How to Write a Case Study

Image showing a man thinking about the essential elements of a case study

Case studies are an excellent tool to incorporate into your digital marketing strategy; however, for case studies to increase web traffic and generate leads, you have to execute them well. When producing a case study, you need to have clear objectives in mind — such as what issues you want to tackle and what specific services in your business you want to promote.

Not only do you need to have a clear focus throughout case studies, but you should incorporate statistics to boost your business’ credibility. Throughout case studies, it’s essential to connect to your readers and identify solutions that your customers and readers will find relatable. While case studies reflect the service you provide, they’re also about the benefits your customers have experienced because of your business.

Have a Clear Objective for Your Case Study

A successful case study needs a clear objective to keep readers engaged and informed. Have a clear focus, identify what product or service you want to talk about, and keep doing that throughout the case study.

For example, you may want to introduce a new product, highlight a specific feature, or show the solution and thought process behind solving your customer’s problem. A successful case study is a before and after snapshot of your customer’s business — but it’s up to you to tell your readers how you got there.

Tell a Story

When creating case studies, think of them as success stories. This way, your case studies will appear more engaging and tell the story from start to finish. While a case study is about your business, don’t make it about yourself. Instead, take your readers on a journey, and tell your customers stories and what they accomplished with your help.

Remember Quality Over Quantity

Most readers skim content, and many don’t have time or attention to read a three-page case study. This case study from Fantasy gets the point across but in a minimal, informative manner. One of our own case studies highlights the importance again — it’s informative and to the point. Keep your case study focused on the objective, and if the story happens to be around 400 words, there’s nothing wrong with that — provided it gets your point across and tells the story effectively.

Make It Relatable

Case studies are a chance for you to humanize your brand and show how you connect with your customers. Ask yourself questions like:

How will the solution you provide be beneficial for potential customers?
How will your business help customers long term?
What does a reader gain from reading this case study?
What area of your customer’s business does your product or service help?

For example, if your customer is in financial services, include how your product or service will help employees with productivity and help boost loan processing times, ROI, and sales.

Incorporate Statistics and Facts

Statistics and facts about your customer’s business boost the credibility of your business and trust among readers. Impactful statistics often include return on investment, productivity increases, and cost savings. Most readers will gravitate towards statistics and quick key facts, and statistics still leave readers with a long-lasting impression — even if they don’t read the entire case study. For example, in this case study by Fractl, the statistics were proudly displayed at the top, making it the first thing customers see.

So, whether people read the entire case study or not, they’re left with an idea of how impressive their business is just based on the statistics and facts.

Keep your Case Study Conversational, Focused, and Relatable.

Case studies are a powerful marketing asset.

When creating a case study, it’s imperative to remain focused on the issues, the solution, and how your business will improve your customer’s business. Case studies are flexible and may appear in several formats, whether they’re short infographics or longer, text-based stories. Whichever format you choose, remember to utilize statistics and data to your advantage. Doing so will only increase your credibility and establish your business as a force to be reckoned with.

Case studies are an excellent way to display your best practices to the world proudly.

The Six Factors For A Successful Case Study

There are SIX factors that will make producing case studies a sure success:

Have a Clear Objective
Tell a Story
Remember Quality Over Quantity
Make It Relatable
Incorporate Statistics and Facts
Keep your Case Study Conversational, Focused, and Relatable.

To learn more about how Instinctive Solutions can help you create fantastic case studies, take a look at our case study webpage.

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