How to write a case study for business.
Show potential clients you have what it takes to solve their problems with a well-written case study.
Wondering how to write a case study effectively but not sure how to get started? Case studies are great for business. They build trust in your operation and show how your product or service solves your clients’ problems. But crafting a good case study takes practice. Read on to learn how to write a case study that will wow your reader.
What is a business case study, and why create one?
A business case study is a document or video that shares a customer’s journey resolving an issue using your company’s products or services. A good case study tells a story and highlights the protagonist (your customer), who has a problem that needs to be solved — which is where your company comes in to save the day.
The business case study serves as proof that your products or services give customers the results they want. It builds engagement with current customers and progresses future sales by putting you forward as a trustworthy business.
Now that you know what a business case study is, you may want to know how to write a business case study. Read on for the steps you’ll need to take.
Step 1. Gather research for the business case study.
Before you begin, review not just what you did for the client but also how you accomplished it. Remember to interview your client to get their point of view — and hopefully, some great quotes for your study. Then, determine your target audience to make sure you include relevant information.
Step 2. Write a case study outline
To write a case study, follow these six steps:
- Headline. Write a brief headline that tells the most important details — like a news headline.
- Summary. Include a brief summary of the client’s name and industry, which product or service you offered, and the results. You can use bullet points here.
- The problem section. In a couple of paragraphs, introduce your client and the challenge they faced. Include quotes if possible.
- The solution section. Explain why the client chose you, how you approached their problem, and how your service solved it.
- The results section. Detail the tangible results and benefits the client received. Numbers and statistics are great for this section.
- Conclusion. If you have a good quote from your client recommending your services, add it as a conclusion. However, this part is optional.
Step 3. Write your case study using the right format.
There are a few different routes you can take when it comes to case study formatting. First, consider what your audience would be interested in viewing and choose the best format that suits their needs.
A report format is typical for a case study. It includes all the details you need to know about a customer’s journey with your company. Business decision-makers likely want to read a format like this when deciding on using your business’s services.
A one-pager provides to-the-point information by highlighting company wins at a glance. For sales teams, this can be a great way to learn about past company wins, and you can easily share it with clients who prefer quick content.
Videos are an excellent way to communicate your message in a visually engaging way. You can tell the story at whatever pace you’d like and add in music, sound, and more to create an even more persuasive takeaway.
Lastly, infographics are a fantastic way to share data in a simple but eye-catching way. Visualizing numbers and statistics can also clarify case study results.
Tips on how to write a business case study.
You have the steps for how to write a case study, but how can you make the content leave your readers wanting to learn more about your business?
Here are some tips for writing an interesting and engaging case study:
- Simplify the client’s involvement. You and your clients are both busy. Save everyonesome time by making your case study as straightforward as possible. Be sure to include:
- The process (such as the time needed for the interview or when they should expect a draft for approval)
- Where the case study will live (such as the website location)
- Interview options (such as in-person, phone, or video call)
- Benefits (such as social media exposure or compensation)
- Include a notable highlight in the results. While great storytelling leaves some details for the end, you want to pique readers’ interest in the beginning and give them important details to help them with decision-making upfront.
- Pick an interesting angle. Even when presenting more mundane details, you can find a creative angle.
- Think about customers who used your products or services in a unique way.
- Choose a theme that connects you and the client’s industry.
- Draw in the reader from the beginning with the best result from your case study.
- Weave the client’s personality throughout the story.
- Make sure it’s relatable for all prospects. Pay attention to your target demographics and what would catch their eye. Choose problems that the majority of your customers face to catch their interest.
- Provide visually interesting content. While case studies may not always be the most riveting reads, they can still be engaging. Creating content that is skimmable, colorful, and organized will make for more successful case studies.
- Feature the client as the main character. While your company is helping clients out, you should always position the client as the hero. This makes it easier for readers to relate and put themselves in the client’s shoes — the case study is much less relatable if it’s just you bragging about your company. Taking the humble route wins the favor of the reader.
- Let the client share their story. Your job is to take the client’s story and make it a triumphant narrative about how they overcame an obstacle using your product or service. It’s important to let them share their story in their own words — using quotes can break up text and increase trust with audiences.
- Set realistic expectations. While case studies serve as a helpful resource for prospective clients, they probably aren’t going to be world-renowned publications. Don’t worry if the case study doesn’t get higher than average engagements. You should continue to create them with the intention of building and maintaining customer relationships.
Learning how to write an executive summary for your case study is crucial to quickly and easily convey the key points of the document.
Share your business case study.
Once you’ve written and edited your case study, share it as a PDF document. PDF is a lightweight, universal document format that works on any device. This way, you can ensure your readers can open your case study wherever they are.
You can convert your case study into a PDF with a PDF converter. You can also compress the PDF file to make it faster and easier to share.
Discover all the ways Adobe Acrobat online services help you work with PDF files.
