5 Tips for Writing a Killer Case Study to Showcase Your Past Client Successes
Are you an entrepreneur looking to increase sales? Or a sales funnel copywriter looking to add another step to your client's marketing strategy. Do you or your clients have a treasure trove of client success stories that you haven't shared with the world yet? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, then a case study may be the answer to your problems.
A case study is an in-depth look at how a business has solved the problem it was hired to fix. It is a great way for businesses, entrepreneurs, and sales funnel copywriters to showcase their past wins with their clients and customers. It is essentially a testimonial magnified by 1000.
The best part about case studies? Anyone can create one! Here are 5 tips for writing a killer case study that will get future prospects excited to work with you.
Choose the stories that highlight your brand
Because a case study is a form of storytelling, it is important that you decide to feature someone who has a compelling story that is in line with your brand. Don’t get me wrong, all client stories are important in their own way. However, when writing a successful case study, you’re going to want to write a story that highlights what your company is known for or what you wish to be known for.
For instance, if you are an ethical copywriter looking to showcase how you can help a company to double its email list, then you will write a case study on the client that you helped to do just that. If you want to show cruelty-free and vegan brands how ethical copywriting can increase their sales organically across all their ecommerce sites, then the story that you chose to tell will reflect that.
Being intentional with whose story you are going to tell is just as important as the story itself. And it can help you showcase your many talents in a new way.
Nailing the interview
If you read that line and your heart skipped a few beats, remain calm. Many solopreneurs or introverted sales funnel copywriters may get a little squirmy when they figure out that case studies require either a phone, zoom, or in person interview. Don’t panic, this isn’t a job interview or hard-hitting story on 60 Minutes. This is simply a conversation. And while this can seem daunting, and even downright uncomfortable, I promise that it's a piece of cake.
The key to nailing the interview part of the case study is going in prepared, and making the interviewee feel at ease so that they can tell their story freely. It is also helpful to record the call (with permission) so you can look back at it whenever you need to.
Have a list of questions ready so that you can take the call in the correct direction. You don’t want to just get the highlights of how you helped. A good case study tells a well-rounded story, rich in detail.
Make the client feel at ease to share every part of their story, the ups, the downs, the hardships that sent them looking for you, and then you can get into how you helped to solve those problems.
And always remember to get permission to share any hardships that they have told you. If all goes well, many other people will be reading their story. Make that clear, and be sure they are comfortable with that. You want to continue to build trust, not break it.
Lastly, always thank them for taking the time out of their day to help you tell their story and for helping you to continue to grow your business.
Drawing the reader in with an unforgettable headline
What is one surefire way to make sure that people are actually reading these case studies that you are working so hard on? Making sure that they are drawn in with an exciting headline.
No one wants to read a story titled “Jane Doe Makes Greater Sales.” Figure out what exactly the case study is going to highlight and write a headline based on that.
If you are trying to showcase an increase in sales, get specific! “Jane Doe Goes from $0 in Sales to $150K in 3 Months” Or “How Jane Doe Used an Ethical Copywriter to Increase her sales by 150%.”
Using specific numbers often draws clients in and will make them curious and excited to read the story ahead. They will see themselves in Jane and want to increase their sales by 250% as well.
It's all about the client
Now that you’ve nailed the headline, it's time to get to writing the actual story. One important thing to note is that this is a story about your customer, not you! Don’t fall into the trap of immediately launching into a play by play of your sales funnel strategy or what exactly you did to fix the problems at hand. That part will come later.
Start off by introducing your customer. You’ll want to get a little specific here. Highlighting who your client is, what they do, how they do it, and who their ideal client is can be helpful.
Next, detail the challenges that your client was specifically having. This is where a great interview can help. Stories resonate more with readers if they invoke emotion. Don’t be afraid to tap into the emotion that your client shared with you. Using quotes from their interview throughout the story can also help to show just how a client was feeling during a particular hard stretch. If you got the green light from them to tell their story, make sure to do it justice.
After you’ve caused a few eyes to get misty, you’ll want to take the readers on the journey that leads your client to you. How did they find you? Why did they decide to put their trust in you? What made you stand out to them above all the competition? This is especially important to note because it may help future prospects decide that they also would like to put that trust in you.
Go ahead, showoff a little
Ok, now it’s your turn to brag. Go ahead, you’ve earned it. You can talk about the strategy you used to help solve the client's problem. Lay out the strategy AND the results you achieved. Again specificity is key. What makes you the greatest ethical or sales funnel copywriter? How did you lead your client to a 250% jump in sales? This is the time to highlight just that.
It’s important that you address the pain points your client was facing and how you helped to solve them. You want other potential customers to see themselves in these case studies. You are the answer that they have been looking for!
And remember to be honest about the entire journey. The road was likely not picture perfect. Maybe you only saw a 5% jump for a whole month. People appreciate honesty, and it will also help to set realistic expectations for future customers.
Ok, that's it! You are now ready to go out and create impactful and converting client case studies. Another great thing about case studies is that you can use them in all forms of content. They can be made into blogs or repurposed as social media posts and emails. Get creative, and you can continue to show off your amazing clients as well as your amazing business.
You have shown how you can be a gift to future clients, and case studies can continue to be a gift for you and your business.
About the Author: Laneige is a case study and SEO copywriter who uses her journalism chops when interviewing clients and customers. Learn more at https://www.laneigereneeagency.com/.