App promotion tip #2: Use case studies to bring your app to life

Following on from our first post in this series, this article looks at the importance of using real-life case studies in helping you to promote your app. Case studies are a form of content marketing; a longer and more in-depth version of a testimonial, that not only validates how well your product works but also acts to educate and inform your target audience too.

Through a case study, you can explain a problem that one of your customers has faced, and how they overcame that problem by using your app as a solution. Case studies are useful marketing tools that you can refer to time after time to demonstrate the value of your app.

What information should be included in a case study?

As a guide, the following elements should be covered:

• Title
• Overview
• The problem
• The solution
• The outcome
• Call to action

Let’s consider these in more detail!:

Title

The title of your case study should be catchy and short enough to encourage clicks, but also explain what it’s about. A good option might be to include a snapshot of the case study results in the title, as that would tick both of these boxes. For example, “How X Boosted Their Profits by 45% with X App.”

Overview

This section should introduce the case study subject, briefly explain the problem and how your app helped to solve it and get results.

The problem

At some point in your case study, you’ll want to explore the customer/client’s problem in detail, perhaps exploring solutions they’d tried unsuccessfully before, and any barriers they faced before using your app.

Your solution

Then comes your shining moment; your chance to shout about all the great things your app does and how you assisted your customer/client with installing it, setting it up and helping them to get the most out of it. Mention all the unique selling points your app has to offer and how it stands out from the crowd.

The results

The most important section is the results or evaluation of exactly how your app has benefitted the customer/client in the case study. Readers will want to see real evidence here, so include screenshots of relevant performance metrics and user quotes too. Here’s an example from one of our case studies below.

Call to action

Finally, include a call to action at the end of the case study to plug your app and encourage new leads. For more inspiration on how marketing case studies should look, check out this impressive collection from the CoSchedule blog.

Choosing a case study subject

Choose your case study customer or client carefully. Ideally, it should be someone who has used your app for a while and is as passionate about it as you are. The subject of your case study should represent your target audience and a problem that many of your future customers are likely to face. Big names count for a lot when it comes to validation and proof that your app is good. If you can, pick a high profile customer/client who is recognizable in your field. Get their permission before you get started!

What to do after you’ve written your case study

When you’ve put together your case study, send it to the subject first to check they’re happy with the way you’ve represented them, along with the stats you’ve included and any quotes. Then publish it on your website and begin to promote it. Some ways to do this include linking to your case study in social media posts on a revolving basis, adding the link to your email footer and mentioning it within your Shopify App Store listing page for future prospects to read. Don’t forget to email details of the case study to your subscriber list and existing customers and ask them to spread the word.

Watch this space for app promotion tip #3!

We’re keen to help other developers in any way we can with app promotion, as we know from experience how hard it can be to get a new app off the ground, especially if there’s very little money by way of an advertising budget. (That’s the very reason we created ConnectPlus - to help developers advertise their apps for free!) We’ll soon be publishing another post in this series, so do look out for it. Why not join our Facebook community to be kept updated about new blogs as soon as they’re published? In the meantime, for further reading, check out this post from the Shopify Partners blog on essential app marketing.