By JANET HAUTER
Guest Columnist
Is marketing a conundrum for you? Conundrums are mysteries pure and simple. Marketing is a mystery for too many, especially marketing in the New Economy.
We are in a chaotic era right now, a disruptive moment, where change is the only constant. It comes at us like a tsunami with no image of a resulting future. Entire industries are disappearing – being replaced by some new idea, new technology, or service. That is Elon Musk’s incredible success; he doesn’t change products or services, he changes industries. He thinks bigger than the typical mortal.
The renaissance we’re in has changed the customer in a profound way that’s often overlooked. Funds are almost as tight as our time management these days, so customers are now looking for affordable, trustworthy solutions that are effective in resolving their issues. Since projected costs for marketing support is expected to rise to over $200 billion in 2023, attention is being given to the different forms marketing is taking with digital marketing heading the pack.
Trust has become a critical ingredient of people choosing businesses because funds and time are limited commodities. One powerful strategy that continues to prove effective is case study marketing.
What is case study marketing?
In a way, case study marketing inverts the pyramid. Historically, businesses were the experts in providing quality work. The New Economy sets up a different paradigm: your customer is the expert! The customer recognizes an issue needing someone outside his skill set. He does online research, which offers a list of sorts. Some may choose the closest service provider; others will check with friends and family. Others yet will take it to the next level and begin to get quotes.
Case studies showcase your company as a thought leader who demonstrates success stories so that you hear from happy customers and why they had a positive experience. What used to be effective marketing was telling people about the stuff you sell – period. Now, your customer tells your prospects how you resolved a challenge they had coupled with their gratitude to you for your help. There is no better way to understand how your business can help another than to step into the shoes of a happy customer!
Why makes case studies so effective?
Case studies are compelling real-life stories of how your product or service helped a customer. Hearing a story from someone like themselves opens up a relationship of equals: customer to customer. Sharing another customer’s challenging story and how your company helped resolve the problem makes you and your company heroes.
Case studies have incredible return-on-investment applications for you. They are often on waiting room tables, appear on your website as a testimonial with quotes, or included in sales presentations as a persuasive tool that demonstrates why customers work with you. They are also used in onboarding new employees offering insight about your values while generating more leads.
A one-time investment (generally from $350 to $500) per case study (the average company has two to three created) can go a long way in creating a competitive advantage proving why 73 percent of the most successful marketing copywriters use case studies now.
Janet Hauter, known as the The Writing Wizard, is an 80-year-old entrepreneur debuting her new business for the Noblesville community.