Pursuing customer research this week, I found myself returning to data services marketing (data engineers, analysts, agencies etc) and their use of B2B case studies in their marketing. And although, in this newsletter, I’m drawing from this sector, it is often the case that lessons learned can be applied to any B2B who supplies a technical service, from telematics to property management, recruitment to compliance support.
When I talk about client case studies there are several moving parts included: a description of the work undertaken, the outcomes, quoted or written comments from the client, client logos and other IP and internal company details. For these reasons, client case studies can be a pain to research, interview for, assemble and write. However, they are routinely identified as some of the most powerful social proof available to B2B services when lead prospecting. 29% of B2B executives surveyed by 2020 Demand Gen Report said that case studies were the most valuable content formats and sources for researching your B2B purchases.
Data vs details in B2B case studies
Many data services show client B2B case studies that include customer details (customer name and job title, company size, logo) plus a description of the work done. But, ironically, what is often missing is the data. Where are the metrics? Metrics are effective as both text and graphics in marketing campaigns and can be re-used across many channels. Metrics show return on investment and quantification. Sometimes metrics aren’t there, but if you can pull them out, do so.
If you are a small to midsize data-based B2B service and you’re reluctant to ask your clients for data after the job has been done, then I suggest you go back to your terms of agreement or onboarding processes and introduce the concept of data gathering for your own marketing. Ask early, when it’s not needed, then collect later on or decide on metrics that can be gathered whilst you’re still working for that customer. Don’t wait until you’ve worked for a client for a year before you ask them because you put both of you in an awkward position.
If a customer does not want to give you this data (it’s their data, they own it, so they’re entitled) then you move to using broader details. If a customer still does not want you to give out these details, you move to a more generic case study format. This can still have a lot of power and influence over readers, but will need to be written in a much more confident style.
If you’re a smaller B2B firm (my clients often are) and your customers aren’t recognizable to the general public (i.e. the vast majority of businesses) how important is it to reveal that you helped ABC logistics company or XYZ healthcare provider?
On balance, I would rather see an anonymous case study with metrics than a customer logo with scant details. Potential leads who read your B2B case studies will appreciate that you are respecting a client’s privacy.
Not all B2B case studies and testimonials are created equal. For one reason or another, you can get a poor testimonial from a great client and a great testimonial from a low-value, short-term, client. I recommend using the latter.
If you do get a poor quote from a great client you could go back and ask a follow-up question from your testimonials form. If you have the right kind of relationship with them, you could even ask them to rephrase their testimonial rather than edit heavily.
Burying the most impactful statements at the end
It’s very tempting to write a case study in a three-act story structure with a beginning, a middle and an end. But that isn’t appropriate for every marketing platform and there’s a very good chance that leads won’t read to the end of your story.
I call this the penultimate paragraph paradigm. When a client asks me to review any kind of long-form content I will often skip to the penultimate or sometimes final paragraph where I will find a key piece of differentiation or uniqueness that I was looking for. This could be a unique selling proposition or clever piece of analysis or a statement aimed at a specific ideal customer profile.
Pull out these statements and put them in the title or at least the first paragraph.
Not adapting testimonials to context
If you’ve gathered a testimonial from a client, you’re not obligated to repeat every word they’ve said. However, you must ensure not to misrepresent their message.
When editing testimonials for B2B case studies, prioritize direct references to the services you offer. Vague or weak statements (even coming out of your customer’s mouths) do not necessarily reinforce your argument effectively and may detract from the testimonial’s impact.
Remember, you’re not bound to repeat the entire testimonial verbatim. Depending on the context, you can modify or reinstate sentences as needed. Different pages on your website, channels or media may require tailored versions of the testimonial to meet their specific objectives.
Write. Publish. Repeat.
There is a saying that re-reading the same marketing statements over and over will leave you sick of your marketing before anyone else. Only change it if it’s not working or no longer reflects the service you’re delivering. You just have to get over this repetition because a great testimonial is a great testimonial, an awesome metric is an awesome metric and a well-crafted line that beautifully describes your B2B service is worth repeating.
Don’t post a case study once, in one place and then never use it again.
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Making the best use of customer B2B case studies features as part of my Reach Your B2B Buyer Content Strategy Program. In addition, we also work on expressing your unique selling propositions, competitive advantages, how to sound different in your industry, how to talk specifically to your ideal customer profile and many more topics.
You can revamp your entire content strategy for your business by booking the Reach Your B2B Buyer Content Strategy Program.
Analyse and build a unique voice for your B2B service that can be applied across multiple channels and through marketing and sales funnels to improve conversion rates and differentiate your business.