Case studies are an incredibly powerful marketing and PR tool. In fact, in the 2012 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends Report from the Content Marketing Institute, 70 percent of B2B marketers said that they believe case studies are an effective marketing tool. It was one of the highest rated content marketing tactics in the survey.
Case studies are great because they enhance your credibility, show the real world benefits of your products and services, and tell interesting stories that others can relate to. They absolutely can help you win customers and increase your sales, but that’s not all case studies are good for. When used properly, case studies can actually be a powerful PR tool as well.
Here are some of the ways you can leverage your case studies for PR gain:
- Pitch the story—Some case studies feature compelling stories that are fit for publication. Editors and reporters are always looking for a great story, so if you have a truly interesting case study that you believe others outside of your organization will find interesting, pitch that story to the right editors and reporters on your media list. You can absolutely include case studies in your press kit. Remember, though, your case study needs to tell a good story. In other words, it shouldn’t be a thinly veiled advertisement. It should tell a story about real problems solved and real outcomes.
- Use your bigger customers to attract journalists—If you’ve gotten impressive results for a big-name client, that’s the case study you really want to push out there. Journalists will take notice when they see a well-known company in your case study, because it makes the story that much more interesting and relevant.
- Highlight the stories in your interviews—Case studies can make great fodder and talking points for media interviews. When you’re getting interviewed, you want to have good stories you can share with the journalist and their audience. Read over your most compelling case studies before your interview and highlight these stories whenever you have the chance in your interview.
- Use quotes from case studies in your press releases—Rather than pitching the complete case study, you might be able to pull quotes from it to incorporate in your press releases. It’s always important to have compelling expert quotes in your press releases that help round out your stories, so look to your case studies to see if you can find any relevant, interesting quotes.
Can you think of any other effective or creative ways you can use case studies for PR purposes? Share your best tips by commenting below!
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/cheap-pr-tactics/