How To Write a Perfect Case Study

We’ve all been here: you’ve got a hot lead on the hook and it’s about to close but they just need a liiiittle bit of a nudge to get across that line.

What can you do to tip the scales in your favor? Send them a case study.

But bland, generic case studies won’t do to the trick. You don’t want to throw a bunch of numbers and claims and statistics at your readers and expect them to be impressed. Your goal is to help them make a purchasing decision. Answering their questions while telling an engaging story is what takes the conversation from “oh…thanks…” to “oh, thanks!”

6 Questions Every Case Study Should Answer

Every case study should tell a story and frame your customer as the hero. The goal is to illustrate how your solution helped them resolve a conflict they were facing and achieve their mission. 

A successful case study requires some sort of narrative arc to be effective. By answering these six questions, you can give the reader enough structure and information to make an informed purchasing decision.

1. What was the initial problem?

Every story starts with a conflict. Your case study should begin by describing who your customer is and what problem they were experiencing. 

Not only does this make the story relatable to your ICP, it also illustrates a real-world use case for your product or service.

“The customer was a mid-sized software company. Their growth had reached a plateau and they needed to double their monthly account registrations within 12 months to hit their revenue target.”

2. Why did the client or customer reach out to you?

Elaborate on what made the customer choose you over a competitor. Whether it was pricing, reputation, experience, or something else, let the reader know what made your company appealing to the customer.

This is an opportunity to highlight one of your value propositions and show how that translates into customer success.

“The stakes were high and the customer could not afford to waste a single dollar on marketing. They chose our company because of our strong reputation and long track record of success with similar business types.”

3. What solution did you propose?

Next, you can elaborate on how you proposed to help your customer solve their problem. This is an opportunity to illustrate the real-world value of your product or service. 

“In order to increase account registrations, we suggested a targeted ad campaign and implemented a content marketing strategy to increase website traffic and drive more conversions.”

4. Were there any unexpected roadblocks or challenges?

Every story needs a little bit of drama. Think of a time when something didn’t go according to plan and explain how you were able to overcome that setback. For example:

• Did the project face a delay? How did you get it back on track?
• Did you have resource issues? How did you adapt?
• Did the project scope change? How did you adapt?
• Was the timeline shortened? How were you able to adjust your schedule?

Adding in an extra layer of conflict not only makes the story more interesting, it demonstrates your company’s ability to overcome challenges and come out on top.

“Midway through the engagement, we were not seeing the results we hoped for and the client was forced to reduce ad spend. In order to reach our goals, we employed tactics around Conversation Rate Optimization (CRO) and increased content production to make up for the lost traffic.”

5. What was the end result?

Now it’s time for the big reveal! This is where you get to brag about your performance and highlight the impact of your work. 

Start with a powerful statement and use numbers and statistics to highlight the impact.

“By the end of the engagement, the customer had more than doubled their account registrations and exceeded their revenue targets.

• • 4,000 new marketing contacts generated
  • 2.5x increase in monthly account sign ups
  • $1.3 million in revenue generated from marketing"

6. Was the customer satisfied with those results?

Of course they were, or you wouldn’t be writing a case study about it. But it’s nice to end the story on happy note, so including a short statement from the customer to wrap things up.

“This company is (literally) a life saver. They gave us the tools and tactics we needed to survive an economic downturn. This team is full of A players and I would happily recommend them to anyone who is in a similar situation.”

- A Happy Customer

Helping You Help Your Customers

Case studies can be powerful lead generators and sales tools when done right. By creating the right structure and answering all of the reader’s questions, a good case study can be one of your greatest business assets.

WEBITMD has worked with hundreds of businesses to develop content libraries that turn website visits into tangible revenue. To learn more about how we can help your business, check out our own case studies or download your Growth Stack Guide below.