The complete guide to writing case studies
HOW CASE STUDIES CAN GIVE YOU THE SOCIAL PROOF YOU NEED TO ATTRACT NEW CLIENTS
Some people aren’t comfortable blowing their own trumpet and with good reason. No one likes it when someone loves themselves a bit too much and the same applies to when marketing your product or company. While marketing is all about selling yourself to your potential clients, there’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence. The former will send your audience elsewhere; the latter lets them know you’re the real deal.
When it comes to your marketing collateral, case studies are a great way to demonstrate your worth while keeping it factual and balanced. In this blog, we’ll look at how writing effective case studies can send your social proof through the roof and attract new clients to your roster.
WHAT IS A CASE STUDY?
A case study is a marketing tool used to showcase something your company did for a client. It tells a story that demonstrates how great your service is.
Often, people think of case studies as a way to show off their work, but there’s much more to writing case studies than that.
Case studies can be extremely effective. They’re fast becoming marketing’s favourite tool for generating new leads and turning casual readers into paid customers. However, too often, they’re churned out without really understanding why they work so well and can actually miss those key components that are needed to make them a compelling read. If you’re not careful, your case study will be forever assigned to the “boring and forgettable” pile.
WHY CASE STUDIES WORK
The secret to success is in the way a case study is written. Here are two important reasons why they work so well and why it’s worth spending the time to get them right.
Case studies tell a compelling story
Case studies are more than a quick summary of what you did for your customer and a happy quote at the end. Case studies draw the reader in with a story.
Everyone loves a story. But it’s more than that. In fact, our brains are hard-wired to respond to a story. Research has shown that more areas of our brain fire up when we are listening to a story than if we were simply being told a series of facts and figures. That leads us to enjoy the experience more, understand the information more deeply and retain it for longer.
Source: Reedsy
We’ve talked previously about using a narrative to engage your audience and elevate your marketing so that people look forward to and enjoy reading your content. The classic narrative arc starts with setting the scene and introducing the main characters and the seeds of conflict. As the story develops, the characters grapple with and try to resolve the Big Problem, usually escalating to a climax. Finally, the characters resolve the Big Problem and the story ends.
The same applies to writing case studies. A good case study will have a beginning, a middle and an end as well as a protagonist (that’s your customer). So make sure that you follow the classic fairy tale formula: start with identifying a problem, introduce the solution (that’s your business service or product), and then showcase the results.
Taking this approach also means that you can dig deep into a problem and paint a vivid picture that connects with the audience, answering one of marketing’s most important questions: “so what?”.
When a problem resonates strongly with the reader, they’ll find themselves saying, “yes, that’s my problem too!” And, feeling like that, who isn’t going to read on to find out what the solution is?
Case studies are written from the perspective of your customer
As we’ve said before, no one likes to listen to a person blow their own trumpet.
“But how can I tell them about how good we are, then?”, we hear you cry.
Well, this is why case studies are your secret weapon: good case studies are about the customer’s journey, not about your company. Writing case studies from the perspective of your customer moves the focus away from yourself, instantly changing the tone of the copy and avoiding the trap that businesses too often fall into (talking about themselves too much!).
Not only is it written from their perspective, telling their story and their problem, but it contains loads of genuine customer quotes.
Why is this important?
© Impact of Customer Reviews Survey, March 2021
91% of us will read at least one review of a product before we buy. And of all the different factors affecting a purchase decision, seeing positive reviews is top of the list.
In this context, then, a case study is like a super-charged customer review that helps your reader to build trust in your brand and to take the plunge and buy from you.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF WRITING EFFECTIVE CASE STUDIES
Pick the right case study candidate
First thing’s first, it’s important to pick the right candidate. Choose a client that represents your target audience or the target problem you’re solving.
Perhaps they work at a well-known brand that others would recognise.
A client who left your competitor to work with you? Even better.
Above all, it needs to be someone who has a good story to tell. Remember our narrative arc? Choose someone who had a real problem, that you helped to solve. Someone who’s seen great results because of you and your service. The bigger – and more unexpected – success, the better.
Use data to demonstrate measurable success where possible
If your client’s success is quantifiable with facts and figures, then your case studies will work even harder for you. The best case studies don’t just tell you, they show you.
-
Can they demonstrate some clear results as a result of using you?
-
Can they quantify how many more website visits they’ve had, or an increase in enquiries or sales?
-
Did they achieve a quicker result which saved them money?
Whatever it is, a headline-making statistic will capture your reader’s attention and make them want to know how that was possible.
Source: Mailchimp
If you have a jaw-dropping statistic that will really capture the attention of readers, don’t be shy: consider starting with the headline results, and then explain the problem after that.
Not all businesses have this sort of concrete data. That’s OK. A life coach or corporate team building facilitator will still deliver results and a well-written case study can paint a picture of transformation that is attractive and inspiring to others.
Source: Asana
Get the approvals process right
It may seem like a technicality, but before you speak to your client, it’s really important that the interview has been signed off by the relevant people. And depending on the size of the organisation that your client works for, this can become quite a headache.
Following the interview and write-up, you’ll also need to send the case study to your client for their (or their manager’s) approval.
Give yourself enough time
Make sure you allow time for a slow approval process, coordinating yours and your client’s diaries, writing the case study and – always – allowing your writing to rest overnight before issuing it. Invariably there’ll be something you’ll spot with fresh eyes that you won’t be able to change if the horse has already bolted.
Don’t forget, you’ve also got to get your client to sign off on the draft before anyone within the wider business sees it. So, give yourself plenty of time to get the relevant approvals before you publish the finished piece.
Ask the right questions
Once the right permissions are in place and your interview is in the diary, make sure you set yourself up for success by preparing the questions you want to ask.
Group questions into three topics. Here are some examples:
-
The challenge
-
What challenges were you experiencing prior to working with us?
-
How were these challenges affecting your team?
-
What might have happened if you hadn’t found a solution?
-
The solution
-
What made us stand out against our competitors?
-
What service helped you solve the problem?
-
The results
-
When did you realise things had changed for the better?
-
What have the measurable benefits been?
It’s also important to reassure them that they will be able to review anything before it is finalised and published. Knowing that they can check what’s eventually written will help them to relax and open up – which is when you’ll get your best quotes.
Don’t forget to use open-ended questions and let them talk.
Think about the structure and visuals
A picture can paint a thousand words. In our busy, distracted world, even the most finely crafted story will lose people if it looks like a block of text. Few people will have the time or determination to wade through page after page of solid text. So make sure it gets to the point quickly, it’s easy to read and it looks good.
Whether your case study is intended to be printed and handed to your target audience or uploaded onto your website, it will need plenty of white space and images to break up the text.
Stick to a clear structure, using sub-headings. This doesn’t have to be clever: “The problem”, “The solution” and “The results” will make it perfectly clear to your reader where this story is going.
Keeping your case study to around 500-800 words is a good rule of thumb and will mean that once it has been designed it will still fit nicely onto two sides of A4 and will work well on screen too.
REPURPOSE YOUR CASE STUDY AND SHARE YOUR STORY
Writing case studies may take more planning and coordination than writing a blog post or asking a client for a testimonial, but high-quality evergreen content like this is well worth the work. It’s hugely persuasive and can be repurposed across many of your business channels, giving you a great return on your investment. Why not add excerpts from your case study to your email footer, to your next pitch, or pepper some of its content across your website?
As we often say, make it once, use it often.
Case studies are often written badly or overlooked in favour of other marketing tools. Yet, done well, they’re rich in value and are hugely effective ways to boost your credibility as the go-to in your sector.
You work hard to give the best service and results to your customers. Now it’s time to tell the world about it.
-
Get in touch with the team at Luma to discuss whether case studies could be a useful addition to your marketing strategy. With our training and experience, we can create compelling case studies that will showcase your business and generate new leads.