There’s no one, single essential component in business-to-business (B2B) content marketing. But if you’ve got a client that is happy to talk up your proposition or be referenced as a partner, it makes a lot of sense to grab this opportunity with both hands. 

Case studies in content marketing validate your work, enhance your storytelling and provide tangible evidence of your organisation’s ability to deliver results. 

In the competitive retail industry, there is demand to understand what everyone else is up to, who they’re working with and what progress they are making in an ever-evolving marketplace. 

It’s one of the reasons the trade show and events scene continues to thrive. Everyone in retail wants to gauge the room, compare notes and ensure they’re not falling behind. 

If your product or service is used by a retailer or other business on the rise, or it has helped them tackle a common industry problem, then conveying this message as widely as possible can be hugely helpful to the sector – and, therefore, impactful for you. 

Getting the client to speak on your behalf holds the most weight. After all, they naturally talk the language of your target market and may even have found benefits in your partnership that you hadn’t initially foreseen.

Here are some powerful ways to incorporate a case study into content marketing: 

1. Include your client in any market report you’re involved in or partnering on because retailers like to learn from other retailers. Comments and reflections from ‘one of their own’ hold weight.

2. Encourage your clients to talk at conferences or events, either as part of a panel debate, live interview or roundtable discussion. As they talk through their challenges and their transformation journey, they’ll naturally want to reference those who supported them on their way.

3. Make your client the feature or a key reference point in blogs you write or commission. But remember, this content needs to present a view on hot topics and challenges. Don’t simply make blogs step-by-step case studies – they need to tell a wider industry story.

4. Conduct online video interviews with your case studies. Much like consumers, B2B customers are increasingly accessing content digitally and in video form on the move. Creative footage with a friendly client can capture the imagination as well as embed into multiple content marketing and social channels.

In much the same way consumer advocacy has become a key driver of sales for a brand today, a retailer talking positively about your technology, services or systems can generate a healthy stream of B2B leads and future revenue.