You may have heard of logos, pathos, and ethos, the three main strategies used in persuasive writing.
Logos appeals to reason, pathos appeals to emotions, and ethos appeals to your authority. Good marketing strategies use all three in varying degrees—and there’s one tool that uses them all at the same time.
It’s kind of a persuasive trifecta.
And you can start using it right now. Even if you’re already using this marketing superpower, you could probably be using it more.
Want to know what it is (and how to use it)?
The Marketing Trifecta
In the hands of a skilled communicator, logos, pathos, and ethos all come together in the form of case studies.
A case study is one of the most powerful tools you have for your communications materials. It’s an analysis or report that tells the story of how your business overcame a specific challenge, with the results and data to back up your claims.
Case studies are, at their core, stories, with a clear before and after. They demonstrate your business’s ability to problem solve and give your brand credibility as experts in your field. Through emotional storytelling (pathos), before-and-after data (logos), and social proof (ethos), a great case study uses all elements of persuasive writing.
Ideally, your potential customers will see themselves in the “before” part of your case study. They’ll identify with the problems you encountered and aspire to find themselves in the “after.”
Your job is to convince them that the best way to see those “after” results is to take the next step with your brand.
Case Studies 101
Case studies are typically made up of 3 parts: the challenge, the solution, and the result.
The challenge is the start of the story, the “before.” It should be a relatable problem that your prospects can empathize with, a common pain point for your customers. Use emotionally charged language, describe the stakes your client was facing, and tap into your readers’ pathos.
The solution is where your business enters the picture and starts helping your client overcome the challenge. Detail your implementation process and how you overcame obstacles.
The result is the “after.” What happened to your client after you implemented the solution? What kind of growth and change did they experience? Use data and statistics to illustrate the efficacy of your solution and to engage with your readers’ logos.
Feel free to include before-and-after imagery, graphs and tables demonstrating your results, or graphics to liven up your data. While some readers are more moved by raw numbers, others need some visuals to convince them. Using both covers your bases.
Case studies should feel data-driven and human, utilizing both logos and pathos. And because they’re based on real clients you’ve helped in the past, they also serve as social proof, or ethos.
Pro tip: you can boost your ethos even further by including testimonial quotes in your case study, too.
How to Use Your Marketing Superpower
Are you ready to start using your marketing superpower?
Think back to a time your business had great success with a client. What made that story memorable? Maybe some unexpected challenges arose during the process. Maybe the results went above and beyond the client’s expectations.
Once you’ve picked a success story, try to find a narrative through-line. Real life is usually a bit messier than a story, so you may have to ignore certain aspects of the case. Don’t lie or bend the truth, but focus on a particular theme from beginning to end.
If you’re having trouble coming up with a through-line, think about your business’s unique selling propositions and the various benefits you offer clients. Does this particular story showcase one of your USPs? Does it highlight a service that your competitors don’t offer?
Make a point of calling out that through-line in each section of your case study, especially the challenge and results portions.
Once you’ve written your case study, where do you put it?
There are lots of possible places to use case studies: on your homepage, on a dedicated page on your website, in blog posts, videos, print pieces, social media, lead-generating PDFs, and more. HubSpot even recommends sneaking a case study into your email signature!
Anywhere that you can include longform content for prospective customers, you can potentially include a case study. Wherever you need to convince prospects of your brand’s efficacy and expertise, a case study can do the trick.
Most superheroes don’t figure out their powers alone. Sigl Creative can be the Yoda to your Luke Skywalker, your Mr. Miyagi, the one to help you utilize all your marketing potential through your website, social media, print, and beyond. All you have to do to get started is to schedule a call, and you’ll be well on your journey to harnessing your digital marketing superpowers.
