As a business, you want your audience to fully understand what you do and what it’s like to work with you, whilst building up a certain level of trust. This is why case studies, testimonials and reviews are an important aspect of any business, but which is better?
After all, you want to attract an audience and potential clients, so choosing the right way to communicate your work and reputation is important for success and growth.
What is a case study?
A case study is a qualitative research technique that looks at a project as a whole. It will generally include an in-depth description of the client’s situation, any challenges, the process and the outcome. (See example)
What is a testimonial?
A testimonial is a statement made either verbally or in written form to testify a business’s services. (See example)
What is a review?
A review is someone’s evaluation of a business or product whether their opinions are positive or negative. (See example)
When deciding what is best to use for marketing your business, the answer is it all depends. Case studies, testimonials and reviews are all useful in their own way and can each provide a different level of communication about a business, product or service.
It all comes down to what the customer is wanting to gain, for example, if someone wants to understand a particular service in detail, they may find a case study extremely useful and informative. However, for someone wanting to find out ratings and reviews, a case study may be easily dismissed due to the amount of content and detail included.
When is it best to use case studies?
Case studies are great for websites as information can be conveyed in an engaging way and also include links to projects you’ve worked on. If someone is taking the time to look through your website or even a brochure for that matter, they are generally looking for an indicator that the work you offer is what they are looking for. They may also want to see the different types of work you carry out and how you have handled past projects.
When is it best to use testimonials?
Testimonials are also great for websites as they convey customer and client feedback in a way that is quick and easy to digest. Testimonials can also be shared across social media platforms as a way to promote your product or service, and even in printed marketing materials.
When is it best to use reviews?
Public reviews are great for any business or service as many potential customers will go there first to see what people are saying. Google reviews and social media reviews are very commonly used as they are as honest as can be, whereas a testimonial has effectively been cherry-picked by a business.
Overall, the power of a case study, testimonial and review depends on your target audience, if people are looking for indicators of trust, and how up-to-date the information is. Although a case study seems the best way to show off your service, it might not always have the same pulling effect as a review or testimonial that is quick to read.