Write your own Case Studies

13th Jan 2020 0 By Juliet Platt

There are numerous reasons why you would want to write your own case studies.

For example:

you have already documented your client’s feedback and benefits realised;
your client has already sent you glowing reports;
you like writing and editing and crafting stories;
you want the case study to reflect your business’s ‘personality’;
you have the time to allocate .

Producing a handful of lively and informative Case Studies based on your most recent client work is a great way to spruce up your website content, blogs and social media posts. It is a good investment.

So if you want to take the plunge in writing your own Case Studies, here’s my guide:

1. Arrange a Case Study interview appointment with your client.

Be deliberate and professional in this. If you don’t schedule it and commit to it, it won’t happen. Put aside at least 45 minutes for a focused conversation in person or by phone.

2. Prepare your questions and send them to your client ahead of your conversation.

Think carefully about the kinds of angles you want the Case Study to cover. What do you want other prospects to learn from reading it? What are the points you wish to focus on? What do you wish the Case Study to showcase about your business proposition?

3. Take notes!

Sounds obvious but interviewing is quite a skill. Listening, taking notes and asking the next question needs a lot of concentration but it’s vital to be able to reflect the experience as your client sees it. Particularly take note of your client’s quotes. Your Case Study will come to life as you use their words as much as possible in the story..

3. Decide upon the narrative voice and point of view

Do you want the Case Study to be written in the third person, or the first person singular or plural? Do you wish to use direct or reported speech? How will you convey your personality? What is the style that best fits your business and prospects’ profile?

4. Structure your narrative

This could be as simple as Problem, Approach, Solution, Results. Or you could structure your narrative around your Value Proposition, or around the questions that you know your prospects most frequently ask.

5. Get your client’s approval

In order to publish a fully attributed Case Study you want your client to be completely happy with what you’ve written and how you’ve presented their experience. Make sure that you send them the draft and faithfully apply their amendments . You want full approval from your contact, and if necessary from their Comms team, before publishing.

For further insight into the Ten Essentials needed for every business Case Study sign up for my free download here.