As far as marketing materials go, case studies have proven themselves to be effective. More detailed than the typical testimonial, a case study can highlight your accomplishments in a more comprehensive manner.

I’m actually a very big fan of case studies as a way to market your brand. Here are my best tips for crafting one:

1. Make sure you write about something your customers can relate to

This is why it’s very important for you to know who your ideal customer is. You want to create marketing material that your customers can relate to. Your goal is for the reader to identify a problem they currently have in their industry, to recognize your product or service as a solution to their problem, and to see how your offer can provide that solution.

2. Tell a story from start to finish

People relate best to stories. A case study that tells one is more likely to engage and elicit a positive reaction from customers. That said, make sure that your case study tells a story from start to finish—talk about their objectives, their needs, and how your company was able to address those needs.

3. Create a format that’s easy to read

In my years in marketing, I have yet to encounter a reader who will opt to read a wall of text versus a bulleted piece. No matter how interesting or informative your case study may be, a long chunk of text will turn people off.

Divide your text into easy-to-read paragraphs. Use headers, images, bulleted lists, and bold or italicize specific text.

4. Cite statistics

Case studies that claim to have “doubled traffic” in a span of time or “raised conversions significantly” will need to quantify their claims. You want to be able to support your claims in a credible manner. Make sure to illustrate your accomplishments in a clear and simple way.

It’s always best to support any claim with actual figures. Make sure you have percentages and ratios ready to better illustrate the gravity of your achievements. Show them real numbers.

5. Don’t be afraid to explore different formats

All things considered; you still have to keep in mind that people will respond to different case studies differently. While there are best practices that I can recommend, it still pays to explore and figure out exactly what your audience will respond to. For example, while it’s common to tell a story from start to finish, you might also want to try sharing your case study in a more visual format such as an infographic. Will adding quotes from your customer supplement your claims and make your story more relatable to new customers?

Don’t be afraid to test things out.

There you have it—a collection of my best tips for creating case studies. If you’d like to share your own, I’d love to hear all about it. Leave a message in the comment section below. If you want to find out what we can do to help you craft better case studies, get in touch with us today.