Case studies are important because they show how a product or service affects real people in the real world. However, communicating this information in a clear, effective, and useful way is a skill that takes bit of practice to develop. Fortunately, there are a few tips for writing an effective business case study that will have you producing extraordinary case studies in no time. Let’s take a look at a few of the ways you can make your next case study that much stronger. Our first set of tips is useful both for business students producing case studies for school and for business owners communicating with customers.
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Analyze Your Audience and Appeal to Their Needs
Most business writers make the mistake of writing the case study that they think they would want to read instead of the one that your audience needs to read. Consider your ideal customer. Who do you want to appeal to? What are their demographics? What do they need to know about your product or service? The more you can connect with the customer and understand what they need, the more you’ll be able to develop a case study that meets their specific needs and goals.
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Tell a Complete Story from Start to Finish
Make sure that your case study covers the entire interaction from problem to solution to resolution. That means that the reader should be able to follow the situation from the customer’s original problem to the way that you helped and finally how your help made a difference for the customer. People like stories, so telling a complete story is more satisfying than simply writing about a single step in the process for your own benefit.
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Keep the Case Study Easy to Read
It can be tempting to try to appear professional by using fancy words and big blocks of text, but for a case study to connect with today’s reader, it needs to be easy to follow. Use headings and short paragraphs, for example, and bullet points can also draw the eye to key points. A well-designed case study with a variety of formatting strategies will keep the reader’s attention.
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Use Real Data
Generalizations like “we cut our customer service phone line hold time in half” are instantly forgettable. Specific numbers, however, will make the reader pay attention, even if they don’t remember the specifics: “We cut our customer service phone hold time from six minutes to just 2:40.” Specifics make you sound knowledgeable and therefore credible.
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Provide Specific Solution Strategies
Similar to how specific data can increase credibility, offering specific strategies will change the way your customer perceives your competence. When you explain how you achieved a goal, list specific strategies used and theories applied. Even if they don’t remember that you revised the telemarketing script with Communication Accommodation Theory, the fact that you can use and cite it will show that you are on top of your game and have the expertise to deliver action-oriented solutions.
Our final two tips are particularly helpful once you are working in business and need to deliver case studies to your customers to help drive business.
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Consider Adjusting Your Case Study to Appeal to Different Learning Styles
A popular theory holds that different people learn differently. Some prefer to read, while others learn better through audio, video, or even tactile activities. To communicate with your audience, you may want to consider offering your case study in a variety of formats that will best appeal to those who prefer alternatives to written text. A podcast or a video presentation can be more effective than written communication in some cases when the audience prefers not to read, or to be able to consume your information when engaged in other activities, such as driving or working out at the gym. Offering alternatives geared to their lifestyle shows that you are in touch with your audience.
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Make Sure Your Case Studies Are Easy to Locate
Having the best case studies in the world won’t do you any good if your readers can’t find them. Make sure they know where to look for your case studies, and try highlighting them in a dedicated section given over to company news or to a company blog. The easier it is for your audience to locate what you want them to read, the more likely it will be for the audience to actually read the case studies you’ve put so much hard work into producing.
***These business case study writing guidelines are created by experts who are hired by Smart Writing Service a professional essay writing company.