Here’s how most case studies go. A client name. A list of services delivered. A line saying results “exceeded expectations”. A glowing quote that sounds like it was written by the agency’s intern, because it probably was.
Prospective customers skim it and learn nothing, because there’s nothing in it they can check or recognise. Which is a shame, because a case study done properly is the most persuasive thing you’ll ever publish.
A good one tells a specific story about a customer in a situation the reader recognises. It shows what was done and why, and it reports real results, including what didn’t go to plan. To write one you need a template, interview questions to gather the material, rules for presenting results, and the client’s permission. All four are below, and they’re the structure behind our own case studies.
The Only Question the Reader Is Asking
Anyone reading your case study is asking one thing. Could this business do the same for me?
To answer yes, they need to see someone like themselves, a problem like theirs, a process that makes sense, and results they believe. Vague claims fail that last test every time. Specific numbers, named clients and admitted setbacks pass it, because they’re the kind of detail a business only includes when it’s true.
That’s also why inventing or inflating results does so much damage. A case study is evidence. If a reader later finds out one number was made up, every other claim you make goes down with it.
The Template
1. Headline: The outcome, specifically. [Result] for [type of client]
2. Snapshot: Client, sector, what you did, timeframe, and the headline result
3. The situation: Who the client is and what was going wrong, in terms the reader recognises
4. What was at stake: What the problem was costing them
5. What we did, and why in that order: The approach, with reasoning
6. The work itself: Specific examples, screenshots or visuals
7. Results: Before and after, with timeframes and how they were measured
8. What we learned: Including what didn’t work first time
9. Client’s view: A real quote, if they’re willing
10. Next step: A relevant call to action for readers in a similar situation
Lead the headline with the outcome, stated specifically. “How we helped a client grow” tells the reader nothing. “Page-one rankings for every target keyword for a Lagos test centre” tells them exactly what happened and for whom. If the result is a number, put the number in the headline.
The situation is where readers decide whether the story has anything to do with them. Describe it the way a similar business would describe its own, including size, market, what they’d already tried and what wasn’t working. The more precisely you describe the problem, the more readers with that problem will see themselves in it. Then say what it was costing the client in lost enquiries, wasted spend, staff time or missed revenue. That’s what turns a technical story into a business one.
Weak case studies list services. Better ones explain decisions. Why you started where you did, what you chose not to do, and the reasoning behind both. That shows expertise far more convincingly than a list of deliverables, and it shows readers how you’d approach their own situation.
Include what didn’t work at first and what you changed. It feels risky. It’s also one of the most credible things a case study can contain. Every real project has setbacks, so a case study without any reads as edited. Admitting one, and showing how you responded, proves judgement and honesty in one go.
A quote in the client’s own words adds credibility, as long as it’s real and specific. “They were great to work with” adds little. “We finally know which of our ads bring in students” adds a lot. Never write a quote for a client and put their name on it. If there’s no real quote, leave the section out, or write a clearly unattributed statement of your own approach.
Rules for Results
My Cousin Vinny wins its case on tyre marks and a witness’s eyeglasses, not on how confident anybody sounds. Your results section needs the same kind of evidence, and it carries the most weight in the whole case study.
Show absolute numbers next to percentages, because “enquiries up 200%” might mean from 3 to 9, and showing both is more honest and more credible. State the timeframe, since results over three months and over two years mean different things. Say how the results were measured; platform-reported conversions and actual sales records are different sources, so name yours. Separate what you caused from what you didn’t, and if the market grew or the client launched a new product, say so. Include the results that fell short, because a reported missed target makes the others believable. Don’t add up numbers that overlap, since channels that credit the same customer overstate the total. And if it’s too early to measure, say that, report what changed in capability instead, and update the case study later.
Here’s a before-and-after format that works.
| Measure | Before | After | Period and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| [What was measured] | [Baseline] | [Result] | [e.g. Q1 vs Q3, from client’s CRM] |
Not every project produces a dramatic headline number, and that’s no reason to skip the case study. When it’s too early for performance, say what the client can do now that they couldn’t before, note that results will follow, and update it once there’s been a fair measurement window. Lead with the problem solved; a small business that finally knows which channel brings customers has gained something valuable even if revenue hasn’t moved yet. And tell the recovery story. A project where the first approach failed and the second worked can be the most persuasive case study you publish, because it shows judgement under pressure.
Gather the Material as You Go
Collect material throughout the project. By the end, half the details have been forgotten. Record the baseline before you start, because you can’t prove improvement without it. The written goal template captures baselines as a matter of course.
When you interview the client, ask these.
- What was happening in the business before we started working together?
- What had you tried before, and why didn’t it work?
- What was the problem costing you?
- What made you decide to work with us?
- What was the experience of working together actually like?
- What’s different now, in practical terms?
- What would you tell a business in a similar situation?
Record the conversation with permission so you can quote accurately. Listen for specific, practical phrases. They make the best quotes.
Get Permission in Writing
Always get the client’s written permission before you publish, and agree exactly what you can share. Explain what’s in it for them, since a well-written case study is good publicity for the client too, and a link to their site. Offer options, named with full numbers, named without sensitive figures, or anonymised (“a Lagos education provider”). Let them review the draft for accuracy and anything confidential before it goes live. Revenue, pricing, customer data and anything commercially sensitive stays out unless they explicitly agree. And keep the permission in writing.
An anonymised case study is weaker than a named one. It’s still far better than none, and much better than a named one the client never approved.
One Story, Many Places
Open the finished piece with a snapshot, so skimmers get the client, the problem, what you did and the result in ten seconds. Show the real work with screenshots, before-and-after comparisons and charts. Use clear headings, short paragraphs and a results table, write as long as the story needs, which is often 800 to 1,500 words, and end with a next step for readers in the same situation as the client.
Then put it to work. A short summary and headline result belongs on the service page it proves. The most relevant case study goes in each proposal. In a sales conversation, it’s your answer to “have you done this before?” On social media and LinkedIn, tell it over a few posts, problem, approach, result and lesson, or as a carousel. In email, it’s a nurture message for leads considering you. In ads, it’s a proof point, as long as the claim is fully supported on the landing page. A short video of the client speaking works on your homepage, a one-page PDF works after a sales call, and a before-and-after visual works for design, photography and website projects where the change is visible.
Write the full case study first, then cut it down for each format. The long version is the source of truth that keeps every shorter version honest. For how case studies fit into the wider trust picture, read the design and trust guide and the messaging framework.
Exceeded Whose Expectations?
Next time you’re tempted to write that phrase, replace it with a before number, an after number and a date. You’ll have written a better case study than most of your competitors ever will.
If you’re doing great work and prospects still aren’t hearing about it, the free 2-minute diagnostic will show which of your four walls is weakest. Proof that never reaches the people deciding usually shows up under Convert.
P.S. Spend ₦1M or more a month on marketing and you also qualify for a free 30-minute Leak Check. Our results come with dates and sources, naturally.
This template is free to use and adapt. Publishing client information needs their permission, so agree terms in writing and protect confidential and personal data in line with the NDPA. This is general information, not legal advice.
This article covers one part of a bigger system. Our guide to digital marketing in Nigeria shows how the four walls fit together, and the order to build them in.
