If you have several clients, it may be difficult to know which ones would make for compelling Case Study Subjects. A Case Study Subject is the company that’s the focus of the Case Study story. Sometimes, though, the Case Study Subject is the person at the company who is being interviewed for the Case Study. For this article, we use the former definition.
When choosing a Case Study Subject, you may think that the best ones are clients with instant name recognition. But that’s not always the case. You may have a treasure trove of clients who would make perfect Case Study Subjects and have no idea, but this article will help you discover those diamonds in the rough.
What Makes for a Bad Case Study Subject?
Some clients just don’t make for good Case Study Subjects. This can change in the future, but look out for these tell-tale signs that you may want to look elsewhere:
- The client is a well-known, global entity and/or a Fortune 500 company. This may surprise you. After all, a Case Study with a successful client known all over the world sounds pretty impressive. However, getting permissions and approvals can take a long time. These clients are likely to have their legal departments heavily scrutinize and police the Case Study process to the point where the Case Study may have to be anonymous—then you lose out on the name recognition you were chasing. Furthermore, most of your prospects may not be able to relate to the high-profile client’s problems, rendering the Case Study useless.
- The client is a brand new customer of yours. Case Studies prove that you get results for your clients. If clients haven’t experienced the results and benefits of your solution or product yet, they’re not going to be able to make convincing Case Study Subjects, no matter how enthusiastic they are about your company.
- The client experienced unintentional/unexpected results or is in an industry in which you don’t want to pursue more business. Your Case Studies should indicate results that you can and want to repeat for any other client. If a client praises something you don’t want to highlight, it doesn’t make sense to promote it. Similarly, if a client is outside of your target market or industry, a Case Study about that client won’t be helpful to the prospects you do want to attract.
What Companies Are Good Case Study Subjects?
The following signs suggest that your client will make a great Case Study Subject:
- The client has a business or organization in an industry in which you’d like to reach more, similar prospects.
- The client is responsive to your communication efforts.
- The client has a small or medium-sized company that doesn’t have instant global name recognition.
- The client is enthusiastic about your company’s product and service after experiencing real, measurable results.
Conclusion
Selecting the best subject for a Case Study doesn’t have to be difficult. As long as you have fostered positive relationships with your clients in your target market and have provided them true value, those clients will make for great Case Study Subjects.
Need help deciding on a Case Study Subject though? Let’s talk about it! Book a meeting with Julian today.
