- Choose clients your future buyers will recognise themselves in, not just your biggest names.
- Interview the client. Their words and their numbers are what make a case study believable.
- Use a consistent format: client, challenge, approach, results, quote.
- Put case studies where decisions happen: service pages, proposals and follow-up emails.
What makes a case study work
When you're working out how to write a case study, remember who reads them: someone close to a decision. They've found you, they're interested, and they want evidence that you can solve a problem like theirs. A case study works when the reader recognises themselves in it, believes the result, and can picture working with you.
That comes down to three things:
- Relevance: a client in a similar sector, size or situation to the reader
- Specifics: real numbers, timescales and details, not "improved efficiency"
- The client's voice: quotes that sound like a person, not a press release
The case study format
Use the same structure every time. It makes case studies faster to write and easier to compare.
| Section | What it covers | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | The result, in plain words | One line |
| Summary panel | Client, sector, size, services, headline numbers | 4–6 short lines |
| The client | Who they are and what they do | 2–3 sentences |
| The challenge | The problem, why it mattered, what they'd tried | One short section |
| The approach | What you did, in the order you did it | The longest section |
| The results | What changed, with numbers and timescales | One short section |
| The client's view | One or two direct quotes | 2–4 sentences |
| Next step | A clear call to action | One line |
Write the headline as the result, not the client's name. "How a 30-person law firm cut IT downtime to zero in six months" is more compelling than "Case study: Smith & Co".
How to write a case study, step by step
1. Choose the right client
Pick clients your future buyers will recognise themselves in. A mid-sized client in your main target sector is often more persuasive than your biggest-name logo in a different industry.
Good candidates:
- a clear before-and-after you can measure
- a client who's happy and willing to be named
- a problem your prospects commonly have
2. Get permission early
Ask before you start writing. Agree whether they'll be named, whether you can use their logo and figures, and who signs off the final version. Some clients are happy to share results but not their name; an anonymised case study ("a 40-person engineering firm in [region]") is far better than none.
3. Interview the client
A 20–30 minute call gives you better material than anything you could write alone. Record it, with permission, so you can quote accurately.
Questions to ask:
- What was happening before you worked with us? What prompted you to look for help?
- What had you already tried, and why didn't it work?
- Why did you choose us over the alternatives?
- What was the process like? Was anything different from what you expected?
- What's changed since? Can you put a number on it?
- What would you say to someone in your position who's considering us?
The last answer often becomes your best quote.
4. Gather the numbers
Before and after figures are what make a case study believable. Use your own records, the client's figures, or both. Examples:
- response times, uptime or tickets per month
- time saved per week, or hours of manual work removed
- enquiries, conversion rate or revenue from a channel
- cost saved, or payback period
Only use figures the client has agreed to share, and be precise. "Cut support tickets by 38% in four months" is more credible than "dramatically reduced tickets".
5. Write it, then cut it
Write the full draft using the format above, then cut it by a third. Most case studies are too long. Keep the approach section concrete: what you actually did, in order, and why.
6. Get sign-off and publish
Send the draft to the client for approval. Make it easy: highlight the quotes and figures they need to check.
Case study template
Copy this structure into your editor and fill in the brackets.
Headline: How [client type] [achieved result] in [timescale]
At a glance: Client: [name or description] · Sector: [sector] · Size: [employees] · Services: [what you provided] · Results: [two or three headline numbers]
The client: [Who they are, what they do, who they serve.]
The challenge: [What wasn't working, why it mattered to the business, what they'd tried.]
The approach: [What you did, step by step, and why you chose that approach.]
The results: [What changed, with numbers and timescales.]
In their words: "[Quote from the client]" — [Name, role, company]
Next step: [Your call to action, such as "Talk to us about your IT support".]
Case study page design
How you present a case study matters almost as much as what's in it.
- Lead with the result in the headline and a short summary panel, so skimmers get the point in seconds.
- Make the quote stand out with a larger text style and the client's name and role.
- Use real images: the client's team, their premises or screenshots of the work, with permission.
- Keep the call to action specific, for example "Talk to us about IT support for your firm" rather than "Contact us".
- Link to related services, and link back to the case study from those service pages.
Where to use case studies
Writing the case study is half the job. Use it wherever people make decisions:
- on the relevant service pages, as a short summary linking to the full story
- in proposals and quotes for similar clients
- in follow-up emails after a first call
- on your About page and homepage, as proof
- as LinkedIn posts, with the client's permission to tag them
Questions
What is the format of a case study?
A business case study usually follows this format: headline, summary panel, the client, the challenge, your approach, the results, a client quote and a call to action. Keeping the same format every time makes them quicker to write and easier to read.
How long should a case study be?
Most work best at 500–900 words, with a summary panel so readers can get the key points in seconds. Longer is fine for complex projects, as long as every section earns its place.
How do I write a case study without naming the client?
Describe the client by sector, size and location instead, and focus on the problem and results. An anonymised case study with real numbers is still far more persuasive than none.
What questions should I ask in a case study interview?
Ask what was happening before, what they'd tried, why they chose you, what the process was like, what's changed (with numbers) and what they'd say to someone considering you.
Where should I put case studies on my website?
Give them their own section, then link to relevant ones from each service page. Short summaries on service pages and in proposals often get more readers than the full stories.
Every guide is checked against the platform it describes before it’s published, and re-checked when the platform changes.