The case study has a unique position in the hierarchy of different kinds of material.
Case studies are one of the finest methods to put a spotlight on your brand, services, differentiators, and triumphs for any prospective customer. While blog articles and white papers are typically used for the aim of educating consumers, case studies are one of the best ways to educate consumers.
It is one of the content marketing assets that is more direct, and it is perfect for leads who are farther along in the sales funnel.
Your narrative may be told and your value or return on investment can be shown by using the case study to describe precisely how you helped a client or customer solve an issue.
The production of a superb case study, the kind that may assist in persuading prospective clients to do business with you, requires a great deal of planning and work, despite the fact that it may seem to be a simple task to write a case study.
If any of your readers are interested in seeing examples of case studies, the internet is rife with customer case studies, and there are many of perspectives on what the ideal case study style is, exhibiting how to construct a successful asset.
However, in order to spare you some time, we are going to provide you with some advice on writing and creating case studies, as well as seven samples that you are free to use as models for content marketing and other purposes.
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What Exactly Is a Case Study in Marketing?
A marketing case study is a story that describes how your company assisted in the completion of a project, fulfilled a need, or addressed an issue.
Case studies provide a function that is similar to that of customer evaluations in the sense that they communicate what the product or service is, how it was utilized, and what the effect was by using qualitative research and interviews as some of the approaches.
Case studies are useful in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing.
The most important thing for readers to go away with is a knowledge of your company and the advantages you are able to provide, and there is no greater source of that kind of information than real-world victories.
The following steps should be taken to start the process of producing a case study:
- searching for successful client experiences to share.
- Attempting to reconnect with prior or current customers.
- putting together an interview for a case study.
- Developing tailored interview questions from reputable sources.
- Identifying your target audience.
- Considering the many aspects of case study layout.
- Take into consideration the possibility of coupling additional deliverables with pertinent information.
- Developing a plan for the dissemination of the case study.
Before beginning to write a case study, it is vital to familiarize oneself with the standard format.
Even though there isn’t a set template for case studies, one frequent structure includes the following sections: summary, challenge/opportunity, solution, and outcome:
To present an overview, paint a general picture and describe what the situation is, who is involved, and what the parameters of a project were; in addition, supply any additional contextual facts that may be required.
Both a challenge and an opportunity:
Outline the primary obstacles that need to be overcome in the business world, whether they are customer issues or market opportunities
Solution: Discuss the product or service you supplied in addition to the tools and approach you used in your business.
Outcome: Describe the beneficial effect that your product or service had, such as how it enhanced the customer experience or increased the return on investment for the client.
Quotes from customers, client contacts, or internal employees should be included wherever feasible according to best practices. This ensures that the real-world use case will connect with the reader, which includes any new prospective customers.
The final product has to be a polished asset that provides solutions to any unanswered queries that may still be held by prospective clients.
And to give you a better idea of what it entails, I’ve included seven case studies that focus on business to business and business to consumer interactions below.
Aware is a major worldwide developer of software products and solutions for biometric identification and authentication. It is possible that some of these solutions and products are difficult to grasp when used in actual settings.
However, the case study that the business produced, titled “The World’s Largest Employer Uses a Web-Based Platform for Biometric Identity Proofing,” is a major study analysis example of what to do correctly when creating case studies.
This case study tells Aware’s narrative in simple words that skillfully describe the product and its advantages. The framework of overview, issue, solution, and result is one that is commonly advocated and is followed by this case study.
Having the Department of Defense, the largest employer in the world, as a case study subject certainly lends credibility to Aware. This allows Aware to explain how it succeeded on one of the highest levels, thereby creating a persuasive asset that can be implemented into any scale of a marketing campaign.
HubSpot does not waste any time in informing readers about the most important advantages of data.
The title doesn’t screw around, and as a result, it pretty much pulls the conclusion all the way up.
The case study itself adheres very closely to the framework of overview, issue, solution, and result, so producing a natural development that both the narrative and the reader can easily follow along with.
The use of a case study format is among the most valuable aspects of this illustration.
The summary is enclosed in a box with shading that attracts the attention of the reader; practically speaking, this assists in ensuring that the reader has context for what is going to follow.
Following this, screenshots are used to assist give a visual touch that emphasizes the product use case, and a focus is placed on concrete takeaways such as “saving up to 50 hours per quarter on manual procedures.”
Creating a repository of case studies is another another recommendation that may be taken from HubSpot.
HubSpot is able to offer industry-specific content that resonates effectively with a certain audience since the company has hundreds of client success stories at its disposal.
As an example from the field of business-to-consumer marketing, we may look at Walmart Labs, which is a department of the global retail chain that serves as an incubator for new ideas.
In addition to that, it provides a number of helpful case studies that demonstrate how Walmart is using technology to improve the consumer experience and the operational effectiveness of its business.
The “Seamless Returns Experience” case study provides a condensed analysis of the problem at hand as well as Walmart’s efforts to find a solution to it.
This case study does a very good job of highlighting the most significant things that can be learned from it.
It is a case study that is not only enjoyable to read but also quite interesting.
After finishing this article, readers will have firsthand knowledge of what Walmart is doing to tackle pain points in the returns process, as well as how effective Walmart’s efforts have been in making for a more streamlined experience for any potential customer.
You’re probably familiar with the concept of “Software as a Service,” but are you familiar with “Finance as a Service?”
After reading this case study from Consero, you will have a much better understanding of how outsourced finance and accounting may assist organizations in either expanding their operations or seizing opportunities.
The table of contents serves to prepare readers for what is ahead on their trip and provides an overview of what they might anticipate.
The story that is created via the use of quotations from a customer interaction is the artistic component of Consero’s case study.
They provide character and authority to the work, which is greatly enhanced by their presence.
Pull quotes are used extensively throughout the design of the case study, which helps to amplify the impression even more.
The skillful narrative includes both data and insights, and it follows a linear process of overview-challenge-solution-outcome. [Combining these elements]
The problem that has to be solved in a case study doesn’t always have to be a financial or operational one; it might instead be an investigation of the measures that a firm takes to promote sustainability, social responsibility, and good corporate governance.
This is exactly what Coca-Cola did when it had the chance to do so when it produced this case study of the brand’s efforts to assist and educate people in Brazil, as well as create solutions for areas that are not being adequately serviced.
Although this example of B2C marketing takes a somewhat longer form, the breadth and depth of information it imparts are essential for the reader, whose comprehension of the subject matter is facilitated by the inclusion of graphical components. The narratives of Brazilian youth are documented with quotes and anecdotes to help humanize the piece, which is, after all, a case study in how Coca-Cola is pursuing social and economic growth for communities in other countries. The technical explanations do not come at the sacrifice of personality, however, as the technical explanations do not come at the sacrifice of personality.
Look at all those lucky people that made the cut! If you are searching for a sample case study to model a first draft off of, this example may assist give the roadmap you need to get started. If you are looking for a sample case study to model a first draft off of, click here. It has a basic structure that explains the four major pillars (overview, problem, solution, and result), snappy quotations, and a streamlined design. All of the aspects that go into a solid construction are present here.
You shouldn’t be scared to put more of a focus on things that work well for you. You want readers to get the sense that your company is competent, has a record of success, and can give solutions that correspond with their personal pain spots after they finish reading your content.
Within this case study comparing Slow Clap, video material and other forms of multimedia features differentiate themselves.
The optimal amount of time for a contemporary online reader, a video that is two minutes and thirty seconds long and is placed at the beginning of the material serves as the ideal partner to the written work. The level of engagement that prospects are showing with video content is on the verge of becoming seismic.
What You Should Keep in Mind When Composing a Case Study
The worth of a case study, as well as the value of an asset after it has been utilized, is shown by each of these cases. As soon as you get into a rhythm of doing research on case studies and further iterating, you’ll discover that you have an arsenal of content marketing and sales material that is very successful at moving prospective customers and leads farther down the path toward making a buy decision.
To fuel your content ideation and production, put the following pointers into practice regarding what makes great case studies:
It makes little difference what the specific structure is as long as the four pillars of an overview, a problem, a solution, and a result are covered in some fashion.
When you can acquire them, quotes are wonderful to have. When conducting an interview for a case study, it is important to ask questions that probe to the core of the issue and the role that the product or solution had in the situation.
Prepare a social media strategy for the launch of the case study, as well as a follow-up plan for reusing and recycling the content once it has been disseminated. Request that the partners who participated in the case study also share it once it is completed.
Make use of innovative formatting so that the design of the case study highlights important quotations and has clear takeaways.
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