Case studies are a great way to present your credentials when writing a proposal, brochure, website copy, or writing a tender as they easily prove how your B2B service directly helps your clients.
The best case studies are persuasive, interesting and true!
They can be as short as a few lines or up to a page, but length really depends on how you’re using your case studies.
Likewise, the tone and style of your case studies will change to suit your document and readership. If, for instance, you’re writing a case study to include in a report, journal or white paper, the tone will be more formal than for a website. For more sales-driven documents, use ‘you’ and ‘we’ to personalise and speak directly to your reader.
Here are some hints on how to write a case study.
Results come first
Case studies traditionally follow the same order: description of the client, their situation or problem, how your service remedied the problem, the result and a quote from the happy client.
People usually get bored before the end of a case study and so may not read your result. To keep their interest, flip the order around. Start with the end result instead.
Make the problem interesting
Your client’s problem is the core of your case study. Give context to the problem so that your reader can relate to it.
For example, ‘When XXX Pty Ltd discovered they owed 20% more to the tax man compared to the previous quarter, they turned to XXX Accountants to help them work out why. We reduced their bill by 15%, legally of course, saving them more than $25,000 by using strategies we can apply to your business.’
Be precise about how you helped
Use facts and figures to demonstrate the difference you made wherever possible. Even if the difference is intangible, spell it out. Perhaps you’ve increased your client’s confidence, energy, or preparedness for tax time. Whatever you did, let your reader know.
Use a great title
Use the title to reflect your achievements. ‘How we saved XXX Pty Ltd $25k in one week’ is more interesting than the typical case study heading: ‘Case Study: XXX Pty Ltd’.
Include a short quote from your happy client
The quote doesn’t have to be too long. And don’t feel you have to include it at the end. Up front with the results is fine.
Finish with a call to action
Let your reader know how they can reach you to increase their energy, grow their confidence, be prepared for tax time or save $$$$: ‘To find out how we can help you achieve the same results, call us now on…’ or ‘To discuss how we can achieve the same results for you, call John on XXX’.