Knowing how to write a case study is essential for you as a business owner. Why? Because they are a key way that business owners, just like you, can earn the trust of their prospective clients and customers. However, this can be a struggle.
Before you can even expect to win new client’s business, you need to show that you can deliver on your promises. The promises that your product or service offers.
At the end of the day, while you can say you’re great at doing X and better than the competition at Y, it’s cold, hard proof that’s going to sway the majority of your prospective client base to purchase from you.
This is where case studies can be so critical. But if you’ve never written or used a proper case study before, it can be hard to know where to start.
What Is A Case Study?
A case study is a specific challenge your client was faced with. And how you solved the problem. Your case study can be anything from very short to incredibly long, depending on what your product or service offers. They can focus on one detail or several details relating to the challenge and how the solution was reached. Case studies can be in video format, like a white paper, a blog, or a post. Or even as a testimonial.
Your case study will usually tell the story of success you’ve had, or should I say your client has had using what you offer them.
In marketing speak, it would be highlighting key performance indicators (KPI’s) and demonstrating your company’s services working at their best.
When a case study is done right, it can show your business’s incredible positive impact, thus attracting new clients!
Your Step-By-Step Guide How To Write A Case Study
Follow these points for your outline:
*What is the case studies objective?
*What is the case study medium?
*Find the right person to be the example for your case study.
*Contact said person and ask for permission to write about them.
*Send an email to your case study example with a release form
*Put together detailed questions that highlight the problem, method, and solution your case study achieved through using your product or service.
*Layout the format of your case study.
*Finally, crosscheck, proofread and publish!
What Is The Case Study Objective?
The first step you need to take is to determine the objective or goal of the subject you’re featuring in the case study. What will the client have achieved by working with you?
Here are some objectives:
*Laying out your case study: lowering business costs.
*Becoming profitable.
*Making more revenue.
*Getting more leads.
*Expanding into a new market.
*Closing more customers.
What Is The Case Study Medium?
What this essentially means is how are you going to tell the story.
Your case study doesn’t have to be simple. It can be incredibly detailed if your audience needs to understand how your product or service can benefit them. Just make sure that you are telling a compelling and exciting story, and it’s not a snoozathon.
You might be creating a case study for your website or put in a Facebook post, or even as a video case study. There are many different mediums that you can consider
Ask For Permission To Write Your Case Study
You must get your subject’s approval when you’re writing about their experience. When you first contact them, make sure that they’re completely clear on the objective and the format. So there are no nasty surprises.
Get Case Study Release Forms
This may sound scary, but it’s really going to help you have some backup and transparency for not only you, but your case study subject. Make sure you include the following:
*A clear explanation of why you are creating the case study and how it will be used.
*Statement of the information that will be included, such as whether you’re using their real name, job title, and photos.
*Explain in detail what you are expecting from your participant – will they get to see what is written before it is published? Many people often freak out, completely forgetting what they’ve said to you in an interview.
*Will you be including any compensation for their time?
Make Sure You Ask The Right Questions
This may sound simple, but you would be amazed at the number of people who don’t get this right! Here are just some areas you should be focusing on:
*What were the challenges you experience before you used the product or service?
*What were your goals using the product or service?
*Why did your product or service stand out against the competition?
*How did you come to a decision to use the product or service?
*How have you benefited from using the product or service (this is where you can ask for data]
*What would you do differently, if anything?
Remember, if you want to create a compelling story, yes or no answers aren’t going to fly. So instead, use open sentences that encourage somebody to give you a full descriptive answer.
For example, “can you describe…” or “tell me about..” Finally, make sure that your questions flow and that your interview does not go on too long.
Always ask the customer about their business, how long they’ve been in business and their objectives.
Make sure you have an understanding of the problem or pain point they were facing.
For example, what challenges and objectives led them to look for a solution. With you. What would’ve happened if they had not found that solution.
Make sure that you look in detail at the decision process that led them to use your product or service.
Then make sure that they can explain how they used your product or service to be the solution and how it was implemented.
Explain in detail how the solution worked, who was using it, and what they find most beneficial. Then you go hard into the results. How has it, for example, increased their business, their sales or their leads?
Laying Out Your Case Study
Case studies can come in a variety of different formats – there really is no one-size-fits-all.
It can be a bit overwhelming when you’re trying to decide how to write your case study in the right way. Where should you start? What should be included? How is it best to structure your case study?
Your case study could be very visual, or it could be very textbased. However, there is a robust framework that you can follow:
*Who is your subject – tell the reader all about them.
*What was your subject’s challenge and their objective?
*How did your product or service solve that problem provide a solution to help them.
*What were the results?
*Do they have any supporting visuals ?
*What are your subject’s future plans?
*Include a call to action to prospective customers (of course!)
Publishing Your Case Study
Once you’ve had the approval of your subject, and you’ve completed the case study, AND you’ve given it proofread, now you can publish!
You could put your case study in a blog post or even publish it on your website. Or you could use sections from your case study and promote them on social media to drive people to your site.
Your case study can be a showcase of just how awesome you and your business is at helping people. And when you tell others about that and demonstrate what is you can do, it can help you connect with an even bigger audience.
If you liked this blog post, then check out my blog post on 5 ways you can use case studies to sell your biz.
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