By Alan Graner
OK. You’ve written your case study. It’s dramatic. Helpful. Compelling.
Now what?
Here are 10 ways you can integrate your case study into your marketing strategy:
Website
Duh. This is a no-brainer and should be done automatically.
Twitter
Whenever you create a new case study, announce it on Twitter and provide a short link to it on your website.
Facebook
Fan page? Business page? Regular page? Who cares? Post your case study there.
LinkedIn and LinkedIn groups
You can publish your case study on LinkedIn, but most people write a short, intriguing intro along with a shortened URL that takes them to your website (and increases traffic).
Press release
Is there something newsworthy in your case study? There almost always is (unless it’s a total puff piece). Find the news angle—a way to save time or money, a new manufacturing technique, the secret of better customer relations—and refashion your case study into a press release. Remember: this is news, not a sales piece, so skip the puffery and chest beating. Since paid wire services charge by the number of words, you may have to seriously abridge your case study.
Trade publications, newspapers and ezines
Not all publications accept outside submissions, so make sure you know their policies and guidelines before you submit your case study. Some publications will print your case study as is (How Mighty Widget Improves Delivery Times) while others want you to edit it into a more generic piece (How widgets improve delivery times). Label them as edited and unedited so there’s no confusion about which one you’re submitting.
Direct mail
Email the case study to your opt-in list. It’s an easy way to keep your name in front of them and to dramatize how your real-world solutions can benefit customers and prospects.
Lead generation
Offer your case study as a free giveaway in your advertising, direct mail, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on your website. If you do, the case study must have value to your intended audience. If it’s a glorified ad, recipients won’t like it. Or you.
Sales handout
Print multiple copies and hand them out at trade shows, at networking events, weddings (just kidding) and leave-behinds after sales calls.
PowerPoint
Have a speaking opportunity? Convert your case study into a PowerPoint, complete with graphs, photos and other visuals. Or, add narration and music to make it a self-contained presentation.
YouTube
You can film a spokesperson narrating your case study, perhaps backed with appropriate graphics. If you’re really ambitious (and have your client’s permission), film the case study as a mini-documentary.
Your customers
When a client participates in a case study, send them a PDF they can use in their own marketing campaigns. Also, document all the ways you’ve marketed the case study. They’ll appreciate the free publicity, which makes them happy customers.
What other recommendations would you give for marketing case studies?
Image: CC0 Public Domain license via Pixabay
Alan Graner is Chief Creative Officer at Daly-Swartz Public Relations, an Orange County, CA business public relations and marketing content firm. For content that makes you stand out from the crowd, email Jeffrey Swartz at jeffreyswartz@dsprel.com. Or visit www.dsprel.com.
From the archives: A version of this blog was originally published May 21, 2012
