Stories are the lifeblood of good marketing. When you can demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service through vivid storytelling, the result is a business that lives profitably ever after!

As the stories of your successes, case studies are a great marketing tool. But often businesses don’t use the rich storytelling techniques at their disposal to make their case studies come to life. Done right, case studies can compel your potential clients to act by painting you as their potential hero. See below for 6 tips for using case studies to market your business.

Tip 1. Make Your Client the Protagonist

People love stories. It’s wired into our DNA. And the best stories are the ones where we can picture ourselves as a character. A case study is just a short story of a real client.
It is one of the best tools a business has for moving a client along the decision-making
process by giving them confidence. “If she solved that tough problem, I can do it, too!”

Tip 2. Find the Right Source Material

Content for your client-based story is right in front of you. Start with knowing your audience and what their biggest challenge is, look at how your business makes impact for your audience, then think about what you want prospects to know about your business. With these three things in mind, you can mine your client stories for the ones that best fit this narrative.

Tip 3. Avoid the Fatally Dull

How can your case studies avoid the unhappy ending of being fatally dull? Avoid being too product-focused and don’t load up on sales-speak. Use rich language that makes the story of your success come to life to keep your audience engaged.

Tip 4. Use a Story Structure

When creating your case study, gather information that fits a story structure: e.g.

– Problem: Bleeding money
– Solution: Business expert with the right fit experience and solutions
– Result: Profitable ever-after

This structure clearly demonstrates your value in the way our brains love to consume information.

Tip 5. Speak in “Human”

Skip the business jargon, acronyms and buzzwords. Use authenticity. Always include the voice of your client as a testimonial. Ask for quote approval and always make your client sound good! When your clients share their results with you, (with their permission) use their words on your website and in self-promotion.

Tip 6. Choose a Riveting Title

A great story without a good title won’t get read. Be clear and demonstrate the “what” in your case study title in a way that makes your audience want to know the “how”. Use emotive language that will cut through the noise, grab attention, and resonate with your potential clients.

Not only do we all love a good story and as business owners – we’ve all got them! So put them to strategic use in case studies that will give your prospects and influencers a clearer impression of what you do and the results you deliver.