Avoid Jargon

Case studies are typically a tool for product research; studies by Google confirm
that 62% of B2B decision makers use search as a tool for finding customer success
stories. Use the papers as a platform for demonstrating expertise, but avoid using
highly technical language that will alienate any prospects.

2. Be Objective

Nothing will cause your company to lose credibility faster than a biased case study.
Stick to the facts, and let quantitative figures demonstrate customer success
stories, not your opinion.

3. Incorporate Quotations

Social proof is a powerful tool for swaying company perception; consumers trust
family and friends above any form of paid media. Use quotations from your clients
to emulate the recommendation your prospects would receive from a professional
peer or acquaintance.

4. Give Background Information

Customer success stories should follow the traditional format of a narrative, which
means its critical that you provide a conflict. Illustrate how your customers life or
business was different before they made the purchase to provide context.

5. Provide Sign Posts

Whether youre going to be using the case study as a blog article or download, its
essential to format the content optimally for skimming. You can adjust the titles of
your sections, or provide more-granular sub headers, but the typical format of a
customer success story is:

Challenge

Solution
Result
6. Be Specific

Customer success stories arent very effective if you stick to demonstrating that
your product worked. Leverage the principles of good journalism, and reveal why it
worked, how the customer implemented the solution, when they saw results, and
why they were pleased.

7. Be Transparent

Your prospects and customers are highly jaded to biased marketing messages, and
nothing will raise suspicions faster than a report that seems exaggerated, or
inaccurate. Double check your data, and have a third-party proof read for any signs
of bias.

8. Use Visual Content

Charts and graphs are a valuable component of customer success stories. Visualize
the results of your case study with accurate and eye-catching images.

9. Make Your Customers Relatable

Even if your product or services are relevant to a wide market, target your case
studies towards your ideal customer by making the companies or people profile
highly relatable.

10. Consider Different Formats

Your customer success stories can be recycled into a number of different formats to
appeal to all learning styles. In addition to a whitepaper, film a video, create an
infographic, or record a podcast.

11. Keep It Short

One of the biggest challenges in writing an effective case study is conveying all
relevant information in as few words as possible. Subject matter expert Matthew
Stibe recommends 500 words as an optimal length.

12. Be Accurate

An exaggerated or sloppy customer success story can damage your professional

credibility, and relationships with your most valuable clients. Record interviews with
clients to ensure you accurately transcribe their thoughts, and allow customers to
approve the copy before publication.

13. Address Buyer Readiness

To write a case study that converts prospects into customers, address your clients
thoughts and emotions during the buyer readiness cycle. What factors of your
product or service cemented their decision to purchase from you, as opposed to
your competition?

14. Include a Standfirst

Your case study introductions may be the most-valuable component of the customer
success story; copywriter Tom Albrington recommends writing a standfirst
paragraph last that includes key facts and takeaways, as well as an intriguing
introductory sentence.

15. Call Out Text

Highlight your customers best quotations in text call-out boxes, to draw attention to
the social proof of their success. Alternatively, integrate quotations with images, as
illustrated below:

Customer Success Stories - Call Out Text

Image Source: Master3DImage

16. Use Compelling Images

Stock photos are typically 34.7% less effective at converting leads and customers
than images of real people. Avoid generic pictures of happy colleagues, or company
logos. Use images of your actual customer to build instant trust with your audience.

17. Recycle Quotations

Cross-promote your customer success stories on multiple social media platforms, by

using their quotations as material for social media posts, or as testimonials on your
LinkedIn Company page.

18. Edit for Brevity

Effective customer success stories balance the need to provide a 360-degree view
of the story, and tell a compelling narrative. Edit the content carefully for brevity,
and remove any factors or steps that dont add value. As Albington points out,
length does not equal value, so dont add content for its own sake.

19. Address Budget and ROI

For virtually every buyer persona, cost is a sensitive issue. Address specifically how
the customer managed to save money, bring in more revenue, or achieve greater
efficiency with your companys help.

20. Avoid Excessive Statistics

While data can be the difference between a convincing customer success story and
one that leaves little impression, avoid using too many facts and figures. Instead,
pick the numbers that best address your buyer personas pain points to ensure each
number has maximum impact.

21. Be Transparent about Your Data

Most customer success stories dont need tables and appendices that illustrate
every data point used to quantify results. However, briefly disclose how you reached
your results, whether it was through Google Analytics, Salesforce reports, or another
method.

22. Write a Powerful Conclusion

In addition to summarizing results, Michael Martinez recommends taking a few

sentences to place your customer success story in context. Is there any industrywide data you can compare the final outcome to?

23. Consider Peer Review

In the realm of science, peer review is a critical component of the publication

process. The scientific method dictates that every researcher has biases; whether
they realize it or not, and a third-party can often identify inadvertent issues with the
analysis. Consider having a third-party review your case study for grammar, and
any language or data that seems biased or inaccurate.

24. Reward Your Customers

Even if your clients commitment to the case study didnt require anything more
than answering a few questions via email, be sure to thank them for acting as a
company advocate. Cross-promote their content on your social media channels, or
offer a discount for their help to your marketing strategy.

25. Encourage Social Sharing

The best case studies have the power to spread like wildflower. Encourage your
website visitors to share the case study by providing social integration and sharing
buttons.

80% of consumers are swayed by recommendations from real people and

companies, even if they dont know them. Customer success stories have the
potential to lend credibility to your companys solutions and enhance your sales

What do you think about writing customer success stories? Whats the most
challenging for you in this process? What personal tips for writing great case studies
can you share with us?