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Learn how to produce effective B2B case studies with these tips from Scribly.
B2B case studies are among the most powerful types of written content.
In 2021 research, 62% of businesses said they relied on “practical content” like case studies to guide their purchasing decisions. There’s a good chance that you’ve made a purchase based on a customer testimonial or case study, too.
Let’s take a look at the power of B2B case studies, how you can write a great case study and which example B2B case studies serve as the best inspiration.
5 tips for a persuasive B2B case study
To start, here are our favourite rules for writing a great B2B case study. We've written countless case studies over the years, and we've found that the following principles lead to the greatest success stories.
A short, compelling title
A title is what’s going to attract readers to your case study. The best case study titles look easy and effortless, but they encapsulate so much while being short and snappy.
Our top tip for titles? Keep it short. A short, impactful title will grab attention without giving too much away. A longer title, on the other hand, can end up being distracting and more difficult to market.
Give yourself may 5 to 10 words to play with and make sure you include:
- The name of your client, so the reader immediately knows who is the story is about
- A stat or metric, if you can.
Something like "Helping Business ABC Grow 20% In 3 Months" covers all of the bases. You might also want to write your title last, to make sure you’ve got it right.
Tell your customer’s story
If you're a fan of the StoryBrand framework, then you’ll know how every brand message tells the story of a Hero (the customer or client) meeting a Guide (that’s you) in order to solve a problem. This is the exact narrative you want to follow for your B2B case study.
A great B2B case study positions the client or customer as the Hero; it’s their problem you’ve solved and their wins you’re helping facilitate. Yes, you want to explain how your business helped them along the way, but you need to put more emphasis on the value created in their business than your own.
Describe what your client’s company does, what sector they work in, who they serve, the key characters behind the scenes (such as managers or contact points your business interacted with) and establish the customer as someone the reader can root for.
Address the challenges head-on
Like any great story, a B2B case study centres around a conflict. Describe in detail (without seeming like you're putting the client on blast!) what issues the client was facing and how they had tried to deal with the problem before reaching out.
The most persuasive case studies outline a relatable issue — something that numerous businesses (and, hopefully, your readers) face day-to-day. Your tone, approach to describing the problem and the way you frame it can all help in making the story relatable.
For instance, your client may have the unique problem of having too many widgets running hot in the winter. But you can still make it relatable to the reader by describing the importance of these widgets, how they play into the greater operations of the company and how this challenge affected the client and/or their customers.
Present a simple solution
After you've covered the challenges, it's time to dive into the solution your business presented. While you don't want to be too self-congratulatory, you do want to be clear about what you did to help your customer.
You can go into specific steps you took, like communicating with the client, working to understand their problem and providing a unique solution — whatever is true for your case study.
What’s essential, however, is that you make it sound easy. Remember, the aim of a B2B case study is to make the reader think, “Wow, if I’d known it was that simple and effective, I’d have got in touch with you earlier”.
Share quantifiable, emotive results
Lastly, you're ready to cover the results of your solution. This should be the most exciting part of the story, as it will give the reader insights into the kind of results that they can expect should they choose to work with you.
Actionable metrics are great here, as are quotes and testimonials from your client. Anything that will make clear how you helped this client and the specific benefits they experienced.
Examples of great B2B case studies
Now that you have an idea of how to write a great B2B case study, let's take a look at two inspiring examples. These aren't just stories where the relationship was successful, but more importantly, the way the story is told is successful too.
Studio Proper and HubSpot
One of the best case study examples we have to offer comes from one of the best in the business, HubSpot.
We love this B2B case study because:
- The title captures the benefit: "Studio Proper Cuts Sales Cycle in Half, Grows Revenue by 35%".
- The transformation story is clear, “From Disorganized Chaos to a 360° View”.
- The end result is something no business would turn down: an increase in revenue.
HackReactor and Asana
Businesses have plenty of project management platforms to choose from. And in competitive categories, where multiple products offer similar features, a compelling case study can give potential users the proof they need to try you out.
Asana’s HackReactor case study is a best-in-class example. It achieves everything the above HubSpot B2B case study achieves, plus:
- It outlines the questions the client had before choosing Asana as a tool — this provides that all-important relatability.
- It uses multiple client testimonials to bring the case study to life.
Let’s tell your clients’ stories
Reach out to Scribly today and let our team of expert writers help shape and share your B2B success stories, or have a look at some of our own case studies for even more inspiration.
