How Your Service Oriented Business Can Benefit From Case Studies
If you’re a business owner that provides a service to customers then you ought to take a look at case studies and how you can benefit from them.
What is a case study?
In essence, a case study is nothing more than an expanded testimonial. It details a problem and then goes on to explain how your service helped or made a difference, Case studies are primarily used in the business to business arena when one company wants to convince another company to use a particular product they offer.
An example might look something like this: Company A manufactures an industrial solvent that’s powerful and environmentally friendly. They then have a case study produced, using a previous customer’s experiences with the product, to use in convincing other companies to buy their solvent.
It’s a great marketing tool because it not only identifies the problem, but also explains why your solution is the best by including actual, hands-on testimonials.
Case studies aren’t just for business to business anymore.
Many companies that offer products and services to consumers are now realizing the benefits of using case studies as a marketing tool. The power of an actual customer’s experience carries more weight that an ad or brochure that goes on about how wonderful using X is.
An example of a service oriented business could be a dentist who is using a new laser teeth whitening device. Sure, they could make up an ad or brochure that gives the benefits to this procedure, but coupling it with powerful, real-life examples makes it all the more effective in the eyes of potential customers.
Where can you use case studies?
A well-written case study can be used in several effective ways. Right now, one of the best places to put a case study is on your web site. Make it stand out and easy for people to download. By putting it in electronic form, you save on printing and binding costs.
A case study can also be used in the traditional sense, by having them printed up and handed or mailed to potential customers.
Remember that case studies are superior to standard testimonials you might use in your marketing materials because they detail the problem in depth and then state exactly how your solution made a difference. When you combine that with actual customer experiences, you really can’t lose.
Want to know more about how a case study can benefit your business, or need a case study written? Then contact me for a quote.
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Sunday, February 17th, 2008 at 5:09 pm under
