Writing a case study? Follow these 7 tips for the ultimate customer case study.

Online visibility is more important than ever before. Your website and the posts on your socials are your online business card. It is therefore extremely important that the content matches your target audience. A case study is a great way to show your expertise and give your customers a voice.

With a case study, you provide insight into your unique way of working. As a consequence, your potential customer knows what to expect. A good case study may convince that prospect to contact you. No marketing campaign can beat that!

But how do you write a good case study? CopyRobin offers you the tools.

The importance of a case study

Your website is the most important place to show that you are the expert in your field. You can do this in several ways, for example with blogs, reviews, testimonials and also case studies.

Case studies and customer testimonials often serve the same purpose: convincing a potential customer. But there is a difference in the level of detail and the origin of the information.

Testimonials are often recommendations from happy customers that confirm the value of a product or service. Case studies tell a more detailed story about a collaboration with a customer or client.

A good case study usually includes:

• a problem that a specific customer is dealing with;
• an explanation of the action plan;
• a report on the implementation of the plan;
• and of course, the results achieved.

The customer's problem is leading, and your products or services are the solution! A good case study makes your products or services tangible and relevant for the reader.

How to build up a case study

People love stories – they are pleasant to read and inspire empathy. A case study should therefore be told as a story to get the best result. By doing so, the reader empathises with the customer and their problem and works towards the moment that problem is solved. Yes, a happy ending!

The structure of a case study is very similar to the structure of a good book: there is the main character (your customer) with a problem. Together, you will look for a solution (your product/service) and start a project. You will probably encounter some setbacks which you will solve together, and a happy ending (happy customer!) is the result.

In a case study, the customer is the hero, and your services contribute to the customer's success. And they lived happily ever after…

Tips to write a good case study

To help you, CopyRobin has listed a few tips for writing a good case study.

1) Determine your target audience

Who are you writing the case study for? Your intended audience largely determines the content and tone of voice of your case study.

If you want to attract more customers within a certain target audience, it is good to put yourself in their shoes. Think about what content is relevant for them. What gives them the necessary information to choose you? Make sure your case study answers the questions of your target audience.

2) Prepare your interview well

Your customer's input is key for your case study. It is therefore important that you prepare your conversation with the customer well. Keep in mind: “What's in it for them?”.

An important question you want to be answered is: “What were your doubts about doing business with *your company*?” Do you show in your case study that these doubts turned out to be unfounded? By doing so, you remove a major barrier in the reader’s mind.

3) Provide honest information

The reader is looking for honest information. Nobody likes fake, polished stories where everything went smoothly. That's rarely how it goes in real life! 

A good case study should also highlight the bumps along the road. You can talk about the challenges you faced and how you worked together on a solution. This makes your case study extra valuable. You show potential customers how you work and how you achieve success despite setbacks.

4) Substantiate your case study

You won't get results with an exciting story alone. Supporting data gives the reader proof of a successful solution. The more specific, the better!

By sharing results, you choose a “show, don't tell” approach so that the readers draw conclusions for themselves. The mix of story and data is convincing.

5) Don't make your case study too long

Case studies are usually between 800-1500 words, but can also be shorter. The most important thing is that you tell a good story and that the reader identifies with the customer.

6) Don't forget the customer

Do you have your story? Then don't forget to involve the ‘main character’ – your customer – before you post the case study. Before you post it, show it to the customer involved and listen to their feedback.

Together, you’ll come to an even better case study supported by the customer’s feedback. You’ll also increase the likelihood that the customer will share your case study on their own platform or socials.

Note – this moment of contact is the perfect time to ask for a (portrait) photo of the customer in question! See the next point…

7) Make it visual and personal

Think about images, videos, quotes and backlinks that you can use in your case study. This provides extra relevance and makes the article more appealing visually. In addition, this also helps the SEO and visibility of your case.

And yes: the best thing is to share the name and photo of the customer your case study is about. This makes your case study reliable and recognisable. Always ask for permission beforehand!

What if a customer does not want to cooperate?

Generally, you should mention the name (and preferably a photo) of your customer in your case study. Happy customers often become ambassadors for your brand or company. But in some cases, this is not an option.

Think of a project where the product is still a secret or for which you had to sign an NDA. In cases like this, a case study can be extremely valuable for your company.

Our tip: don't be put off right away if a customer doesn't want to cooperate immediately. Suggest publishing the case anonymously, and indicate why a case study of your collaboration would bring so much added value for you.

Voorbeelden geanonimiseerde cases:

• Software producer: ‘I wish I could have a CopyRobin in every country!’
• Niche online marketing agency: ‘Scaling up and down quickly with fluctuating client demands’

In addition, make sure that the customer always gives their approval for publication as the case study may contain sensitive information.

Let CopyRobin write a good case study

This article offers you the tools to write a good case study. But would you rather outsource the writing of your case studies? Then CopyRobin is happy to help you! With no fewer than [amount] copywriters, there is always someone who is connected to your product, service, or field of expertise. Contact us today!

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