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IntercomExplainer
Using case studies to tell your story for you - The Intercom Blog
Summary
Case studies help B2B SaaS companies persuade the majority of potential customers who are not technology enthusiasts and are averse to revolutionary change by de-risking the purchase decision. Effective case studies follow a proven story formula with a relatable protagonist from an aspirational company, strong tension depicting pre-product challenges, and a resolution showing how the product replaced the old workflow. Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm prescribes that the only suitable reference for an early majority customer is another early majority member, so you should profile non-innovator customers. Customer interviews should spend most time on tension and resolution, using questions about how they started using the product, what tools they used before, and what jobs the product solves, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Well-crafted case studies can be repurposed across sales, demand generation, events, and communications, and the process deepens the marketer’s empathy for customers.
Context
Sara Yin, a content marketer who produced case studies at Intercom, Atlassian, and for Google, writes for the Intercom Blog.
Approach / What changed
The approach involves profiling early majority customers, conducting conversational interviews centered on protagonist, tension, and resolution, and repurposing the resulting story across marketing channels.
Takeaways
Target early majority customers for case studies, as their stories are more credible to the bulk of potential buyers who are not technology enthusiasts.
A case study’s driving force is the ‘tension’ section, which describes the customer’s workflow and challenges before using the product; without it, the resolution is unconvincing.
Customer interviews should be informal conversations with a few guiding questions, spending most time on tension and resolution; record the conversation with permission to focus on the customer’s words.
FAQ
Who should I choose as the subject of a case study?
Profile early majority customers rather than innovators or early adopters, because another early majority member is the only suitable reference for this group. Behavioral data and conversations with support teams help identify the right candidates.
What are the key components of a compelling case study?
A good case study follows a story structure with three elements: a relatable protagonist from an aspirational company, tension depicting the customer's challenges before your product, and resolution showing how the product improved their workflow.
How can I reuse a single case study across marketing?
Customer stories can be spliced into various formats: paid ads, anecdotes for journalists, content for sales and demand generation, events, and communications. They can range from lightweight quotes to big budget productions.
Source and freshness
- Source
- intercom.com
- Published
- Added to Yomu
Summaries are generated from the original by a language model. Check the original before relying on it.
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