How to write a case study

The short answer

To write a case study, choose a project with a clear before and after, get the client's written permission, interview them about the problem and the outcome, then tell it in order: background, challenge, approach, result and a quote. Use only figures the client has confirmed, and let the client approve the draft before it goes live.

What a case study is and who reads it

Before you work out how to write a case study, it helps to be clear on what one is. It is a factual account of how you helped one customer. It describes their situation, what was done and what happened afterwards. Prospects read it late in their decision, usually to check one thing: has this business solved a problem like mine?

That purpose shapes the writing. A case study is not an advert and not a diary of your project. It is a short story where the customer is the main character and your work is the thing that helped them. The more closely a reader can see their own situation in it, the more it persuades.

Choose which project to write up

Pick projects that suit the customers you want more of, not just the ones that went smoothly. Good candidates have these qualities:

• A clear before and after, so the reader can see what changed.
• A result that can be described honestly, even if it is modest.
• A client who is happy to talk and who responds to requests quickly.
• A problem that other customers also have.
• Recent enough that the details are fresh and still relevant.

A project that was hard, where you hit a problem and solved it, often makes a better story than one where everything went to plan. Readers recognise that real work has difficulties.

How to get a client to agree to a case study

Ask near the end of a project, when the client has seen the result, and ask in a way that is easy to say yes to. Explain what you want to do, where it will appear and how much of their time it needs. Offer to write the first draft yourself and give them the right to approve or change it before publishing.

A short request might read: we would like to write a one-page account of the project we completed together, for our website and for sharing with prospective customers. It needs a short call of about the length of a coffee break from you, and nothing is published until you have approved it. You can choose to be named, or we can describe the company without the name.

Agree the scope in writing. The agreement should list:

• Whether the company name and logo can be used.
• Which quotes and people can be named, with their approval.
• Which figures, images and screenshots may be shown.
• Where the case study will appear and for how long.
• How the client can ask for changes or withdraw permission.

Check your contract first, because some agreements restrict what you can say about the work. Rules on testimonials and use of names differ by country, so ask a lawyer if you are unsure. If the client cannot be named, an anonymised version is better than none, but say clearly that the name has been withheld.

Questions to ask in the interview

A call of a half hour is enough if you prepare. Ask open questions and record the call if the client agrees, so you can quote accurately.

• What was happening in the business before we started?
• What had you tried, and why did it not work?
• Why did you choose us, and what nearly stopped you?
• What was the hardest part of the project?
• What is different now? Which of those differences can you measure?
• What would you say to a business with the same problem?
• What was it like to work with us, and what would you change?

The last two questions often give the best quotes. Take them down word for word.

How to write a case study: the structure

Tell the story in the order the reader needs it.

A case study template for the summary can be as simple as this: [Client] needed [outcome]. [We] did [main action]. The result was [measured change] over [period], according to [source].

Writing a B2B case study

A B2B case study has some differences because the reader is judging a business decision, not a purchase. Several people may be involved, the decision takes longer, and the main worry is risk. Write for that.

• Name the roles involved, such as the person who owned the project and the person who signed it off, if they agree to be named.
• Show the process: the stages, how the work fitted around the client's own team, and how problems were handled.
• Include the objections the client raised and how they were settled. A buyer with the same objection will look for the answer.
• Describe what happened after delivery: support, changes and what the client does now without you.
• Use the client's own business language rather than your jargon.

Use numbers honestly

A result with a figure is stronger than a result without one, but only if the figure is true and the reader can see where it came from. Use only figures the client has confirmed and has agreed you can publish. Say what period they cover and how they were measured. If other things changed during the same period, such as a new product or a busy season, say so.

Do not round up and do not choose the single best week. If the result was modest, say so plainly; readers trust a measured account more than a spectacular one. If there are no numbers, describe what changed in practice, such as fewer manual steps or quicker replies to customers, and let the client say it in a quote.

Claims in marketing material are covered by consumer protection and advertising rules, which differ by country. Keep every claim to what you can prove, and ask a lawyer if the case study will be used in regulated sectors or in paid adverts.

Get more use out of the finished piece

Publish the full version on your site, then reuse parts of it. A result and a quote make a good social post, and how to make a social media content calendar shows how to schedule such posts so they do not all appear in the same week. A client who is willing to be filmed can give you a short video, and YouTube marketing basics for small business covers where to start.

A case study can be offered as a download in exchange for an email address, which lead magnets: what they are and how to choose one explains. A case study should also prove the promise in your value proposition, so write the two together if you can.

Content that customers create on their own, which user-generated content: how to get and use it describes, is a different thing from a case study. Use both, and do not pass one off as the other.

If you want help turning customer work into marketing content, the digital marketing service page describes what Liftup Technologies offers.

Slips that weaken a case study

• Writing without the client's written permission.
• Making your business the hero instead of the customer.
• Starting with a long history of the company.
• Publishing figures the client has not approved.
• Leaving out the difficulties, which makes the story read as invented.
• Letting the draft sit with the client for weeks. Send it promptly, with clear points to check.

Related guides

• Social media content calendar how to make one
• Value proposition how to write one
• Youtube marketing basics for small business
• Lead magnets what they are and how to choose one
• How to write a tagline for your business
• How to write a press release

Questions and answers

How do I write a case study?

Choose a project with a clear before and after, get the client's permission, and interview them. Then write it in order: summary, background, challenge, approach, result and quote. Use only confirmed figures and let the client approve it.

What should a case study include?

It should include a short summary, the client's background, the challenge in their words, what was done, the result with its period and source, and a quote. End with one next step for readers who have a similar problem.

How do I get a client to agree to a case study?

Ask when the project has just finished and the result is clear. Say where it will appear, how much of their time it needs, and that they approve the draft before publication. Offer to anonymise it if they prefer, and agree the scope in writing.

What if the client wants to stay anonymous?

Write the case study without the name, and describe the sector and size in general terms. State that the name has been withheld. It is less persuasive than a named one but still shows the problem and the approach.

What if I do not have numbers?

Describe what changed in practice and let the client say it in a quote. Do not invent or estimate figures. A plain, honest account of the change is better than a number nobody can check.

How long should a case study be?

Long enough for a reader to see the problem, the approach and the result, and no longer. A short account can be enough for a simple project. There is no required length, so cut anything that does not help a prospect decide.