3 Keys to a Compelling Case Study

A compelling case study can be a goldmine to a growing business. Case Studies are a fantastic tool used in the marketing world to tell a success story from using a particular product or service. They are also an opportunity to highlight the benefits of a new product or service that a company is offering. Many companies even use case studies as lead magnets to generate new clients.

If you’ve never created a case study before, then you may not know where exactly to start. Here are three (3) major components to a successful case study:

1. Tell The Story

The best case studies are the ones that can tell the story about the clients journey and success from using your product. Why did they come to your company? What solution were they looking for? How long had they been looking for it? Answering these questions and including them as part of your case study help to set the stage for anyone reading to understand the level of frustration or pain the business was at. The more detail around the pain point and the problem, the better. Clarity really is the key here. The more clearly you can talk about these points, the clearer you can be regarding the success of your product.

2. Know the Details

Who is the company? What do they do? Why did they need something new? When did they switch to your solution? How did your solution improve their business? Knowing the details also needs to go into how it affected the business bottom line. Many businesses today run on tight budgets and cannot simply switch products on the fly. There has to be some solid quantifiable business case for making the switch. Was the company in the case study able to lower costs, save time, be more productive, etc? Quantifying these details through tracked KPI’s can help to show an ROI for a purchase, as well as give you talking points with potential future customers.

3. Be Consistent

Every client should get a case study.  While it sounds like a lot of work, consistency really is key here.  Ask the same questions of every client.  It’s a great way to gauge the success of your product and to spot potential issues before they happen.  Maybe you learn through case studies that your product works better in smaller organizations than larger ones, and you might need to look at how to address that for the future. Case studies are also a way to get valuable feedback on changes to your product.  Case studies are also a great way to know customer happiness with your product, especially if you’re not getting feedback from other sources like surveys or reviews.

Every good story puts the reader in the story.  They can feel the frustration, the struggle, and the relief as the story unfolds towards a happy ending.  The more you can bring the reader into that process and resolution, the more compelling and impactful your case study will be.

Tell the story, know the details, and be consistent to create case studies that make an impact.