WHAT IS A CASE STUDY?
In simple terms, a case study is a communications tool that tells the world what you did for someone, how you did it, why you did it that way, and what the results were. Case studies can be one of the most effective weapons in your marketing arsenal. They’re compelling, powerful – and surprisingly versatile. Explaining how your expertise or products helped someone else achieve goals or reduce stress connects with your audience more immediately and memorably than merely sharing capabilities. They don’t have to be long or fancy, and all you have to do is share the facts.
WHY ARE CASE STUDIES SO EFFECTIVE?
Several things make case studies particularly effective. First, they’re factual, so the reader doesn’t have to wade through hype or puffery to learn what it is you do how well or you do it. Second, case studies are a form of storytelling, and telling stories will capture your audience’s attention in a way that few other forms of persuasive communication can do. People like to read about the challenges others face, because it deepens their knowledge about their industry and strengthens their own problem-solving skills.
Case studies allow people to project someone else’s real-world experience upon their own organization and needs. If they see that you offered a solution that helped someone double their production or cut defects by 82 percent, they’ll do the mental arithmetic to see what similar results will mean to their own bottom line.
WHO USES CASE STUDIES?
Case studies are ideal for most types of companies and organizations. For example:
- A manufacturing company can use a case study to demonstrate how their product improved production and profitability for a customer.
- A professional services firm can use studies to explain strategies that will help their clients.
- A utility company can create case studies that demonstrate how their staff worked with ratepayers to reduce energy consumption and cost.
- A healthcare provider might use case studies to help other patients see the value of particular tests or procedures.
- A charitable organization can use case studies to explain how their involvement has a direct impact on people’s lives or the community.
HOW DO COMPANIES USE CASE STUDIES?
Case studies are versatile, and companies and organizations can use them in many ways. For example, case studies work well in advertising, mailings, in email newsletters, on your website, on social media, as articles in trade magazines, in brochures … essentially, no matter how you communicate with your audiences, there are ways to incorporate case studies. Video case studies can be even more influential than printed ones when used on your website or social media channels.
WHAT TYPES OF CASE STUDIES ARE THERE?
There is no particular format for case studies. Professional case study writers vary the format based upon the client’s needs, preferences, and where the case studies will appear. For example, a case study that will be published in an industry trade magazine will be very different from one that might be placed on the client’s website.
Many case studies are written in a style that’s a lot like magazine articles. They may include quotes from people at a customer’s facility, or they may be straightforward and simple. Some may be presented in a problem/solution format, where an opening paragraph spells out the problem the customer faced, and the balance of the case study described the solution and the benefits or other results. Case studies can be as short as a single paragraph or thousands of words long. Again, all that depends on the specific needs. A professional case study writer can help your organization determine the right format and approach.
HOW DOES A WRITER CREATE A CASE STUDY?
Professional case study writer Scott Flood has extensive experience at developing case studies for a broad range of clients and industries. In most cases, he’ll interview an organization’s staff to better understand what the case study is about and what made the solution superior. Often, he’ll also speak with one or more people from your customer to get their honest feedback. (Sometimes, your customers will do a much better job of explaining what makes your solution better than your own team!)
Those interviews are an important step, because the writer will be able to hear the words the organization’s team uses when describing both the problem and the solution. There may be specific terms that are common in your organization’s industry that are not as familiar among your customers, so the writer will be able to match the right language for the specific audience.
WHY SHOULD WE USE AN OUTSIDE WRITER?
There are three key benefits to having a professional writer develop your case study rather than relying upon internal staff to create it:
- Expertise. Staff members who have never developed case studies may not know the best way to tell these important stories for your organization. Professional case study writers have extensive experience at helping organizations like yours … and they know the most effective formats and approaches.
- Schedule. Most organizations have trouble developing their own case studies – not because of a lack of interest, but because of a lack of time. Asking staff members whose plates are already full to create case studies is a recipe for inaction. When your team is expected to do more work in less time, identifying customers, clients, and projects that would make excellent case studies isn’t going to be at the top of their agendas.
- Perspective. Another advantage of outsourcing the development of case studies to a professional writer is that someone outside your organization will bring objectivity to the process, and a willingness to point out that a particular story may not be as compelling to the outside world as those within the organization may believe.
WHY USE SCOTT FLOOD AS A CASE STUDY WRITER?
Scott Flood has been developing case studies for clients for more than four decades – most of whom have worked with him for many years. Why? He makes the process easy for them.
Scott Flood has worked with business owners, CEOs, professionals, and others who had stories and successes that needed to be shared. He’s helped them communicate in the most effective way for their specific audience. And while he’s based in Indianapolis, Scott Flood has written case study projects for clients throughout the United States.
WHAT DOES CASE STUDY WRITING COST?
Because every case study writing project involves different levels of complexity, varied formats and lengths, approval processes, and how the writer works with the client, it’s impossible to set a standard rate that’s fair for both parties. However, here are some typical price ranges for case study projects:
- 1200-word magazine article-style case study $700-850
- 125-word case study for website $350-500
- 15-minute case study video script $1200-1500
- 2500-word white paper-style case study $1000-$1300
Note: this pricing reflects single, one-time projects. When Scott Flood handles ongoing projects or multiple projects at once, he adjusts the pricing to reflect economies of scale.