How To Write a Killer Case Study
Case studies are essentially storytelling, they’re told in narrative style, post-interview, and aim to show why your service, brand, or product is valuable and how it differentiates from the crowd. They’re a great way to present your service in a positive light and stand as marketing collateral outlining why people choose YOU.
So, how do you go about producing a killer case study that gives your brand the recognition and attention that it deserves?
Interview a client: You may have to do some chasing, so be prepared for busy clients and playing email/phone tag! Keep questions simple and straight to the point, have both a short and long interview template, and try to provoke answers that describe why your service stands out.
Use the Interview as an insight into potential improvements: Interviews double as opportunities to learn about client needs and how your service is functioning. Ask questions that allow you to learn what parts of your business could be improved, what things could be added and removed, or if there are any aspects of your business that need simplifying. Of course, keep these off the record – archive them instead, and use them to grow better.
Choose your angle and writing style: Case studies can be in first person (I) or third person (he, she). When using third person, employ quotes to pep up the tone and allow flow, making it easier to read. This also increases authenticity because clients are reading firsthand accounts from previous users/customers.
Find your structure: Begin the article with a strong title encapsulating the story. Use simple language with a focus on subheadings, bullet points, and bolded/italic text. When structuring the article think of using these questions to create a general outline:
What was the problem?
How was the client attempting to solve this previously?
How did your platform/service/company allow the customer to conquer this problem?
Remember, case studies are a sales tool because they highlight how you were able to satisfy previous customers, so ideally you’ll want to conclude with a quote from the client recommending your brand to others in their industry.
Image: Rose Editorial – Fran Summers by Lead Band
