Writing case studies can be intimidating for B2B marketers.
You know you have a story to tell, but you don’t know where to begin. You need to get thousands of words written or maybe shoot high-quality footage. And you don’t want to do all the work only to have the final product miss the mark with prospects.
That’s why approaching each case study with strategic objectives and using a case study template can provide hesitant marketers with the foundation needed to succeed.
In this post, we will provide you with different types of case study templates you’ll be able to use and explain how to get started.
Before we dive in, let’s take a look at how case studies are structured.
How are case studies structured?
Every case study is different, but there are some commonalities shared among them.
These core components will form the foundation of your case study, no matter what format, medium, or type you decide to use.
Every type of case study follows a standardized format, which includes a problem, solution, and outcome for a specific aspect of the business.
The name “case study” refers to a specific “case” or instance in the company’s life.
It examines a singular campaign or the introduction of a new change that impacted and altered the business. The common element that unites all impactful case studies is the narrative aspect.
Effective case studies tell a story about how a company improved after purchasing your product or service. B2B marketers developing case studies can use a standard story arc to get their point across.
Enhance your story with key data points. Many case studies use data to quantify the outcome, making it easier for your sales team to prove your product’s worth in numbers.
A marketing case study and customer success story are essential parts of your content marketing strategy. Prospective customers love reading a compelling case study that highlights the key point they need to understand about your product.
All case studies can be easily showcased in a blog post, on a landing page, or even on social media.
Take a look at this video case study for Cato:
The team at Brake Masters highlighted that they had a lot of outages in their network, and customers started complaining when they dialed down their speed.
With the problem stated, they introduced Cato as a resolution and shared how their business was transformed.
Now that you know the basics, let’s take a look at three powerful testimonial templates that will share your product’s story and drive meaningful revenue for your business.
Getting started: 3 case study templates to drive sales
It’s time to dive in and begin the production of your case study. The blank outline in front of you doesn’t have to be so scary.
For each winning case study below, we highlighted the key sections that you’d need to recreate to make an effective case study for your business.
By using these templates, you’ll create powerful marketing assets that will convert new customers and dazzle passive prospects.
1. Report Case Study Template
Give your prospective customers real-life data points with a built-in narrative. If you want a case study that’s straight-to-the-point, consider following this report case study template.
A report case study is a concise narrative about a specific use case or campaign that was executed with the help of the company’s product in the forefront. It examines a singular campaign or the introduction of a new change that impacted and altered the business.
Typically, these types of assets rely heavily on engaging copy and high-quality visuals packaged in a one to three-page report.
monday.com has an example of a report case study on its website.
Now that you’ve read it, let’s dive into the mechanics of a report case study.
Introduction
Set the stage for your narrative. Name the company that is being featured so you can immediately establish which industry you’re targeting.
You should also highlight the objective the company was focused on, or the task it was looking to accomplish.
Problem
Every case study has a problem (whether it is stated directly or indirectly) that the featured company is facing.
Maybe there’s an inventory issue, or maybe the company needs to drive more leads. State the struggle that the team is facing. What prompted them to look for solutions?
This is the portion where the study starts to move from a general overview into a specific case with details about the issue at hand.
You can see this in the challenge section of the monday.com case study we shared above:
Product introduction and solution
It’s time to introduce your product as a solution. The featured customer should highlight why they found your product useful and how they implemented it into their business in quoted text.
You could ask the customer to mention:
- Key aspects or product features they found useful
- The reason they made their purchasing decision
- How their business has changed after using your product
This section shouldn’t be overly promotional. Instead, it should come off as authentic in the voice of your customer.
2. Data-Focused Business Case Study Template
This is a high-level business case study that hits all the right notes.
While it continues to follow the same narrative style as the report case study, a data-focused business case study places emphasis on statistics, key performance indicators, and the direct, quantifiable effect that the product has had on a business.
This case study template is perfect for live or virtual presentations, where your sales team will walk a prospect through a narrative using specific callouts to highlight percentage increases in efficiency, engagement, or even sales.
That’s because this case study template includes a dedicated section for data, icons, and other statistics you want to emphasize. Let’s look at a sample.
In the above example, the reader’s eyes immediately focus on the numbers that are featured before the case study begins.
Let’s take a look at how you can create a data-focused case study for your business with this same template.
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Figure out three metrics that your prospective customers are focused on. Ask your customer to share how these metrics shifted after your product was introduced.
Kick-off your case study with these metrics featured first. This grabs the reader’s attention and will encourage them to keep reading. You can weave these data points into the narrative that will follow.
Introduction
As always, you should introduce the key players in this case study. Highlight the business you are featuring and what they are hoping to accomplish.
Remember to use data and outline where they currently stand. Share the numeric value of sales or measure their starting efficiency. This will help illustrate your point later in the document.
Problem
Similar to the report case study, you would state the problem that the customer is facing and what they are hoping to accomplish.
The key difference is that the problem should be quantifiable. State that sales have dipped X% or employee engagement is down X%.
Give the reader hard numbers so that they can grasp the severity of the issue this company has before it.
Solution
Next, introduce your product or service as a solution and highlight some of the ways it added value to the situation. Explain how the customer used your product or service, along with the implementation process.
The outcome
Finally, share the customer’s outcome in a quantifiable way. This is where the data that is featured at the top of the document can be shared again with additional context, including quotes from the customer.
With data leading the charge in this case study style, prospects that like to rely on facts rather than gut feelings will be motivated to convert and purchase.
3. Video case study template
Want to make more of an emotional appeal? Consider developing a video case study.
Video case studies put you face-to-face with an existing customer that is happy to use a product or service. It’s an emotional appeal to prospects because you get to see the product in action along with the customer’s non-verbal cues.
Let’s take a look at how you can use the template to share your customer’s success with your prospective audience.
Take a look at this video case study for DarwinApps:
In just 30 seconds, you can easily understand what DarwinApps provides and how it can be implemented into your business.
Plus, you get to meet some existing customers who are happy with the product and might be facing similar challenges.
Let’s take a look at a video case study template.
Product Impact Teaser (5 seconds)
Open your video case study with a clip of your happy customer saying how much the product has impacted the way they do business.
This serves as a hook that engages prospective viewers. It can be just what is needed to convince someone who is casually scrolling or browsing to stop and learn more.
Introduction (5-10 seconds)
The introduction of a video case study is brief, mostly because the entire clip should be short. Quickly state your name and what your company does.
The bulk of the case study should be about the impact of the product, not your company’s background.
Reasons for choosing your product (10 seconds)
The customer should share their reasons for choosing your product. This added context can indirectly state the problem that the business was facing and how your product served as a solution.
Impact of the product (5 seconds)
This is a great opportunity to share key data points that highlight how your product has affected the customer’s business.
Since this is a video, you can overlay charts and graphics, or show the impact in real-time.
Customer recommendation (5 seconds)
Finally, you need to conclude the video testimonial with a customer recommendation. This is a one or two-sentence quote from the customer that shares how important your product is to their business.
In addition, you could ask them who should use your product. This added bonus is a powerful way to connect with the viewer who may fit that exact description.
After your customer interview is complete and the case study is filmed, take some time to ensure that the most important messages are getting across.
This could include adding title sequences to videos, enhancing the audio, or even adding a polished callout box around statistics and data points. Together, these edits and your footage will make an engaging asset that will drive sales.
Conclusion
Creating case studies isn’t difficult when you have a template to use. All types of case studies include an outline of the problem, solution, and outcome. When you have a template, it’s easy to fill in these core components in their designated areas and ultimately create an impactful case study.
With these case study templates, you’ll have a solid foundation to begin drafting and producing polished, customer-converting marketing assets.
Contact Testimonial Hero to get started planning, shooting, and producing your next video case study. We’ll be with you every step of the way to ensure you get a polished case study video asset that will delight your prospects.
