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How to write a case study post to get MORE clients
The art of the BOFU post
Happy Tuesday!
And it is Tuesday. Not Friday, which was the publish date of last week’s newsletter.
Because when I scheduled it, I scheduled it for the year 24.
That’s 0024. Not 2024, which is the current year of our Lort.
I tell ya, it’s times like these when I need to turn to the little Bob Ross inside me for a word of encouragement.
Thanks dad, errr… Bob
Apologies for the weirdness with last week’s delivery.
But enough of the pity party! We have exciting things to talk about.
We’re wrapping up our series on the SALES FUNNEL this week.
Two weeks ago, I showed you TOFU content (to attract attention)
One week ago (or the year 24) I showed you MOFU content (to win trust)
This week, it’s all about BOFU content.
BOFU, or “bottom-funnel” content is the place to make the HARD SELL.
Think of BOFU posts as like little commercials for your products and services.
One of the best ways to make an effective BOFU post on LinkedIn is to talk about a real-life client that you helped. Also known as a CASE STUDY.
Your ideal prospects will see this post, and if you write it well, they’ll see themselves in your previous client (along with all the kick-ass ways you solved their problems and left them better than you found them).
That puts them in the prime emotional position to engage you for services. And you’re going to ask them to do that directly.
Let’s learn how! But first…
For my new subscribers:
I’m Dusten, and I co-run a brand and content strategy agency called Zenpost.
This is Cool Story, where I summon my decade+ of content expertise to teach you how to write like LinkedIn’s top voices.
Each week, I tear down a post from one of LinkedIn’s most powerful personal brands, show you how it’s done, and give you a content template you can stick in your swipe file.
Let’s get to it!
This week’s post
This week, we’re looking at this post from Luke Shalom.
Luke is a lead gen machine who trains C-Suite executives in the ancient art of inbound lead generation.
The post is a perfect BOFU example. He tells a detailed story about a client he helped. As you’ll see from the post, the most likely place that client ended up is on a yacht sipping margaritas somewhere in the Seychelles.
Let’s put on our orange glasses and take a closer look!
Whew! That’s a BIG boi!
Here’s why it works:
Luke creates his case study here using a dead-simple copywriting framework we’ve studied before: The BAB Framework.
If you’re new here or just appreciate the reminder, BAB stands for “Before - After - Bridge.”
The idea is, you talk about the client’s situation before they engaged you (i.e., the problems you’re there to solve).
Then, you give a brief look at the after picture, showing how much better the client’s life is after your services (to whet a prospect’s appetite, “this could be me!” etc.).
Finally, the bridge, where Luke shows his work, positioning his solution as the bridge to the happy after picture.
Here’s what I like about Luke’s approach to his post:
BAB on BAB on BAB
Each step in Luke’s “Bridge” section follows its own BAB formula. These mini-BABs show how the client did stuff before, Luke’s method, and then the new (better) result. Clever!
Hook-stacking enters the chat
The punchy copywriting throughout showcases Luke’s unique insights and methods. These re-engage the reader at various points when the post gets deep into the weeds.
Show, don’t tell!
Luke uses an analytics dashboard as his scroll-stopper. Visually a bit bland, but the numbers POP. He doesn’t just tell you what he did for his client — he shows it, convincing anyone still on the fence.
Steal the template:
Here’s a modified BAB template (using Luke’s mini-BAB and hook-stacking methods) you can use to turn a case study into a LinkedIn post (and hopefully get a new client!).
[HOOK]
[Ideally, an eye-popping result, with numbers, to grab attention for the post. But you can also take a more narrative approach.]
[“see more” line]
[BEFORE]
[Set the scene. Explain the length of the engagement and the problem you were engaged to solve.]
When [client] first came to [me/us], they were:
[detail problem 1]
[detail problem 2]
[detail problem 3]
[AFTER]
Here are the results from [period of engagement] we worked together:
[detail amazing result 1]
[detail amazing result 2]
[detail amazing result 3]
[BRIDGE]
Here’s what [I/we] did to get this result:
[Solution 1]
[most clients do X].
[but this is wrong because].
- Point 1
- Point 2
So we [preview novel new approach].
- [detail the solution]
- [detail the solution]
This helped [explain what this approach accomplished].
[repeat 2-3 times]
—
Everyone wants [amazing outcome].
But they need to [say what they should do instead].
[punchy line to summarize key takeaway].
—
Want me to [resolve similar pain point/produce amazing outcome] for you?
[Add explicit CTA to book a call, whatever]
Cool Story is FREE, but I do have a BIG ask…
Can you think of ONE person in your network who would like Cool Story? Please forward it to them.
TWO more QUICK things:
Let’s make sure we’re connected on LinkedIn, where I share content creation tips every day. Hit the bell to never miss a post.
If you’re a founder, fractional, or consultant and you’re interested in using your personal brand to get more leads, Zenpost can help. When you’re ready, let’s find a time to chat.
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