How do you showcase your case studies on your website and social media?

As for the optimal format, video sells. Witness the meteoric growth of YouTube and TikTok. I recommend producing footage of a sit-down discussion with a case study partner (example: a “fireside chat”) so audiences can make that critical engaging visual connection instead of reading pages of content they may abandon before getting to the best part. People prefer to learn from those they can see versus the relative abstraction of words and static images on a page. This doesn’t mean your content has to be a resource-intensive, slick production. Video should appear more off the cuff to lend authenticity you can’t buy. Example: a candid convo with your partner on the floor of a trade show is a great opp. for audience engagement and viral ROI.

To showcase case studies on your website and social media: On Website: Create a dedicated case studies page highlighting client successes, including challenges, solutions, and results. Visual Content: Use engaging visuals such as images, infographics, or videos to illustrate case studies effectively. Client Testimonials: Incorporate testimonials from satisfied clients to add credibility and trustworthiness. SEO Optimization: Optimize case study pages with relevant keywords to improve search visibility. Share on Social Media: Promote case studies on social platforms with captivating captions and visuals to attract attention. Engagement

I agree with Alesa that video is often the best format, but I would make one distinction: you don't need to limit yourself to one format. Instead, capture the source material that can be used in multiple formats. A recorded fireside chat can be repurposed into every other format: * PDF version * Sales slide * database of quotes * long-form email nurture * Quote box on website * Social media posts The important thing here is to capture great source content. You can't easily turn an email testimonial into a video, but you can turn a video into an email.

Start with video. It's the highest fidelity and gives you the most options. Take the transcript and turn it into a written case study, pull quotes for quote cards, create shorter clips for ads, etc. Never just create a single monolithic piece of content from a customer interview

The STAR method comes from effective interviewing for jobs, and its the perfect approach for a hidden reason: the best case studies highlight your customer, not you. A case study about your company will help a few buyers feel better about buying from you, but it fails to increase sales, only decrease some friction. A case study about your customer, in contrast: * places your buyer as the hero in the process * gets promoted through their channels * resonates with similar buyers who see themselves in the same position

Customer quotes are an important part of a case study. Customer words are more relatable (than the sellers) and build trust. Aim for at least 3 quotes: 1. What was the customer's challenge (or aspiration)? 2. What solutions did the customer consider and why did they choose your solution? 3. What was the result? This must line up with the challenge in #1 to show a transformation. Sometimes there are no data points to share or the customer doesn't have permission to share. In that case, ask if you can mask the actual numbers and use percentages (e.g., sales increase of 15%/downtime decreased by 20%)." In the absence of numbers, you can describe the qualitative improvements.

Yes and no. You do want to provide proof and data can help there but you need to make the story human and relatable as well. There is so much "10x" your ROI noise out there that it's easy to be lumped into the BS case study bucket.

When creating SEO content, it's important to follow best practices to ensure that your content is optimized for search engines and user engagement. Here is a basic format that you can follow for creating SEO-friendly content - Title Tag - Meta Description - Heading Tags - Body Content - Internal Links - External Links - Images - URL Structure - Mobile Optimization By following this format and incorporating SEO best practices, you can create content that is optimized for search engines and user engagement, ultimately helping to improve your website's visibility and rankings in search results.

SEO is a nice to have for case studies, but few companies reach this stage of capability maturity. Further, few buyers are looking for case studies at the top of the funnel, where SEO is most effective. Instead of optimizing for SEO, optimize for interesting.

Also . . . engage your case study partners to exponentially increase your reach! Quickly share completed studies with them so they can also promote them, which brings both of you extra credibility. ALWAYS ask. The worst they can say is "no." Ideally, before you and your case study partner launch into development, you've already agreed to cross-promote.

Yes! But you should adapt your posts to the social media platform. The same case study could be represented with different ways in each platform. For example, a short video on you tube/tik tok, carousel posts on Instagram etc. You could also make multiple posts for the same case study, underlining each time a different aspect of it.

Just don't post the same case study you have on your website onto social media. If your potential buyer is just beginning their journey and becoming aware of what your company does they are not going to read a 2000 word essay. They will likely watch an engaging video clip though. Also, at the top of the funnel they don't want to hear about you so have the content focus on the problem you solve and the category you're in. Match the message, medium, and length to the channel and stage of the journey.

How most companies do this: 1. Write sanitized case study that no one wants to read 2. Add a call to action at the end How effective companies do this: 1. Interview customers to understand their sincere struggles and challenges 2. Send these case studies to others facing the same struggles and challenges A CTA at the bottom of a mediocre case study is a meatball sundae with a cherry on top.

B2B case studies don't need to be boring. Tell a story. It doesn't need to be linear. If fact, it will be more interesting if it's not chronological. Try starting at a pivot point in the story. Separately, if you have many case studies, include a search tool or a sidebar that enables the reader to find the ones more applicable to them (e.g., industry, solution/product, customer name, location, quote).

To further increase ROI from your case studies, be sure to offer them to trade and other relevant media. For instance, you can pitch a “contributed article” where your goal is to "soft sell," meaning referring to a concrete outcome you attained. Media won't use self-congratulatory marketing blather, so focus your efforts on pitching practical solutions your org has delivered. “Certain PR professionals” (such as – ahem - myself) can handle your pitching, which not everyone has the stomach for. To further maximize ROI from the substantial effort you've made to produce quality case studies, complete the virtuous cycle of media coverage! Link to every piece on your website, including the media’s logo and a brief abstract.

Get out of the old school case study mindset. The traditional long-form case study has turned into a bit of a checkbox for buyers. They usually won't read it, they just want to make sure you have it. Instead focusing on customer storytelling and distributing the right story to the right people at the right time.