Robyn Roste, Systems & Funnels

How to Write a Case Study

If you know how to tell a story you can write a case study.

How to Write a Case Study

However, if you’ve never done it before you might be wondering how to write a case study. So here we go.

By the way, a case study is a success story told about a client you’ve helped. Simple, right?

Free ebook: How to write a case study: gain trust with prospects by showcasing your client's success

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How to write a case study

Maybe before I get into how to write a case study I’ll talk about what makes something a case study.

In essence, it’s a study analysis where you overview a business problem, outline options for solving the problem and what happened in the end.

The fact that you’re telling your client’s story from beginning to end, and including twists and turns along the way, makes this different than an advertisement or a sales page because you’re keeping the twists and turns in the story.

The fact that it’s not just “I decided to do this thing and then it worked and now I’m successful yayyyyy,” makes it a case to study. Case study. Right!?

Something to keep in mind is although this isn’t a traditional sales page, a case study is a tool in your sales and marketing arsenal.

It’s something you want prospective clients to read and become convinced to hire you. So make sure it’s targeted to people who are on the fence about working with you and tell client success stories that will help them see how you’ll help them reach their goals.

Free ebook: Gain trust with prospects by showcasing your client's success.

Download the ebook that goes with this training!

This is a free resource but it’s in my resource library, which requires a password. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Once you’re logged in, navigate to the writing section and look for “How to Write a Case Study for Marketing Ebook.”

Get Access to My Free Resource Library

* indicates required

What to include in a case study

Here are a few sections to include:

Case study introduction

In one or two sentences present your reader with the problem or issue and a quick summary of the outcome.

Background

Think of this section like setting the scene. You don’t want to spend too much time here but your reader should learn what has brought your client to this point in his or her business.

Alternatives

I know this might seem like overkill but you want to list ideas you or your clients entertained/tried in order to build your narrative arc.

Overview what alternative solutions you considered and explain why they wouldn’t/couldn’t work or were not possible.

Proposed solution

This is your moment! Highlight your one and only amazing solution to your client’s problem or issue.

Make sure it’s relevant, specific and realistic, explain why you chose it and support your solution with evidence.

Your evidence can contain research, anecdotes or both.

case study elements

Case study recommendations

Here you’ll overview the steps you took to accomplish your proposed solution. This should be specific, strategic and relevant (are you sensing a theme?).

When writing a case study make sure you tell it from beginning to end, following this outline as much as possible.

Use as much data as you need to frame your point but keep your reading in mind—too much data = dry and boring. Don’t be dry and boring.

A case study doesn’t have to feel like a case study—your reader doesn’t even have to realize they’re reading one.

If you share a client’s success story from start to finish in a compelling way and help potential clients decide to do business with you, then your case study has done its job.

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The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.

Want this case study training as a PDF? Download the ebook in my resource library.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.

Get Access to My Free Resource Library

* indicates required
The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.
The question of how to write a case study is a great one. But maybe you're wondering what a case study is and why you should care about it. I get that.

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