According to research by Adweek, almost 80 percent of shoppers perform proper research before they make a purchase.
This means that the majority of people are surfing the internet and trying to get all the information about your product or services before they can buy it.
Before these diligent prospective customers think about paying you, they need to know the answers to these two questions:
Does [your product or service] work as it promises?
Will [your product or service] work for me?
And you have to prove that it does. If you can answer these questions effectively then your reward will be a sale
In a survey of B2B Content Marketing, almost 600 marketers took part and they found that the most effective type of content for their businesses is "case studies" (55 percent).
The next two types of content in the line are "best practices" and "how-to guides" (53 and 47 percent) respectively.
Case studies might sound long, boring and dry but once you understood the psychology behind case studies they will be the best weapon in your arsenal. Before we move further, let's learn what the definition of a case study is.
A case study is an example of how a product or service has satisfied your customers. But, how does it affect the mind of a customer?
Our Brain-like stories
Top psychologists have researched and found that a well-constructed story can discharge the "oxytocin" hormone in a person's mind (Oxytocin is a bonding hormone that allows you to trust in a relationship)
Shopify, one of the giants in the E-commerce industry has hired full-time storytellers so they can write long and engaging case studies for their brand. They have surely put a handsome amount of resources into publishing these stories.
There are many case studies that while reading you will feel that the story was detailed, personal, and warm. After reading a case study you will feel that you were just standing in the store and having a talk with the owner.
Such case studies can trigger emotions with the brand and allow a prospect to relate as a customer, visualizing themselves as the owner of their business.
Our Brain Demands Social Proof
Have you ever given thought to why there is a band of logos spread across a particular sector on the homepage of almost every website? Well, most companies do this to influence the effect of multiple sources which is vital to the principle of social proof.
According to this principle, our mind is more likely to believe a scheme if it is stated or recommended independently by several sources. Business like Uber and Salesforce uses logos that are easily recognizable as they use real and well-known faces to set up the multiple source effect on their websites
Our Brain Loves Logics and Numbers
While words can be bent or generalized to seem more persuasive, numbers can't lie. Because they're either 100 percent true or 100 per cent false, they're the building blocks of mathematics and science. They're unquestionably logical and plain just like black and white.
Top two tech giants in the world, Google and Facebook are always dependent on their numbers in their case studies.
An exploration of Facebook's case studies demonstrates how important numbers are. When we talk about true success, numerical data sit at the top relating to money, time, and reach.
The global case study of Google is also the same as each case study opens with "Results" in the form of numbers and closes with them again, reinforcing quantifiable success.
Google knows that numbers are inarguably believable therefore it has concrete and universal proof that its product or service is working as it was promised to.
So now you know why a case study is important and you wish to build a case study of your own but how to do it? Below we have shown how you can create your case study by using the same patterns used by companies like Google, Amazon, and Uber.
If you study how big brands like Snap, Walmart, and Amazon write case studies, a pattern emerges. All of them have the same patterns divided into four parts. If you follow this formula to write your case study then you will also get a great response.
Background – who are your customers?
What do they do? Just describe your customer and select the most recognized names to build social proof. Ensure that it is short and easy to read.
Problem — what problem did your client have?
Well, there is no problem why do you think that your customer will ever need you? Therefore Google addresses this as a "Challenge" and Facebook calls it an "Objective". A story is not completed unless it has some kind of drama in it so you need to clarify that something is wrong.
Solution — what did your company do to solve the problem?
In this, you need to describe what unique solution you have provided to your clients or customers. Describe it briefly with screenshots.
Results – show the the numbers
Do you need to tell what did your customer achieve with your unique solution? It can be revenue, time, audience, or all of them. Show your numbers and try to be as personalized as you can, it will make your case study more effective.
Showcase the success stories of your customers by following the science-backed formula for your case studies which is followed by Facebook, Google, Uber, Snap, Amazon, and Shopify. By doing this you will tell your prospects that your products and services will work as you have promised.