Incomes the belief of potential clients is usually a wrestle. Earlier than you possibly can even start to count on to earn their enterprise, it’s good to reveal your capacity to ship on what your services or products guarantees.

Certain, you may say that you just’re nice at X or that you just’re approach forward of the competitors in relation to Y. However on the finish of the day, what you actually need to win new enterprise is chilly, onerous proof.
The most effective methods to show your price is thru a compelling case examine. Actually, HubSpot’s 2020 State of Marketing report discovered that case research are so compelling that they’re the fifth mostly used sort of content material utilized by entrepreneurs.
Under, I am going to stroll you thru what a case examine is, how you can put together for writing one, what it’s good to embrace in it, and the way it may be an efficient tactic. To leap to totally different areas of this put up, click on on the hyperlinks under to routinely scroll.
Case Research Definition
A case study is a particular problem a enterprise has confronted, and the answer they’ve chosen to resolve it. Case research can range tremendously in size and give attention to a number of particulars associated to the preliminary problem and utilized resolution, and might be introduced in varied types like a video, white paper, weblog put up, and so forth.
In skilled settings, it is common for a case examine to inform the story of a profitable enterprise partnership between a vendor and a consumer. Maybe the success you are highlighting is within the variety of leads your consumer generated, clients closed, or income gained. Any considered one of these key performance indicators (KPIs) are examples of your organization’s companies in motion.
When accomplished appropriately, these examples of your work can chronicle the constructive influence your corporation has on present or earlier clients and enable you appeal to new purchasers.
Why write a case examine?
I do know, you’re considering “Okay, however why do I would like to write down considered one of these?” The reality is that whereas case research are an enormous endeavor, they’re highly effective advertising instruments that can help you reveal the worth of your product to potential clients utilizing real-world examples. Listed here are a number of explanation why you need to write case research.
1. Clarify Advanced Subjects or Ideas
Case research provide the area to interrupt down advanced ideas, concepts, and methods and present how they are often utilized in a sensible approach. You should use real-world examples, like an present consumer, and use their story to create a compelling narrative that exhibits how your product solved their challenge and the way these methods might be repeated to assist different clients get related profitable outcomes.
2. Present Experience
Case research are an effective way to reveal your data and experience on a given matter or trade. That is the place you get the chance to indicate off your problem-solving expertise and the way you’ve generated profitable outcomes for purchasers you’ve labored with.
3. Construct Belief and Credibility
Along with exhibiting off the attributes above, case research are a wonderful solution to construct credibility. They’re usually stuffed with information and totally researched, which exhibits readers you’ve accomplished your homework. They will believe within the options you’ve introduced as a result of they’ve learn by way of as you’ve defined the issue and outlined step-by-step what it took to resolve it. All of those components working collectively allow you to construct belief with potential clients.
4. Create Social Proof
Utilizing present purchasers which have seen success working along with your model builds social proof. Individuals are extra possible to decide on your model in the event that they know that others have discovered success working with you. Case research just do that — placing your success on show for potential clients to see.
All of those attributes work collectively that will help you acquire extra purchasers. Plus you possibly can even use quotes from clients featured in these research and repurpose them in different advertising content material. Now that you already know extra about the advantages of manufacturing a case examine, let’s try how lengthy these paperwork must be.
How lengthy ought to a case examine be?
The size of a case examine will range relying on the complexity of the undertaking or matter mentioned. Nevertheless, as a common guideline, case research usually vary from 500 to 1,500 phrases.
No matter size you select, it ought to present a transparent understanding of the problem, the answer you carried out, and the outcomes achieved. This can be simpler mentioned than accomplished, but it surely’s vital to strike a steadiness between offering sufficient element to make the case examine informative and concise sufficient to maintain the reader’s curiosity.
The first aim right here is to successfully talk the important thing factors and takeaways of the case examine. It’s price noting that this shouldn’t be a wall of textual content. Use headings, subheadings, bullet factors, charts, and different graphics to interrupt up the content material and make it extra scannable for readers. We’ve additionally seen manufacturers incorporate video components into case research listed on their website for a extra partaking expertise.
Finally, the size of your case examine must be decided by the quantity of data essential to convey the story and its influence with out turning into too lengthy. Subsequent, let’s have a look at some templates to take the guesswork out of making one.
Case Research Templates
That can assist you arm your prospects with data they will belief, we have put collectively a step-by-step information on how you can create efficient case research for your corporation with free case study templates for creating your personal.
And to provide you extra choices, we’ll spotlight some helpful templates that serve totally different wants. However bear in mind, there are countless prospects in relation to demonstrating the work your corporation has accomplished.
1. General Case Study Template
Beginning off with an easy, generic template is usually a nice basis to your case examine. With this primary template, your corporation can elaborate on any resolution supplied to a glad buyer — from their background, to what led to them doing enterprise with you, to the outcomes they’ve seen.
Together with the simplistic design of this template, every part is clearly distinct and descriptions the kind of data or route to take to inform you and your buyer’s story higher. And for additional advantage, whenever you obtain this template you’ll discover bracket prompts for ideation and directions to observe as you fill it in.
2. Data-Driven Case Study Template
For these seeking to exhibit goal and numeric options, HubSpot’s Information-Pushed template is a good template to work with. It’s structured to spotlight essentially the most notable achievement metrics {that a} particular buyer has seen along with your product and/or service.
As you’re employed by way of this template, you’ll discover related bracketed prompts and sections because the generic template — however with extra eye-catching visible cues to your buyer’s success factors to be correctly showcased.
3. Product Specific Case Study Template
Do you’ve a particular services or products that you just’re making an attempt to promote, however not sufficient critiques or success tales? This Product Particular case examine template will assist.
This template depends much less on metrics, and extra on highlighting the client’s expertise and satisfaction. As you observe the template directions, you’ll be prompted to talk extra about the advantages of the precise product, fairly than your crew’s course of for working with the client.
4. Bold Social Media Business Case Study Template
You’ll find templates that characterize totally different niches, industries, or methods that your corporation has discovered success in — like a daring social media enterprise case examine template.
On this template, you possibly can inform the story of how your social media advertising technique has helped you or your consumer by way of collaboration or sale of your service. Customise it to replicate the totally different advertising channels utilized in your corporation and exhibit how effectively your corporation has been capable of increase site visitors, engagement, follows, and extra.
5. Lead Generation Business Case Study Template
It’s vital to notice that not each case examine needs to be the product of a sale or buyer story, typically they are often informative classes that your personal enterprise has skilled. An awesome instance of that is the Lead Technology Enterprise case examine template.
Should you’re seeking to share operational successes concerning how your crew has improved processes or content material, you need to embrace the tales of various crew members concerned, how the answer was discovered, and the way it has made a distinction within the work your corporation does.
Now that we’ve mentioned totally different templates and concepts for how you can use them, let’s break down how you can create your personal case examine with one.
Find out how to Write a Case Research
- Get began with case examine templates.
- Decide the case examine’s goal.
- Set up a case examine medium.
- Discover the best case examine candidate.
- Contact your candidate for permission to write down about them.
- Guarantee you’ve all of the assets it’s good to proceed when you get a response.
- Obtain a case examine e mail template.
- Outline the method you wish to observe with the consumer.
- Make sure you’re asking the best questions.
- Format your case examine format.
- Publish and promote your case examine.
1. Get began with case examine templates.
Telling your buyer’s story is a fragile course of — it’s good to spotlight their success whereas naturally incorporating your corporation into their story.
Should you’re simply getting began with case research, we advocate you obtain HubSpot’s Case Study Templates we talked about earlier than to kickstart the method.
2. Decide the case examine’s goal.
All enterprise case research are designed to reveal the worth of your companies, however they will give attention to a number of totally different consumer targets.
Your first step when writing a case examine is to find out the target or aim of the topic you are that includes. In different phrases, what’s going to the consumer have succeeded in doing by the tip of the piece?
The consumer goal you give attention to will rely upon what you wish to show to your future clients because of publishing this case examine.
Your case examine can give attention to one of many following consumer targets:
- Complying with authorities regulation
- Decreasing enterprise prices
- Turning into worthwhile
- Producing extra leads
- Closing on extra clients
- Producing extra income
- Increasing into a brand new market
- Turning into extra sustainable or energy-efficient
3. Set up a case examine medium.
Subsequent, you will decide the medium through which you will create the case examine. In different phrases, how will you inform this story?
Case research do not need to be easy, written one-pagers. Utilizing totally different media in your case examine can can help you promote your remaining piece on totally different channels. For instance, whereas a written case examine would possibly simply reside in your web site and get featured in a Fb put up, you possibly can put up an infographic case examine on Pinterest and a video case examine in your YouTube channel.
Listed here are some totally different case examine mediums to think about:
Written Case Research
Contemplate scripting this case examine within the type of an e-book and changing it to a downloadable PDF. Then, gate the PDF behind a touchdown web page and kind for readers to fill out earlier than downloading the piece, permitting this case examine to generate leads for your corporation.
Video Case Research
Plan on assembly with the consumer and capturing an interview. Seeing the topic, in particular person, discuss in regards to the service you supplied them can go a good distance within the eyes of your potential clients.
Infographic Case Research
Use the lengthy, vertical format of an infographic to inform your success story from prime to backside. As you progress down the infographic, emphasize main KPIs utilizing larger textual content and charts that present the successes your consumer has had since working with you.
Podcast Case Research
Podcasts are a platform so that you can have a candid dialog along with your consumer. This sort of case examine can sound extra actual and human to your viewers — they will know the partnership between you and your consumer was a real success.
4. Discover the best case examine candidate.
Writing about your earlier tasks requires greater than selecting a consumer and telling a narrative. You want permission, quotes, and a plan. To start out, right here are some things to search for in potential candidates.
Product Data
It helps to pick a buyer who’s well-versed within the logistics of your services or products. That approach, she or he can higher converse to the worth of what you provide in a approach that is smart for future clients.
Exceptional Outcomes
Shoppers which have seen the most effective outcomes are going to make the strongest case research. If their very own companies have seen an exemplary ROI out of your services or products, they’re extra prone to convey the passion that you really want prospects to really feel, too.
One a part of this step is to decide on purchasers who’ve skilled sudden success out of your services or products. Once you’ve supplied non-traditional clients — in industries that you do not normally work with, for instance — with constructive outcomes, it will possibly assist to take away doubts from prospects.
Recognizable Names
Whereas small corporations can have highly effective tales, larger or extra notable manufacturers are inclined to lend credibility to your personal. Actually, 89% of customers say they will purchase from a model they already acknowledge over a competitor, particularly in the event that they already observe them on social media.
Switchers
Prospects that got here to you after working with a competitor assist spotlight your aggressive benefit and would possibly even sway selections in your favor.
5. Contact your candidate for permission to write down about them.
To get the case examine candidate concerned, you need to set the stage for clear and open communication. Which means outlining expectations and a timeline instantly — not having these is likely one of the largest culprits in delayed case examine creation.
Most significantly at this level, nonetheless, is getting your topic’s approval. When first reaching out to your case examine candidate, present them with the case examine’s goal and format — each of which you should have give you within the first two steps above.
To get this preliminary permission out of your topic, put your self of their footwear — what would they need out of this case examine? Though you are scripting this to your personal firm’s profit, your topic is much extra within the profit it has for them.
Advantages to Provide Your Case Research Candidate
Listed here are 4 potential advantages you possibly can promise your case examine candidate to achieve their approval.
Model Publicity
Clarify to your topic to whom this case examine will probably be uncovered, and the way this publicity will help improve their model consciousness each in and past their very own trade. Within the B2B sector, model consciousness might be onerous to gather exterior one’s personal market, making case research significantly helpful to a consumer seeking to broaden their title’s attain.
Worker Publicity
Enable your topic to supply quotes with credit again to particular workers. When that is an choice for them, their model is not the one factor increasing its attain — their workers can get their title on the market, too. This presents your topic with networking and profession growth alternatives they may not have in any other case.
Product Low cost
It is a extra tangible incentive you possibly can provide your case examine candidate, particularly if they are a present buyer of yours. If they comply with be your topic, provide them a product low cost — or a free trial of one other product — as a thank-you for his or her assist creating your case examine.
Backlinks and Web site Visitors
Here is a profit that’s certain to resonate along with your topic’s advertising crew: Should you publish your case examine in your web site, and your examine hyperlinks again to your topic’s web site — often known as a “backlink” — this small gesture can provide them web site site visitors from guests who click on by way of to your topic’s web site.
Moreover, a backlink from you will increase your topic’s web page authority within the eyes of Google. This helps them rank extra extremely in search engine outcomes and accumulate site visitors from readers who’re already searching for details about their trade.
6. Guarantee you’ve all of the assets it’s good to proceed when you get a response.
So you already know what you’re going to supply your candidate, it’s time that you just put together the assets wanted for if and when they comply with take part, like a case examine launch kind and success story letter.
Let’s break these two down.
Case Research Launch Type
This doc can range, relying on components like the dimensions of your corporation, the character of your work, and what you propose to do with the case research as soon as they’re accomplished. That mentioned, you need to usually intention to incorporate the next within the Case Research Launch Type:
- A transparent rationalization of why you’re creating this case examine and the way will probably be used.
- A press release defining the knowledge and probably trademarked data you count on to incorporate in regards to the firm — issues like names, logos, job titles, and photos.
- An evidence of what you count on from the participant, past the completion of the case examine. For instance, is that this buyer keen to behave as a reference or share suggestions, and do you’ve permission to cross contact data alongside for these functions?
- A word about compensation.
Success Story Letter
As famous within the pattern e mail, this doc serves as an overview for the whole case examine course of. Aside from a quick rationalization of how the client will profit from case examine participation, you will wish to make sure to outline the next steps within the Success Story Letter.
7. Obtain a case examine e mail template.
Whilst you gathered your assets, your candidate has gotten time to learn over the proposal. When your candidate approves of your case examine, it is time to ship them a launch kind.
A case examine launch kind tells you what you will want out of your chosen topic, like permission to make use of any model names and share the undertaking data publicly. Kick-off this course of with an e mail that runs by way of precisely what they will count on from you, in addition to what you want from them. To offer you an thought of what that may seem like, try this pattern e mail:
8. Outline the method you wish to observe with the consumer.
Earlier than you possibly can start the case examine, you need to have a transparent define of the case examine course of along with your consumer. An instance of an efficient define would come with the next data.
The Acceptance
First, you will have to obtain inner approval from the corporate’s advertising crew. As soon as accredited, the Launch Type must be signed and returned to you. It is also a great time to find out a timeline that meets the wants and capabilities of each groups.
The Questionnaire
To make sure that you’ve a productive interview — which is likely one of the greatest methods to gather data for the case examine — you will wish to ask the participant to finish a questionnaire earlier than this dialog. That may present your crew with the required basis to prepare the interview, and get essentially the most out of it.
The Interview
As soon as the questionnaire is accomplished, somebody in your crew ought to attain out to the participant to schedule a 30- to 60-minute interview, which ought to embrace a collection of customized questions associated to the client’s expertise along with your services or products.
The Draft Evaluate
After the case examine consists, you will wish to ship a draft to the client, permitting a possibility to provide you suggestions and edits.
The Remaining Approval
As soon as any vital edits are accomplished, ship a revised copy of the case examine to the client for remaining approval.
As soon as the case examine goes reside — in your web site or elsewhere — it is best to contact the client with a hyperlink to the web page the place the case examine lives. Do not be afraid to ask your individuals to share these hyperlinks with their very own networks, because it not solely demonstrates your capacity to ship constructive outcomes and spectacular progress, as effectively.
9. Make sure you’re asking the best questions.
Earlier than you execute the questionnaire and precise interview, be sure to’re setting your self up for fulfillment. A powerful case examine outcomes from being ready to ask the best questions. What do these seem like? Listed here are a number of examples to get you began:
- What are your objectives?
- What challenges had been you experiencing earlier than buying our services or products?
- What made our services or products stand out towards our opponents?
- What did your decision-making course of seem like?
- How have you ever benefited from utilizing our services or products? (The place relevant, at all times ask for information.)
Remember that the questionnaire is designed that will help you acquire insights into what kind of sturdy, success-focused inquiries to ask throughout the precise interview. And when you get to that stage, we advocate that you just observe the “Golden Rule of Interviewing.” Sounds fancy, proper? It is really fairly easy — ask open-ended questions.
Should you’re seeking to craft a compelling story, “sure” or “no” solutions will not present the main points you want. Give attention to questions that invite elaboration, equivalent to, “Are you able to describe …?” or, “Inform me about …”
When it comes to the interview construction, we advocate categorizing the questions and flowing them into six particular sections that may mirror a profitable case examine format. Mixed, they will can help you collect sufficient data to place collectively a wealthy, complete examine.
Open with the client’s enterprise.
The aim of this part is to generate a greater understanding of the corporate’s present challenges and objectives, and the way they match into the panorama of their trade. Pattern questions would possibly embrace:
- How lengthy have you ever been in enterprise?
- What number of workers do you’ve?
- What are a few of the targets of your division at the moment?
Cite an issue or ache level.
To inform a compelling story, you want context. That helps match the client’s want along with your resolution. Pattern questions would possibly embrace:
- What challenges and targets led you to search for an answer?
- What might need occurred when you didn’t establish an answer?
- Did you discover different options earlier than this that didn’t work out? If that’s the case, what occurred?
Focus on the choice course of.
Exploring how the client determined to work with you helps to information potential clients by way of their very own decision-making processes. Pattern questions would possibly embrace:
- How did you hear about our services or products?
- Who was concerned within the choice course of?
- What was most vital to you when evaluating your choices?
Clarify how an answer was carried out.
The main focus right here must be positioned on the client’s expertise throughout the onboarding course of. Pattern questions would possibly embrace:
- How lengthy did it take to rise up and working?
- Did that meet your expectations?
- Who was concerned within the course of?
Clarify how the answer works.
The aim of this part is to raised perceive how the client is utilizing your services or products. Pattern questions would possibly embrace:
- Is there a selected facet of the services or products that you just depend on most?
- Who’s utilizing the services or products?
Finish with the outcomes.
On this part, you wish to uncover spectacular measurable outcomes — the extra numbers, the higher. Pattern questions would possibly embrace:
- How is the services or products serving to you save time and improve productiveness?
- In what methods does that improve your aggressive benefit?
- How a lot have you ever elevated metrics X, Y, and Z?
10. Lay out your case examine format.
When it comes time to take the entire data you have collected and truly flip it into one thing, it is easy to really feel overwhelmed. The place do you have to begin? What do you have to embrace? What’s one of the best ways to construction it?
That can assist you get a deal with on this step, it is vital to first perceive that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all in relation to the methods you possibly can current a case examine. They are often very visible, which you will see in a few of the examples we have included under, and might typically be communicated principally by way of video or photographs, with a little bit of accompanying textual content.
Listed here are the sections we propose, which we’ll cowl in additional element down under:
- Title: Hold it quick. Develop a succinct however attention-grabbing undertaking title you can provide the work you probably did along with your topic.
- Subtitle: Use this copy to briefly elaborate on the accomplishment. What was accomplished? The case examine itself will clarify how you bought there.
- Govt Abstract: A 2-4 sentence abstract of the whole story. You will wish to observe it with 2-3 bullet factors that show metrics showcasing success.
- In regards to the Topic: An introduction to the particular person or firm you served, which might be pulled from a LinkedIn Enterprise profile or consumer web site.
- Challenges and Goals: A 2-3 paragraph description of the client’s challenges, earlier than utilizing your services or products. This part must also embrace the objectives or targets the client got down to obtain.
- How Product/Service Helped: A 2-3 paragraph part that describes how your services or products supplied an answer to their downside.
- Outcomes: A 2-3 paragraph testimonial that proves how your services or products particularly benefited the particular person or firm and helped obtain its objectives. Embrace numbers to quantify your contributions.
- Supporting Visuals or Quotes: Decide one or two highly effective quotes that you’d function on the backside of the sections above, in addition to a visible that helps the story you’re telling.
- Future Plans: Everybody likes an epilogue. Touch upon what’s forward to your case examine topic, whether or not or not these plans contain you.
- Name to Motion (CTA): Not each case examine wants a CTA, however placing a passive one on the finish of your case examine can encourage your readers to take an motion in your web site after studying in regards to the work you have accomplished.
When laying out your case examine, give attention to conveying the knowledge you have gathered in essentially the most clear and concise approach doable. Make it straightforward to scan and comprehend, and make sure to present a beautiful call-to-action on the backside — that ought to present readers a possibility to be taught extra about your services or products.
11. Publish and promote your case examine.
As soon as you have accomplished your case examine, it is time to publish and put it on the market. Some case examine codecs have fairly apparent promotional retailers — a video case examine can go on YouTube, simply as an infographic case examine can go on Pinterest.
However there are nonetheless different methods to publish and promote your case examine. Listed here are a few concepts:
Lead Gen in a Weblog Submit
As said earlier on this article, written case research make terrific lead-generators when you convert them right into a downloadable format, like a PDF. To generate leads out of your case examine, contemplate writing a weblog put up that tells an abbreviated story of your consumer’s success and asking readers to fill out a kind with their title and e mail deal with in the event that they’d prefer to learn the remainder in your PDF.
Then, promote this weblog put up on social media, by way of a Fb put up or a tweet.
Revealed as a Web page on Your Web site
As a rising enterprise, you would possibly have to show your case examine out within the open to achieve the belief of your target market.
Fairly than gating it behind a touchdown web page, publish your case examine to its personal web page in your web site, and direct folks right here out of your homepage with a “Case Research” or “Testimonials” button alongside your homepage’s prime navigation bar.
Format for a Case Research
The normal case examine format contains the next elements: a title and subtitle, a consumer profile, a abstract of the client’s challenges and targets, an account of how your resolution helped, and an outline of the outcomes. You may additionally wish to embrace supporting visuals and quotes, future plans, and calls-to-action.
1. Title
The title is likely one of the most vital elements of your case examine. It ought to draw readers in whereas succinctly describing the potential advantages of working along with your firm. To that finish, your title ought to:
- State the title of your customer. Straight away, the reader should be taught which firm used your services. That is particularly vital in case your buyer has a recognizable model. Should you work with people and never corporations, you might omit the title and go together with skilled titles: “A Marketer…”, “A CFO…”, and so forth.
- State which product your buyer used. Even when you solely provide one services or products, or if your organization title is similar as your product title, you need to nonetheless embrace the title of your resolution. That approach, readers who are usually not acquainted with your corporation can turn out to be conscious of what you promote.
- Allude to the outcomes achieved. You don’t essentially want to supply onerous numbers, however the title must characterize the advantages, rapidly. That approach, if a reader doesn’t keep to learn, they will stroll away with essentially the most important data: Your product works.
The instance above, “Crunch Health Will increase Leads and Signups With HubSpot,” achieves all three — with out being wordy. Retaining your title quick and candy can also be important.
2. Subtitle
Your subtitle is one other important a part of your case examine — don’t skip it, even when you suppose you’ve accomplished the work with the title. On this part, embrace a quick abstract of the challenges your buyer was dealing with earlier than they started to make use of your services. Then, drive the purpose dwelling by reiterating the advantages your buyer skilled by working with you.
The above instance reads:
“Crunch Health was franchising quickly when COVID-19 compelled health golf equipment all over the world to shut their doorways. However the firm stayed agile through the use of HubSpot to extend leads and free trial signups.”
We like that the case examine crew expressed the urgency of the issue — opening extra places within the midst of a pandemic — and positioned the give attention to the client’s capacity to remain agile.
3. Govt Abstract
The chief abstract ought to present a snapshot of your buyer, their challenges, and the advantages they loved from working with you. Assume it’s an excessive amount of? Assume once more — the aim of the case examine is to emphasise, many times, how effectively your product works.
The excellent news is that relying in your design, the manager abstract might be combined with the subtitle or with the “In regards to the Firm” part. Many occasions, this part doesn’t want an specific “Govt Abstract” subheading. You do want, nonetheless, to supply a handy snapshot for readers to scan.
Within the above instance, ADP included details about its buyer in a scannable bullet-point format, then supplied two sections: “Enterprise Problem” and “How ADP Helped.” We love how easy and straightforward the format is to observe for many who are unfamiliar with ADP or its typical buyer.
4. In regards to the Firm
Readers have to know and perceive who your buyer is. That is vital for a number of causes: It helps your reader probably relate to your buyer, it defines your ideal client profile (which is crucial to discourage poor-fit prospects who might need reached out with out understanding they had been a poor match), and it offers your buyer an oblique boon by subtly selling their services.
Be happy to maintain this part so simple as doable. You possibly can merely copy and paste data from the corporate’s LinkedIn, use a quote immediately out of your buyer, or take a extra inventive storytelling strategy.
Within the above instance, HubSpot included one paragraph of description for Crunch Health and some bullet factors. Under, ADP tells the story of its buyer utilizing a fascinating, personable method that successfully attracts readers in.
5. Challenges and Goals
The challenges and targets part of your case examine is the place to put out, intimately, the difficulties your buyer confronted previous to working with you — and what they hoped to attain after they enlisted your assist.
On this part, you might be as transient or as descriptive as you’d like, however bear in mind: Stress the urgency of the scenario. Don’t understate how a lot your buyer wanted your resolution (however don’t exaggerate and lie, both). Present contextual data as vital. For example, the pandemic and societal components could have contributed to the urgency of the necessity.
Take the above instance from design consultancy IDEO:
“Academic alternatives for adults have turn out to be troublesome to entry in the USA, simply after they’re wanted most. To counter this development, IDEO helped the town of South Bend and the Drucker Institute launch Bendable, a community-powered platform that connects folks with alternatives to be taught with and from one another.”
We love how IDEO mentions the difficulties the USA faces at massive, the efforts its buyer is taking to deal with these points, and the steps IDEO took to assist.
6. How Product/Service Helped
That is the place you get your services or products to shine. Cowl the precise advantages that your buyer loved and the options they gleaned essentially the most use out of. You can too go into element about the way you labored with and to your buyer. Possibly you met a number of occasions earlier than selecting the best resolution, otherwise you consulted with exterior companies to create the most effective bundle for them.
Regardless of the case could also be, attempt to illustrate how straightforward and pain-free it’s to work with the representatives at your organization. In any case, potential clients aren’t seeking to simply buy a product. They’re searching for a reliable supplier that may attempt to exceed their expectations.
Within the above instance, IDEO describes the way it partnered with analysis institutes and spoke with learners to create Bendable, a free instructional platform. We love the way it exhibits its proactivity and thoroughness. It makes potential clients really feel that IDEO would possibly do one thing related for them.
7. Outcomes
The outcomes are important, and the most effective half is that you just don’t want to write down everything of the case examine earlier than sharing them. Like HubSpot, IDEO, and ADP, you possibly can embrace the outcomes proper under the subtitle or government abstract. Use information and numbers to substantiate the success of your efforts, however when you don’t have numbers, you possibly can present quotes out of your clients.
We are able to’t overstate the significance of the outcomes. Actually, when you wished to create a brief case examine, you may embrace your title, problem, resolution (how your product helped), and end result.
8. Supporting Visuals or Quotes
Let your buyer converse for themselves by together with quotes from the representatives who immediately interfaced along with your firm.
Visuals also can assist, even when they’re inventory photos. On one facet, they will help you convey your buyer’s trade, and on the opposite, they will not directly convey your successes. For example, an image of a contented skilled — even when they’re not your buyer — will talk that your product can result in a contented consumer.
In this example from IDEO, we see a person standing in a ship. IDEO’s buyer is neither the person pictured nor the producer of the boat, however fairly Conservation Worldwide, an environmental group. This imagery supplies a visually pleasing sample interrupt to the web page, whereas nonetheless conveying what the case examine is about.
9. Future Plans
That is non-compulsory, however together with future plans will help you shut on a extra constructive, personable word than when you had been to easily embrace a quote or the outcomes. On this area, you possibly can present that your product will stay in your buyer’s tech stack for years to return, or that your companies will proceed to be instrumental to your buyer’s success.
Alternatively, when you work solely on time-bound tasks, you possibly can allude to the constructive influence your buyer will proceed to see, even after years of the tip of the contract.
10. Name to Motion (CTA)
Not each case examine wants a CTA, however we’d nonetheless encourage it. Placing one on the finish of your case examine will encourage your readers to take an motion in your web site after studying in regards to the work you have accomplished.
It’s going to additionally make it simpler for them to succeed in out, in the event that they’re prepared to start out instantly. You don’t wish to lose enterprise simply because they need to scroll all the best way again as much as attain out to your crew.
That can assist you visualize this case examine define, try the case examine template under, which will also be downloaded here.
Enterprise Case Research Examples
You drove the outcomes, made the connection, set the expectations, used the questionnaire to conduct a profitable interview, and boiled down your findings right into a compelling story. And in spite of everything of that, you are left with just a little piece of gross sales enabling gold — a case examine.
To point out you what a well-executed remaining product seems like, take a look at a few of these advertising case examine examples.
1. “Shopify Makes use of HubSpot CRM to Rework Excessive Quantity Gross sales Group,” by HubSpot
What’s attention-grabbing about this case study is the best way it leads with the client. This displays a serious HubSpot worth, which is to at all times clear up for the client first. The copy leads with a quick description of why Shopify makes use of HubSpot and is accompanied by a brief video and a few fundamental statistics on the corporate.
Discover that this case examine makes use of combined media. Sure, there’s a quick video, but it surely’s elaborated upon within the further textual content on the web page. So, whereas case research can use one or the opposite, do not be afraid to mix written copy with visuals to emphasise the undertaking’s success.
2. “New England Journal of Medication,” by Corey McPherson Nash
When branding and design studio Corey McPherson Nash showcases its work, it is smart for it to be visible — in spite of everything, that is what they do. So in constructing the case examine for the studio’s work on the New England Journal of Medication’s built-in promoting marketing campaign — a undertaking that included the aim of selling the consumer’s digital presence — Corey McPherson Nash confirmed its viewers what it did, fairly than purely telling it.
Discover that the case examine does embrace some gentle written copy — which incorporates the main factors we have recommended — however lets the visuals do the speaking, permitting customers to actually soak up the studio’s companies.
3. “Designing the Way forward for City Farming,” by IDEO
Here is a design firm that is aware of how you can lead with simplicity in its case research. As quickly because the customer arrives on the web page, she or he is greeted with an enormous, daring picture, and two quite simple columns of textual content — “The Problem” and “The End result.”
Instantly, IDEO has communicated two of the case examine’s main pillars. And whereas that is nice — the corporate created an answer for vertical farming startup INFARM’s problem — it would not cease there. Because the consumer scrolls down, these pillars are elaborated upon with complete (however not overwhelming) copy that outlines what that course of appeared like, replete with quotes and extra visuals.
4. “Safe Wi-Fi Wins Massive for Event,” by WatchGuard
Then, there are the circumstances when visuals can inform nearly the whole story — when executed appropriately. Community safety supplier WatchGuard can do this by way of this video, which tells the story of how its companies enhanced the attendee and vendor expertise on the Windmill Final Frisbee event.
5. Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame Boosts Social Media Engagement and Model Consciousness with HubSpot
Within the case study above, HubSpot makes use of photographs, movies, screenshots, and useful stats to inform the story of how the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame used the bot, CRM, and social media instruments to achieve model consciousness.
6. Small Desk Plant Enterprise Ups Gross sales by 30% With Trello
This case examine from Trello is simple and straightforward to grasp. It begins by explaining the background of the corporate that determined to make use of it, what its objectives had been, and the way it deliberate to make use of Trello to assist them.
It then goes on to debate how the software program was carried out and what duties and groups benefited from it. In the direction of the tip, it explains the gross sales outcomes that got here from implementing the software program and contains quotes from decision-makers on the firm that carried out it.
7. Fb’s Mercedes Benz Success Story
Fb’s Success Tales web page hosts a variety of well-designed and easy-to-understand case research that visually and editorially get to the underside line rapidly.
Every examine begins with key stats that draw the reader in. Then it is organized by highlighting an issue or aim within the introduction, the method the corporate took to succeed in its objectives, and the outcomes. Then, ultimately, Fb notes the instruments used within the case examine.
Showcasing Your Work
You’re employed onerous at what you do. Now, it is time to present it to the world — and, maybe extra vital, to potential clients. Earlier than you exhibit the tasks that make you the proudest, we hope you observe these vital steps that may enable you successfully talk that work and depart all events feeling good about it.
Editor’s Word: This weblog put up was initially revealed in February 2017 however was up to date for comprehensiveness and freshness in July 2021.