Testimonials are nice. Case studies win work.
A testimonial tells people a client was happy. A case study shows them exactly how you got that client a result, so the next buyer can picture you doing it for them. Here’s the 5 part structure I use and how to get the story out of your client.
Henny Maltby25 years in marketing · Growth Hub Premier Partner
!Sound familiar? You’ve done brilliant work for clients, but your website just says “we’d love to help”.
When a buyer is close to choosing you, they want proof. Not that you’re nice to work with, but that you’ve solved a problem like theirs before and got a result.
That’s what a good case study does. It tells the story of a real client: where they were stuck, what you did, and what changed. The buyer reads it, sees themselves in it, and starts to trust you before you’ve even spoken.
The best bit is you already have the raw material. Every happy client is a case study waiting to be written. You just need a simple structure and the right questions.
People don’t buy your service. They buy the result they can see you’ve got for someone like them.
Free AI prompt
Most business owners never write their case studies because it takes hours. This prompt does it in minutes, so every good result you get becomes proof that brings in your next, better paid client.
Record a 20 minute chat with your client, get the transcript, then pop your name and email in to get the full prompt. Copy it into ChatGPT or Claude and you’ll get headlines, a finished case study, quotes to approve and a LinkedIn post.
Always send the draft to your client to check before it goes anywhere. It’s their story, and they’ll love that you asked.
You are an experienced copywriter who writes case studies for small businesses. Turn my notes from a client interview into a case study that wins me more of this kind of work.
My business and what I sell:
[What you do and who for]
About the client:
[Who they are, what they do, where they are]
The interview notes or transcript:
[Paste them in]
The type of client I want more of:
[Describe them]
Please write:
1. Five headline options that lead with the client’s result.
2. A case study of 400 to 600 words in this order: the client, the problem, what we did, the result, and what happens next. Use the client’s own words wherever you can.
3. Two short quotes I could ask the client to approve.
4. A closing line that invites the reader to book a call.
5. A 150 word version for a LinkedIn post.
Only use results and figures that are in my notes. If something is missing, tell me what to ask the client rather than making it up. Write in plain, warm UK English with no jargon.
Why they work
A short review is lovely to have, but it only says someone was pleased. A case study gives a buyer the reasons to choose you.
When a buyer reads about a business like theirs with a problem like theirs, they think, this person gets it. That does more than any claim you could make about yourself.
Best for: winning work in a sector you want more of
Anyone can say they get results. A case study shows the before, the after and how you got there, in your client’s own words.
Best for: buyers comparing you with cheaper options
Use it on your website, in proposals, in a LinkedIn post, in an email to prospects and as something to send after a sales call.
Best for: getting more out of every happy client
The structure
Keep it to this order and your case study will read like a story, not a sales sheet. One to two pages is plenty.
Add photos of the work or the client wherever you can. A case study with real pictures feels real. One with stock photos feels like an advert.
Getting it right
I read a lot of case studies. The ones that work all have a few things in common.
Fill that headline in with your own client’s real result, never a guess.
Getting the story
Most clients are happy to help if you ask at the right time, which is just after you’ve got them a good result. Explain what’s in it for them too: a case study is free publicity for their business and a link from your website to theirs.
Then book a 20 minute call and record it (with their permission). If you use Zoom on a paid plan, its audio transcript feature will type the whole chat up for you. Ask them: What was going on before you came to us? What had you already tried? Why did you choose us? What changed after we worked together? Can you put a number on it? What would you say to someone thinking of working with us?
Their answers are your case study. Use their words wherever you can, because that’s how your next buyer talks too. Write it up, send it to them to check and approve, and only then publish it. Keep the recording and their approval email too. The advertising rules say testimonials must be genuine and you should be able to prove it, and the ASA’s guidance on testimonials explains what that means.
If you want a hand turning the recording into a first draft, the free prompt at the top of this page does exactly that. And if you’d like every happy client to bring you reviews, referrals and repeat work as well as a case study, that’s what my Turn Happy Customers Into Your Best Salespeople course in the AI Marketing Academy covers.
Got happy clients but not enough new ones?
Learn how to turn every good result into reviews, referrals, case studies and repeat work, so the clients you’ve already helped bring you the next ones. The AI Marketing Academy opens on 14 November.
The AI Marketing Academy
Build an AI marketing team that works for your business. You teach it, your agents do the work, and you stay in control.
Your AI marketing team can help you turn every happy client into a case study, a review and a referral, so good work keeps bringing in new work. The course that covers it is Turn Happy Customers Into Your Best Salespeople.
It’s real marketing, powered by AI, and it opens on 14 November.
Your questions answered
The questions business owners ask me most about writing case studies.
A testimonial is a short quote saying a client was happy. A case study tells the whole story: the problem they had, what you did and the result they got. The best case studies include a testimonial at the end.
For most small businesses, 400 to 800 words is plenty, which is one or two pages. Long enough to tell the story properly, short enough that a busy buyer reads to the end.
Yes. Always ask before you name a client, use their logo or share their results, and send them the finished case study to approve before you publish it. If they’d rather not be named, you can describe them by type of business instead.
On your website, linked from the service pages they relate to, so buyers find them when they’re deciding. Then share them on LinkedIn, add them to proposals and send them to prospects after a sales call.
Want to talk it through first?
My private 1:1 marketing sessions are worth £150 an hour, and your first hour is free. We’ll pick the client stories that will win you more of the work you want.
Pink Elephant AI Marketing Academy
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