What makes a good case study?

A good video case study always tells a story. Unfortunately, not all video case studies get this right because they always rely on data like numbers and outlines – which is why audiences don’t normally remember the stories they tell.

The perfect video case story is the one that gets in front of and gets the attention of your ideal customer at specific situations. Remember, only four (4) to five (5) percent of people that pay attention to your product will be ready to buy it, which is where the story comes in. If you get the right story to the right people, then they will take action.

However, you have to remember that like in e-mail marketing, the purpose of the video case study is to get people to be interested. In e-mail marketing, the purpose of the subject line is to get it open and to not sell a product right away.

A video case story is similar as it can be used in different ways, and it can be perfect in different times. It can get someone to realise why they need your service before they need you.

How do I get good video case studies?

People have asked me all the time, “Well how do I ask for testimonials?” If you’ve seen me talk before, you’ll remember me saying that testimonials are not always effective. This doesn’t mean we should get rid of testimonials entirely, but most testimonials come out as an endorsement. But we don’t need people to endorse your business, because other customers don’t know what they’re endorsing you for.

They don’t know who you are – which is why they need your story. Unfortunately, testimonials tend to overwhelm the subject, and eventually make them inefficient. However, we have a way around this.

Consistency is key

One of the best weapons of influence is to use consistency to get people to give you a bit of their story with your product. You then have to prove that story and improve that story. A great way to do this is by using visual case stories, called narration.

You start with something small and eventually evolve that story by shaping it and morphing it into something that helps your business.

Some may rely on success stories, but these are traditional case stories. The best way to approach this is to hear the story of the “process” of the product. Who’s been through it, and what’s it like, especially at the beginning?

If we tell the story of that process, it’s going to increase not only the amount of money you can charge, but you also get to tell the story. Telling the story can decrease the amount of time it takes someone to sign a contract as they have an easy way of finding out what happens if they go onboard with you.

You increase satisfaction, you increase profitability, and you increase someone’s referrals.

Collect all the time

You should always be collecting stories because if you want to get the “perfect” case story, you need a whole lot of case stories and video stories. You never know when a story has a potential to be a great material for other potential customers.

Others may find this hard because of two reasons. Firstly, some may be afraid to ask the story as we don’t know how to ask for it. Second, we may not know how to get a good case story and to ask for it at the right time.

However, getting it “not at the right time” is a good opportunity to address and talk and really get to know your clients. Collect all along the process and designate it at milestones to help improve your product and service.

You can figure out where you are, where you want to go, and how you will get there. While numbers do tell what’s going on in your business, the numbers can still tell a good story and tell something about your business.

You can collect these stories through high-definition (HD) audio interviews, then you can create a video of it if you want a video case study. You can modify this story or create a new one along the way.

Why should you use video case studies?

Like effective marketing e-mails, video case studies can be used to generate leads. These leads can be converted into prospects, which can then help to control your online reputation. You can get them to remember you through your stories.

If your stories get someone’s attention, they will remember you. Think about the last time you bought a television. You don’t go and buy a TV right away, but you research about it and try to figure out if a TV is right for you. This is where you’re going to start searching brands you like, and ask around.

Normally, prospective customers may simply rely on hard numbers such as price and specs alone. But if there’s a story behind it, you’re going to remember the product. For instance, if you walk into your friend’s house and you sit down and have an awesome night watching a movie on a Samsung TV, you will remember the Samsung TV even when you stumble upon a “better” brand in your local store.

You are more likely to buy the Samsung TV because you remembered your experience in your friend’s house.

You can use video case stories for SEO (search engine optimisation) and expand your user base. For instance, one of our clients is a Jaguar doctor. He’s not a veterinarian, but one of his videos in his homepage has been viewed 879 times.

If you can get 879 people to listen to one of your customer’s stories, and if you have a service worth five ($5), ten ($10), or $15,000 over the lifetime of that customer, then that’s a lot of value for just one video.

You can use this system in multiple video case studies. If you’re a construction accident lawyer, you’re not going to have a lot of views in your case story as it is long tail or very specific. But if your story connects to a specific person trying to find your service, then he or she will remember your story.

Not to mention, you can use this system to retarget and remarket your customers. If you use a video in other types of marketing campaigns, you can get customers to talk to other customers in different media such as Facebook. Even if your video is old, it has a certain type of longevity that makes your story worth remembering.

This is much more efficient than an advertisement because you are already expanding your ser base.

Is there such a thing as “perfect”?

We have been talking about the “perfect case study,” but there’s no such thing as a “perfect case study” that is applicable all the time. The “perfect” case study is the right story at the right time.

However, we have to understand that there’s no one that’s perfect in the service business, especially if it’s a highly complex service business. There’s so many things going on to have a “perfect” case study. However, you can find the case study you need if it tells a story to people at the right time. It has to say something in the lines of:

“Hey, you’re about to sign up with us or you just signed up with us, we’re not perfect, but fill out these stories, let us know how it’s working, and we’re going to change things to improve it not only for you, but for the people that come after you, and constantly improve our business.”

This means you have to get over your fear that you will not get any stories. Get in the habit of asking for stories and remember them. Just because people don’t say your stories are awesome – just because they expected your stories to be awesome – doesn’t mean they aren’t.

If you want to learn more about getting these stories right, Click Here.