In a Visual Industry? Tell a Visual Case Study
We tell stories with words. But also with pictures.
In fact, depending on your industry, images can be just as important as the narrative.
If you’re a graphic designer, or create a product that people can see or hold, then your prospects clearly want to see examples of that.
An Australia design firm, Toast, found a compelling way to present its case studies visually.
Toast showcases high-resolution images of a client project in a Flash slideshow, with explanatory copy about the project underneath.
Each image shows a different angle or element of the work.
Here’s how Toast tells a case study about packaging designs for a new coffee brand.
It’s a sharp visual presentation with talk about how Toast approached the project. The only thing I would add is more text around the end results of the packaging design.
Seen other examples of case studies presented in compelling visual ways? Let me know and I’ll highlight them here!
Right #6 of Case Studies that Compel & Sell – Right Presentation
"Don’t judge a book by its cover."
While that might be good advice, it’s easier said than done. The way something looks and is presented – especially your marketing materials – really matters.
That’s why "right presentation" is Right #6 of case studies that compel and sell.
Here are some tips on producing case studies and success stories that compel and sell in various formats.
Written, Audio or Video
Tell a story - This is what differentiates a customer success story or case study from other marketing materials and stand-alone testimonials. It’s a real customer’s experience in an engaging format, so don’t miss the opportunity to actually tell a story here.
Written
Use descriptive subheads - Go beyond the traditional, formulaic look of grouping case studies and success stories into staid "Company, Challenge, Solution, Results" blocks. Instead, use descriptive headlines and subheads that tell the reader something – without forcing him to read every word.
Feature quotes – Choose your best customer quote or two and highlight those on the layout. Again, if the reader only skims, those quotes should sum up the customer’s experience.
Call-out highlights – On page 1 of your story, summarize it for readers in a sidebar. Who is the customer? What solutions are they using? And what were the results?
Match your marketing – People sometimes ask me whether a case study should look independent, or not as polished as the rest of your marketing and sales materials. Prospects know that case studies are produced by vendors. If they are evaluating stacks of information from various vendors, your information should match the look and branding of all your other materials.
Video
Go beyond talking heads – I recently watched a documentary that had way too many people sitting there talking at the camera. If at all possible, mix up a customer’s story with something interesting such as footage from the customer’s business environment.
Don’t be linear - New video technology allows viewers to self-direct their experience, instead of watching something end-to-end. They can search by keywords and drop into any point in the story or transcript, click links for more information, or email a friend to start viewing a specific segment.
Always remember: Your packaging and presentation make the difference in whether someone even looks at your story, and what they take away from it.
Snazz-Up Case Studies with Industry Photos
Photos make customer stories much more engaging. But it can be tough to get quality shots of actual customer sites or consistent-looking head shots of customer contacts that are spread around the world.
Instead, try using an industry photo, one that represents the featured customer’s business. Great-West Healthcare in Denver does this nicely on their customer success stories.
For example, for a case study on a company that makes ski resort chair lifts, the layout includes a skier at top. It’s much faster and easier to get a professional-quality stock photo than asking for these from the customer, and it’s a polished, attractive approach.
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