Marketing people often wonder how many case studies their company should publish.
How many case studies are really “enough?”
The correct answer, of course, is “that depends”.
In any case, don’t expect one or two stories to do the job; for best results, plan to create fresh stories continuously. Google will love that and so will your prospects.
And every fresh case study is another reason to reach out to all your contacts to tell them about it.
Here are some tips on how to plan out your case study program in a logical way.
Case study tip #1: Blanket your market with case studies
Some experts recommend that you create a case study for every market you target, every product or service you offer, and every key objection you face.
“I really think a company should have a case study for every product and every application of that product,” says case study expert Steve Slaunwhite.
“You can’t do enough case studies.”
Case study specialist Casey Hibbard of Compelling Cases agrees.
“You need case studies to highlight different add-ons or upgrades, and a couple that highlight your implementation services—if that’s something you’re trying to sell—plus one that highlights your customer support,” she says.
In other words, plan to blanket your market with case studies.
Case study tip #2: Use a rule of thumb
Or you can go by an overall rule of thumb to estimate how many case studies you may need.
For example, for a medium-sized software firm, 4 to 6 case studies a year is a good target.
A larger firm with a regular e-newsletter may need one fresh case study every month.
And a big software firm with a wide product line across many vertical markets should have new case studies popping out every couple of weeks.
Case study tip #3: Think globally, write locally
If you’re selling around the world, plan to develop at least one success story for every region—and eventually, every country—where you do business.
Then do more as your market expands.
Also, think about translating your case studies before most other marketing materials; after all, they’re probably your most compelling content.
Do you have any advice about how many case studies are “enough”? Please leave your comment below.
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