How to Write a Highly Engaging and Interesting Case Study
Marketers love using the word “storytelling” to describe their collateral. Everything is a story, if marketers are to be believed. However, the storytelling label most definitely does (or should) apply to case studies, because stories are exactly what case studies are.
Case studies are self-contained stories about how a real customer overcame their problems using your products or services. Just like a story, good case studies have a beginning, a middle, and an end, as well as a protagonist – your customer – overcoming a problem and achieving their objective, just like the main character of a story.
By the end of a case study, the reader should be able to visualize themselves as the hero of their own story. They should be able to relate to the problems of your featured customer, and see themselves achieving their own goals by using your product or service.
Now that we’re clear on what a marketing case study is (and isn’t), as well as why you should be producing them, let’s talk about how to actually write a case study worth reading.
To write a great case study that helps close deals, an academic excellence should follow these seven tips.
Be Realistic About the Goals for Your Case Study
To date, there is exactly ONE case study I still remember and think of as the “ideal” example of a great case study.
Most people won’t have a “favorite” case study, or even be able to remember one at all.
Before you sit down to create your magnum opus, it’s important to realize that case studies aren’t that important to your audience. Yes, we want to create a useful, helpful resource for prospective customers, but let’s be real – nobody’s winning a Pulitzer for a case study, and it won’t be going viral on social media, no matter how well-written it is.
Case studies are little more than tools to be used by either self-motivated prospects researching your company, or by sales professionals as tools to help convince prospects to convert – nothing more. They’re designed for audiences that are already strongly considering becoming your customers, which is a smaller but more qualified group of people than your general audience.
As such, be realistic about your goals. Don’t be disheartened if a case study blog post doesn’t perform as strongly as your best content. You can also get help from the best essay writing service as well.
Identify a Compelling Angle for Your Case Study
Last year, one of our Product Marketing Managers asked me to write a case study for a client that rehabilitates badly behaved and aggressive dogs. This thought became the basis for the entire case study. The better the story, the more engaging your case study will be.
Try to find an interesting customer for your next case study. How are people using your products or services? Are any of your customers using your business to solve difficult or unusual problems? Get creative when searching for someone to serve as the basis for your next case study. That said…
But Make Your Case Study Relatable to ALL Prospects
Yes, you want your case study to be interesting and feature a compelling angle, but you also want the vast majority of your target market to be able to identify with it.
Follow the Classic Narrative Arc in Your Case Study
Remember how we said that most marketers are obsessed with the notion of “storytelling” despite not actually telling many stories? Well, just as any good story has a beginning, middle, and end, so too do the best-case studies.
Use Data to Illustrate Key Points in Your Case Study
Your case study is a story, but that doesn’t mean you should rely on anecdotes or whimsy to make your points. Cold, hard data is your best friend when writing a case study – more so than most other content projects.
Frame Your Business as a Supporting Character in Your Case Studies
If your featured client is the protagonist of your story, it’s tempting to think of your company (or your products or services) as an equal participant in how the tale unfolds.
However, you should instead think of your company’s role in the story as a supporting character.
There are two primary reasons why this approach is so effective. Firstly, you want your audience to visualize themselves as the protagonist of the case study. This is much more difficult if you won’t stop talking about how great your company or product is. Secondly, adopting a humbler tone can help increase your credibility in the mind of the reader.
Let Your Clients Tell Their Own Stories in Case Studies
As a storyteller, it’s your job to craft a compelling narrative about how your featured client triumphed over the forces of evil using your product or service, but that doesn’t mean your protagonist doesn’t have their own voice.
Using direct quotes from your client is a great way to let them tell their own story in their own words. This not only breaks up the “expository” text of your case study, but also provides further validation and credibility by including the client’s perspective.
This also allows you to draw the reader in using techniques similar to those commonly found in feature journalism, gradually revealing more of your protagonist using their own words in an almost interview-style format. However, if you’re still pondering, “I’m still not sure how to write my academic papers”, consider looking for more sources, especially case study examples.
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