How To Create Effective Case Studies

Effective case studies are one of the most valuable assets you could possibly have. They tell real stories, with real people, facing real challenges – and they demonstrate how your solution made a difference.

In a world flooded with marketing messages and over-the-top promises, case studies cut through the noise. Done right, they build trust, influence and overall conversions to customers.

In this post, we break down why they matter. We also go over the most important information you need to create effective case studies for your own organization.

Why Case Studies Are So Important

Let’s get right into it. Below you will find four reasons effective case studies are essential:

• They create trust. Let’s be honest: trust is everything. If a prospect doesn’t believe what you say, they’re never going to buy. Case studies showcase success stories, and because people believe their peers more than brands, they make it easier to convert them into customers.
• They prove ROI. Before they do business with you, people want to know that their investment is going to pay off. It’s one thing to assure them that it will be – it’s something completely different to show them how. This is where case studies come in.
• They’re versatile. A good case study can take multiple formats. Put in the effort once, and you can easily repurpose it into social media content, pitch decks, and more. If content is how you build relationships with your audience, case studies are a piece that you will want to use again and again.
• They shorten the sales cycle. Depending on your industry, average sales cycles can be quite long. Not so with effective case studies. Buyers with a case study in hand are often more confident and ready to move forward. This brings in more sales, more quickly.

The Most Important Elements Of Effective Case Studies

For a case study to be effective, it needs to have a few different elements. These elements make the case study clear, focused, and emotionally compelling. Here are the five things we suggest:

• A relatable client or customer. The reader should see themselves in the story. Who is your ideal customer? Creating a case study with a client of a similar size, industry, or challenge will make it more effective.
• A real problem. The challenge or difficulty that your client faced should be high-stakes enough to matter. Get specific. The more vivid the pain point, the more powerful the resolution.
• A clear solution. Demonstrate exactly what you did. How did your product or service help? How exactly was it implemented in order to fix your client’s problem?
• Quantifiable results. Numbers don’t lie. They are what make a success story convincing and a case study so effective. Include metrics wherever possible: increased revenue, time saved, costs reduced, etc. If you can’t use numbers, use qualitative improvements (team morale, customer satisfaction, etc.).
• Authentic quotes. Lastly, the right quote can be incredibly compelling. It can also be the perfect headline for your case study. If you want to get this quote, let the customer speak for themselves.

How To Make A Good Case Study

With the information we’ve covered so far, you’re just about ready to create your own case study. Once you do get started, here is the process we recommend:

1) Choose The Right Story

Odds are, if you’ve been in business a while, you have multiple customers that could make a good case study. That’s why you need to look for the right story. The customer you choose should not only be satisfied – but enthusiastic. You should also try to find one that is representative of your ideal audience. This will make any case study you do much more compelling to the people consuming it.

2) Conduct A Thoughtful Interview

Assuming they agree to an interview, it’s time to prepare the right questions. These should cover the “before,” “during,” and “after” of their experience. Dig deep into their emotions. What was frustrating, surprising, or transformative about their experience? Record the call (with permission) so that you can easily capture powerful quotes and tone.

3) Outline And Structure

No need to complicate things once you’ve conducted the interview. Like we point out above, here’s a flow you can follow once you have your main material:

• Background: who is the client?
• Challenge: what problem did they face?
• Solution: how did your product or service help?
• Results: what changed, and how do they feel about it?
• Quote: choose their mosh powerful quote to close with.

Once you’ve organized the interview like this, you have your case study!

4) Make It Visual

You have your text and it’s organized – it’s time to make your case study a bit more visual. Include imagery and any interesting quotes your client might have said. This will make it easier to read. You can also include any relevant data you have. This all adds a human touch and improves the overall design of your case study.

5) Publish And Promote

Once your case study is live, don’t let it just sit there. It’s time to distribute it. Remember: a case study is the perfect piece of content to repurpose. Turn it into slides for your sales teams. Share it in your newsletter. Publish it on LinkedIn. You now have a multi-use asset – time to leverage it!

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