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Let’s
face it: a lot of case studies are boring.
So what? You might ask, it’s
a case study - not the latest paperback thriller. Dullness
is inevitable.
The thing is,
that simply isn’t true.
Case studies shouldn’t
be boring. In fact, if a case study is going to be
read it has to be positively interesting.
After
all, no-one is paying anyone to read a case study, but
one way or another people are getting paid to write
them.
Losing focus
So where are some case study
writers going wrong? The root of the problem stems from
the fact that
tedious case studies
provide
no clear idea of the marketing role they are intended
to play.
Without this they seem more than a
little lost, focusing on the client involved rather than
the reader and trusting to an almost text book formula of
‘linear narration’ throughout:
“The company was this. They had
this problem. We proposed this. We then did … [sigh]….”
The
thing is, the ‘tried and tolerated’ method
doesn’t
really grab the reader from the start. Nor
does it leave readers with any sense of the importance
of
what they have just read.
In other words, the onus is on the readers
themselves to see the relevance and, more importantly,
the value
of what they
are reading.
Accordingly, it is little wonder
if a case study is seen and not heard.
Form follows
function
A strong case study tacitly
supports a marketing message. In other words, its form should
follow the function
for which it has been created. For example,
it should have
the effect: “Look!
This is living proof that we have the
solution to your problem.” Or, “Look!
We don’t just say this is what
our company stands for, we back up our
fine
words with action.”
However, to
do this an angle has to be identified
to drive the story – an angle that
defines the relevance of the content
for the reader and provides a vehicle
for which to
tell both
the story and the marketing message.
Getting the angle
In our opinion the best case studies
say one thing and say it well. And
why not?
Even if
an organisation
could
evangelise
about
every benefit it offered in each
of its case studies, it would be a waste
of
money to
produce more than
one.
Instead, drawing on the most
important attribute, or something unique about
the project, gives
you the chance
to really
hit a message home and get it heard.
As a rule of thumb, you should
be able to express a case study
angle
in a
single sentence
of
less than fifteen
words. If you
find you can’t do this then you will know that the angle
you have in mind lacks the clarity of purpose to hold your reader’s
attention and interest. And if that’s the case, then
you need to think again.
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