You’ll often hear me say that case studies are one of the most under-utilised tools in the construction industry’s toolbox. When written well, they have the potential to win you new clients by demonstrating why you’re a leading expert in your field. They are also great value – written once and able to be used in a variety of ways.
Turning satisfied clients into champions of your business is a powerful strategy. Champions not only return for future projects but also become vocal advocates, helping to attract new clients. One of the most effective ways to achieve this transformation is through well-crafted case studies.
But I know not everyone is at a point in their business where they can afford to have case studies written for them. So I thought I would offer some tips to those of you writing your own case studies. You can write a simple Problem/Brief and Solution type case study. These are usually a couple of short paragraphs and you might use them in capability statements or on your website.
But if you want to write a longer, more compelling construction case study that will help you win new clients, then these are my tips.
Understanding your client’s journey
Preparation is key to writing great case studies. So you need to do some groundwork before you begin writing. Firstly, you need to choose a good project for your case study. It might be one that required an innovative solution, or excellent collaboration between a number of parties. It might be one that shows off a particular expert skill you have, or a new product/method that you’re using to improve outcomes. Whichever project you choose, ensure that others will be on board. Your case study will be stronger if you have the input and opinions of others.
Understanding the journey your client went through is crucial because this is the narrative you want to present to readers. What was their initial brief? Did it change through the course of the project? How did you help achieve the client’s goal? Identify the key touchpoints and milestones that defined their journey. You don’t need to cover these all in your case study, but they’ll help you to understand the transformation or outcome that was achieved.
Crafting a compelling case study
A compelling case study or customer success story follows a structured narrative arc that engages the reader. Start by introducing the client and their initial challenges. Then, detail the steps you took to address these challenges and the innovative solutions you implemented. Finally, conclude with the successful outcomes and the positive impact on the client.
When you’re first starting out writing case studies, you might like to stick to clear headings that will help you maintain this narrative structure – Introduction, Problem, Solution.
Here are some other tips to help you write case studies with impact:
Highlight client’s voice
Let your client’s voice shine through by including direct quotes and testimonials. This not only adds authenticity to your case study but also allows prospective clients to hear about your capabilities and successes directly from those who have experienced them firsthand.
Showcase measurable results
Whenever possible, include statistics or data that show the impact of your work. This might include growth experienced by your client, or money and time savings they’ve made due to your service/product.
Make it easy to read
Even though you’re writing a more in depth case study, it’s still important to make it easy to read. Using paragraphs and subparagraphs, or even dot points if appropriate, will make it more appealing. At the beginning of the sales stage, the potential client may not read every word and will instead scan the case study for the information they need. So it’s important to make this easy.
Simple language
A compelling, complex or detailed case study can be written in simple language. In fact, it should be. Simple language written in shorter sentences will help get your message across quickly and more efficiently. And this means that the person reading it will be more likely to absorb the information, and even act on it. This is even more important if your case study will be available online, as online information can be harder to scan and absorb if too complex.
Tell a story
Remember that a case study is a customer success story. You’re telling a story about your project. Imagine speaking that story to someone. Tell your best friend or your family about this great project you just completed. Record yourself. By speaking it out loud, you’ll get clarity about the order you need to tell the story in and the plain English you want to use while telling it.
Whether you’re a builder, engineer, architect, tech developer or someone else in the construction industry, I hope the above tips help you when writing a case study.
It does take some practise to weave in all of the above with the information from your interviewee. But the more you write, the easier it gets. Grab your free guide to writing your own case studies for more tips.
If you don’t have time or couldn’t think of anything worse than writing a case study but still want to reap the benefits, check out my case study packages. You can also follow me on YouTube for more tips about case studies and marketing your construction business.
Other blogs you may be interested in:
How to structure your case study for maximum impact
10 ways to use a case study to grow your construction business
Client interview tips to enhance your case studies
How case studies drive business growth