By: Peter Girard
Case studies are an incredibly powerful marketing and PR tool. What makes them so powerful? Well let’s see, they’re a multi-use document for starters. Case studies can be used as marketing materials, in a newsletter, for lead generation, and in webinars. At its very core, in the PR world, a case study is an account of a problem an end-user was experiencing, and how a company with the right solutions and skills solved that problem. Case studies can be incredible credibility builders and assist in humanizing your products and you company. With so many benefits, wouldn’t it be great to know how to leverage a case study for PR gain? Well, while we’re not into giving always all of our secrets, here’s a few ways to do just that.
To a PR professional, the first one, pitch the story, should be a no-brainer. The fact is, case studies often feature compelling stories that are a natural fit for publication. Couple that with the fact that editors and reporters are always looking for a great story and, as long as you’ve done your target research, pairing a relevant editor up with your case study can end up being a home-run. The key here is to do your homework. Not every editor and reporter will be interested in your case study. Take your time in identifying the best possible contact and then reach out. It will save you time in the longer run, and hopefully cut down on the number of rejections or from being completely ignored.
Highlight the case study in interviews. Case studies make for great talking points in media interviews. When interviewing, you want your client to have good stories they can share with the journalist and their audience. Instructing your client to review relevant case studies before an interview will refresh their memory and help leverage a case study beyond simply pitching it out to media.
If you can control it, use bigger customers or unique case studies to help attract journalists. This isn’t a requirement for a case study to be successful. If your client’s case study tells a compelling story, then it’ll likely perform just fine. However, if you have experienced an impressive result for a big-name client, that’s the case study you want to push out. A well-known company or individual in your case study can help journalists take notice when it comes across their inbox.
PR professionals know press releases, well, at least they should. A slightly new take on an old tactic, using case study quotes in a press release, can help you leverage a client case study for gain. All PR folks know press releases should always contain compelling quotes to help round out the story. Incorporating a case study with a press release can result in a 1-2 punch, where media not only learn about a new product or service your client offers, but an account of how it’s already been successfully utilized by a (happy!) end-user as well.
We hope these tips get you thinking about some different ways through which you can leverage a client’s case study for PR gain. If there’s a method we missed and you’d like to shed some light on the subject, feel free to reach out to me via twitter or email. If there’s an aspect of case studies you like to learn more about, I’d love to hear about that too!
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