How to Structure a Case Study: Content Marketing Case Study Template
You must structure a case study in a way that leads with high-impact information to drive the most value for both potential customers and go-to-market (GTM) teams like sellers.
Remember, case studies are some of the most important valuable pieces of content.
Not only do case studies showcase your solutions' value, but it helps prospects learn more about the results they can expect while working with you. Plus, if done well, your case studies can support your GTM teams during conversations with prospective customers as a way to convert them into paying customers.
To effectively structure your case study, you should:
Write a catchy headline and subheadline
Add high-impact statistics
Offer company-specific context
Flesh out the problem or challenge
Tie your features to the solution or outcome
Whether you're performing content writing outsourcing or writing these case studies in-house, you need to learn how to structure a case study if you're to become a full-stack content marketer.
A strong business case study format is critically important to both GTM teams and potential customers because the most effective case studies lead with a data-driven, compelling story.
And those stories are what can sway a prospect one way or another.
Unfortunately, many content marketers think a strong "story" is enough to move the needle.
They are incorrect.
Your case study structure matters just as much. And so does what you include in those case studies, like high-impact data.
This post will give you a high-level overview of how to structure case studies.
Let's get started.
How to structure a case study
We recently taught you how to structure a blog post, which touched on a few high-level themes relevant here, too.
For example, you must leverage the inverted pyramid, you must write concisely and clearly, and you must stay on theme with your case study subject when writing case studies.
But there's a few specific nuances we'd like to add for this post.
First, case studies are written for future customers who may not know what your product or service does, so it's important to write for them above all.
Make sure the content is relevant to someone who is still learning about you, but is clearly interested in learning more about the positive impact your product or service catalyzes.
Second, you need to focus on designing the content in an easy to follow way. Don't create a case study full of text blocks. Make sure you've got good design elements for your stats, product images, and more.
And thirdly, you must tailor the content in a way that you GTM teams can easily leverage them. Make sure the above the fold experience highlights a brief overview of the entire case study and quickly showcases the impact through stats.
How to structure your case study with 5 tips:
You can structure your case study outline by writing a catchy headline, adding statistics, offering company-specific context, fleshing out the challenge, and tying-in your features to the solution.
Write a catchy headline and subheadline - The headline is important. It needs to grab your readers' attention and drive impact. Ideally, you'd add the main stat that really drives home how amazing your product or service is. Then supplement with a subheadline for context.
Add high-impact statistics - It's a best practice to showcase at least three major impact stats that are relevant to your product or service. And meaningful to your prospects. This is what grounds your customer story in value-based impact.
Offer company-specific context - Now we can get more granular. Go ahead and highlight a quick blurb on what the company it is your featuring, and what they do. This will help prospects compare themselves against the right company, industry, or vertical.
Flesh out the problem or challenge - This is the real life stuff we can flex on a comprehensive study...highlighting the challenge! What was life for that business before you stepped in and helped them? Make sure you really drive those pain points home.
Tie your features to the solution or outcome - Don't fumble the bag now. You've got your reader hooked! Now you need to showcase how your product or service not only alleviated those pain points, but transformed the business for the better.
Follow these 5 tips and your case study quality will dramatically improve.
In closing
Structuring your case studies doesn't have to be complicated.
They just have to make sense for what they're being used in your company.
Remember, case studies aren't just marketing assets, they're used by GTM teams to pitch your product or service all the time. So make sure you structure them in a way that's intuitive and helpful for them and your prospects alike.
This is what separates content marketers from full-stack content marketers; the full-stack content marketers know how to connect the dots...instead of just shipping content for the heck of it. Consider your users...always! Both internal and external.
If you have any questions, please reach out.
But for now, good luck out there.
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