How to Write a Case Study That Wins Deals

Case studies are the most underrated B2B content format.

A well-written case study is a sales asset disguised as a content piece. It answers the question every prospect has before buying: "Has this worked for someone like me?" When the answer is a compelling yes — backed by specific metrics and a compelling story — deals close faster.

But most case studies are bad. They're sanitized press releases celebrating a vague partnership. They say things like "Company X increased efficiency" without defining what efficiency means or by how much.

This guide shows you how to write case studies that actually move deals.

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Why Case Studies Matter More Than You Think

At the consideration stage: Prospects evaluating your solution want to see it work in the real world. A case study showing results for a company like theirs is more persuasive than any feature list.

In sales conversations: Sales reps use case studies to overcome objections, build confidence, and establish relevance. A case study for the same industry, same company size, same use case as your prospect is worth 10 discovery calls.

For SEO: Case studies that include specific company names, outcomes, and use cases rank for long-tail searches. They also attract backlinks from the featured company and from journalists covering their space.

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Step 1: Choose the Right Customer Story

Not every customer is a good case study subject. The best case study candidates:

Have measurable results: Did they reduce costs by X%? Increase revenue by $Y? Save Z hours per week? Metrics make case studies credible. If a customer can't give you numbers, the case study will be weak.

Represent your ICP: The most persuasive case study for a prospect is one featuring a company that looks exactly like them: same industry, similar size, similar pain points.

Are willing to be public: Some customers are happy to share results but don't want competitors to see. Confirm upfront that they're willing to be named, quoted, and potentially featured on your website, in sales decks, and in paid ads.

Had a clear before and after: The best stories have a distinct "before" (painful problem) and "after" (transformed outcome). Without a clear before state, the story falls flat.

Identify 5–10 customer candidates, then prioritize by ICP fit and results strength.

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Step 2: Conduct a Thorough Customer Interview

The raw material for every great case study is a good interview. Schedule 45–60 minutes and come prepared.

Interview questions that generate great content:

Background:

• Tell me about your role and what your team was trying to accomplish.
• What was the situation before you started using [product]?
• What was the specific problem you were trying to solve?

The decision:

• Why were you looking for a solution in the first place?
• What alternatives did you consider?
• What made you choose [product] over those alternatives?

The experience:

• Walk me through how you've been using [product].
• What has been the most valuable feature or capability?
• Were there any challenges getting started?

The results:

• What specific results have you seen?
• Do you have metrics you can share? (Traffic, revenue, time savings, cost reduction)
• What's been the biggest "wow" moment?

The future:

• How has this changed how your team works?
• What would you tell someone in your position who's evaluating this?

Record the interview (with permission). You'll want to pull exact quotes — paraphrasing kills authenticity.

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Step 3: Structure Your Case Study

The most effective B2B case study structure follows a simple narrative arc:

1. Headline and results summary Lead with the outcome. Don't bury the results at the end — put them in the headline and the first paragraph.

Example: "How [Company] Grew Organic Traffic 3x in 6 Months with Averi"

2. Customer background (1–2 paragraphs) Briefly introduce the company: what they do, company size, industry, relevant context. This helps prospects see themselves in the story.

3. The challenge (2–3 paragraphs) What problem were they facing before? Make it vivid. Use specific quotes from the customer about how the problem felt. This is the "before" state — it needs to be credible and relatable.

4. The solution (2–3 paragraphs) How did they solve it with your product? Focus on the specific features or workflows they used. This isn't a product brochure — keep it focused on the customer's experience, not your feature list.

5. The results (2–3 paragraphs + metrics) This is the most important section. Lead with the most impressive metric. Then layer in supporting results. Use specific numbers wherever possible. Include a direct quote from the customer about the outcome.

6. What's next A brief look at how the customer plans to expand or build on what they've accomplished. This signals momentum.

7. Pull quotes and callouts Extract 2–3 strong quotes from the customer and feature them as pull quotes throughout the page. They break up the text and draw the eye.

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Step 4: Write with Specificity

The enemy of a good case study is vague language. Compare:

Vague: "The team saw significant improvements in content production efficiency."

Specific: "What used to take Mia's team 8 hours per post — research, brief, draft, edit — now takes 3. They went from publishing 2 posts per month to 8, without adding headcount."

Specificity builds credibility. It also helps prospects extrapolate to their own situation: "If they saved 5 hours per post and I produce 6 posts per month, that's 30 hours saved per month."

Use numbers, timeframes, team sizes, and before/after comparisons wherever possible.

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Step 5: Make It Visually Compelling

A wall of text doesn't get read. Your case study needs visual elements:

• Metrics callout boxes: Feature your 2–3 strongest metrics in large, highlighted boxes at the top
• Pull quotes: Formatted customer quotes in a distinctive style
• Screenshots or product images: Show the product being used, when customer permits
• Company logo: Adds legitimacy and context
• Headshots: Put a face to the name — quotes with headshots are more credible

For PDF versions (used in sales), invest in design. A well-designed PDF case study used in a sales process is worth the time.

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Step 6: Add a Clear CTA

Every case study should include a call-to-action. Best options:

• "See if Averi is right for your team — Start free"
• "Talk to us about your content challenges — Book a demo"
• "Read more customer stories — [link to case study library]"

The CTA should be positioned at the bottom and, for longer case studies, as a sidebar element mid-page.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

No metrics: A case study without numbers is just a testimonial. Require at least 2–3 specific metrics before committing to write the case study.

Writing it yourself without customer input: Putting words in your customer's mouth that they didn't actually say is both inauthentic and a good way to end the relationship. Every quote in a case study should come from the interview transcript.

Too much product focus: Case studies are about the customer, not your product. Lead with their story, their results, their voice. Your product is the vehicle, not the hero.

Waiting too long after implementation: The best time to write a case study is 3–6 months after implementation when results are tangible but the experience is still fresh.

Gating case studies too aggressively: Case studies are most effective when easy to share. Consider making them freely available on your website (they help with SEO), and offer a PDF version for email capture if needed.

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How Averi Helps

Writing a case study involves synthesizing interview transcripts, extracting key quotes, building a narrative arc, and optimizing for SEO — all while maintaining brand consistency. Averi's drafting workflow takes your interview notes and transcript and builds a structured case study draft that follows your voice and format.

For teams producing case studies at scale — 5–10 per quarter — Averi makes it feasible without a dedicated writer for each one.

Start writing case studies with Averi →

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FAQ

How long should a case study be?

For a web page, 600–1,200 words is the sweet spot. Long enough to tell the full story with specifics, short enough to be read in one sitting. PDF case studies for sales use can be 1–2 pages visually. Don't pad — density matters more than length.

How do I get customers to agree to case studies?

Ask during a strong moment in the relationship — after a milestone, a positive support interaction, or when they share a great result with you. Make it easy: "We'll do the interview and write the whole thing. All we need is 45 minutes of your time." Offer them a review pass before publishing.

What if my customer won't share specific metrics?

Ask about relative improvements ("Was it a 2x improvement? A 3x improvement?") and ranges ("Were you saving more or less than 10 hours per week?"). If they absolutely won't share metrics, the case study will be weaker — but a strong narrative with great quotes can still be valuable.

Should I gate case studies behind a form?

For web case studies, no — keep them open. They help SEO and are easier for sales to share. Offer a designed PDF version behind an email capture for leads who want something to share internally. Best of both worlds.

How many case studies do I need?

Have at least one for each major segment of your ICP: by industry, by company size, by use case. Five strong case studies covering your core ICP segments are more valuable than 20 generic ones.