Guide With Free Template + Examples

What Is a Case Research & Why Is It Invaluable?

Within the enterprise world, a case research is written or video content material that tells the story of a profitable buyer transaction, relationship, or each. 

Case research mix storytelling and information to supply social proof that your product is a viable answer to your goal prospects’ issues.

Let’s take Semrush’s SEO case study, “How an web optimization Company Helped an Artisan Bakery Enhance Cellular Natural Visitors by 460%.” 

It sends a transparent message:

Bakeries that don’t get sufficient cellular visitors can leverage Semrush instruments to develop exponentially.

A compelling case research can win you new prospects. 

Contemplate it a extremely worthwhile enterprise card—and an trustworthy showcase of your optimistic impression in motion. Which helps you earn the belief of your supposed viewers. 

To actually reap the advantages of creating case research a part of your content marketing strategy, it’s essential to know the right way to write a case research successfully.

On this weblog submit, we’ll stroll you thru the important steps for crafting a case research that may convert your prospects into loyal patrons.

How one can Put together a Case Research: A Step-by-Step Information

Getting ready a case research entails choosing the proper prospects to characteristic in your evaluation. Plus gathering sufficient information, quotes, and knowledge to relate a compelling, real-lifesuccess story.

An awesome case research will comprise 5 important parts:

With out correct preparation, your case research received’t have sufficient particulars to be strongly relatable, convincing, or reassuring.

That will help you streamline your course of, use the prep part of our free case study template and observe the recommended analysis technique beneath.

Step 1: Set Your Aims

Specificity makes a case research extra relatable and, subsequently, simpler. 

Begin by defining the rationale you’re presenting this explicit story to find out which particular options and options to spotlight. 

As an example, a basic goal like “showcase our answer in motion” is an effective begin, nevertheless it doesn’t provide loads of route. 

What, particularly, will you spotlight? What outcomes do you hope to realize? 

It is a good place to recollect the SMART framework.

Say your enterprise offers customer relationship management (CRM) software program. Your total purpose: to develop your attain within the healthcare sector. 

In case your current healthcare prospects typically reward your workflow automation instruments, you understand automation issues to your target market. So, effectivity may very well be an attractive case research subject.

For this case research, your goal could also be: 

“Present how our workflow automation saved one hospital X hours per week and diminished errors to assist our purpose of getting 10 extra healthcare subscribers by the tip of the yr.”

Buyer interactions and evaluations can provide nice steerage on which options to highlight to satisfy your goal. 

Take a look at your high-performing net content material for inspiration, too. 

If Google Analytics (or an alternative) exhibits {that a} weblog submit on lowering information breach dangers is your hottest, you’ll know that your viewers values safety. 

You may construct a case research round safety credentials to reassure these potential patrons.

Step 2: Select the Good Buyer (and Get Them on Board)

The fitting topic to your story will play a pivotal function in showcasing your providing—serving to you achieve an edge over the competitors.

An appropriate buyer is one which:

• Has a compelling story to inform. The shopper has had an awesome expertise along with your product or a particular characteristic. They’re happy with the outcomes and glad to shout about it.
• Is typical of companies of their sector. The shopper is relatable to your target market. They take care of the identical challenges and have related spending energy.
• Is prepared and capable of speak. You’ve gotten a robust relationship with this contact. They are going to allow you to pull the story collectively and have the authority to approve content material for publishing.

Prioritize prospects that got here to you after experiencing your rivals—generally known as switchers. Their tales will spotlight your competitive advantages and will sway a purchaser who’s evaluating choices.

Select a recognizable buyer title in case you can. This may occasionally assist readers belief your enterprise’s legitimacy. 

As an example, all of Asana’s case research contain big-name prospects. 

Picture Supply: Asana

That is regardless of the corporate having more than 139,000 users, a lot of that are small companies.

Go for a mixture of enterprise varieties, industries, and sizes that your organization is eager to work with. 

As an example, in case you sometimes goal gross sales organizations however wish to attain a advertising viewers, select tales with advertising parts or that contain advertising companies.

When you’ve selected a compelling story to characteristic, get the shopper on board by telling them your plan. 

Clarify that you simply’ll want some enter throughout the creation course of however will do many of the work. Be clear that you simply’re happy with the connection you’ve constructed with them and can use it to encourage others.

If they comply with assist, transfer ahead. If they refuse, choose one other firm out of your record. 

Step 3: Compile Your Buyer and Story Info

Write down what you understand about your buyer, their relationship with your enterprise, and the way they’ve used your product. This data will allow you to plot your success story and determine any information gaps.

Share a stay notes doc along with your related workforce members and encourage their enter. They might have extra buyer or enterprise insights that might show helpful to the case research.

Embody particulars comparable to:

• The shopper’s background. What does the corporate do and when was it shaped? What’s its market place? What are its business’s traditional challenges? 
• The precise product they use. What options does your buyer use? What plan are they on? A premium account? Do they pay for additional add-ons?
• The date of their first buy. How lengthy have they been a buyer? Loyalty is a strong case research theme—use it in case you can.
• Their interplay historical past. Assist data will present if the shopper has overcome points whereas utilizing your product. Verify your CRM, ticketing system, or electronic mail accounts for particulars.
• The inspirational consequence. What impressed you to decide on this buyer as a case research topic? It may very well be a testimonial, a social media submit, a passing remark, or direct suggestions.

Use what you be taught to encourage interview questions for the subsequent step. 

Step 4: Interview Your Buyer (Instance Case Research Questions)

Communicate on to the shopper to get any data you don’t have already got. Ask questions that can make your case research content material partaking and relatable.

Complement your notes for the earlier step with questions that’ll allow you to fill within the gaps for every part. Resembling:

The interview course of doesn’t have to be formal. The chat may even type a part of an everyday catch-up if the timing works. 

File the dialog so you may refer again to it whereas writing. Like on Zoom. 

You might discover you may take some direct quotes out of your recording. If not, ask the shopper for a testimonial you need to use within the ultimate content material.

Step 5: Set the Buyer’s Expectations

Let the shopper know your subsequent steps (e.g., writing and modifying the content material, sourcing direct interview quotations). Clarify that you simply’ll be again in contact in case you want any additional data.

Present a timeline so the shopper is ready to evaluate your drafts, give additional element, and search additional approval if obligatory.

Be clear that you simply received’t take up a lot of the shopper’s time as you don’t wish to distract them. If the method have been to change into demanding for them, you danger souring your relationship. 

How one can Construction Your Case Research

Observe a standardized course of when creating any enterprise case research to make sure you:

1. Embody all of the core parts
2. Preserve your web page content material constant and simply navigable

Observe the directions within the case research construction part of our free template.

1. Select a Descriptive and Particular Headline

A case research headline is the very first thing readers see. Use yours to seize consideration and set readers’ expectations. In any other case, it may very well be the one half they see.

A superb case research headline solutions widespread questions that undergo each reader’s head, like:

• Is that this related to me?
• What is going to I be taught?
• How will this assist my enterprise?

Take this Textel case study:

Picture Supply: Textel

The enterprise texting platform makes use of simply 77 characters to inform us a narrative, together with:

• Who’s concerned (“Valvoline…”)
• What they achieved (“Will increase Coupon Ship Charge by 76%”)
• How they did it (“with Textel’s MMS Image Texting”)

From this data, readers can instantly decide whether or not the content material is:

• Related: Both utilizing the model title (e.g., “I acknowledge this enterprise; are we comparable?”) or the achievement (“I’d additionally like to extend my enterprise’s coupon ship charge”)
• Invaluable: A formidable headline stat implies what’s potential for the reader

2. Spotlight 3-5 Factors Summarizing the Story and Its Outcomes

Embody a snapshot of outcomes early on so persons are inspired to maintain on studying. You’ll be able to current them in a bullet record and even as customized icons.

As an example, if the headline in Textel’s case research isn’t sufficient, their “At a Look” column permits readers to verify the content material is related to them.

Picture Supply: Textel

Consider it as an govt abstract of the primary physique copy. Placing it collectively is simple: simply undergo the completed content material and pick an important factors.

3. Embody Related Photographs

Photographs serve to interrupt up the textual content and interact readers. Use high-profile logos to speak standing shortly, screenshots of outcomes, photos of glad prospects, or customized designs.

The Textel instance takes up worthwhile actual property up entrance with a big picture. 

It additionally contains the shopper’s emblem. Valvoline’s chevron can be recognizable to its viewers and might help construct credibility. 

4. Introduce Your Buyer

Give your case research context with a brief introduction. Background data on the topic will paint an image of your story’s predominant character.

Present buyer particulars comparable to their business and product providing, firm dimension, and site. Elective profile additions can embrace their mission assertion and main milestones. 

This introduction helps readers care concerning the actions and achievements they’re getting ready to discover. The extra relatable your topic is, the extra invested readers can be.

In one of its marketing case studies (“Native Hospital’s Social Media Engagement Soars 892%”), advertising company Captivate introduces its shopper with primary data on location, historical past, and goal.

Picture Supply: Captivate

From then on, the reader can envisage the group going via the challenges and receiving the advantages. The case research immediately feels extra actual.

The ultimate sentence in Captivate’s introduction provides a human factor, encouraging the reader to empathize with the topic: 

“On high of remedy, Navicent maintains deep involvement of their neighborhood.”

The extra colour you present right here, the extra probably impactful your case research’s outcomes can be. 

5. Describe the Problem

The start of your story ought to lay out the shopper’s downside: their tough place earlier than discovering your product.

Guarantee your buyer is all the time an important determine. Focus an excessive amount of on your self, and also you’ll jeopardize the sincerity of your case research.

You don’t want to supply loads of element right here. A few quick paragraphs ought to give your outcomes sufficient context. 

Reply vital questions like:

• What stood in the way in which of the shopper reaching their objectives? 
• What have been the results?

Make the problem related to your target market through the use of language they will relate to and together with your buyer’s phrases.

Take this case study from Rev:

Picture Supply: Rev

The copy clearly states that with no dependable transcription service (i.e., Rev’s product), the shopper wasted time correcting the errors made by automation tech. 

Figuring out there’s one thing vital at stake—on this case, workers’ time and college students’ studying experiences—provides your viewers a purpose to proceed studying.

Have the shopper describe the problem in their very own phrases. It’s a good way so as to add honesty and emotion to your story, making it much more partaking and relatable.

6. Spotlight Your Answer

That is the place your enterprise enters the shopper story. 

Briefly introduce your product. Clarify what it does and what makes it distinctive, then apply it to the issues your buyer was experiencing. 

Right here’s a hypothetical instance:

“Our buyer wanted IT assist for groups in several time zones to keep away from service delays. Our 24/7 IT assist package deal meant these groups may get the assistance they wanted at any time, with 30-minute response instances assured.”

Discuss which groups or workers benefited from the product and the way they used it. Particulars of any premium options or add-ons create an excellent clearer image, making certain readers perceive the right way to obtain related outcomes. 

Nevertheless, speak solely about options which can be related to the story’s theme. And hyperlink them to particular challenges the reader is more likely to face. 

Sticking to just one or two options will preserve readers centered on what you need them to remove. In any other case, you danger distracting them.

Additionally, notice {that a} answer can contain greater than only a product’s tangible options.

The reader ought to know that your personalised service helped the shopper’s enterprise obtain one thing quicker. Or that your easy onboarding course of minimized their disruption. 

If somebody studying your case research has skilled dangerous service earlier than, this data would possibly persuade them to transform.

7. Shout In regards to the End result (Utilizing Knowledge to Illustrate)

Knowledge is the easiest way for instance impression. It permits readers to tangibly evaluate their experiences along with your buyer’s.

All efficient case research have a contented ending. Clarify how your buyer is best off than earlier than utilizing your product, with actual information to show your level.

We use loads of information within the artisan bakery SEO case study we talked about earlier. 

Stats seem within the textual content (e.g., “By that point natural visitors to the bakery web site had already elevated by 214%”), however we additionally designed an infographic to make our achievements stand out:

Plus, we included extra information to make our mission’s consequence as tangible as potential for our readers.

These are the forms of charts and graphs our viewers (advertising companies) is aware of. The optimistic information in our case research is a transparent demonstration of what’s potential with Semrush’s assist.

8. Validate Your Story with a Sturdy Closing Assertion

Summarize your outcomes and get readers fascinated with the subsequent steps by displaying the place the featured shopper is heading now they’ve solved the issue. Don’t overlook to incorporate a call to action (CTA).

Embody a person/worker title, job title, and first-hand feedback to humanize your case research content material.

You’ll be able to weave buyer feedback all through the piece to validate or develop your factors. A direct citation can be a good way to finish your case research.

In the event that they didn’t throughout your interview, ask your buyer to summarize your product’s and your relationship’s impression on their enterprise.

World IT administration platform Hofy makes use of a completely interview-based case study format. This ultimate remark from its buyer acts as a extremely efficient conclusion:

Picture Supply: Hofy

Key messages right here embrace:

• Hofy’s unequalled stage of service
• The shopper has no regrets
• The shopper explicitly says, “I’m glad. Everybody’s glad. The customers are tremendous glad.”

Permitting your buyer to conclude your case research provides readers one ultimate reminder that that is an trustworthy account involving an actual, comparable enterprise. 

If the remark is a glowing evaluate like Hofy’s, it may even act as a delicate CTA.

Use These Three Case Research Examples for Inspiration

Charming case research from different companies can present worthwhile concepts for the right way to write a case evaluation to your model. Suggestions might embrace:

• Particular case research subjects to cowl
• The tone of voice you wish to use
• Your case research’s visible structure
• Accompanying imagery to reinforce your evaluation

Listed below are three examples of nice case research content material to get you began.

Family Names: Adobe and The Home Depot

Adobe carried out an in-depth case research of a extremely profitable buyer.

Picture Supply: Adobe

The primary half alone has sufficient to interact and intrigue the reader:

• A handy guide a rough headline
• Three spectacular takeaway stats
• A buyer citation and picture
• A listing of the merchandise The Residence Depot used

It then particulars the entire most vital story parts in round 2,000 phrases. 

There are quotes all through, explanations of achievements, and a few spectacular consequence figures on the finish.

Key takeaways from this case research:

• Actual buyer headshots add a human factor to your case research
• Opening with a direct quote instantly emphasizes the shopper, the place your focus needs to be
• Inside hyperlinks to product pages enable impressed readers to be taught extra about your choices

Small-Enterprise Success: ShipStation and The Burlap Bag

ShipStation appeals to its small-business viewers on this case research of its work with the primarily soy candle promoting retailer. 

Picture Supply: ShipStation

It summarizes the story utilizing a small takeaway part on the fitting, permitting readers to verify the relevance of this content material shortly. 

Then, it explains the connection in additional element utilizing textual content, feel-good imagery, and embedded social media content material.

Key takeaways from this case research:

• Video content material can complement textual content to supply extra authenticity
• You’ll be able to set the tone along with your alternative of images
• Generally, all it takes is one spectacular statistic to seize consideration (“95% faster label printing”)

Serving to Clients Assist Others: Semrush, Re:signal, and Learning with Experts

On this case research, we glance past the fast impression of our product. And discover how certainly one of our companions has used Semrush instruments to reinforce its service. 

By doing so, we enchantment to advertising companies that intention to ship high-quality buyer experiences.

Our evaluation makes use of easy language all through. We illustrate our details with metrics and screenshots that our goal readers will instantly perceive.

Key takeaways from this case research:

• A fascinating headline statistic (59% natural visitors enhance) conjures up audiences to be taught extra
• Primary shopper introductions assist set the scene and invite readers to narrate shortly
• A scannable desk of contents tells your goal buyer what to anticipate 

The Backside Line on Writing Case Research

Whereas nailing the right way to write a enterprise case research can take time, it’s an extremely efficient method of displaying potential prospects you will have the most effective answer to their issues.

Actual-life examples and accounts of your product in motion can instill belief in ways in which different forms of content material can’t. They consolidate your fame and make patrons extra more likely to convert.

So, preserve robust buyer relationships, apply related market insights, look to different manufacturers for inspiration, and observe the processes on this information. The outcome: partaking, results-driven case research to assist your enterprise develop.