Every business wants people to see their wins. One of the best ways to show what you can do? Write a great case study—a real-life story of how you helped a client succeed. But not all case studies are created equal, especially if the goal is to help you win more business.
Let’s talk about how you can create case studies that don’t just sit on your website but actually convince someone to work with you.
What’s a Case Study, and Why Should You Care?
At the simplest level, a case study tells a story about how you solved a real problem for a real customer. It highlights the challenge, your solution, and the results. This isn’t a pitch; it’s proof.
Businesses use case studies because people trust stories. When a potential client sees that you’ve helped someone like them, it makes your service or product more believable. In short, case studies help you sell—not by pushing, but by sharing what actually happened.
Picking the Right Story to Tell
Before you start writing, you need a good story. Don’t just pick your biggest client or the flashiest win. What matters most is relevance.
Think about your ideal prospect. What do they care about? What problem keeps them up at night? Now look at your current customers. Did you help anyone solve this same kind of problem? If yes, that’s your candidate.
The most effective case studies always focus on a client whose experience will click with your target audience. Authenticity matters here, so pick a story that’s both impressive and relatable.
How to Structure a Case Study Without Overthinking It
Let’s keep this simple. Every case study should answer these three big questions:
– What was the problem?
– What did we do about it?
– What happened as a result?
Start with a headline that sums up the story and makes someone want to keep reading. For example: “How Local Bakery Doubled Online Orders in 60 Days”. That beats a generic “ABC Company Case Study” headline by a mile.
Break up the case study with subheadings, clear sections, and pull quotes. This helps busy readers skim and still get the point.
Describing the Problem: Make It Real
It’s easy to gloss over the problem like it’s a quick speed bump. But if you want your case study to connect, show what was actually at stake.
Ask your client questions like: “What was happening before we worked together?” or “What was frustrating you back then?” Honest details—like dropped sales calls, angry customers, or missed growth goals—are more believable than vague statements.
Show your reader you get where they’re coming from. If they see their own challenges reflected, they’re more likely to keep reading.
Explaining the Solution: Be Clear, Not Cocky
This part isn’t about bragging. It’s about explaining—simply and directly—what you did and why.
Maybe you created a custom dashboard to help the client track sales. Maybe you recommended a new pricing strategy that worked. Lay it out step by step. Describe the process, decisions, and any unique twists you added. But don’t drown your reader in technical details. Stick to what’s relevant so potential clients can picture themselves getting similar help.
Don’t forget to point out what makes your way of solving problems different—maybe you work faster, communicate more clearly, or offer extra support. Those are your unique selling points, and they belong here.
Showing Off Results: Let the Numbers Talk
This is where you get specific. Did your solution help the client increase revenue? Reduce downtime? Reach more customers?
Use numbers where you can. For example: “Monthly website conversion rates jumped from 1.8% to 4.5% in three months.” If you don’t have exact data, share the best evidence available—like a client quote or even a before-and-after description. Testimonials and direct quotes are valuable. They add credibility and allow your client’s voice to shine through.
If you can, include screenshots, graphs, or metrics. A picture, chart, or even a short video can sometimes say more than a page of text.
Writing Style: Keep It Clear and Conversational
Now that you have the facts, make them easy to read. Go for a clear, direct tone—almost like you’re explaining it to a friend.
Short sentences work best. You don’t need to impress people with big words. Write like you speak, and cut out jargon. Facts are great, but weave them into a story. Use words that show you understand your reader’s struggles—and show how you helped ease them.
Don’t overdo the praise. If you describe the client as “visionary” or your team as “revolutionary,” readers will just glaze over. Instead, let the results and testimonials do the heavy lifting.
Making It Look Good: Design and Visuals Matter
Your case study shouldn’t just be a block of text. Add in visuals that help tell the story—photos, charts, infographics, or even a short customer video.
Bold the key stats, pull out highlights as side quotes, and use bullet points for easy reading. Make sure your headings stand out.
A clean, scannable design helps people find what matters fast. Think about how you read online: most people scan first, then dig deeper if it looks relevant. Good formatting guides them through.
SEO Basics: Help People Find Your Case Study Online
Case studies aren’t just sales tools for meetings. They also help you show up in search results. You want potential clients searching for “small business marketing case study” or something similar to find you.
Use simple keywords in your titles and headings that match what people would type into a search engine. Add meta descriptions and use alt text on your images. Organize your content with clear subheads.
Internal links are smart, too. For example, if your case study also touches on local promotions, you might link to a helpful guide from your site (like this resource) to keep readers exploring.
Sharing the Case Study: Get It in Front of the Right People
Having a great case study isn’t enough. You need people to see it.
Share your case study in your newsletter, on social media, and through your sales team. Collaborate with the featured client to co-promote it or ask them to share it with their audience.
Put it on your website’s main navigation or your services page, not buried in the blog section. Use quotes or stats from the case study in your presentations and pitches. And, when you’re chatting with a new lead, send them a direct link to the most relevant story.
Some companies even print their best case studies to hand out at events or trade shows. The key is meeting your potential customers wherever they already are.
Wrap-Up: Keep the Momentum Going
Once your case study goes live, don’t just forget about it. Track how people interact with it—are they spending time reading it? Do certain stats grab their attention?
As you close more projects, add new case studies and archive the outdated ones. A fresh set of stories keeps your business looking current and credible.
There’s no one right way to write a case study, but the stories that work best are honest, specific, and presented in a way real people actually want to read. It’s less about “proving” yourself and more about showing what’s possible, one win at a time.
And if you’ve gone through the work of seeing a project succeed, you owe it to yourself (and your team) to give that story a good place to shine. That’s how case studies don’t just tell what you do—they help you sell what you do.