When you hear the words case study, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of large clinical trials, or giant presentations full of overwhelming charts and statistics. While both may be true, we think it’s time to start thinking of case studies as it pertains to your business.
Why case studies?
Think of case studies like client success stories. A case study goes well beyond a 5-star review or a glowing testimonial. It tells a story of how someone had a problem, discovered a solution, and got measurable, tangible results from that solution.
If you haven’t guessed by now, that solution means your product or service.
Case studies are actual proof that your solutions can lead to success. They can be extremely powerful and persuasive for winning new work, landing pitches, booking speaking gigs, and so much more. It’s not just saying, ‘Hey! Look how great my product is!’ It’s showing how great your product is with data to back you up.
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How to ask for case study information
Gathering information for a case study starts by simply asking around. Just like collecting testimonials for your business, you should connect with close customers or clients to see where the success stories are. Email your lists, schedule time with clients, and ask to connect with brand loyalists.
Ideally, these will be people you’ve worked with for a while. That way, they have a strong knowledge of your brand and can speak in-depth about your products or services. Once you know who to ask, you can garner interest by sending out a brief survey first.
Briefly explain that you’re looking to gather information to create a case study and would love their feedback. To set expectations for you and them, ask things like:
- Would you be willing to participate in a case study?
- Would you be willing to disclose information like sales, revenue, ROI, and any other benchmarks you’ve reached?
- Would you be willing to do an in-depth interview so I can ask more detailed questions?
- Would you be willing to have your name and business information be public or kept private?
- How would you prefer to do the interview (video chat, phone call, email, etc.)?
By asking yes or no questions upfront, you can streamline the vetting process and put together a list of those you want to speak at length with.
Pro tip: To encourage more participation, you can also offer a special discount or promo code for their time and help.
Related Post: 5 Ways to Ask for Client Feedback on Your Website
What questions to ask to create a case study
Now that you know who you’re going to talk to, it’s time to start digging! If you’re conducting your interview via video or phone call, be sure to record your convo (after getting permission, of course). That way, you can be engaged during the conversation and refer back to the recording when it’s time to write, design, and promote your case study. More on that in a bit!
To make the interview as productive as possible, you may consider sending over a list of questions beforehand, so your subject can prepare that information ahead of time. As for the questions themselves, here’s a fleshed-out starter list for what to ask and discuss:
- The challenges they were facing before your product or service
- Why they chose your business
- What problems they expected your business to help solve
- Any hurdles they overcame because of your product or service
- The overall outcome from your solution
- Benchmarks they’ve achieved in the past 3 months, 6 months, or a year
- Additional statistical successes like increases in sales and revenue, month-over-month growth, year-over-year growth
- Any other benefits and successes, like a better work/life balance, less stress, etc.
- What from the interview you can and cannot share (yes, ask permission again!)
Remember: You’re trying to craft a story! Really take your time to understand the unique challenges each person was facing and how your product or service helped!
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How to bring case studies to life
Once you secure your testimonials, it’s time to bring them to life and start sharing! The great thing about case studies? They can be written, formatted, and designed in so many different ways, like:
- Long-form blogs
- Video interviews/clips
- White papers
- Infographics
- Case study PDFs
- Podcast interviews
That way, you can cater your case studies to specific channels and audiences! Even better: You can repurpose your case studies into different types of content. For example, if your cast study is a long-form blog post on your website, you can pull out bits and pieces to create assets like social media posts, video clips, media clips, and so much more!
As for actually designing them, that’s where Bluchic comes in to help. With our hundreds of customizable Canva templates, you can create so many case study assets that are on point and on-brand!
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Final thoughts: Create a Case Study
Case studies may take some extra work on your end, but the payoff is totally worth it. Once your target audiences and dream clients can see tangible proof of your magic, they’ll have no choice but to experience it themselves.
So, now that you’re ready to create your own case studies, shop our customizable templates to bring it all to life!
