Considerations For Effective Case Study Writing In The Water Wastewater Industry

There are so many types of content at your disposal that sometimes it’s difficult to decide where to start.  When it comes to building your brand, expanding your reach, and of course generating more revenue, what is the best content path?  The answer is that there is no single correct path to success.  All types of content need to be considered as all have merit.  Blog posts, infographics, videos and a host of other types of content create a varied portfolio of productive content marketing assets that can be incorporated at various points in the sales process. 

In the water and wastewater market, I get asked a lot about the role of case studies in a content marketing plan.  My answer is that, like every content asset, there are pros and cons that need to be looked at and discussed with your team. 

Case studies at their core set the table for a given situation which is usually a method to exemplify an outcome.  Historically, most case studies involve a customer, who faced a problem that your solution fixed.

At a high level, the pros of a case study are:

Detailed Information:  In a world where literally no one wants to be the first to try a new technology, this becomes paramount.  The engineers and operators that ultimately purchase your solution are engaged by the nature of the challenge your customer faced and the technical way that your solution was selected and ultimately solved it.

Implicit Promotion: In a case study, your solution is promoted not by your company but in the words of your customer validating your solution. In a world of pilot projects and low-bid negotiations, case studies create a platform of credibility in the reader’s mind as they identify with your customer and a similar challenge.

Conversely, the cons can be:

Tough to Develop: One of the most difficult things to do in terms of content creation is to get what you need from a current customer in order to write a compelling case study.  From their standpoint you are asking for two things with nothing in exchange.  First, you are asking to use their name and brand to further your own which is a big ask.  Secondly, you are asking for their time, which I have written about at length as being their most precious commodity.

Product Specific:  Many case studies deal with one product or solution at a time.  If you are a manufacturer of multiple products (most of you are) then you will need to produce numerous amounts of these in various applications. 

My advice:

• Try and set a reasonable goal in terms of how many case studies you are going to develop as part of your content plan.  They are very valuable but also require more than a modest amount of resources to do well. 
• The audience you are trying to reach are quantitative by nature. Give them what they want and use statistics and numbers, lots of them.
• Use quotes instead of full-fledged interviews with your customer.  By writing the narrative FIRST and then filling in a soundbite or two from your customer to complete the case study, you can alleviate a lot of the time concern that your customer may voice.
• Finally, avoid overt promotion.  The audience will know it’s about you by the simple nature of the piece.  Keep it light on promotion and buzzwords while staying true to specifics and data.