What Is a Case Examine & Why Is It Invaluable?
Within the enterprise world, a case examine 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 resolution to your goal prospects’ issues.
Let’s take Semrush’s website positioning case examine, “How an website positioning Company Helped an Artisan Bakery Improve Cellular Natural Visitors by 460%.”
It sends a transparent message:
Bakeries that don’t get sufficient cellular site visitors can leverage Semrush instruments to develop exponentially.
A compelling case examine can win you new prospects.
Think about it a extremely helpful enterprise card—and an trustworthy showcase of your optimistic impression in motion. Which helps you earn the belief of your meant viewers.
To essentially reap the advantages of constructing case research a part of your content material advertising technique, it’s essential to know tips on how to write a case examine successfully.
On this weblog put up, we’ll stroll you thru the important steps for crafting a case examine that may convert your prospects into loyal patrons.
How you can Put together a Case Examine: A Step-by-Step Information
Making ready a case examine entails selecting the best prospects to function in your evaluation. Plus gathering sufficient information, quotes, and knowledge to relate a compelling, real-lifesuccess story.
A fantastic case examine will comprise 5 important parts:
With out correct preparation, your case examine gained’t have sufficient particulars to be strongly relatable, convincing, or reassuring.
That can assist you streamline your course of, use the prep part of our free case examine template and comply with the urged analysis methodology under.
Step 1: Set Your Aims
Specificity makes a case examine extra relatable and, subsequently, simpler.
Begin by defining the rationale you’re presenting this specific story to find out which particular options and options to spotlight.
For example, a common goal like “showcase our resolution in motion” is an efficient begin, but it surely doesn’t supply plenty of course.
What, particularly, will you spotlight? What outcomes do you hope to realize?
This can be a good place to recollect the SMART framework.
Say your online business gives buyer relationship administration (CRM) software program. Your total objective: to broaden your attain within the healthcare sector.
In case your present healthcare prospects usually reward your workflow automation instruments, automation issues to your target market. So, effectivity may very well be an attractive case examine matter.
For this case examine, your goal could also be:
“Present how our workflow automation saved one hospital X hours per week and lowered errors to assist our objective of getting 10 extra healthcare subscribers by the top of the 12 months.”
Buyer interactions and evaluations can supply nice steerage on which options to highlight to satisfy your goal.
Have a look at your high-performing internet content material for inspiration, too.
If Google Analytics (or an alternate) exhibits {that a} weblog put up on decreasing information breach dangers is your hottest, you’ll know that your viewers values safety.
You may construct a case examine round safety credentials to reassure these potential patrons.
Step 2: Select the Excellent Buyer (and Get Them on Board)
The best topic to your story will play a pivotal position 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 client has had a terrific expertise together with your product or a selected function. They’re happy with the outcomes and pleased to shout about it.
- Is typical of companies of their sector. The client is relatable to your target market. They take care of the identical challenges and have comparable spending energy.
- Is prepared and in a position to speak. You’ve gotten a powerful relationship with this contact. They’ll show you how 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—referred to as switchers. Their tales will spotlight your aggressive benefits and will sway a purchaser who’s evaluating choices.
Select a recognizable buyer title in the event you can. This may occasionally assist readers belief your online business’s legitimacy.
For example, all of Asana’s case research contain big-name prospects.
Picture Supply: Asana
That is regardless of the corporate having greater than 139,000 customers, 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.
For example, in the event 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 function, get the shopper on board by telling them your plan.
Clarify that you just’ll want some enter in the course of the creation course of however will do many of the work. Be clear that you just’re pleased with the connection you’ve constructed with them and can use it to encourage others.
If they comply with assist, transfer ahead. If they do not want, decide one other firm out of your checklist.
Step 3: Compile Your Buyer and Story Data
Write down what about your buyer, their relationship with your online business, and the way they’ve used your product. This info will show you how to plot your success story and determine any information gaps.
Share a dwell notes doc together with your related workforce members and encourage their enter. They might have extra buyer or enterprise insights that would show helpful to the case examine.
Embody particulars equivalent to:
- The client’s background. What does the corporate do and when was it fashioned? What’s its market place? What are its trade’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 examine theme—use it in the event you can.
- Their interplay historical past. Help data will present if the shopper has overcome points whereas utilizing your product. Examine your CRM, ticketing system, or e mail accounts for particulars.
- The inspirational final result. What impressed you to decide on this buyer as a case examine topic? It may very well be a testimonial, a social media put up, 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 Examine Questions)
Communicate on to the shopper to get any info you don’t have already got. Ask questions that may make your case examine content material participating and relatable.
Complement your notes for the earlier step with questions that’ll show you how to fill within the gaps for every part. Comparable to:
The interview course of doesn’t must be formal. The chat may even type a part of a daily catch-up if the timing works.
Document the dialog so you possibly can refer again to it whereas writing. Like on Zoom.
You could discover you possibly can take some direct quotes out of your recording. If not, ask the shopper for a testimonial you need to use within the closing content material.
Step 5: Set the Buyer’s Expectations
Let the shopper know your subsequent steps (e.g., writing and enhancing the content material, sourcing direct interview quotations). Clarify that you just’ll be again in contact in the event you want any additional info.
Present a timeline so the shopper is ready to evaluate your drafts, give additional element, and search additional approval if needed.
Be clear that you just gained’t take up a lot of the shopper’s time as you don’t wish to distract them. If the method had been to turn into demanding for them, you danger souring your relationship.
How you can Construction Your Case Examine
Observe a standardized course of when creating any enterprise case examine to make sure you:
- Embody all of the core parts
- Preserve your web page content material constant and simply navigable
Observe the directions within the case examine construction part of our free template.
1. Select a Descriptive and Particular Headline
A case examine 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.
case examine 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 examine:
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 info, 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 doable for the reader
2. Spotlight 3-5 Factors Summarizing the Story and Its Outcomes
Embody a snapshot of outcomes early on so individuals are inspired to maintain on studying. You may current them in a bullet checklist and even as customized icons.
For example, if the headline in Textel’s case examine isn’t sufficient, their “At a Look” column permits readers to ensure the content material is related to them.
Picture Supply: Textel
Consider it as an government abstract of the principle physique copy. Placing it collectively is straightforward: simply undergo the completed content material and select crucial factors.
3. Embody Related Photos
Photos serve to interrupt up the textual content and have interaction readers. Use high-profile logos to speak standing shortly, screenshots of outcomes, photographs of pleased prospects, or customized designs.
The Textel instance takes up helpful actual property up entrance with a big picture.
It additionally consists of the consumer’s emblem. Valvoline’s chevron shall be recognizable to its viewers and might help construct credibility.
4. Introduce Your Buyer
Give your case examine context with a brief introduction. Background info on the topic will paint an image of your story’s major character.
Present buyer particulars equivalent to their trade and product providing, firm dimension, and site. Optionally available profile additions can embrace their mission assertion and main milestones.
This introduction helps readers care in regards to the actions and achievements they’re making ready to discover. The extra relatable your topic is, the extra invested readers shall be.
In one in all its advertising case research (“Native Hospital’s Social Media Engagement Soars 892%”), advertising company Captivate introduces its consumer with fundamental info on location, historical past, and function.
Picture Supply: Captivate
From then on, the reader can envisage the group going by the challenges and receiving the advantages. The case examine all of the sudden feels extra actual.
The ultimate sentence in Captivate’s introduction provides a human component, encouraging the reader to empathize with the topic:
“On high of therapy, Navicent maintains deep involvement of their group.”
The extra colour you present right here, the extra probably impactful your case examine’s outcomes shall 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 crucial determine. Focus an excessive amount of on your self, and also you’ll jeopardize the sincerity of your case examine.
You don’t want to offer plenty 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 had been the results?
Make the problem related to your target market through the use of language they’ll relate to and together with your buyer’s phrases.
Take this case examine from Rev:
Picture Supply: Rev
The copy clearly states that with no dependable transcription service (i.e., Rev’s product), the consumer wasted time correcting the errors made by automation tech.
Figuring out there’s one thing important at stake—on this case, workers’ time and college students’ studying experiences—offers your viewers a cause to proceed studying.
Have the shopper describe the problem in their very own phrases. It’s an effective way so as to add honesty and emotion to your story, making it much more participating and relatable.
6. Spotlight Your Answer
That is the place your online business 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 numerous 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 occasions assured.”
Speak about which groups or workers benefited from the product and the way they used it. Particulars of any premium options or add-ons create a fair clearer image, guaranteeing readers perceive tips on how to obtain comparable outcomes.
Nevertheless, speak solely about options which might be related to the story’s theme. And hyperlink them to particular challenges the reader is prone 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} resolution can contain greater than only a product’s tangible options.
The reader ought to know that your customized service helped the shopper’s enterprise obtain one thing sooner. Or that your easy onboarding course of minimized their disruption.
If somebody studying your case examine has skilled dangerous service earlier than, this information may persuade them to transform.
7. Shout Concerning the Final result (Utilizing Knowledge to Illustrate)
Knowledge is one of the best ways for instance impression. It permits readers to tangibly examine their experiences together with your buyer’s.
All efficient case research have a contented ending. Clarify how your buyer is healthier off than earlier than utilizing your product, with actual information to show your level.
We use plenty of information within the artisan bakery website positioning case examine we talked about earlier.
Stats seem within the textual content (e.g., “By that point natural site 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 challenge’s final result as tangible as doable for our readers.
These are the varieties of charts and graphs our viewers (advertising companies) is conversant in. The optimistic information in our case examine is a transparent demonstration of what’s doable with Semrush’s assist.
8. Validate Your Story with a Robust Closing Assertion
Summarize your outcomes and get readers interested by the subsequent steps by exhibiting the place the featured consumer is heading now they’ve solved the issue. Don’t overlook to incorporate a name to motion (CTA).
Embody a person/worker title, job title, and first-hand feedback to humanize your case examine content material.
You may weave buyer feedback all through the piece to validate or broaden your factors. A direct citation can also be an effective way to finish your case examine.
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.
International IT administration platform Hofy makes use of a totally interview-based case examine format. This closing remark from its buyer acts as a extremely efficient conclusion:
Picture Supply: Hofy
Key messages right here embrace:
- Hofy’s unequalled degree of service
- The client has no regrets
- The client explicitly says, “I’m pleased. Everybody’s pleased. The customers are tremendous pleased.”
Permitting your buyer to conclude your case examine offers readers one closing 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 Examine Examples for Inspiration
Charming case research from different companies can present helpful concepts for tips on how to write a case evaluation to your model. Ideas might embrace:
- Particular case examine matters to cowl
- The tone of voice you wish to use
- Your case examine’s visible format
- Accompanying imagery to boost your evaluation
Listed below are three examples of nice case examine content material to get you began.
Family Names: Adobe and The Dwelling Depot
Adobe carried out an in-depth case examine of a extremely profitable buyer.
Picture Supply: Adobe
The primary half alone has sufficient to have interaction and intrigue the reader:
- A handy guide a rough headline
- Three spectacular takeaway stats
- A buyer citation and picture
- An inventory of the merchandise The Dwelling 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 final result figures on the finish.
Key takeaways from this case examine:
- Actual buyer headshots add a human component to your case research
- Opening with a direct quote instantly emphasizes the shopper, the place your focus needs to be
- Inner hyperlinks to product pages permit 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 examine of its work with the primarily soy candle promoting retailer.
Picture Supply: ShipStation
It summarizes the story utilizing a small takeaway part on the precise, permitting readers to test 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 examine:
- Video content material can complement textual content to supply extra authenticity
- You may set the tone together with your selection of images
- Typically, all it takes is one spectacular statistic to seize consideration (“95% faster label printing”)
Serving to Clients Assist Others: Semrush, Re:sign, and Studying with Consultants
On this case examine, we glance past the quick impression of our product. And discover how one in all our companions has used Semrush instruments to boost its service.
By doing so, we attraction 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 examine:
- A fascinating headline statistic (59% natural site visitors enhance) conjures up audiences to be taught extra
- Primary consumer 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 tips on how to write a enterprise case examine can take time, it’s an extremely efficient approach of exhibiting potential prospects you might have the very best resolution to their issues.
Actual-life examples and accounts of your product in motion can instill belief in ways in which different varieties of content material can’t. They consolidate your fame and make patrons extra prone to convert.
So, keep sturdy buyer relationships, apply related market insights, look to different manufacturers for inspiration, and comply with the processes on this information. The outcome: participating, results-driven case research to assist your online business develop.