A case study video is the most powerful type of marketing asset which you as a marketer can deploy.
However... there is a crucial series of improvements which can make them even more powerful.
If you are looking for an edge in your marketing I have developed a new style of case study video which will do just that.
Challenges That You're Faced With in 2023
B2B Marketing in 2023 means that you have to contend with:
# 1: Increased competition making communicating your value harder by the day.
# 2: Customers working differently, which means marketing strategies need to be adapted to remain effective.
# 3: Getting group buy-in has never been more challenging or important because according to the latest research only 4% of purchases are made by a single buyer*.
Why Are Marketing Assets More Important Now?
The average buyer uses 6.9 information sources to make a purchase decision, a 35% increase from last year*.
33% of buyers spent more time researching products in 2020 than they did before the pandemic*.
This increase in research means an increased demand for content.
If your competitors do a better job of producing marketing assets which make a strong and compelling case in their favour, this shift will tip heavily in their favour.
What Is The Most Effective Type of Marketing Asset?
The latest post-pandemic research tells us that case studies are the #1 vendor provided resource which B2B buyers rely on.
They’re used 34% more than webinars and 47% more than white papers and ebooks.
Businesses which fail to provide current, detailed and useful case studies are viewed negatively by buyers and it passes easy wins to competitors who do.
So this is why a case study video is the perfect type of marketing asset right now.
'Invisible Influencers', Threat or Opportunity?
57% of people with influence in a purchase decision never make direct contact with a vendor's sales team.*
Because these influencers are invisible to your sales team, this is why marketing is the only hope to win them over.
If you have a strategy to place effective sharable assets in front of those invisible influencers, getting them on-side and voting in your favour will give you a significant winning advantage.
How Can You Market To All People With Influence?
According to BUYERS themselves...
THE MOST EFFECTIVE marketing asset that drives them towards a purchase decision are TRUE case studies*.
A TRUE case study is one where the customer shares the FULL story leading to ownership.
It's an honest review of their experience, what challenges they faced, what they learned along the way, and how life is now different as a result.
Why Are Stories So Powerful?
Did you know that marketing claims are prime triggers for what is known as 'Push-Back?'
'Push back' is resistance to unsupported facts or anything which differs from what we currently believe or know to be true.
Stories however bypass a person's push-back filter which means that content is accepted entirely unchallenged.
Introducing Story Selling
Because stories bypass our push-back filter, whatever is said in a story is accepted WITHOUT challenge by the audience.
So this is why... stories are PERFECT, absolutely perfect!... for communicating why YOU are able to help customers better than anyone else can.
Now, this principle has to be used ethically.
But stop for a moment and consider just how powerful a concept that is!
The ultimate application of this principle is with STORY SELLING.
Story Selling is when you use the art of telling stories to persuade or sell.
The best application of this is to tell stories which incorporate your key features, benefits and sales talking point.
When you apply this concept to a case study video - story selling case studies are set to be a game changer.
The Most Successful Movie Formula of All Time
Formulas are the key to repeatable success, and this very much applies to stories.
Did you know that there are only 7 different movie formulas?
It's true... EVERY MOVIE you’ve ever seen comes from one of ONLY 7 different formulas.
Furthermore, the Hollywood movie industry has found that one formula is more successful than any other.
The most successful formula of all time is called…
‘Overcoming The Monster’.
In short, the hero sets out to overcome a threat, encounters a series of challenges, and has a make or break moment, before rising victorious against all odds!
Star Wars, Transformers, James Bond and highest grossing movie of all time, Avatar all use this formula.
So hold onto that thought, because if it works so well for Hollywood we could be onto something...
What If We Made Your Customer The Hero?
Your prospects don't really want to hear what YOU have to say about your offering (disappointing, but true).
But they would LOVE to hear a story about how someone like them...
- Had a similar problem
- The challenges they were up against
- What they had to take into consideration
- What they learned along the way
- How the solution took shape
- What life is like now
Remember... the most successful movie formula of all time is when the hero goes on the perilous journey and overcomes the threat.
So if you can tell your business stories in a structure similar to that, the $136 billion dollar movie industry says that you'll have a winner on your hands.
The Most Powerful B2B Case Studies Possible
To create THE MOST POWERFUL B2B case studies possible, we adapted the most successful movie formula of all time... 'Overcoming The Monster'
This adapted formula skilfully hooks viewers in within the first few seconds and takes them on an emotional journey of discovery.
Ultimately, it allows us to tell a story that perfectly leads your target customers to see you as their ideal choice as partner or vendor.
How This Will Help You
If you embrace Story Selling Case Studies in the form of a case study video great things will happen...
- You'll be able to deliver much, much higher quality MQLs to your sales team
- Your target prospects will want to watch them because of the value they stand to offer
- In fact... you'll be able to produce entire campaigns around each case study
Think about it... you'll be able to deliver highly valuable original content campaigns which can be laser targeted to specific customer needs.
Your competitors won't have anything like this, yet your content will be welcomed with open arms because of the help it will give prospective customers in their quest to make educated and informed decisions.
Better yet, by making your customers the hero and letting them do the selling for you... it will be infinitely more effective as a result.
Don't Forget Testimonials
David Meade is one of the most brilliant public speakers in B2B, and as an expert in psychology and influence he’s a huge advocate for the power of testimonials.
As he aptly puts it…
“Testimonials are like cat-nip for B2B buyers.”
Unfortunately, most testimonials are little more than an advert for the person speaking and only give a top-level account of their experience.
They’re not specific on any benefits you’d likely receive.
The SECRET to a great testimonial video is have your customer talk about the elements which will actually make a difference in your target customers world.
And finally, by structuring each one as a story, you can then leverage the full power of testimonials.
You can see some of the latest examples of this all put into action here: https://storyhero.uk/examples
How You Can Get The Edge
The main reason why case studies are so underused is simply because of the sheer amount of hassle that it normally takes to produce them.
Then, of course, you have the challenge of getting customers to be featured. After all, you are asking them for a favour.
So this is why I set about creating a completely done-for-you service.
If you want a case study video but without any of the work or hassle, that's where we can help.
We take care:
- Getting your clients to happily agree to take part
- Arranging it
- Treating your clients with a full VIP service
- Delivering the finished piece in as little as 3 weeks
If you've ever struggled with getting clients lined up and ready to take part - that is a core part of our service.
We fully specialise in this and there isn't a case study problem we can't overcome.
Any problem you've had in the past - we can solve it.
The only thing you need to do is book a free case study consultation call.
You can find out more about our process here: https://storyhero.uk/about
If you would be interested in having one of these new style of video case studies produced, click to book a free consultation call click here: https://storyhero.uk/consultation
For the latest pricing click here: https://storyhero.uk/price
James specialises in producing video case studies. He is a three-time published author in video production and marketing. As presenter of the Win Clients With Case Studies podcast he has a unique understanding of the latest best practices and techniques.