Don’t you just love a good story? There are few things quite as gripping — identifying with the hero and their predicament, feeling the tension, rooting for them and then the final resolution. Phew!

And that’s exactly what a good case study is: an engaging story about your client (the hero), their challenge, and how you helped them overcome it to reach a successful outcome.

But don’t be fooled. Case studies (sometimes called customer stories) might seem simple, but they pack a powerful business punch when it comes to gaining you clients.

Let’s take a closer look…

What’s so good about case studies?

People love stories, and case studies are no different. That alone makes them more engaging and entertaining. But written well, they also:

• Educate your reader
• Prove you can do the thing you say you can do
• Share your process
• Provide strong social proof

Case studies are long-form content that help build that Know, Like, and Trust (KLT) in a way that’s hard to beat. If someone is looking for a dog trainer who can solve their problem, what better way to demonstrate you’re a good fit?

You can show your prospect how you’ve worked with similar people, who had similar problems, and common concerns. The story also gives insight to what it’s like to work with you, and the results they can expect.

All without you blowing your own trumpet or sounding in the least bit salesy. Because case studies cast your client as the hero (not you), they’re far more believable.

Convinced yet?

How to write a great case study

Case studies should be a collaborative process and there are two main ways to approach them.

• Interview your client and write the story yourself
• Give the client a list of questions and ask them to write it up in their own words.

In most cases, the first option is probably going to be more effective and efficient for you. It’s unlikely your client is going to write the sort of clear, concise, copy you’re looking to have published on your website — or want to even attempt it!

Think, plan, do

But before you jump on the phone to your fav client for a chat, there’s some prep work to be done.

Ask yourself:

What’s your purpose? Why are you writing this? Are you hoping to attract certain types of clients? Demonstrate your skill set? Your process? Educate your reader?

You need to have an idea of what you want to achieve so you can find the right angle before you start.

Get the right info

Next, write up the questions you want to ask your client. Here’s a basic list to get you started:

Their reality before…

• What was the challenge with their dog they were trying to solve?
• How was it impacting their life?
• What would have been the (negative) outcome if they’d not been able to resolve the issue?
• What did they want to achieve? (Their dream outcome.)
• How would they define success?

The decision process…

• Did they research, or consider, other trainers?
• What were their concerns about working with a trainer?
• Did they have any reservations before working with you?
• Why did they finally choose you?
• How did they feel before they got started?

The journey you took together…

• How did they feel about the work you did together?
• Were there any key breakthroughs during the process?
• Were there any challenging bits?
• If so, how did they overcome them?
• What was their biggest “aha!” moment?
• What did they learn?
• How did they feel about working with you?
• What did they think you did well?
• What did they think you could have done better?

Their reality after…

• Was the problem satisfactorily resolved?
• How did they feel about the results?
• How has their life with their dog changed?
• What would they say to someone who was undecided about working with you?

Collect your material

Before you start asking your client any questions, explain the process you’re going to use (interview, write up, then give it to them for review before it’s published) — and make sure you have their agreement in writing. There’s not much point in going to the effort of producing a great story only to have the client veto its use.

Once you have their agreement, sit down, and have a nice chat. Record it — don’t try to take notes — as you’ll want to use their exact phrasing for some parts, not your paraphrased interpretation.

Get the recording transcribed. Otter.ai or Rev do a good job but there are tons of transcription services available.

Plan your story

If your old English teacher told you to make an outline for your essays, she was giving you good advice. An outline keeps you on track and makes the fleshing out process so much easier. So do yourself a favor and write one.

Here’s a typical hero’s journey outline you might want to use for your customer story:

Introduce your client (the hero) and their dog. A short paragraph of who they are and why they got their dog.

Paint a picture of their before situation

Describe the challenges they’re experiencing, the impact on their lives together and what the (usually unpleasant) outcome would be if the problems aren’t resolved. Use concrete, easily visualized examples to bring your story to life.

Introduce their guide for the journey (that’s you!)

Here’s where you detail their decision-making process, why they chose you and the reservations they may have had.

The journey

Tell the story of how your client (with your help) overcame the challenges they were experiencing. Include details of your process so others can see what it’s like to work with you and learn from the quest you undertook together.

Explain any hurdles, setbacks, and sticky bits. How were they overcome? What was learned along the way?

The resolution

How well was the initial problem solved? How has the client’s life with their dog changed? How has the dog’s life improved? What was the most beneficial result or take-away lesson? How did the client feel about the results they attained?

In this section you’re painting a picture of your client’s new reality so make it concrete and give clear, relatable examples.

“He’s so much calmer” isn’t anywhere near as evocative as “Yesterday he went to sleep outside a busy café while we had coffee with friends. Before, he’d have been barking, lunging, and constantly restless with all the people and traffic going past.”

The write up

When you write your case study, use your client’s exact words and examples as much as possible. You can either write it in the third person (he/she/they) or in the first person (I/we).

The first person can be more engaging to the reader as it allows them to get inside the writer’s head — but you need to have plenty of deep emotional material to be able to do it well. Don’t be afraid to ask probing questions to get to the personal feelings bit of your client’s story: a customer story is most effective when it’s more than just a dry recounting of events.

Format for readability by keeping paragraphs short and breaking the text up with heading and subheadings. Keep the details about your process relevant and only include those necessary to keep the story moving forward.

Take care to make your client look good! They may not want the fact they previously tried being the pack leader and teaching the dog who’s boss put in print and broadcast to everyone.

Include photos of the client and their dog, or at the very least, the dog. Action shots can be a nice attention grabber, but anything that visually tells the story of the client’s success is great. It’ll help set context and make the story more concrete.

Include a call to action at the end to encourage readers to reach out and get in touch.

The multiple ways to use a case study

Customer stories don’t have to be used as one-off pieces of content. You want to get the most bang for your buck after all the effort it takes to write one. Here are some ways you can use them:

• On your website in their entirety. Include them as blog posts or as downloadable PDFs.
• Link to them from other web pages and use them to support your sales process.
• Pull out snippets and use them as testimonials on your website. Include links so visitors can read the full story if they want to.
• Use shortened versions in social media as “before/after” stories or videos.
• Use as press releases in local publications or relevant magazines.
• Include a shortened version in your email newsletters.
• Share them in your online communities as a shout out to your client’s dedication, hard work, and well-deserved success.
• Include links to relevant customer stories in promo social media posts you do.
• If you have an information pack you send to prospective clients, include relevant case studies in it.
• Include edited highlights as anecdotes to educate in presentations and webinars you provide.

And that’s it! You now have all the information you need to create case studies that’ll engage, entertain, and educate your audience — and grow your client list at the same time. What’s not to love about a good story?