how to write a business case study

Business case studies are not just informative, they are powerful tools for marketing, teaching, and training. They have the ability to create valuable learning experiences that can be shared with others. Moreover, a well-written business case study can generate leads, increase customer loyalty, and boost sales. But writing an effective and compelling case study is no easy task. In this article, we will explore the art of crafting a business case study, including best practices, case study templates, real examples, and more. So let’s dive in and discover the secrets to writing a captivating business case study!

What is a Business Case Study?

A business case study is an in-depth examination of a specific company or organization that explores how a business solved a problem, achieved success, or faced failure. Case studies are commonly used by businesses to showcase the effectiveness of their strategies and solutions. They can also serve as inspiration for other organizations facing similar challenges. The goal is to enable stakeholders evaluating a product to see its value by learning from other companies’ experiences. In fact, 42% of marketers still consider case studies as a top media format for generating leads and sales. A strong case study typically involves interviews with real customers, highlighting the effectiveness of a specific feature, explaining a particular use case, or emphasizing notable benefits and results. That is why case studies are often referred to as customer success stories.

What Makes a Strong Case Study?

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of creating a great case study, let’s examine what makes a case study truly impactful. A strong case study requires the following key components:

  • Clear, compelling storylines: A good case study should include a clear story line that conveys the problem, solution, and the impact of the solution.
  • A strong presentation of data: Demonstrate how your product or service has made an impact on the customer’s business with documented facts and figures.
  • Credible client testimonials: Include feedback from real clients and users about how your product or service solved their issue. Use real names, job titles, and personal experiences to add credibility to your case study.
  • Streamlined visuals: Graphics, photos, charts, and videos can help illustrate results in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner.
  • Call to action: Always include a link to more information or a contact form at the end of your case study.

While all these components are essential for creating great case studies, they are not always easy to acquire. You may need to dig for information and work closely with customers to build compelling content. But the effort is worth it because a well-crafted case study can have lasting benefits for your marketing strategy.

Why Use Case Studies?

Creating case studies can be time-consuming, so why should you bother using them when you could focus on other marketing strategies? Well, case studies offer unique benefits that other forms of content simply can’t provide. Here are a few reasons why case studies are worth the investment:

  1. Longevity: A single case study can be used as sales and marketing collateral for extended periods, as long as the featured products or services remain relevant. If your products have a long lifespan, the same case study can be useful for months or even years.
  2. Cost-effectiveness: Case studies are relatively inexpensive to produce compared to other forms of marketing, such as white papers, e-books, and long-form blog content.
  3. Credibility boost: Well-executed case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of your products and services from the perspective of real customers who have experienced their benefits. They can minimize the perceived risk for potential buyers and offer assurances that no other sales and marketing collateral can match.
  4. Lead generation: Case studies are powerful tools for lead generation, as they provide prospects with real-world examples of how your solutions can solve their problems. They showcase the success stories of your customers and attract potential clients who can relate to those stories.

Now that we understand the benefits, let’s explore how to actually create an effective business case study.

Preparing for Your Case Study

The strongest case studies are usually created in collaboration between your organization and a current or former customer with whom you have a good relationship. The process involves several steps:

  1. Question creation: Your team compiles a list of interview questions designed to tell a compelling story for new prospective customers.
  2. Interview: Your team interviews a representative or stakeholder from the customer organization.
  3. Draft: After the interview, your team transforms the interview into a complete narrative.
  4. Feedback round: The customer reviews the draft and provides feedback and input.
  5. Final draft: Your team makes corrections based on the feedback and resubmits for final approval.
  6. Final approval: The customer approves the draft.
  7. Publish: Your team creates marketing collateral and publishes or shares the case study.

Though the process may seem straightforward, there are several factors that can hinder the case study process or prevent the case study from being published.

Factors to Consider

Before you embark on the case study process, there are several factors you need to take into account:

  1. Relationship: Potential interview targets are more likely to agree to an interview if they have a strong relationship with someone on your team, such as an account manager or a longtime sales rep. A strong relationship is often the key to getting your foot in the door.
  2. Availability: People are busy, and getting final reviews and approvals can often take weeks. Be prepared for potential delays as your drafts circulate through your partner organizations.
  3. Branding: Some organizations may be hesitant to highlight weaknesses or challenges in a public forum, even if your product or service helped them overcome those obstacles. They may be cautious about anything that portrays their brand in an unfavorable light.
  4. Legality: If your customer-partner is unhappy with the draft, they may refuse permission to use their name, logos, or data in your case study. Proceeding without their permission could lead to legal issues and damage the customer relationship.
  5. Approval: Sometimes, it is impossible to get final approvals from the appropriate individuals in the customer-partner organization. If HR or legal needs to sign off on the final product, it could take weeks or even months to get the green light.

Remember, your customer-partner is doing you a favor by agreeing to help you create a case study. They receive no direct benefit from the time and effort spent creating this piece. Treat your partners with respect and be mindful of their needs and concerns throughout the process. A bad case study experience can damage a healthy customer relationship.

Step 1: Planning and Prep

Creating business case studies generally falls under the domain of your marketing team, but it is important to assign tasks and responsibilities clearly. Here’s what you need to get started:

  • Internal project stakeholder: This individual oversees the project internally, assigns tasks, handles outreach, and ensures the case study is produced and delivered.
  • External project stakeholder: The individual at the customer organization who agrees to participate in the case study. This person may or may not be the one interviewed.
  • Interviewer: The person responsible for conducting the interview.
  • Writer: The person who will write the case study.
  • Project manager: The person who manages the case study project and ensures deadlines are met.
  • Internal editor or approver: The person who reviews the case study and provides feedback or final approval.
  • External editor or approver: The individual at the customer organization who reviews the case study and provides feedback or final approval.
  • Designer: The person responsible for formatting the case study, creating data-based graphics, and producing the final product file (typically a PDF or web page).

Next, you need to define your objectives and determine the story you want to tell. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Why are you writing this case study? Do you have specific goals, such as generating leads or improving customer lifetime value (CLV)?
  2. Is there a particular win or customer feedback you want to highlight? Depending on your target audience, you may emphasize different features or benefits.
  3. Do you have lesser-known products, features, or services that could be showcased in the case study?
  4. Do you have any new products, services, or updates that you want to share?
  5. Do you have a new positioning strategy that you want to communicate?

Once you have your objectives defined, start considering who you might want to interview. Make a specific list that includes the company name, relevant notes, and the names of the intended interviewees. Choose clients that have achieved notable results or experienced exceptional outcomes using your products or services. Also, consider existing relationships and involve account managers or team members who have a strong working relationship with potential interviewees.

After you have identified potential interviewees, reach out to them to explain the project and gauge their interest in participating. When requesting an interview, be sure to mention the purpose of the case study, the interview process, timeframes, and estimated deadlines. Explain where and how the case study will be used and thank them for their time.

Once they agree to participate, start scheduling your timeline. Work backward from the desired publication date, allowing for reviews, edits, and, most importantly, securing an interview date that aligns with your interviewee’s availability.

Step 2: The Interview Process

During the interview process, your goal is to make things as easy, streamlined, and stress-free as possible for your customer-partner. To ensure a smooth interview, send them a questionnaire in advance. This will help them understand your main objectives and prepare their responses. Sample questions could include:

  • How many team members use our product/service? Which departments?
  • What were your challenges before using our product/service/process?
  • What made you switch to our product from your previous solution?
  • How do you use our product/service/process?
  • What features or tools have been the most helpful for your business?
  • How did we provide the help you needed? Can you share your experience?
  • How have you benefited from our offering, and what are your greatest results to date? Please provide specific metrics, if possible.
  • What surprised you most about using our product/service/process?
  • How have your customers or clients benefited from your use of our products or services?
  • Is there anything else you would like us to know?

During the actual interview, follow the questions you sent in the questionnaire, but also be open to exploring additional topics. Encourage the interviewee to share anecdotes, examples, and specific details. Consider recording the conversation (with permission) to ensure accurate transcriptions and memorable quotes.

Step 3: Writing Your Business Case Study

After the interview, it’s time to consolidate your notes and write the draft of your case study. Before you begin, review your objectives and the story you want to tell. Select a format and structure for your case study and start crafting the narrative. Here is a sample outline you can follow:

  1. Introduction: Provide a brief overview of the case study’s contents, bullet-pointing key metrics and successes.
  2. Company overview: Introduce the featured company, including what they do, who their customers are, and what they sell. Include background/context on how they use your product, service, or process.
  3. Problem/Challenge: Describe the business problem or opportunity the customer faced before using your solution. Use quotes and anecdotes to illustrate the significance of the challenge.
  4. Solution: Explain how the customer used your product to solve their problem. Share their decision-making process, the reasons they chose your solution, and how they implemented it internally. Highlight key benefits and features that stood out to them, supported by quotes from the interview.
  5. Results: Summarize the outcomes of the customer’s implementation of your product or service. Recap their wins and the major improvements they have seen in the short and long term. Incorporate data and metrics where relevant. Include quotes about how the solution empowered the company and solved their specific problems.
  6. About Us: Briefly explain your company and the products or services you provide.
  7. Call-to-Action (CTA): Include a call-to-action with contact information or a contact button for readers to get in touch for additional information.

As you write, focus on creating a benefits-driven story around the features your products or services provide. Provide context and explanations for readers who may not be familiar with your organization. Be specific and explain how your product helped customers achieve their desired results.

Throughout the case study, be sure to adhere to best practices:

  • Start with an attention-grabbing headline.
  • Opt for shorter, more succinct sections to improve readability.
  • Write in the third person.
  • Avoid technical jargon and explain acronyms to hold readers’ attention.
  • Create a conversational tone that tells a strong beginning, middle, and end.
  • Keep the focus on one or two key challenges and solutions to avoid overwhelming readers.
  • Include direct quotes to add personality and human connection.
  • Incorporate relevant stats or metrics to quantify results.
  • Use visuals such as graphics, photos, and pull quotes to enhance understanding.
  • Consider the length of your case study, typically ranging from 500 to 2,000 words.

Once you have completed the draft, revise and review it. Double-check facts and figures, set it aside for a while to gain fresh perspective, and share it with colleagues for feedback. Revise as necessary to ensure the draft tells the right story and aligns with your objectives.

Next, seek client approval. Send a copy of the draft to your client for their review and input. Be transparent about what you plan to share and give them time to gather feedback from key stakeholders. Be prepared for requested changes and be flexible in accommodating them. Remember, your goal is to maintain a strong customer relationship, so choose your battles wisely.

Step 4: Marketing Your Case Study

Once you have the final version of your case study, it’s time to share and promote it. Consider using the following channels:

  • A dedicated landing page.
  • The resources section of your website.
  • Your company blog.
  • Marketing emails.
  • Social media.
  • Custom infographics.

When marketing your case study, don’t forget about your sales team. They can use case studies as valuable assets in their sales efforts, including them in email signatures, sales emails, and proposals for new clients. Also, consider printing a few copies for conferences and trade shows.

Now that you know how to create a compelling case study, it’s time to get started! Remember, case studies provide a unique opportunity to showcase the real-world success of your products or services. By allowing your customers to tell their stories, you can build trust, credibility, and relatability with your prospects and potential buyers. So go ahead and start crafting those captivating case studies that will leave a lasting impact on your audience!

Disclaimer: This article is a general guide and not intended to provide legal advice. For legal questions on e-signatures or digital signatures, consult with an attorney or law firm.

Originally published on October 27, 2022. Updated on March 30, 2023.