Written or Video Case Studies for RFIs?
This tip is focused on case studies for RFIs and in what format should you present them.
I’m sure you’ve heard by now that humans have about an 8-second attention span which is shorter than goldfish! The information age has changed the general attention span and the collective global attention span is narrowing due to the amount of information that is presented to the public. About 14 months ago, a study in the scientific journal, Nature Communications, showed people have more things to focus on – but often focus on things for shorter periods of time.
So how does this relate to what format you should use to present your case studies in RFIs?
Well, the average RFI is at least 50 pages and there are typically no less than 10 RFIs in the mix. I’m sure you can do the math and figure out the clients have to read through 500 pages, at minimum, in order to narrow the field. I’m sure you’ll agree…that’s a lot of reading to do.
Couple these 500 pages with short attention spans, constant interruptions, more screens to focus on, more to focus on in general and… unless they’re printing out reams of paper, these RFIs are being read on screen. After reading RFIs for almost two decades, I personally can tell you that your eyes start to burn after the first one. In fact, I recently had a client ask me what the best way would be to go about reading all the RFIs since the search team was overwhelmed with the amount of reading!
So what can you do to help the red eye and short attention spans when it comes to writing RFIs?
Help the client to visually read the case studies. Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Do not give them heavy text paragraphs of 12 point type running from the left margin to the right margin.
Instead think, “out of home” when writing a case study. Use big bold headlines to get across key points and bullet out the details in a digestible format. Use graphics to your advantage and call out vital points so if the reader doesn’t read everything, they still take away what’s pertinent. BUT be sure the written overview is just that – a quick overview highlighting key points that support a video case study.
Let me state that again – start turning your multi-pages of written case studies into 2-3 minute video case studies. Highlight the challenge, research, insights, solution, and results. You can even include a client testimonial if it works. But make your case study a quick video story. It’s much easier to watch a 2-3 minute case study video than to read through pages of text… And use video supers to underscore vital information being spoken. Instead, the written case study should briefly support the video case study highlighting key points and tying the experience to the prospective client’s overarching marketing challenges. Bridge the gap between your experience and their core issues.
There are many tips to written better case studies and you may want to check back to some previous videos that touch upon tips for writing better RFIs but the point here is to start using video cases in an effort to help reduce screen fatigue and keep that shortened attention span engaged with a brief video versus pages and pages of heavy text.
There you have it. That’s my counsel on this topic and I hope it helps. Look out for more of my new biz quick tips shared exclusively with AAR Agency Growth Program Partners.
