Case studies are a pinnacle of demonstrating your expertise and skill set. They allow potential clients to see how you approach challenges, solve problems, and deliver solutions. Having them created about projects and cooperations with reputable companies will remove any doubt about your abilities.
The ultimate proof
There's no better way to demonstrate your expertise than with compelling case studies. It's the ultimate proof you can give your potential clients and show them that you can do what you say. They will get a chance to look behind the veil and see what exactly you worked on, how you approached it, and what the result was. The more you can say and show, the better.
The client from the case study is also of immense importance - if you can show that you delivered for well-known companies, nobody will doubt whether you can do the same for them.
The case studies are meant to convince potential clients who are already aware of you and are considering hiring you. Don't always bank on them finding them (or reading them, for that matter) themselves. You can include a link to a particular case study at the beginning of every conversation with a potential client to make sure they are at least aware of it.
Naming the case study
We recommend including a number or the successful result of the cooperation right in the title. Your potential clients will get the most important message simply by browsing your case studies and reading the titles. We mean something like: "How I helped XYZ increase sales by 23%" or "Making the award-winning logo for XYZ."
Structure
All good promotional case studies follow roughly the same structure. The scope, detail, and form of the individual parts will depend on the subject of the case study and your line of work. Every promotional case study aims to convey as much information as possible in as concentrated a form as possible. Nobody likes to read long and unstructured texts that take forever to get to the point.
Mention as many factual, precise, and concrete things as you can. Avoid empty and vague statements, and be careful with buzzwords - you don't want to look like you're hiding behind them. Now that we have basic principles covered, let's lay out the structure.
💡 Keep in mind
When constructing your case study, it's good to initially include everything without regard for relevance, length, and readability. You can start connecting, shortening, trimming, and deleting the sentences when you're done.
0. Quick info
Very few people will read all your case studies from top to bottom. You want to ensure they leave the case study page knowing you delivered, even if they won't know the details. That's why your case study should include a very short summary at the beginning that can be read in under 10 seconds, ideally complemented by a few KPIs if you have some - increased performance, efficiency, etc. If you have a visual output, include some of it here as well.
1. Client introduction
Keep this one short and focus on the adjectives (new, innovative, ambitious), superlatives (biggest, fastest-growing), and numbers (revenue, number of employees, number of locations/branches). For example: "XYZ is the fastest-growing [industry] company specializing in [specialization] with more than 200 employees and five branches around the world." If the company is new, communicate its innovation and ambition; if it's established, mention the accomplishments. If the company is associated with someone well-known (usually the founder or CEO), mention him, too.
2. Problem and assignment
Describe what challenge the company was facing. Try to mention the areas you were subsequently able to help with - all problems mentioned at the beginning of the case study should be "resolved" at its end. After you describe the challenge, move on to the assignment or the goal you were given - don't be afraid to be very specific when describing the goal.
3. Approach you took
This is a place for describing your thought process - how you analyzed and evaluated the situation, how you constructed the plan, and why you made certain decisions. If the situation called for a by-the-book approach you decided against, describe why. Mention all potential problems you actively avoided or had to address preemptively. This section should convey that you understood the issues the client hired you to solve and could correctly map out the solution while avoiding pitfalls.
4. Execution
Here, you should sum up the highlights of your day-to-day work. Mention the communication with the client, problems you encountered and had to face along the way, and any alterations of the original plan that organically came up.
5. Result
This final section should fully answer the second section. Describe the successful completion of the set goal - focus on how various aspects of the project unfolded. Provide the numbers, duration, or any relevant, measurable information that can show the progress you were able to accomplish. If the result of your work is visual, include professional photos or visualizations.
Quote from the client
To make it all look even better, ask your client for a short quote about your work that you can use in your case study (and your homepage).
💡 Keep in mind
Try to get a testimonial from the most senior person you worked with.]
Get a (written) yes
Before you start writing a case study, contact the client and politely ask whether he's okay with you doing and publishing it. Assure that it won't include any sensitive information and that you will send him the draft for approval before releasing it. Unless the project concerns a sensitive topic, most clients probably won't mind, especially if it's a B2C company. B2B companies are sometimes more wary and sensitive about any piece of information their competitors can potentially find.
💡 Keep in mind
The contract you'll sign with the client would most likely include a clause about keeping everything you've done confidential. Some of it will naturally be mentioned in the case study, so we recommend getting permission to publish it in writing. It doesn't have to be anything official - a simple "Looks good, feel free to go ahead" email or message from your client would do.
Remember
👉 You want to demonstrate your contribution, even if the case study is only briefly glanced at.
👉 Keeping it structured will make it predictable and easy to read.
👉 Hype up the client in any way you can.
👉 Make the copy information-rich but not too long.
👉 Focus on describing your thought processes and decision-making.
👉 Get permission from the client in writing.
Homework
1️⃣ If you already have some projects completed, identify those best suited for a case study.
2️⃣ Reach out to the identified clients and ask whether they're okay with it. Ask them for a quote about your work or contribution if they are.
3️⃣ When writing the case study, follow the structure outlined above.
🎉 You’re unstoppable!
Next module
Finding clients →
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