Copywriting Tips: Case Study Creation 101

Case studies serve as ideal promotional material for just about any service-based business. Not only do case studies provide great SEO content for better online visibility, but they also escalate sales with storytelling that highlights your business’ track record.

When a prospect reads a case study, the most effective writing makes him or her think, “Hey, Iwant that result, too!”

With so few copywriting tips on how to craft conversion-ready case studies out there, we’ve outlined strategies to help you write fresh content that showcases results your company produces.

Write Content Readers Can Easily Visualize

Remember the last great book you read? Chances are, the author put you inside a fictional world with vivid writing. Instead of writing about a cold night, a good writer describes icicles hanging from house eaves and lingering breath.

Case studies that give your prospects more than enough reason to buy use the same technique. The best case study content shows the reader a particular situation with vivid details.

Here’s an example of ineffective case study writing:

We helped this small business owner gain more clients and increase profits.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with that result, this example fails to produce a real image of success. Your case study requires concrete examples that allow readers to easily visualize results.

If they can’t see themselves in a successful scenario, your case study falls short. To give your reader a clearer picture, write a case study that reveals the actual results.

Here’s an example of case study writing that enables easy visualization with a results-driven message:

Hamlet’s Bookstore now has a SEO-friendly website that received 987 more hits than it had the month before. With greater online visibility, CEO Dale Rigsby reported 25% more in-store foot traffic, which resulted in a profit increase of $5,486 in one month. 

The copy example above gives measurable details, instead of general claims. When you clearly lay out the results your business helps produce, your case study gives prospects an obvious reason to convert.

The question is: how do you get this information from your clients?

Simply contact them after a reasonable waiting period to ask how your products and services helped. Tell your client that you’d like to showcase their business in case study content. If they say no, simply move on to someone else.

Use a Problem/Solution/Results Writing Formula

Before you write your case study, draw a blueprint. It’s important that it reveals your client’s original obstacle, what you did to solve the problem, and the results of your work.

An effective method is a three-sectioned document with headlines that highlight the problem, solution, and results. Sketch out your headlines first thing, and if necessary, go back and tweak to more accurately reflect the content.

Even though prospects will most likely read case studies more closely than other copy, craft headlines that sum up the content. In an introductory headline, try something like this:

Dee Dee’s Mattress Warehouse’s Website Crashed Weekly and Cost Thousands in Revenue.

When you highlight the distinct problem, you’ve set yourself up to explain that obstacle’s effect. Don’t be afraid to give nitty-gritty details, but don’t ramble. Make sure you implement concrete examples of how your client struggled before working with you.

In the following sections, vividly describe your solutions process and what results came from your service.

Show Readers What You Stand For

Your ideal case study gives examples that provide social proof. Prospects want to know how you provide solutions, but they also want to know specifically what you’ll do for them.

When you describe the results you produce, highlight how you support your customers’ overall mission. Show how your solutions last with a specific process that only your company provides.

Especially if you work with other small business owners, it’s important to show entrepreneurial prospects how you make an impact. When you provide results-driven evidence, it proves how you make life and business easier.

For case studies that convert, check out our copywriting services.