The benefits of case study videos in small business marketing
Why a 3-minute video case study is a win, win, win, win situation
‘One camera, four companies, multiple content re-use opportunities’.
So, I’m attempting to write my first real-time blog – reporting ‘as it happens’. Here goes…
Today we’ve filmed our second video case study courtesy of the fabulous people at, The Video Marketing Company.
Our subject is a recently completed strategic marketing project for Alison McDougall (pictured left) MD at Relevant Risk. They help any organisation that runs events to understand the legal, compliance and best-practice procedures that are relevant to them. They’re all about reducing any risk to the client business before it even happens. The core products are consultancy and online audits. We devised and delivered their launch earlier this year.
But, onto case study videos?
The point of today is that we all live in a media-rich society with an audience hungry for content. We are always encouraging people to re-use content, and better still share content, and we practice what we preach.
By share we mean that our video case studies are not only great marketing material for our own small business, but with agreement they can also be great free marketing for everyone else involved in its creation.
Depending on the topic covered by the case study, and the company issuing the case study, some details may differ, but the objectives of a case study are always the same – to showcase your products and services and the benefits they provide to your customers:
- Win 1 The supplier: Clear Thought demonstrates our strategic marketing credentials.
- Win 2 The client: Relevant Risk gets their message out to our audience (many of whom do events).
- Win 3 Video production company: The Video Marketing Company add to their library if fab content.
- Win 4 The venue: Wine Street Business Centre get to show off their gorgeous facilities.
3 reasons why video marketing is perfect for small business and can benefit everyone involved:
- Everyone can use the footage in their own social media activity to promote the service they offer. Perfect for endorsements, recommendations and referrals too.
- Everyone is actually showcasing their talents, not just the person commissioning the shoot.
- It adds personality, colour and interest to any website or presentation.
3 tips on preparing for a video case study for your small business:
- Prepare some notes on the kind of things that need covering during the filming. Remember this is a primarily a case study about you and what you did for the service user, not an opportunity for the client to practice their elevator pitch.
- Find a (quiet) location that allows you to shoot from a couple of different angles and includes some ‘cut-away’ shots. Staff going about their daily work, etc, or the client using the services or products that you have delivered.
- Avoid using any props or statements that could date the piece, but always keep in mind that a case study is only really relevant if it is current.
And, here are 3 ways to use your video in marketing your small business:
- Website: Add it to a ‘case study’ area on your website and ensure that you also include within a written version (standard content page) and promote it to your home if possible.
- Social Media: Put your clip everywhere: LinkedIn, YouTube, FaceBook, etc. and ensure you include a link back to your site (perfect for Twitter and social media status updates and email signatures). You can also put some snaps form that actual filming day on Twitter for some live news on what you are up to.
- Presentations: Use your clip as great content for new business presentations. Use SlideShare once you’ve done that!
We’ll share the finished video with you shortly. In the meantime, and, in true Blue Peter Style – here’s one we made earlier in a starring role on our LinkedIn company page.
By Cheryl Crichton | Associate Clear Thinker | Clear Thought Consulting Ltd | @cherylcrichton | www.clear-thought.co.uk
For more small business marketing tips, particularly on content marketing – you may like these:
- Blog: One piece of content, 20 ways to use it »
- Blog: Content marketing, why you need to ask permission »
- Blog: Types of marketing content – key definitions »
- Case Study: Relevant Risk launch strategy »
Clear Thought Consulting works with small businesses, equipping them with the marketing strategies, suppliers, skills and set-up that they need to become bigger businesses. We do this by planning and delivering 12-month marketing transformation programmes – supporting a small business through a step-by-step process to making marketing pay. We firmly believe that when you can’t out-spend your competition, you have to out-think them.
Published on 17 November 2010
