Case studies have long been an important part of marketing departments. Even though marketing case studies are popular and potentially valuable, they are usually dull, boring, and forgettable.
With this guide, I hope to outline everything you need to know so that you can write the kind of case study prospective clients will want to read. We'll go over the structure and content of a typical case study, as well as what you should think about before you write your paper.
Case studies aren't the most exciting content you can create, but they can be among the most effective. The format, tone, and style of case studies differ widely across businesses. However, a common theme among all marketing case studies is their purpose - to convince prospects that doing business with you is a great idea.
Are you ready to write a case study that will have your audience begging for more?
Good. Let's do this!
However, What Exactly Is a Case Study?
Business case studies examine how your company helped a client or customer achieve their goals. You can use it to market yourself to new customers and establish yourself as an expert with the help of evidence from existing customers.
In this post, I'll explain step-by-step how to write a case study.
After reading this article, you will know:
- The often-overlooked component to writing a good case study.
- Three steps to writing a case study.
- The benefits of using great case studies as examples.
Let's look first at the basic elements of a good case study.
1. Interviews Are Essential to Case Studies: Don’t Overlook Them
It seems that this part of the case study almost never gets the attention it deserves. Case studies do not begin with a rough draft or a description of how your company wants to market its products; they begin with an interview.
Case studies that don't include the right customer or the right questions are more likely to be weak and too general to distinguish themselves from their competitors. (You might want to remember that your competitors are building their own libraries at the same time you are constructing yours.)
In other words, here's how to make sure your case study starts right: with an interview that delivers the information you need.
Make sure you choose the right client. You may not always be able to make choices.
When it comes to choosing customers who are willing and capable of doing a case study for you, look for those who are:
- Happy customers who really like your product and are enthusiastic about it.
- Customers who can demonstrate tangible results from using your product or service.
Most people overlook the second requirement, but "Look at how happy this customer is!" won't be enough to convince prospects to try you.
In order to convince your potential customers you are the right choice, you need to provide details to back up your claim.
Also, make sure to choose customers that have been with you for a decent amount of time. New customers probably won’t be familiar with your product yet and won’t have used it enough to see dramatic results.
2. Get the Correct Answers by Asking the Right Questions
After finding the perfect customer who is excited about your products and your metrics support your claims, make sure you interview them in a way that tells their story well.
We would typically ask these questions in a Canoly case study - and each one contributes to a story that illustrates the benefits of using Canoly.
Feel free to reword them to suit your product:
- Before using Canoly, how was life for your team/company?
- Was there another audit service you were considering? How did you decide to choose us?
- Was learning Canoly a positive experience for you?
- What are you using Canoly for?
- What is Canoly's most significant contribution?
- Did you see any improvements in your revenue, productivity, savings, sales...? It's okay to estimate broadly!
You want to ask questions and learn during this interview. Asking your customers, "Why is that?" or "How did you do that?" will help to strengthen your case study. If you end up with too much information, you can always reduce it.
3. Which Are the Best Quotes to Use?
The most challenging part of writing a case study is deciding how to incorporate quotes. If you do an interview, everything you hear from your customer is basically a quote, so how do you write that up into an article-style piece?
If you want your company to be successful, you must leverage your customers' positive words about you. In other words, if they say, "Canoly made our website 1000% better," then keep that as a quote! You should hold on to this very powerful testimonial from your customer.
As for the more boring, descriptive dialogue like "Well, we started almost three years ago in California and have since expanded to two offices and about fifty staff members," you can turn that into part of your narrative, like this:
Jerry founded the company three years ago in California. Today, there are about fifty people on staff and two offices."
It's still important to include this type of content because it helps build out the story, but it doesn't have to be a quote-it doesn't affect the power of the case study.
Once you've compiled your content, you need to decide how you want to present it in your case study.
4. What Is the Best Format for a Case Study?
Case studies can be done in a variety of ways. The first thing you must ask is: how much time and money do you have?
We'll cover the main types along with their benefits and drawbacks.
A blog post or an article
When it comes to case study formats, a blog post is your go-to option. The process is pretty simple and does not require a lot of resources unless you want images. Then, you really just need a writer and a designer.
However, if you'd like something a little more dynamic and engaging...
A Video
The cost of producing videos is higher, they take more time, but they can tell your story brilliantly if you devote enough time and effort to them. A video would be ideal for your case study, but not every team has that kind of time (and money). Do you have the budget to make a video case study? If you can't do it, stick with more traditional written formats.
One-pager
The one-pager summarizes the main points of your case study in a concise manner, similar to a blog post or article. It's like a cheat sheet for your sales team that includes only the most crucial details they need to include when pitching to a specific kind of client.
Utilize your interview content for multiple purposes and turn it into a video, blog post, and one-pager. e.g., Turn a 30-minute interview into a short video, write a blog post for your marketing site, and create a single-page sales document.
It's now time to write the case study!
5. Prepare an Outline and Draft of Your Story
Start by outlining your story.
While every story is unique, it should include these basic elements:
Introduce your case study customer briefly.
It doesn't have to be super in-depth, but this can help the reader relate to the customer's challenges that you will fix.
The customer's first encounter with your brand.
Were you able to save them from disaster?
The way the customer used/is using your product.
Give as many details as you can. Describe features and benefits in detail to a prospect who probably doesn't know you well. Don't use jargon.
Lots of product images and screenshots.
Take photos and screenshots whenever possible to illustrate what you're saying. It's especially important if you're talking about the product you're selling, especially if it isn't easy to understand (which is often the case for software companies)
The aha! moment.
Your story reaches its peak here. Customers realize just how much they love what you offer, how much money they will save, how many more sales they will close by using your services...you get the idea. Look for the highlights and try to make them stand out, whether using a block quote or something else.
Numbers, numbers, numbers.
This can be folded into your aha! moment, but not always, and that's okay. It's good to hear accolades and complimentary quotes, but numbers are what really matter when it comes to B2B sales.
6. Check the Quotes Twice
If you haven't already done so, please remove the um's and ah's as you go through your transcripts or notes. It really takes away from what could've been a powerful quote.
Do a little editing to make everything sound smooth (e.g., look out for awkward phrasing or repetition, not visible when speaking but obvious when written down).
7. Get Your Customer’s Approval
Check spelling and grammar once the copy is finished and the images are in, then send it to your customer for their approval.
You may need more than one person to provide feedback, so budget enough time.
Are You Ready to Write a Great Case Study?
Building up a case study library is a time-consuming process. It's not enough to hire a writer and designer (and a videographer, if you're feeling fancy). You also need to find the right customers to feature and ask the right questions.
You'll be building solid social proof within minutes by following this guide and using this list of interview questions.
