Telling Your Story with a Case Study

Why Case Studies

A case study provides concrete examples of how well your product and services work. Since they are told from the perspective of a customer you helped, it allows readers to easily identify with the the problems and solutions you are presenting.

Anatomy of an Effective Case Study

• Introduction: Present your customer. Provide a brief background history on you customer. Describe the solutions they provide to their customers.
• Challenge: Describe your customers problem. List the pain points that lead them to seek a new solution. Explain why the products or services they currently rely on no longer work. State the goals a new solution must achieve.
  
  
• Investigation: Describe the products or services your customer investigated. Discuss why each product or service did not meet their needs.
• Solution: Describe your product or service. Discuss specifically how your solution addressed your customers pain points and needs.
• Results: Describe the impact of your solution on your customer. Discuss how your solution helped your customer meet their goals.

Brochures That Get Action

Effectively communicating the most important fundamentals about your business and your products or services prompts your prospects into action. Brochures that use solid testimonials can create the trust a potential buyer needs about your service or product. When done properly, they guide your prospect through the steps you want them to take so they can move ahead logically to purchase your product or service.

Creating Attention Grabbing Brochures

• Write a front cover headline that speaks directly to your reader and addresses their needs.
• Communicate the most important benefits about your business and your products or services.
• Use solid testimonials that can create the trust a potential buyer needs about your service or product.
• Give the reader action and steps you want them to take so they can move ahead logically to purchase your product or service.
• Tell your customer how easy it is to operate or implement your product or service.
• Use headlines to summarize content.
• Organize content to cater equally to readers that scan from beginning to end, or who jump around from topic to topic.

Getting the Most of Your Brochure

• Send as an introductory mailer.
• Leave behind at initial sales calls.
• Send as part of your literature fulfillment for potential clients responding to an ad or a phone enquiry.
• Display it in reception area.
• Display in your referral partners reception area.
• Hand out copies at seminars and exhibits.
• Send with proposals.

Focusing Your Brochure
The focus of your brochure determines its usefulness to the reader. No matter the topic you choose, you must key in on the benefits that your product or service provides. Remember, people do not buy products; they buy what the product promises them.

Postcards That Reach Your Customers

Direct mail pieces, such as post cards, are cost effective marketing tools that reach your target audience directly. Unlike newspaper adverting, your have a better chance of your prospects seeing your ad and can easily track the results of your campaign. Direct mail pieces are versatile. In a single mailing you can seek business from prospective customers, and solicit repeat business from existing customers.

Creating Postcards That Are Kept
Effective postcards offer useful snippets of information that your target audience will hold onto or use to redeem your service. In fact, when done properly, your prospects will not only collect your postcards, but will also look forward to receiving them. Successful post cards will focus on a particular theme for the calendar year. Themes include:

• How To
• Tips
• Did You Know
• Invitations
• Reminders
• Maintenance Schedules/Calendars
• Sale Announcements
• Coupons/Discounts
• Recipes/Mini Menus
• Thank You
• Contests

Planning Your Postcards

A business that customers hear from is one that they will keep in mind and keep doing business with. Like any other marketing campaign, sending postcards to your customer and prospect list is not a one-time event. If postcard marketing is the only vehicle you are using to connect with your customers, you should consider a minimum of four mailings and ideally up to 12 mailings per year.

Designing Your Post Cards

• Avoid using too much information.
• Remember the back of the card is just as important as the front.
• Make a dated offer tied to only one service.
• Focus on one Unique Selling Proposition or a single benefit.
• Include your company’s contact information.
• Use front left of card for a testimonial when appropriate.