Case studies are a great way to show potential clients how you worked with existing ones, but they don’t work for every business. You might not be able to use your client’s names, share confidential details or perhaps your business focuses on serving fewer clients in greater depth.
Writing a case study lets you share a story that helps your future clients trust you, but there’s more than one way to do that. Here are a few of my favourites to inspire you.
Write anonymised case studies
If you can’t share your client’s name, you might think you can’t write a case study about them. An anonymised post, where you mention their industry or what they needed but leave out other details, could be a good alternative. I’ve written some for clients who didn’t want people to know they weren’t the ones writing the posts. Some bigger companies wanted to use their blog posts to showcase their employees’ knowledge without taking them away from their main job. An anonymised post still lets you talk about the challenge, how you helped and what changed for the client afterwards.
This approach doesn’t work if telling the story involves sharing highly specific personal details that could identify someone who wants to remain anonymous.
Share client quotes and testimonials
Sometimes, the best words come straight from your clients. Sharing the words they’ve used to describe the impact of your work helps other people see the benefits, and you don’t have to write them yourself. It’s a good idea to add a few words explaining what you helped them with so people understand the context if the testimonial doesn’t include it. Encourage clients to leave Google reviews or a LinkedIn endorsement (you can send them requests asking them for a review). I’ve also taken quotes from emails clients have sent me after reading my work, always asking for permission first. You can send a few questions if you want to jog people’s memories or focus on something specific.
These don’t necessarily show the whole process, but you can use them in combination with other posts, for example by adding an image with a quote to a blog post as well as sharing it on social media.
Before and after
Sharing before-and-after examples taps into the power of transformation. It shows people you understand where they are and where they could be with your help. You can give examples in writing and using images. Visual examples work brilliantly for health and fitness businesses, showcasing body transformations or how a product helped with a skin condition. It’s always wise to be cautious about any claims posts like this make, especially if they relate to health improvement. Emphasise that these are individual results and not medical advice, unless you’re suitably qualified.
You can also write examples for something harder to show visually. For example, your service might change how someone feels about themselves, save them time or improve their family life.
Build a website portfolio
A portfolio can serve multiple purposes and help your existing content go further. You can share a condensed version of a client’s story with their name or business name if they’re happy to share it, or anonymously if not. You can describe the type of business, the project you worked on and share the results. I created a portfolio PDF to share with prospective clients. When I updated my website, my designers created a portfolio page with links to different projects, plus another page where people can download the full portfolio if they want more.
You can create a portfolio or a page featuring selected work so visitors can search according to the products or services they’re interested in. It also gives visitors a clear place to visit if they’re researching providers and looking for a specific service.
Talk about your process
Case studies are often helpful because they walk readers through the process. Knowing what to expect reduces uncertainty, so they’re more likely to get in touch. You can do this in other ways, writing blog and social media posts to explain how you work and what people can expect. If you run classes, you can talk about the venue, the welcome and how you tailor your approach to different ability levels if necessary. I’d tell you about the chat where you can talk about your business, tell me what you need help with, and how we’ll only work together if we both think it’s a good fit. You might also reassure people that you’ll talk to them to understand their specific needs before recommending anything.
You can share the process without giving away any of your trade secrets. The important thing is that people know how you’ll treat them if they choose to work with you.
Share specific results
Specificity is a brilliant marketing tool because it shows people you understand the challenge they’re facing. Every marketer and their dog has talked about overwhelm at some point, and it’s become largely meaningless. Sharing specific details shows people you really get it. You could describe the tight feeling in your client's chest when they thought about their to-do list, or the way they fidgeted on the sofa because they didn’t think they’d earned a break. I might talk about the way a client’s brain went blank when they sat down at their computer and tried to think of something to write. The more you try to think of something, the more the thoughts run away.
You can share the stories of small changes too. Instead of ‘this healthy eating plan will change your life’, try ‘my client tried this and got a full night’s sleep for the first time in months’. That might be the exact issue a reader is struggling with, and it prompts them to contact you.
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