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Case study videos offer a visually engaging medium to highlight real-life customer success stories, making the benefits of a product or service more tangible.
Extremely effective, yet traditionally time-consuming and costly to execute.
Now, there's a better solution for collecting and creating case study videos in a matter of minutes.
In this article, we'll run you through how you can create case studies at scale leveraging video.
What Makes a Good Case Study Video?
A good case study video effectively presents a client's positive experience with a product or service by showcasing their emotions, capturing their authentic words, and emphasizing the benefits they received.
Here are some essential elements of a successful case study video:
- Narrating a relatable story: Illustrating how the brand resolves a specific customer challenge by sharing their journey from problem to solution can make the content not only engaging but also relevant to the target audience.
- Quantifiable results: By using statistics and figures to support the client's story, the video can strengthen credibility and authenticity, ultimately contributing to boosted brand awareness and promoting customer-centricity.
- Highlighting benefits over features: The focus should be on the impact the product or service had on the customer rather than what it does. This approach puts clients at the heart of the story and demonstrates the direct, positive effect on their lives.
A well-executed case study video not only increases trust in the product but can also serve as evergreen content in content marketing strategies, driving long-lasting revenue and profitability through evergreen video content.
How to Create a Compelling Case Study Video: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Identify Your Target Audience and Their Challenges
When creating a case study video, start by defining and understanding your target audience.
Consider the following questions to comprehensively define your audience:
- Who are you creating this video for?
- What challenges do they face?
- What solutions are they seeking?
- What demographic and geographical location do they come from?
- Are they first-time buyers or returning customers?
2. Establish the Main Message and Goal of the Video
Next, determine the main message you want your audience to take away from the video. Consider the video's purpose and target stage of the marketing funnel as you establish your key message and video objective. Keep in mind:
- Whether you're promoting your entire brand or a specific product/service
- If the video supports a new product launch
- Or if you aim to increase engagement on various platforms through social media marketing
3. Choose Your Video Subject(s)
In order to engage your audience, you must select the most suitable customer or customers as your video's subject. Ensure they:
- Resonate well with your target audience
- Have a persuasive and compelling story
- Are comfortable sharing their experiences
- Have a strong presence on camera
4. Define Your Question Set
To gather valuable insights, prepare a set of smart questions to help understand the client's background, challenges faced before using your product, individual goals met, metrics improved, and the aspects of their business most impacted by your product.
Here's an example question set that you could use to build a powerful case study:
Background
- What's your name, and where do you work?
- Tell me a little about your company in a few sentences
- What are your goals? Your company’s?
Challenge
- What business challenges were you facing that caused you to look for a solution?
- Why were these challenges such a big problem for your company?
- What were you hoping to achieve with a new solution?
- What criteria did the new solution need to meet?
- How were you planning to meaure the success of the new solution?
Solution
- How did you discover us?
- What solutions did you try before you came to us?
- Why did you choose to work with us vs. others?
- What services are we providing for you?
- What challenges do those services solve for you?
- How are we supporting you when you need it?
Results
- How has our product or service impacted or benefited your customers?
- Do you have any measurable data or business results that you can share around the impact or benefits of our solution?
- What's exceeded your expectations in working with us?
- What advice would you have for others considering our solution?
5. Sign Up for Simple Testimonial
Now that you have your customer list, and question set in mind - you can now set up a simple way to start collecting video testimonials, and turning those into customer case studies and success stories.
Click here to sign-up for Simple Testimonial.
During onboarding, you'll have the chance to define your questions where you can use the above questions to create and design your Feedback Form:
6. Make the Ask
Since you've already created a list of potential customers, and you have your questions setup, you're now ready to reach out and make the ask.
Reach out to your customers, and start by asking for a few minutes of their time to leave a video testimonial.
Here's a sample template you can use to make the ask:
Subject: Help others succeed with [Product/Service]!
Dear [Client's Name],
Your experience with [Product/Service] can make a difference in others' success. By sharing your story in a testimonial, you'll inspire prospective customers with real-life examples of how our [Product/Service] has helped you. It'll require less than 5 minutes of your time, and we'd really appreciate your feedback.
Let me know if you're open to taking a few minutes out of your busy day to say a few words about us.
Once the customer agrees, you can then provide them with the Testimonial Form link where they can leave their video testimonial.
7. Review and Embed Your Case Study Videos
Now that you've collected a handful of customer case studies, you can now use them in your marketing efforts.
One of the best ways to use customer case study videos is to embed them on-site, including on your homepage, on your specific service or use cases pages as well as directly on your testimonial and review pages.
We make embedding case study videos simple, in just a few clicks:
Which Types of Case Study Videos Can You Create?
Testimonial Videos
Testimonial videos highlight a satisfied customer who speaks positively about their experience with your products or services. These videos don't require complex scripts or extensive set preparations, making them a straightforward option for showcasing a customer success story.
Q&A Style Interview Videos
This format involves preparing specific questions for your customers to answer honestly. Conducting a live session on social media platforms can be a powerful digital marketing tactic, as viewers tend to watch live content much longer than on-demand videos. These Q&A videos provide an engaging way to present customer testimonials and insights.
Product or Service Review Videos
A review video can focus on a customer sharing their thoughts about your product or service. To enhance the impact of the video, customers can demonstrate the product or explain how the service works, offering a practical perspective on the benefits.
Narrative Videos
Creating a compelling story around your product or service, with customers contributing their feedback, can generate a highly memorable case study video. Many larger brands invest in this storytelling approach to resonate with their audience effectively.
Remember, these video types can be combined and repurposed to maximize the impact of your content marketing efforts. For example, a customer testimonial can be incorporated into a demo, used as an advertisement, or included in a year-end highlight reel.
Final Thoughts
When creating a case study video, it is essential to maintain a confident, knowledgeable, neutral, and clear tone throughout the process. Implement a well-defined goal, identify your target audience, and choose the right customer to highlight in your case study video. Utilize various formatting options, such as tables, bullet points, and bold text, to convey information effectively.
Remember to stay within the given context of the case study video and avoid exaggerating or making false claims. By adhering to these guidelines and maintaining a third-person point of view, you will produce a professional, engaging, and informative case study video that resonates with your audience.
