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THIS WEEK
The Persuasive Power of Case Studies
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The Persuasive Power of Case Studies
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If you want to influence buyer behaviour, one of the ways to do it is to demonstrate that other people have used your product or service with great success. Most of the time businesses focus on gathering testimonials, but a lesser-known method is through the use of case studies.
Case studies highlight the results one of your clients achieved and specifically what they did to get those results. They don't have to be long winded, just enough to highlight the core facts. Here's a few examples from my business to give you some ideas.
One of the market leading travel companies hired Ingrid to write 100 keyword rich articles for their website. Traffic went from 9 350 to 19 868 unique visitors per month as a result of the strategy.
One small alternative health service business that came to see Ingrid averaged 18 clients per week. As a result of their new website, revamped marketing materials, and a new client acquisition strategy, they now average 41 clients per week. A 127% increase in business that added over $110,000 to their bottom line in their first year alone.
An online company created an agents program where people could sign up to sell the products in return for a % of the sale. New agents purchased a kit to help them sell the products. The company's initial target was to sign 3 agents in the first 3 months. As a result of one single direct mail piece to their existing list, they signed 17 agents in the first 2 weeks – a 467% result over target, adding over $8000 in sales over 14 days.
 Get the idea? So what does a great case study include? While people are divided on this issue, the best case studies give specific information and details, so potential clients, and customers can make an informed decision about the amount of effort vs. the return.
In my experience, great case studies contain 3 elements:
- Details about the business – what sort of business was it (small, medium, large)
- What did they do to get the results – be specific here so people can make a realistic assessment of what was involved to generate the results
- What results did they get – again be very specific and include a $ amount, % increase, results achieved.
Now a word of warning. If you market into the US, you need to be aware of the FTC rules around case studies. If you use case studies, you are required to give information about the average results for your product or service gained through qualitative research. You can't get away with "*not typical results". You need details about what the average person achieves on your program or service.
Many businesses are still struggling with this in the states. From my perspective (and remember I am not a lawyer and this does not constitute legal advice), I would be gathering data from each of your clients to ask them the results they achieved, and would be documenting each of the responses. If you can afford external market or scientific research, then consider that as a way to document your proof.
Even if you are not in the states, I would include the three elements of a great case study. That way you are not creating false expectations and are being open and honest with potential clients. Sure, you are sharing success stories, but in a way that is in alignment with your positive values.
Remember, case studies are very powerful tools in your marketing toolbox. If you have only ever used testimonials before in your marketing, how could you create some case studies to highlight your business strengths?
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| HR Tip of the Week: To Boost Performance, Share the Norms |
There has been a lot of research in recent years in the neuropsychology and neuromarketing sectors about how to boost performance. One of the best ways is not to emphasise failure, but to focus on norms. So rather that say "Our business is failing, everyone needs to work more effectively", find a benchmark and share it "Businesses our size and in our equivalent location on average get x results. What are they doing that we are not?"
Studies have also looked at the impact of anti-drinking campaigns on uni students. The shock horror campaigns are less effective than the campaigns that share "2 out of 3 Uni of X students only drink 2 drinks at a party".
It works in that people want to be the same as others - so they modify their behaviour accordingly. If you want to read more about the research in this area, check out the book of the week "Nudge"
lf you are interested in the latest research in how to change behaviour then I highly recommend the book "Nudge". It looks at how people make decisions, and how you can influence the decisions one way or the other just by the way you frame the questions, present the information or set up the display.
The goal is to "nudge" people towards better choices - such as choosing fruit instead of fries at the fast food checkout (it is all to do with menu design and where each of the products appears in the line), how to boost organ donation and how to get people to choose less petrol consuming cars.
Yes, the book is confronting and raises a whole pile of ethical questions, but it also will get you thinking about how you can positively change the behaviour of your teams.
When you look at someone with disabilities, what do you see? What about someone with multiple disabilities - no eyes, in a wheelchair, with Down's syndrome? What do you feel? In this blog post I share an inspirational video of one such person, and his father who saw the potential within his son. His son is a truly gifted musician who just happens to be in a University marching band - despite his challenges.
If ever you need a lift, or you want a reminder that each person has the potential for greatness if you just find their gifts, then this video will share that with you.
exuberantly yours
Ingrid
Heart Harmony
PS: This week's Small Business Tips blog included a post about "It's rarely the big things that lose customers - just the little things"
Legal stuff: This newsletter is intended only a general guideline for Australian businesses. You should seek specific advice for your situation rather than relying only on this newsletter
Earnings disclaimer. Some of the content may include advertorial information, which means I may receive financial compensation for the products I recommend. But - unless I know and trust the product, I will not recommend it.
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