The best way to Write a Case Research: Step-by-Step Information (+ Examples)

If you wish to learn to write a case examine that engages potential shoppers, demonstrates you may clear up actual enterprise issues, and showcases the outcomes you ship, this information will assist.

We’ll provide you with a confirmed template to observe, present you how one can conduct an attractive interview, and provide you with a number of examples and suggestions for greatest practices.

Let’s begin with the fundamentals.

What’s a Case Research?

A enterprise case examine is solely a narrative about the way you efficiently delivered an answer to your shopper.

Case research begin with background info in regards to the buyer, describe issues they have been dealing with, current the options you developed, and clarify how these options positively impacted the shopper’s enterprise.

Do Advertising Case Research Actually Work?

Completely. A well-written case examine places potential shoppers into the footwear of your paying shoppers, encouraging them to have interaction with you. Plus, they:

1. Get shared “behind the strains” with resolution makers it’s possible you’ll not know;
2. Leverage the facility of “social proof” to encourage potential shoppers to take an opportunity along with your firm;
3. Construct belief and foster likeability;
4. Reduce the perceived threat of doing enterprise with you and supply proof that your online business can ship outcomes;
5. Assist prospects turn into conscious of unrecognized issues;
6. Present prospects experiencing related issues that attainable options can be found (and you’ll present stated options);
7. Make it simpler to your target market to seek out you when utilizing Google and different search engines like google and yahoo.

Case research serve your shoppers too. For instance, they will generate optimistic publicity and spotlight the accomplishments of line employees to the administration group. Your organization would possibly even throw in a brand new product/service low cost, or a present as an added bonus.

However don’t simply take my phrase for it. Let’s have a look at just a few statistics and success tales:

5 Profitable Case Research Examples to Mannequin

Earlier than we get into the nuts and bolts of how one can write a case examine, let’s go over just a few examples of what a wonderful one seems like.

The 5 case research listed under are well-written, well-designed, and incorporate a time-tested construction.

1. Lane Terralever and Pinnacle at Promontory

This case study from Lane Terralever incorporates photos to help the content material and successfully makes use of subheadings to make the piece scannable.

2. WalkMe Cell and Hulyo

This case study from WalkMe Mobile leads with an attractive headline and the three most vital outcomes the shopper was in a position to generate.

Within the first paragraph, the author expands the listing of accomplishments encouraging readers to study extra.

3. CurationSuite Listening Engine

That is an instance of a well-designed printable case study. The shopper, key drawback, and resolution are known as out within the left column and summarized succinctly.

4. Mind Visitors and ASAE

This lengthy format case examine (6 pages) from Brain Traffic summarizes the challenges, options, and outcomes prominently within the left column. It makes use of testimonials and headshots of the case examine individuals very successfully.

5. Adobe and Residence Depot

This case study from Adobe and Home Depot is a superb instance of mixing video, attention-getting graphics, and lengthy type writing. It additionally makes use of testimonials and headshots effectively.

Now that we’ve gone over the fundamentals and confirmed just a few nice case examine examples you should utilize as inspiration, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

A Case Research Construction That Execs Use

Let’s break down the construction of a compelling case examine:

Select Your Case Research Format

On this information, we deal with written case research. They’re reasonably priced to create, and so they have a confirmed observe document. Nevertheless, written case research are simply certainly one of 4 case examine codecs to contemplate:

1. Written
2. Video
3. Podcast
4. Infographic

When you have the assets, video (just like the Adobe and Residence Depot instance above) and podcast case research could be very compelling. Listening to a shopper focus on in his or her personal phrases how your organization helped is an efficient content material advertising and marketing instrument.

Infographic case research are normally one-page photos that summarize the problem, resolution, and outcomes. They have a tendency to work effectively on social media.

Comply with a Tried-and-True Case Research Template

The success story construction we’re utilizing incorporates a “narrative” or “story arc” designed to suck readers in and captivate their curiosity.

Observe: I advocate making a weblog put up or touchdown web page in your web site that features the textual content out of your case examine, together with a downloadable PDF. Doing so helps individuals discover your content material once they carry out Google and different internet searches.

There are just a few easy web optimization methods that you may apply to your weblog put up that can optimize your possibilities of being discovered. I’ll embrace these suggestions under.

Craft a Compelling Headline

The headline ought to seize your viewers’s consideration rapidly. Embody an important end result you achieved, the shopper’s title, and your organization’s title. Create a number of examples, mull them over a bit, then decide one of the best one. And, sure, this implies writing the headline is completed on the very finish.

web optimization Tip: Let’s say your agency supplied “video enhancing providers” and also you wish to goal this major key phrase. Embody it, your organization title, and your shopper’s title within the case examine title.

Write the Government Abstract

It is a mini-narrative utilizing an abbreviated model of the Problem + Resolution + Outcomes mannequin (3-Four brief paragraphs). Write this after you full the case examine.

web optimization Tip: Embody your major key phrase within the first paragraph of the Government Abstract.

Present the Shopper’s Background

Introduce your shopper to the reader and create context for the story.

Record the Buyer’s Challenges and Issues

Vividly describe the state of affairs and issues the shopper was coping with, earlier than working with you.

web optimization Tip: To rank on web page certainly one of Google for our goal key phrase, evaluate the questions listed within the “Individuals additionally ask” part on the prime of Google’s search outcomes. In case you can embrace a few of these questions and their solutions into your case examine, accomplish that. Simply be sure that they match with the circulate of your narrative.

Element Your Options

Clarify the services or products your organization supplied, and spell out the way it alleviated the shopper’s issues. Recap how the answer was delivered and carried out. Describe any coaching wanted and the shopper’s work effort.

Present Your Outcomes

Element what you achieved for the shopper and the influence your product/service made. Goal, measurable outcomes that resonate along with your target market are greatest.

Record Future Plans

Share how your shopper would possibly work along with your firm sooner or later.

Give a Name-to-Motion

Clearly element what you need the reader to do on the finish of your case examine.

Speak About You

Embody a “press release-like” description of your shopper’s group, with a hyperlink to their web site. In your printable doc, add an “About” part along with your contact info.

And that’s it. That’s the essential construction of a case examine.

Now, let’s go over how one can get the data you’ll use in your case examine.

The best way to Conduct an Partaking Case Research Interview

Probably the greatest components of making a case examine is speaking along with your shopper in regards to the expertise. It is a enjoyable and productive solution to study what your organization did effectively, and what it could actually enhance on, immediately out of your buyer’s perspective.

Listed here are some recommendations for conducting nice case examine interviews:

When Selecting a Case Research Topic, Choose a Raving Fan

Your gross sales and advertising and marketing group ought to know which shoppers are vocal advocates prepared to speak about their experiences. Your customer support and technical help groups ought to be capable to contribute recommendations.

Shoppers who’re specialists along with your product/service make strong case examine candidates. In case you sponsor a web-based neighborhood, search for product champions who put up persistently and assist others.

When choosing a candidate, take into consideration buyer tales that will attraction to your target market. For instance, let’s say your gross sales group is persistently bumping into prospects who’re enthusiastic about your resolution, however are gradual to tug the set off and do enterprise with you.

On this occasion, discovering a shopper who felt the identical manner, however overcame their reluctance and contracted with you anyway, could be an excellent story to seize and share.

Prepping for the Interview

In case you’ve ever seen an Oprah interview, you’ve seen a grasp who can get virtually anybody to open up and discuss. A part of the reason being that she and her group are disciplined about planning.

Earlier than conducting a case examine interview, discuss to your individual group in regards to the following:

1. What’s distinctive in regards to the shopper (location, dimension, business, and so forth.) that can resonate with our prospects?
2. Why did the shopper choose us?
3. How did we assist the shopper?
4. What’s distinctive about this buyer’s expertise?
5. What issues did we clear up?
6. Have been any measurable, goal outcomes generated?
7. What do we wish readers to do after studying this case examine evaluation?

Professional Tip: Tee up your shopper. Ship them the questions prematurely.

Offering inquiries to shoppers earlier than the interview helps them put together, collect enter from different colleagues if wanted, and really feel extra comfy as a result of they know what to anticipate.

In a second, I’ll provide you with an exhaustive listing of interview questions. However don’t ship all of them. As a substitute, pare the listing down to 1 or two questions in every part and personalize them to your buyer.

Nailing the Shopper Interview

Determine the way you’ll conduct the interview. Will you name the shopper, use Skype or Facetime, or meet in individual? No matter mode you select, plan the method prematurely.

Be sure you document the dialog. It’s powerful to steer an interview, hearken to your contact’s responses, preserve the dialog flowing, write notes, and seize all that the individual is saying.

A recording will make it simpler to put in writing the shopper’s story later. It’s additionally helpful for different departments in your organization (administration, gross sales, improvement, and so forth.) to listen to actual buyer suggestions.

Use open-ended questions that spur your contact to speak and share. Listed here are some real-life examples:

Introduction

1. Recap the aim of the decision. Verify how a lot time your contact has to speak (30-45 minutes is preferable).
2. Verify the corporate’s location, quantity of staff, years in enterprise, business, and so forth.
3. What’s the contact’s background, title, time with the corporate, major obligations, and so forth?

Preliminary Challenges

1. Describe the state of affairs at your organization earlier than participating with us?
2. What have been the preliminary issues you wished to resolve?
3. What was the influence of these issues?
4. When did you understand you needed to take some motion?
5. What options did you attempt?

Options

1. What options did you implement?
2. What course of did you undergo to make a purchase order?
3. How did the implementation go?
4. How would you describe the work effort required of your group?
5. If coaching was concerned, how did that go?

Outcomes, Enhancements, Progress

1. When did you begin seeing enhancements?
2. What have been essentially the most priceless outcomes?
3. What did your group like greatest about working with us?
4. Would you advocate our resolution/firm? Why?

Future Plans

1. How do you see our corporations working collectively sooner or later?

Sincere Suggestions

1. Our firm may be very targeted on continuous enchancment. What might we have now accomplished otherwise to make this a good higher expertise?
2. What would you want us so as to add or change in our product/service?

Through the interview, use your contact’s responses to information the dialog.

As soon as the interview is full, it’s time to put in writing your case examine.

The best way to Write a Case Research… Effortlessly

Case examine writing will not be practically as tough as many individuals make it out to be. And also you don’t should be Stephen King to do skilled work. Listed here are just a few suggestions:

• Use the case examine construction that we outlined earlier, however write these sections first: firm background, challenges, options, and outcomes.
• Write the headline, govt abstract, future plans, and call-to-action (CTA) final.
• In every part, embrace as a lot content material out of your interview as you may. Don’t fear about enhancing at this level
• Inform the story by discussing their trials and tribulations.
• Keep targeted on the shopper and the outcomes they achieved.
• Make their group and staff shine.
• When together with details about your organization, body your efforts in a supporting function.

Additionally, be sure that to do the next:

Add Testimonials, Quotes, and Visuals

The extra you should utilize your contact’s phrases to explain the engagement, the higher. Weave direct quotes all through your narrative.

Try to be conversational if you’re writing case research, as should you’re speaking to a peer.

Embody photos in your case examine that visually signify the content material and break up the textual content. Pictures of the corporate, your contact, and different staff are ideally suited.

If it is advisable incorporate inventory photographs, listed below are three assets:

1. Depositphotos
2. Unsplash
3. Canva

Proofread and Tighten Your Writing

Ensure that there are not any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. In case you need assistance, think about using Grammarly.

My highschool English trainer’s mantra was “tighten your writing.” She taught that impactful writing is concise and freed from weak, unnecessary words. This takes effort and self-discipline, however will make your writing stronger.

Additionally, understand that we dwell in an attention-diverted society. Earlier than your viewers will dive in and skim every paragraph, they’ll first scan your work. Use subheadings to summarize info, convey which means rapidly, and pull the reader in.

Be Certain to Use Greatest Practices

Think about making use of the next greatest practices to your case examine:

1. Keep laser-focused in your shopper and the outcomes they have been in a position to obtain.
2. Even when your viewers is technical, decrease using business jargon. In case you use acronyms, clarify them.
3. Pass over the promoting and promoting.
4. Don’t write like a Shakespearean wannabe. Write how individuals communicate. Write to be understood.
5. Clear and concise writing will not be solely extra comprehensible, it evokes belief. Don’t ramble.
6. Weave your paragraphs collectively so that every sentence relies on the one earlier than and after it.
7. Embody a selected case examine call-to-action (CTA).
8. A advisable case examine size is 2-Four pages.
9. Decide to constructing a library of case research.

Get Shopper Approval

After you’ve got a last draft, ship it to the shopper for evaluate and approval. Incorporate any edits they counsel.

Use or modify the next “Consent to Publish” type to get the shopper’s written sign-off:

Widespread Case Research Questions (& Solutions)

We’ll wrap issues up with a fast Q&A. When you have a query I didn’t reply, you should definitely go away it in a weblog remark under.

Ought to I fear about print variations of my case research?

Completely.

As we noticed within the CurationSuite and Mind Visitors examples earlier, case research get downloaded, printed, and shared. Prospects can and can choose your guide by its cowl.

So, be sure that your printed case examine is eye-catching and professionally designed. Hire a designer if crucial.

Why are good case research so efficient?

Case research work as a result of individuals belief them.

They’re not advertisements, they’re not press releases, and so they’re not about how stellar your organization is.

Plus, everybody likes spellbinding tales with a hero [your client], a battle [challenges], and a riveting decision [best solution and results].

How do I promote my case examine?

After you’ve written your case examine and obtained the shopper’s approval to make use of it, you’ll wish to get it in entrance of as many eyes as attainable.

Attempt the next:

1. Ensure that your case research could be simply discovered in your firm’s homepage.
2. Tweet and share the case examine in your varied social media accounts.
3. Have your gross sales group use the case examine as a cause to name on potential prospects. For instance: “Hello [prospect], we simply printed a case examine on Firm A. They have been dealing with among the similar challenges I consider your agency is coping with. I’m going to e-mail you a duplicate. Let me know what you assume.”
4. Distribute printed copies at commerce reveals, seminars, or throughout gross sales shows.
5. In case you’re bidding on a job and should submit a quote or a Request for Proposal (RFP), embrace related case research as supporting paperwork.

Able to Write a Case Research That Converts?

If you wish to stand out and also you wish to win enterprise, case research must be an integral a part of your gross sales and advertising and marketing efforts.

Hopefully, this information answered a few of your questions and laid out a path that can make it sooner and simpler to your group to create skilled, sales-generating content material.

Now it’s time to take motion and get began. Collect your employees, choose a shopper, and ask a contact to take part. Plan your interview and lead an attractive dialog. Write up your shopper’s story, make them shine, after which share it.

Get higher on the case examine course of by doing it extra steadily. Problem your self to put in writing a minimum of one case examine each two months.

As you do, you’ll be constructing a priceless repository of significant, highly effective content material. These success tales will serve your online business in numerous methods, and for years to come back.