How To Write A Case Study That Actually Drives Results

Marketing departments everywhere have relied on case studies to exemplify company growth. So just hear us out when we say that case studies are an absolutely essential aspect of building out a strong content marketing strategy and remarkable sales asset. That said, many companies make the mistake of creating case studies that are dull and ultimately forgettable. 

So, if you want to create a case study that is memorable, engaging and actually drives results, here is a guide to conducting a badass one:

Finding A Case Study Candidate

A case study is a designed document that exemplifies how you have driven success with a customer. With that in mind, it’s important to cherry-pick a client, past or present, who had a good overall experience with your company. 

The two primary factors that contribute to an ideal candidate are clients who have had the most success with your offerings and have the best relationship with your internal team. As a way to gut-check your candidates, consider the following:

• Are they an overall promoter of your business?
• Do they have a good phone presence?
• Will they be engaging in an interview setting?
• Do they have access to hard statistics to back up KPIs?
• How long have they engaged with your product/company?

Consult your account managers, customer success team members,  or salespeople to get the most valuable insight on clients or customers. Put together a list of potential candidates and reach out to top contenders. See if your team is willing to send that initial email and introduce the case study author/marketing team. Once you’ve locked in a candidate, you can start to plan your interview.

Gather Talking Points

A case study is a narrative designed to highlight a solution to a problem. When planning the content you want to include in your case study, treat it as though you are writing a cohesive story. At Axle Eight, we like to group interview questions into buckets based on the different stages of the timeline of this narrative.

There are essentially three stages to consider:

• Exposition: Setting The Scene

• • • Have the subject describe their business in their own words to get a general idea of their mission/purpose/audience/services
    • How were they navigating the industry prior to using your product or service?
    • Identify the pain points that led them to needing your product or service
    • How did they find your product among competitors and what were their goals?

• Action: Using The Product/Service

• • • Why did they choose your product over others in the market?
    • Have them detail their experience with your team from onboarding to support? 
    • Ask them to give specific examples of your product or service in action within their business

• Resolution: Gather Results

• • What was life like AFTER your solution was introduced?
  • How has the product or service helped them with their ability to assist their own customers?
  • Collect hard statistics on the success such as KPIs before and after integration i.e. on average they’ve saved $275,000 per year by implementing your solution
    • This can take longer to collect so ask them to have this on hand before the meeting
  • How have their pain points changed since taking advantage of your offerings?
  • Would they recommend your product or service to a peer?

Designing Your Case Study

Now that you have the tools equipped, you’ll need to make a decision about how you want to present your case study. Some people may choose to present their case study in blog format to drive SEO value or great on-site UX, while other companies may choose to use it solely for the sales team or present it as a piece of gated content for lead gen on their website. 

Assuming you are presenting it as a designed downloadable asset, here are some tips for you as you go about writing the copy for your memorable case study: 

• Define the case study company’s broad goals early (specifically those that align with your company’s value propositions)
• Use icons and imagery to break up the text and draw attention to important statistics
• Make sure you utilize hard data to make irrefutable, concrete points
• Incorporate direct quotes from your interview, especially those that mention your company explicitly.
• Use branded shapes and colors. Use highest contrast colors as the focal point more most important elements such as statistics
• Use action based language that compels the reader to take immediate action
• If available and relevant, use charts to break up text and visualize data
• Be strategic in designing the document and follow the narrative arc when presenting information
• Stay on brand by including brand colors, logos and consistent design elements throughout

Designing a case study that’s tailored to your brand can prove to be a challenge, especially if you’ve never built one before. Between design and data collection, it can take some companies months to put together a case study that drives real results. 

How Axle Eight Can Help

When it comes to marketing, staying ahead of the curve means putting out consistent content in a timely manner. But time is a resource many companies just don’t seem to have a ton of this day and age, and we get that! That’s why many businesses consult outside help to generate their content and case studies in a more effective manner. Enter Axle Eight.

Axle Eight is a boutique digital marketing agency that loves working with bold brands that aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of their respective industries. With all of our combined years of marketing expertise, we have the know-how to set your team up with a cohesive and consistent marketing strategy with a tangible ROI. Unlike competing agencies, Axle Eight understands that your business’s needs can change on a dime which is why we don’t lock you into restrictive, long-term agreements but rather present you with a flexible, month-to-month relationship. 

Interested in seeing how we can help you push your company to grow? 

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