How can you make sure your case study attracts and engages readers from start to finish?

#1: Wow the reader with an attention-grabbing hero image

The hero image is the first thing readers see when deciding whether to click through to your article, so make it count. Choose an image that is eye-catching and showcases both the project and your products. If there’s a particularly unique feature or challenging aspect of the project, this is the place to highlight it.

Architects are visual people and have high standards, so where possible, contract an architectural photographer to get the best shots of the project. You’ll find the professional images come in handy when designing brochures and updating your website.

Bonus tip: Don’t be afraid of colour! Whether it’s your product itself or nature in the background, a splash of colour can help your article stand out.

#2: Brainstorm your way to an effective title

Your article title is another important tool for capturing interest and encouraging clicks. In digital publications, titles serve two purposes: to draw the attention of readers, and to generate search traffic.

When writing your title, think of the aspects of the project that would most interest the architect audience, the key point of difference of your product and the challenge it helped the design team overcome.

Taking those key points, brainstorm title options that are descriptive so the reader has a good idea of what they’re going to learn, and include keywords that an architect would use when searching for your product or solution.

And remember to keep it short — once you’ve got your winning title, you can add any extra details into the teaser text below.

#3: Tailor the article to your audience

Now that you’ve got the attention of the reader, can you keep them engaged? The trick here is to focus on your target audience. What would they find most useful to learn?

For the architect audience, focus on a design challenge and how the specification and installation of your product resolved this for the design team. That doesn’t mean you can’t highlight your product’s benefits, but focus on weaving these into the context of the project so architects see how they apply to their work.

And for builders, don’t forget to mention key installation benefits such as any time savings, ease of use and assistance provided so they understand how your product stands out from the alternatives.

#4: Stick to an easy-to-follow structure

Your case study is all about helping architects understand how your product was used to solve a design problem in a real-life context. This calls for a logical and easy-to-read structure. We suggest telling the story from start to finish with a paragraph or two on each of these points:

• Introduce the project and brief
• Highlight the key challenge the architect/builder needed to resolve
• Outline why your product was chosen, key benefits and how it resolved this challenge
• Describe the final result

Bonus tip: Download our case study template to draft your article before submitting online.

#5: Incorporate quotes from an architect or builder

Let someone else speak about your products for a change! Our research tells us that architects look to the opinions of their peers when considering new products for specification. By interviewing an architect about the use of your product, you can get a positive testimonial on what they found most useful and how it helped them achieve a winning result. Quotes can help support key points and add a human touch to the article.

Still need help? Consider EBOSS copywriting

Sometimes you simply won’t have the time or expertise in-house to focus on writing case studies. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to reach out to the EBOSS team. We can take interviews and write case studies tailored to our format and audience for just $350+GST. Contact us on [email protected] to learn more.