How do you format and present your case studies for different platforms and purposes?

A case study is a detailed examination of a particular situation or problem, it typically includes an analysis of the relevant facts, data, and evidence to provide insights into the problem and understand how it was addressed. Consider who your audience is and how they consume information. If it is an academic audience, include more technical details and references to previous research. In contrast, if the audience is business executives, focus more on the practical implications of your findings and how they can be applied to their specific industry or organization. Use language and examples that resonate with your audience. The goal is to provide value to your readers, knowing your audience is a critical to achieving that goal.

A lot of case studies I come across are as riveting as a tax form. Unnecessary information, a wall of text, no headings, no story, and lots of bragging...make your case study as engaging as a dead battery. You should start by (briefly!) introducing your client—the protagonist and jumping onto their problems. Then comes the hero, your product or service—the solution. (And please don't use "We" language. It's social proof!) Lastly, the destination—results. Use numbers if you have them! Add client quotes (I like to add as many quotes as possible) because they make the story more credible. Break everything into paragraphs no longer than four lines. Keep the entire text under 800 words. And voila! You've created high ROI evergreen copy!

Know your audience. Case studies should be engaging, inspiring and motivating. Keep it concise without any extra fluff. Break it up with headings and easy to read paragraphs. What was their challenge, how did you help them and most importantly, what results and successes did they achieve. Client quotes. Client quotes. Client quotes. This is the good stuff. It’s a marketing tool…so go on and brag about yourself and all the amazing work you did!

Clear and engaging language is essential when writing. It makes the difference between your audience understanding and engaging with your content or losing interest and moving on. Clear language is important because it ensures that your audience understands the message you are trying to convey. Jargon, technical terms, or overly complex language can be challenging for readers to follow, and they may become disengaged. By using clear, straightforward language, you can make it easier for readers to understand the problem, the solution, and the outcomes. Engaging language helps keep your audience interested in your writing. Attention spans are short; if you are dry, monotonous, or overly formal, readers may lose interest and stop reading.

A great case study uses your customer's own words, gathered from the interview. It's an in-depth testimonial, after all. You're just the one shaping their words into a story. So write from their point of view, weave in some storytelling aspects, add as many quotes as possible, and go on a formatting spree!

I recommend that any strategy you implement to market your case story is connected to tracking that allows you to see who interacts directly with the piece. The graphics and content need to be adaptable. Data behind the scenes will help you understand what is working and what is not. So be prepared to do testing. The message of a case story is only as good as the reach. If you have a great new innovative way of engineering a product, for example, and that case story sits on the shelf, that doesn't help anyone. Put it out there and let it work for you. Social media and websites are great places to share.

Consider that it’s not just about the demands of a format, but the demands of the audience on that channel. What are their expectations! What are their informational needs for the awareness level they have? Length is a byproduct of satisfying these needs and catering to these awareness levels. For example, a one-sheet isn’t just effective because it is *short*, it is effective because when done well, it directly hits on the objections, desired outcomes, and brevity needs of an audience in a channel like cold outreach.

Honestly, you’re going to get much better feedback from your sales team or your prospects than any heatmap or google analytics report. Yes, you ideally want to see assisted conversions, time on site, and so on - but the reality of case studies is that they play a supporting role in overcoming objections, shortening sales cycles, and ultimately positioning you better against your competitors to your ideal audience. Talk to your sales team and prospects instead of hiding behind tools that give you a very limited level of insight.

Run your case study keyword through Google to see if it is your best choice. Check Related Searches at the bottom of the Google search page to find other long-tail and short keywords you might want to embed to better reach your audience.