How To Write And Present A Case Study?
Case studies work exceptionally well for conveying a success story to your potential customers. It gives them a solid reason to develop trust in your brand. You can make a million claims, but your past results speak better on your behalf. But writing dull case studies with long paragraphs and no clear outline will cost you the desired results. Today, we will walk you through the steps required for writing and presenting a compelling case study.
Case Study: Meaning And Importance For Brands
A case study refers to in-depth research aimed at understanding the complexity of a problem and the proper ways used to address the same. Case studies drafted by businesses cover the challenges, different available methods, the method used for addressing the problem, and the outcomes.
Brands use case studies as an efficient content marketing tactic to establish credibility. A soft-selling technique accompanies the detailed solution. It gives prospects a glance at the results they can achieve with the brand’s help. Case studies work exceptionally well for nurturing leads, establishing credibility, and improving conversions.
Showcasing your product benefits with social proof compels users to take action.
Let’s look at some of the most-used case study formats:
- Presentations build for sales pitches, events, conferences, and client workshops.
- The website page was specifically created to showcase to visitors the results they can achieve.
- Compelling video case studies capture instant attention and better understand complex cases.
- Enhancing your blog posts by backing up your theoretical claims with practical effects.
How To Write A Case Study (With Case Study Examples)?
Data collection is an integral part of writing a case study. Procure relevant data through the right blend of collection techniques, including interviews, questionnaires, referring to relevant documents, and analyzing system data. Let’s assume you have everything you need to get started. Let’s now dive into the steps you need to follow to write a case study.
Addressing The Major Problem/Challenge
Stating an obvious problem initially sets the tone of a compelling case study. Refer to the challenge in a way that sparks an instant connection with the reader. Here are some questions you must consider:
- What’s the central customer pain point you can target while addressing the problem?
- Is your problem strong enough to compel them to read further?
- Are you clear about the purpose of writing the case study from the beginning?
Lastly, elaborate on the challenge to cover aspects your reader might not be aware of. Sometimes there are hidden drawbacks to avoiding a problem. Please bring them to the reader’s attention to ensure they go along.
Different Methods To Address The Problem(s)
The solutions or methods used to make up most of your case study. It’s crucial to present it in an understandable format with enough white-spacing and bulleting.
After presenting the depth of the challenge, tell your readers how you neatly addressed it. Explain the different alternative solutions and the reason behind your choice. Mention even if you failed in confident decisions. Remember that this is the most extended section in your case study and must contain compelling information.
Use Voice Of Customer (VOC) Data
Readers listen to brands when they present factual information or data. But they pay more attention to customer testimonials. Prospective customers will likely listen better to past customers. Include numerous first-party testimonials to provide social proof and establish credibility amongst your users.
Schedule interviews with past customers/clients to hear their thoughts about your product or service. Furthermore, design case study interview questions in a way that extracts quantifiable data.
Presenting The Collected/Written Information
Let’s now move forward with presenting all the collected information. Experiment with different business templates to see what works best. Use a visually-compelling template that neatly structures all the available data and information.
Let’s say you are presenting the case study in a slide format. Use a separate slide for addressing the challenges in bullet points. Move further with different slides covering particular aspects for improved understanding. Try to include quantifiable data with the slides containing solutions.
Tips To Improve Your Case Study Presentation
Here are some critical case study presentation tips for capturing attention and initiating actions.
Put Your Storytelling Skills To Practice
Present a compelling story of overcoming the challenges you target. Make your customers’ pain points the topic of focus. Reflect on how you help them deal with the problems in the most accessible manner. Start your story by walking down through the hurdles or challenges. Then work on establishing a path to reach the solution. Remember that case studies with the proper storytelling considerably impacts B2B buying decisions. Here are some more tips to help you present your case better:
- Present the story keeping them in the position of control. The case study is about them, not you.
- Add a personal touch to the hero of your case study by using an emotion-inducing perspective throughout.
- A strong before and after the scenario will initiate actions.
- Creating a visual image using words isn’t difficult. But feel free to use visuals to make a better impact.
Use The Right Blend Of Copywriting Tactics
The right copywriting tactics will help you compellingly present your case study. Let’s look at some of the ways you can implement right away:
- Capture your audiences’ attention by addressing a major problem they are dealing with. Use an emotion-inducing perspective to show you understand their challenges.
- Increase their interest by giving a glimpse of the results you achieved. Don’t give out too many details initially about the method used.
- Present the solution understandably with actionable tips or tricks.
- Present multiple possible approaches and explain why others won’t work.
- Include social proof like testimonials, quantitative data, etc., to make a strong point.
- Beginning your case study with an attractive percentage will likely capture instant attention.
- Use enough evidence to back up your claims.
Compelling Visuals To Capture And Maintain Attention
No one likes going through paragraphs or sections long enough to put a person to sleep. The human brain works way better at processing visuals than texts. Also, people will likely scan through the case study to extract core information. Presenting the acquired data in a visually-attractive format will pique interest and desire to go further.
Here are the different visual formats you can use:
- Graphs or charts to present numerical data.
- Infographics.
- Illustrations or graphical representations.
- Customer headshots while giving testimonials.
Use numerous icons to reduce textual domination. Also, improve readability by using the perfect blend of fonts.
Final Words
Now you are equipped with the necessary steps to get started. Present your most beneficial results to your audience to drive better conversions. Remember to add quantitative data combined with attractive visual representations.