Let’s start with the basics. Some field service and manufacturing companies (who we primarily work with) are B2B -- while some are B2C. (Some also might be both.) Each side will want to understand, “Hey, why would case studies matter for our marketing?” Thankfully, we can tackle that in about one paragraph each.
The B2B Side
If you work in an FSO primarily doing or searching for B2B business -- usually meaning you will get a service-level agreement (SLA) with another company to fix their machines and devices -- then case studies are essential. B2B buyers tend to base almost everything on reviews and research, and in the B2B world, that tends to come in the form of case studies. Seventy-seven percent of B2B companies across multiple industries use case studies, per MarketingProfs research; 69 percent of B2B companies in a 2014 study said case studies were their best tactic for creating new customers.
The B2C side
For FSOs marketing directly to individuals and families (usually in a local area), using case studies can be effective -- and in large part because very few companies are doing it. Only about 35% of B2C companies use case studies, and in some local markets, the number of FSOs using them is exactly zero. In short: If you’re doing the same things as your competitors and those aren’t necessarily working, why not do something no one else is doing?
Alright. Good! Hopefully we’ve quickly shown the value of case studies. But there’s a problem. (Jaws music goes here.)
The problem is actually two-fold. (Louder Jaws music.)
The first problem is time. You don’t have a lot of it and there’s a lot to get done. Check this out, for example: An average office worker globally gets 121 work emails per day. You could probably spend your entire day on email. Who has time to do case studies?
The second problem is “proofing.” If you go on a website and it has a case study, and the case study says this company is the best company in the history of all humankind, are you going to automatically believe it? Or will you say, “Hmmm, it looks like they wrote this about themselves…”? Probably the second response.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Case studies are important.
- They are time-consuming to produce and your time is valuable.
- You want to make sure customers believe in them.
We can help navigate this for you. Ready?
Outsource your case studies. Work with a marketing agency on them. (You can work with us if you’d like!)
Saving time: Almost every notable business figure of the past 20-30 years, from Warren Buffett on down, has advised companies of all sizes to outsource some of their functionality to those who can do it better. Working with an inbound agency is a prime example of that. We work on the case study -- writing, designing, promoting, hosting on third-party sites -- and you work on your primary business.
Making sure your customers believe in you: Again, we help with the branding and presentation of it. And as we work on it, we embrace transparency. Sometimes discussing failures -- and how you solved them! -- in a transparent way is good for business development.
If you’d like to learn more about how case studies can work effectively as part of your marketing, download our eBook below. We’ll walk you through the value, process, and approach.
