How case studies can help your business
Writing case studies for your business is a great way to show how your product or service gets results.
Trust is everything when it comes to winning over new customers. That’s why case studies can be so powerful. Instead of telling people how fantastic your product or service is, you get to show them real results from happy customers.
Case studies share a story about your customer’s journey. They’re almost a testimonial - but instead of a few sentences from someone saying what they liked about working with you, they’re based on the success your client achieved.
Sharing this through a story is a great way to connect with potential customers. They get the chance to see exactly how you helped someone else solve a problem, and what it would be like working with you. In the process, you’re indirectly showing what you can do for them too. It’s a subtle form of marketing that takes the reader on a journey with you.
Five different types of case study
Not all case studies are the same, nor do they follow the same format. Which you use will depend on your business, and what you’re trying to achieve.
1. Problem - Solution (or success) case study:
This type of case study has a straightforward structure, sharing a specific problem the client faced, and the solution you provided.
Structure:
Problem - clearly define the issue faced by the client
Solution - describe how your product or service solved the problem
Results - share the results and improvements the client experienced after working with you
2. Testimonial case study:
This is similar to the problem - solution case study, but includes direct quotes from the client, often obtained through an interview.
Structure:
Client background - share the client’s story, with direct quotes
Problem and solution - include a summary of the challenges they faced, and how you helped
Results - show the success the client had through working with you, backed up by their testimonial
3. Before and after case study:
This type of case study is perfect for sharing visual results such as new branding or website redesign. It’s also a great way to share data on charts and graphs, for example showing the difference in sales.
Structure:
Before - describe the client’s situation before using your product or service, for example an image of their old website
After - show the transformation after working with you
4. ROI case study:
ROI (Return on Investment) case studies focus on the financial value that your product or service has provided. They’re a helpful way to prove the financial benefits of working with you.
Structure:
Investment - explain the cost or effort required to implement your solution
Results - break down the financial or measurable results
ROI - quantify the return on investment, for example a specific percentage increase in sales
5. Your own business case study:
This is all about you and how you’ve grown your business. It shares the success you’ve achieved, helping to build your credibility as a business that can be trusted.
Structure:
Challenge - talk about the challenges you’ve faced
Solution - describe how you overcame those challenges, focusing on specific decisions or changes
Results - share how your efforts made a difference, and the growth you’ve achieved
Why are case studies so helpful?
Case studies show your expertise and the results you achieve. Instead of simply telling someone that you helped a business with xyz solution, you can share how you did that.
For example “We introduced an email marketing campaign focusing on x. Over several months, we did y. The result was a z% increase in engagement rates.”
By sharing specific examples and numbers, it builds trust and helps people relate to how your product or service can help them. It also makes the story more memorable.
Here are a few more ways case studies can help your business:
Attracting new clients
Increasing customer loyalty
Showing your value - and how you can help others solve the same problems
Sharing examples of your products and services, and how others use them
Showcasing specific features and benefits of your products and services
Giving you content to repurpose in other ways, for example, social media posts
Helping with your website’s SEO
Building a positive reputation
Turning your product or service into a story, which can be useful for press and media
Promoting your business - and at a relatively low cost
Receiving an indirect endorsement of you and your company, which gives word of mouth validation
Five tips for writing case studies
Hopefully, by now you’re sold on the benefits of case studies for your business. The obvious next question is how you go about finding and writing good case studies.
1. Tell a compelling story
Case studies should read like a story with a beginning (the problem), middle (the solution), and end (the results). Share the customer journey to draw the reader in, and then how your product or service made a difference. Adding quotes from the client will make it more relatable.
2. Keep it concise
You want to share enough detail to show how you’ve helped, but also avoid overwhelming people with too much information. Stick to the key points, avoiding waffle and jargon. Remember to focus on the problem, the solution, and the results.
3. Use graphs and images
A picture is worth a thousand words. Yep, I’m a writer but there are times when a graph or image can help explain things better. For example, before and after images, or charts and data can bring the story to life.
4. Think about your audience
When you know who you’re aiming the case study towards and what stage of the customer journey they’re in, you can tailor it better. Think about the language (simple or complex), whether they want to see an overview or detail of the results, and the specific challenges they may face. This will make the story more relatable.
5. Choose the right story
Not every project or product sale will make a good case study. Think about the clients and customers with interesting stories. If you’re targeting startup businesses, they’re more likely to relate to case studies about other startups. But, if you’re looking to work with big global organisations, they’ll want to see you can deliver results on that scale.
Final thoughts
Writing case studies for your business are a great way to showcase your expertise and how your products and services can help. They’ll help to build trust with potential clients by giving solid examples of how you’ve already solved problems and delivered results.
Many of my own client projects are around interviewing and writing case studies. Because I love chatting with people about their businesses, and have a genuine interest in how they’ve overcome challenges, case studies have become one of my specialist services.
If you’d rather have someone else write your customer case studies, get in touch for a chat about how I can help.
