all the information you need, you can transform that data into blogs, infographics, and even a video. Have some fun with the format and show off your personality to draw more attention back to your brand. Look at the Slack case study video for instance as a fantastic example of a personality-fueled piece.

4. Write blogs about Your Case Studies

As mentioned above, you can use the information you’ve gathered from your case studies to create additional content for your marketing strategy. A great way to do this is with a blog that highlights some of the key points of what you achieved with a particular company. You can then ask that company to share links to the blog on their social media page, and hopefully generate more traffic for your website.

5. Add Case Studies to your Email Marketing

Finally, a #BrandCaseStudy can be particularly useful for your email marketing strategy. If you have a list of contacts segmented according to industry, you can send specific reports to certain people in your list to give them a personal taste of what you can do for their brand. Alternatively, case studies can be a great way to nurture leads and remind them of what makes your company so valuable.

Are you Ready for Compelling Case Studies?

Case studies can be the most exciting form of marketing testimonial for a B2B company, and a great addition to any brand’s content marketing strategy.

By demonstrating your work in an easy-to-understand and results-driven format, you build credibility for your company and show your clients that you deserve their trust. Additionally, case studies don’t just show your customers that your products and services are great — they also give them an insight into what it’s like to work with you as a brand.

To learn more about writing a compelling case study, check out our extensive guide and #CaseStudyTemplate. Alternatively, reach out to Fabrik for tailor-made tips on how you can make your brand shine.

In 2017, 78% of buyers used case studies to research purchases, and the demand for social proof keeps growing.

Case studies do more than highlight what you can do; they generate belief in your brand.