A professional writer should absolutely write the bulk of the
material, even if this requires hiring a freelancer. The content is too valuable to be written
by anyone unfamiliar with crafting marketing content, and the collateral can only be
released once (especially true for press releases), so it has to be accurate, focused, and
properly spell-checked the first time.
Never agree to compensate a customer for their time or the right to use their name.
As soon as any type of reparation is received, the testimonial, case study, or press
release fails utterly as authentic third-party validation, and the interviewed customer
immediately becomes a paid spokesperson, which is exactly what you don??™t want
because it has zero credibility.
INDEPENDENT VALIDATION
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1. For good tips on conducting interviews, read Jill Black??™s article ???Tips for Conducting ???In Person??™
(Face-to-Face) Interviews,??? at www.talewins.com/interviews.htm.
In terms of length, a case study should take as many words as it needs to accurately tell
the story. This might be 300 words or 2,000. As long as the customer??™s success, the company??™s
offerings, and the surrounding details are conveyed with efficiency and flair, most
people interested in the content will take the time to read the entire story.
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