10 Resolutions Revived by Case Studies

Do you hear that fizzle? That’s the sound of all those collective business New Year’s resolutions fading away.
The secret to keeping a resolution is in how you set your goal. Instead of goals that rely on the unpredictable behavior of others, establish goals that give you the control and accountability.
For instance, replace I’m going to attract 10 new high quality, sales-ready prospects each month with I’m going to develop the assets and tools necessary for attracting new prospects.
In the end, you can’t decide if a prospect enters your pipeline. That’s your prospect’s choice and their choice alone. However, you can create the necessary assets to influence them in a positive way.
To make your business resolutions go from fizzle to sizzle, focus on building the tools that can help you reach your goals. One such tool is a case study.

Here are 10 common New Years resolutions that can be revived by case studies:

1) We will pursue a stronger presence in social media. A case study can be tweeted on Twitter, posted on Facebook, updated on LinkedIn, discussed in a forum, and posted on your blog or company website. Its presence expands your website’s footprint. Plus, a well-written case study will naturally be rich with keywords. Collectively, these tactics improve your ranking, SEO, visibility, and credibility.
2) We plan to create more content for marketing purposes. Social media and traditional marketing campaigns require content. A case study or success story expands your content assets.
3) We will listen to customers. A case study requires interviewing your customer and asking them what they like about your company. All you have to do is listen.
4) We’re going to really identify our customer benefits. Identifying benefits requires asking your customers the value they’re receiving from you (reread #3). A case study does this. A case study also gives you the necessary information for you to determine if your perception of value matches that of your customers.
5) We will develop a niche marketing campaign. Case studies speak directly to the client demographic represented in the study. Did you solve the intranet communication issues of a mid-sized company? Other mid-sized companies with similiar problems will be very interested in your solution. Are you a financial advisor who helped a single parent carve out a retirement savings plan? A builder who used sustainable technologies to create a perfect home for retirees who spend half the year elsewhere? You get the idea.
6) We need to collect testimonials. A well-written case study will include client quotes that can be repurposed as stand-alone testimonials. A case study itself is one big third-party endorsement to the credibility of your solutions.
7) We plan to expand into new media. Case studies and success stories can be told using photographs, slides, video, blogs or even award submissions.
8 ) We want to breathe new magic into traditional marketing. Try using a success story for an advertorial or include the link to your case study on your advertisement. Here’s another suggestion: use a case study to expand a customer rewards program. A good case study highlights the best practices of your client giving them excellent and free visibility. Offer your gold or platinum-tiered clients the opportunity to be featured in a success story.
9) We will improve our client education efforts. Client or prospect education is a necessity for developing awareness (the first stage of a purchase cycle). Case studies certainly qualify as an effective means for doing this. You can even include a section on lessons learned to emphasize the educational piece.

10) We will market smarter. Marketing smarter means becoming more efficient with the budget you have and leveraging your investment for the maximum amount of return. After reading the first 9 resolutions wouldn’t you agree that a case study fits this description?


What about you? What resolutions did you set and how are you doing with them?

K. Marley is a professional content writer who helps businesses communicate their value to their prospects and customers. Make contact at http://www.kmwordsmith.com.

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