The Most Compelling Way to START a Case Study

Today’s buyers are pulled in way too many directions.

If they look at your content at all, they have to hit the ground running, or they’ll be on to something else.

Words still have the power to pull buyers along – if done right.

How do you start a customer case study that grabs readers and keeps moving them along?

The feature format lead-in. It’s an approach I talk about in Stories That Sell.

It goes beyond the traditional start of a case study – known for headings such as The Company, Challenge, Solution and Results.

Magazines and newspapers long ago discovered the innate storytelling momentum of this flow. Readers gravitate toward it, and busy editors notice these stories above others.

Here’s a look at how to start a case study with both approaches:

The Traditional Format

The traditional format is still perfectly valid. It’s to the point and more of a “just the facts ma’am” approach. Let’s look at an example of a case study with a traditional start:

About The Children’s Hospital
For more than 100 years, The Children’s Hospital (TCH) has served the children of Denver, Colorado and the region. Today, it handles the most challenging emergencies for a seven-state region, and processes approximately 500,000 patient visits annually at its new $567 million home and 12 smaller locations. In 2008 and 2009, it made the honor roll as one of the nation’s 10 best pediatric hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.

The Feature Format

Here, you start the story immediately:

Just after sunrise on a cool September day, a parade of ambulances began carefully carrying more than 100 patients from The Children’s Hospital in downtown Denver to its new $567 million home. By all accounts, the biggest event in the hospital’s 100-year history – the $7.2 million move – went off without a hitch.

“We moved 111 children eight miles across city streets and two counties without incident – in just under 12 hours,” recalls Jerrod Milton, vice president of operations. “Continuity of care was preserved.”

Which version leaves you wanting more?

Granted, this story lends itself perfectly to a feature format, but many others do too.

It can take some extra time – and flexes the writing muscles more – but it pays off. Prospects, customers, partners, investors and editors will find the story engaging.

Just be sure to summarize the highlights in a sidebar for skimmers.

For ideas, check out other examples of feature format case studies:

• Alltel Wireless drives “My Circle” success with sophisticated direct marketing
• Time Warner Cable Fills Revenue-Generating Jobs in Half the Time
• Coolerado Cools 3,700-Square-Foot Home on Less Than 10 Cents an Hour