Types of Case Studies
There are short and long-form case studies. Full format case studies are ideal for those in buying mode and who want lots of meaty information.
Short-form case studies are an excellent way to stimulate initial interest. Both have their roles, but a short case study can’t replace a long format.
Short Case Studies. Ideal for email outreach, social posts, capture page teasers, and social media ads. Maximum 500 words.
Long Case Studies. Ideal as lead magnets, blog posts, and website offers (PDF download); for sales teams (use them as closing tools), conference and seminar handouts, team training, recruitment hooks, and repurposing into testimonials. Maximum 1,500 words.
Ideal for:
- Lead magnets
- Blog content
- Sales tools for your sales team
- Seminar and conference handouts
- Staff training
- Enhanced team loyalty
- Repurposing into testimonials
An example of a short-form case study is below.
An example of a mini case study (above).
Too Much Monkey Business – Our Process Explained
Creating a potent case study is not just about content creation; putting metaphorical pen to paper and writing copy. When it comes to case study creation, there are many moving parts, the most important of which are listed here:
1. BuyIn From You
To maximize results, you should be on board with the project. It’s not enough to say, ‘it’s a good idea, let’s give it a go’. Instead, be an enthusiastic advocate prepared to prosecute the case to key stakeholders.
2. BuyIn From Customers
The last thing you (or we) want is to pressure customers/clients to consent to be interviewed by us. It’s better to invoke the concept of WIIFM – what’s in it for me? We will show you how to do it so selected customers see a ‘win’ for themselves, thereby ensuring they’ll be enthusiastic participants in the project.
3. Research
We research in three ways:
- We interview you
- We interview the customer
- Other research as determined
By the time we start writing your Case Study, you can be sure we have been well briefed and are crystal clear on how to put it together.
4. The Interview
Forensic questioning, excellent listening skills, and a non-threatening communication style are part of the deal with us.
Your customers are safe with us. In fact, they’ll enjoy the experience and will feel honored that you’ve chosen them to participate.
5. Writing Your Customer Story
We will write up to four drafts and deliver the final version to you via Google Docs. We will also provide early drafts and ask for feedback, so we can further refine the story.
6. Packaging and Repurposing
This is an optional service, but leveraging the text in various ways can ramp up your ROI. Examples include:
- Customized and branded PDFs
- Slide decks
- HTML pages
- Social media graphics
- Audiograms
Here is an example of a case study we did for an Australian Accountant….
VIDEO TESTIMONIALS AND SNIPPETS
We will record a full customer interview full of gold nuggets and share-worthy quotes.
After editing the video, we’ll extract video snippets that you can use on social media platforms and elsewhere. Each video snippet lasts for one to two minutes, and a typical customer interview will yield 5 – 7 snippets.
We overlay each video with a catchy heading and subtitles.
The full video interview can be loaded to your YouTube channel or website.
An optional extra is for us also to write the supporting text. A video without supporting text is less effective than displaying both. The objective of the text is to sell visitors on watching the video.
