Most of us don’t remember when Detective Joe Friday from television’s Dragnet series in the 1950s said, “All we want are the facts, ma’am,” but it (and its truncated version, “Just the facts, ma’am) have become a pop culture buzz-phrase that has survived for more than a half-century. Ironically, the early days of television (and radio) were a time when products could be sold based on the believability of the actor in the commercial (“I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV”) rather than the veracity of the claims being made. Did one brand of soap really clean better than the other? Did one car truly provide a better ride, just because the announcer seemed convincing?

While today’s consumer is still swayed by celebrity spokespeople and clever advertising, more than ever, consumers, whether retail shoppers or B2B purchasers, want the facts. Does your database provide a better solution for integrating the client information in my 36 offices spread across 13 countries and 3 continents? Prove it! In an age when companies rise and fall on the choices they make when choosing consultants, technology, or manufacturing equipment, glossy brochures and slick sales pitches aren’t enough. That’s where the case study comes in. It can prove to be a valuable asset to help your company show that its product or service truly lives up to its billing.

A case study needed be complicated, but it does need to be compelling and targeted to your audience. Prospective customers want to see that someone like them—someone facing the same predicament that they’re in—found a solution that worked. Your company may want to develop multiple case studies tailored to different product lines and market segments. Once you provide a scenario that the potential customer can identify with, a case study will explain how your company’s solution met and exceeded the customer’s expectations, and helped them meet their business goals.

Finding a willing subject for the case study may be your biggest challenge, because some companies are reluctant to reveal corporate strategies or to “blow their own horn.” Your business may want to offer them an incentive if they’ll let you use their success story in your internal marketing materials.

It’s also important to be factual. Nothing will shoot down a case study like overinflated claims or outright lies. When you do good work for a client, let the numbers—increased ROI, greater savings, improved efficiency, and so on—speak for themselves.

Trade Press Services’ team of writers and editors are experts in helping companies create compelling case studies that will help convince your potential clients that your product has a track record of real-world success. To get started on creating your own case studies, contact Gerri Knilans at gerri@tradepressservices.com.

Imagine this scene: a peaceful, relaxing beach. A good book and the gentle splash of breaking waves. Seabirds skimming the water looking for fish. A large boat sailing down the beach with giant, flashing neon signs advertising dinner and drink specials at tacky beach restaurants.

Did that last piece in our Bob Ross painting strike you as out of place? It should—and it should remind us that sometimes our marketing and public relations efforts can be a bit over the top to the point of turning off the very people we wish to attract.

Yes, beachgoers need to eat, and many will want some kind of tropical beverage served from a coconut with an umbrella to help cap their day. But it needn’t be thrust into their faces that Capt. Jim’s Shrimp Shack has two-for-one drink specials from 4-6 pm as we try to enjoy a little salt air and sand between our toes.

Marketers and public relations specialists walk a fine line between being effective and being annoying. We’ve all heard various statistics that say a consumer has to hear a message eight or nine times before they act. Well, sometimes once is too many times.

There are solutions to the dilemma of “how much is too much,” fortunately. Marketing can be tested, whether in focus groups or real-world A/B tests. Maybe Capt. Jim could see if sales were better on the days he advertised on the radio instead of the boat with the Jumbotron LCD panels.

Or maybe Capt. Jim should change tactics altogether. Trade press coverage is like that great beach restaurant guide that tourists seek out when they’re hungry. It’s a resource that’s there when the customer needs it—and not when they don’t wish to be bothered. Most business decision makers will seek out their industry’s trade journals because it behooves them to stay on top of trends in the field. However, they may ignore yet another attention-seeking direct mail piece or e-mail in their mailbox.

The beauty of promoting your company in the trade press is that it’s easy to be effective at getting your message out while hard to be overexposed. For more on how your business can benefit from trade press coverage—whether online or in print—call Trade Press Services at (805) 496.8850 or e-mail gerri@tradepressservices.com.

How would you like to learn a great way to attract new customers to your business? You can—with a professionally-written white paper.

You’ve heard the term tossed around, but what is a white paper, anyway? A white paper is a report that is intended to be the definitive statement on a particular topic or issue. Lots of types of organizations write white papers, for lots of different reasons—governments spelling out official policy, for example. In the business world, a white paper not only establishes your product or solution as superior to the competition but positions you (or your company) as a thought leader.

A white paper is first and foremost a marketing tool. It should be written with your customers in mind, and should seek to address their problems, needs, or concerns. The length of the paper can vary, but again, keep your audience in mind. A highly technical consumer will be more tolerant of a longer, more detailed document than will a less technical buyer.

Whoever the audience, it’s important to grab their attention quickly. Remember, no one is forcing them to read your white paper. In the first few sentences, it’s key to catch their attention with phrases that will resonate with them. For example, “Are you tired of missing important e-mails because your spam filter does its job too well?” or “Finally—a document solution that combines the low cost of black and white with the professional look of color.”

Now you’ve got them on the hook! Next, reel them in with the specifics of exactly how your product or service can solve their problem. Be sure to include figures, stats or studies that support your claim. Testimonials from customers who have experienced success with your product work well, too.

Finally, wrap it up with a concise, compelling summary that restates your key points and includes a call to action: “To reclaim your inbox, call E-mail Solutions today.”

Trade Press Services can help you craft an effective white paper that will help your company get its message out to your audience.