I write about content strategy & product marketing in B2B SaaS | VP, Product Marketing @ Piano Software | Vintage NBA t-shirt enthusiast
Case studies and customer success stories are a crucial part of any good B2B content strategy.
There’s no one better than your customers to toot your horn, right?
So once you’ve done the hard work of getting a customer to toot your horn, don’t muzzle it with a bad headline.
In my experience, marketers can get in their own way here by writing headlines that make the reader work to understand what’s in it for them.
I’m talking about using puns and cute language, rhyming words because it sounds ‘cool’, and using clever phrases because we think it makes the piece interesting and entertaining.
Here's what the prospect finds interesting: Understanding how you solved a problem that’s similar to the problem they’re facing.
All that other fluff only impresses the writer.
I don’t like making readers jump through hoops to get this information so I make sure the headline tells the whole story.
Case study/customer success story headline formats I like to follow:
Client + Result: “How ABC increased site engagement by 400%”
Client + Challenge + Result + Solution: “How ABC increased site engagement by 400% using hyper targeted segmentation”
Client + Challenge + Result + Time: “How ABC increased site engagement by 400% in less than six months”
Client + Solution + Challenge: “How ABC uses cross-channel measurement to increase site engagement”
Key takeaways:
Be direct.
Use numbers to grab attention.
Be explicit with the value you deliver.
And remember: No one’s reading your case studies for entertainment.
They’re vetting your solution.
It’s your job to prove to them that you’re worthy.