Writing Case Studies Clients Will Approve

Why real case studies beat claims

Claims such as leading, trusted or best in the region cost nothing to write, so readers discount them. A case study costs the client something: their name next to yours. That is why it carries weight. It also answers the questions a buyer actually has: did someone with my kind of problem get it solved, how did the work go, and would they do it again. Under the Swedish Marketing Act, marketing must not be misleading, so every claim in a case study must be something you can back up.

Asking at the right moment

The best time to ask is when the client has just said something positive: at delivery, at a successful launch or when they renew. Mention the possibility early, even in the proposal, so the request later is no surprise. Make the ask easy to say yes to:

• Explain what it involves: a short interview, one draft to review, no work for them beyond that.
• Say where it will be published, such as your website, LinkedIn or proposals.
• Offer something back: a link to their site, visibility for their product, a copy they can use themselves.
• Make clear they approve the final text and can withdraw it later.

Interview and structure

Interview the person who felt the problem, not only the person who signed the contract. Record the call with permission, so you can quote accurately. Good questions are open and concrete: What was not working before? What had you tried? Why did you choose us? What surprised you during the work? What is different now? What would you tell someone in your position?

Numbers: only what you can back up

Numbers make a case study persuasive and are also what clients most often refuse. Revenue, margins and customer counts are often confidential. Use a hierarchy: first, numbers the client is happy to publish and can confirm; second, relative or time-based results (bookings now come in outside office hours, reporting takes an afternoon instead of three days); third, qualitative outcomes in the client's words. Never round up, never extrapolate a short period into a yearly figure and never present your estimate as their result.

• Ask the client to confirm every number in writing.
• State the period and the comparison: before and after what, measured how.
• Keep the data behind each figure, in case a reader or authority asks.

Approval and anonymised versions

1. Send one complete draft, not an outline, with quotes highlighted.
2. Ask for changes and approval by a specific date, and suggest who on their side needs to see it.
3. Accept factual corrections without argument; negotiate only if the text loses all meaning.
4. Get approval in writing, including for named individuals, quotes and any photos. Names and photos of people are personal data under GDPR, so the person must agree to their use.
5. Store the approval with the published version, and remove the case if the client later withdraws consent.

If the client cannot be named, an anonymised case study still helps: describe the industry, size and region (a family-owned wholesaler in Småland) and keep the challenge, work and result. Be honest that it is anonymised. What you must not do is fill the gap with invented clients or composite stories presented as real.

When you do not need help: if you have a few happy clients and an afternoon, you can follow this process yourself. Case studies pay off most when there is somewhere for them to work, such as service pages, proposals and follow-up emails. That wiring, together with a referral programme, is what our growth retainer covers.

Frequently asked questions