Businesses can promote their own products and services all they want with every marketing strategy out there, but it’s equally important to hear from the customers and clients themselves—that’s where case studies come in. If you're new to the medium or looking for inspiration, we've dedicated this post to sharing the goods on what case studies are, as well as several strong case study examples.
Case studies are an extremely powerful tool that every business needs to leverage. In fact, only 14% of consumers said they trust advertising to be truly honest about their product or service. Consumers are more inclined to trust outside reviews, data, and testimonials.
Of course a business wants to tout how amazing its offerings are, but to hear from a client and learn how that client achieved their goals? Priceless!
What is a case study?
Case studies are a proven and effective marketing strategy that centers both the business and the client, while providing ways that the business went above and beyond and solved the client’s problems.
In addition to showcasing client quotes and testimonials, case studies dive deeper into the problem-solving process from start to finish, complete with tangible examples. If you thought product and store reviews were helpful, then case studies will be your new best friend!
Case studies not only uplift the customer— they also influence other potential customers and allow them to imagine how their goals can be achieved. It’s easier to make a bigger decision when you hear from those who have successfully gone through the process themselves, isn’t it?
Publishing case studies is a win-win for everyone involved. Here are 5 case study examples to get you inspired to find new ways to leverage your brand and uplift your clients at the same time.
5 case study examples and best practice tips
1. Web design case study example
Digital and creative-based agencies or businesses create case studies to showcase their design processes, ideas from start to finish, and the end result in action. If you’re a creative business, consider visualizing your business’s processes while showcasing how happy your client is with the final product.
Takeaway: highlight key components of project
Balkan Brothers Agency highlighted many key components of their project with DECODE, such as timeline, challenges, solutions, outcomes, and mockups. Not only did they showcase their user-friendly designs, they analyzed the process from pen and paper to web.
2. Software case study example
Many software as a service (SaaS) companies showcase customer stories, or case studies, on their webpages, with an emphasis on encouraging potential clients to contact the business’s sales team and learn more about the business’s offerings.
By highlighting customer studies on your main page or making it easily accessible to find on your site, businesses can create a case study repository within reach.
Takeaway: encourage potential clients
In Slack’s case study, they highlight key testimonials from the client, break down the case study into digestible sections, and promote a call-to-action to reach out to their sales team or try the software for free.
Catchy, isn’t it? You’re inspired from a client’s story, and now you’re ready to go try it for yourself today.
3. Visual branding case study example
There’s nothing quite like a well-designed and colorful brand. Visually pleasing branding design has a positive effect on consumers and clients.
When a client is truly satisfied with their end result, their verbal proof is best positioned up front and center. In addition to showcasing any quotes from the client, find a way to promote analytics and data from the project.
If you’re in a hurry to create a stunning case study outside of a website page, we’ve got you covered with our free presentation templates and tools. Select your favorite layout, add any quotes, testimonials, or statistics, and bam! You’re ready to go in just a few steps.
Takeaway: amplify quotes and analytics
If your case study is content-heavy, it’s best to break down your case study into impactful chunks, such as isolating the testimonial and analytics from other pieces of information.
Putting your project’s results in the form of numbers not only provides you with stats you can brag about, but it also helps others to see the true results of working with your business. A 69 percent increase in average number of pages per session from working with this company? Count me in!
4. Workflow development case study example
When working with a company, many clients are hoping to overcome their organizational pain points, or challenges.
Whether that client is searching for a redesign of an interface, or a new workflow tool that can speed up their organization’s processes, overcoming those challenges and highlighting how your business solved those challenges can have a tremendous impact on potential clients—especially if potential customers have similar challenges.
Takeaway: highlight challenges and ways to overcome them
When in doubt, highlight the challenges that your client faced before working with your product or service and emphasize how your business overcame them. There’s a huge chance others may have similar challenges that they are eager to solve.
5. Restaurant case study example
Many businesses rely on a strong visual brand to differentiate them from their competitors. If your business offers photography to elevate a client’s brands, create a collection of your designs created just for them—and let the images speak for themselves.
Alongside the custom photography, highlight the client’s challenges, the solution your business arrived at, and the results of the collaboration. Who knows, maybe a future client will be eager to elevate their own brands with your creative treatment?
Takeaway: imagery can have a huge impact
If you’re a creative services business, promoting the final design or image is crucial to showcasing your style and also giving others a snippet of what you can do for their business.
Let the images you showcase in your case study speak for themselves. You can also supplement each with brief descriptions on the challenges the client faced, the solutions you brought to the table, and the results of your work.
There are many ways to put your client in the spotlight —but also subtly boost your business as well. Case studies represent a gold mine for businesses; interviewing your clients to gain their perspective on your products, services, and processes goes a long way.
Set your business up for success: Learn how to write a business proposal, get inspiration for your next infographic design, and make next-level marketing materials.
