There’s an old saying in marketing: “Show, don’t tell.”
Yet most of the case studies out there just tell tell tell.
They’re nothing but quotes from the customer telling their story — saying how they struggled but now they’re successful and blah blah blah.
If you’re in a market like fitness there may be some before/after photos as well.
But even with that, your case studies don’t stand out. Because everyone has photos like that.
If your case studies don’t stand out, your reader will glaze over them. So they won’t feel any pull to buy what you’re selling.
But there’s a simple way to fix this.
First, find the unique story of your customer.
Most case studies don’t do this. They’re just superficial quotes about how the person used to struggle but now they’re successful thanks to your product/service.
It’s lazy writing. And lazy writing does not make for a compelling story or compelling marketing.
You have to actually dive into the fears, joys, and unique moments your customer experienced.
Once you have all that, don’t just tell your reader about them; show them!
Add images that show not just the final result, but unique and interesting moments throughout the journey.
When I’m doing case studies, I always do this.
For example, I’m working on one right now about a man who lost 110lbs and reversed his type two diabetes.
Obviously I’m including a before/after picture to show the weight loss.
But I also found some other images that will really help the story stand out…
As we were talking, the customer mentioned how he got an email from his doctor where the doctor said “OMG I can’t believe it! Your diabetes is gone!”
I immediately said I needed to include a copy of that email in this story.
Why?
A few reasons:
First, it’s further proof that this story is true. Remember, your audience is skeptical-as-hell. They’re looking for every reason to not believe you. Adding a photo reinforces the fact that this actually happened. People will now believe you more. And your story will have more emotional punch.
Second, in this particular case, it adds legitimacy to the product we are selling. Because we now have a quote from a doctor saying these results are legit.
Third, photos — especially ones that are different from what you see in other case studies — capture attention. Many of the people who land on your case study are going to skim it. If all they see are words and quotes their eyes may glaze over the page.
Have you ever clicked on something, saw a bunch of text and thought “Fuck that, I aint reading this...” That’s what I’m talking about. Photos break the text up so it’s not so intimidating. And they give you an extra chance to hook to suck the reader into the story.
Finally, a photo like this gives your reader something they can remember. Images stick in people’s minds better than a vague concept. Adding photos like this gives your reader something solid to hold on to. And it helps them see how your product/service can look in their life.
So there ya go.
Take the time to really uncover the unique story of your customer.
When you hear something that shocks you, excites you, or stirs up emotion in any way see if you can add a photo of it. Because if it got your juices going it will probably do the same for your audience.
And you’ll end up with a case study people believe that stands out from the competition.
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