12 inspiring content marketing case study examples [2022]
Afoma Umesi
GatherContent Contributor, Writer
Case studies have been hailed as a highly effective tool for content marketing—especially for nurturing readers through the middle of the funnel (MOFU) and bottom of the funnel (BOFU).
If you’re new to the world of case studies, we’ll be diving into what case studies are and why they’re important. We’ll also highlight some compelling case study examples that you can learn from.
What is a case study?
A good case study highlights customer stories showing the following:
The problems the business faced before using a product
How the product proposed to solve the problems
The before and after of using a product
The measurable positive impact of the product on metrics such as click-through rate, website traffic, or sales
"A case study in marketing is detailed, data-backed research into the effectiveness of a product or service."
While case studies are most often product or service-focused, sometimes businesses use case studies to share their brand or founder story.
These types of case studies typically focus on organizational progress, such as how they grew their revenue or website traffic. One example is this Outfunnel case study on how the team saved over 80% of its time with user onboarding.
Why are case studies important?
Although they may not suit every business, case studies are beneficial for helping SaaS brands reach future customers.
If they make sense for your industry, case studies should be an important part of your content marketing strategy for many reasons.
Three reasons you should incorporate them as soon as possible are:
To provide value to your audience: At its core, the best marketing doesn’t just serve to drive sales; it should serve your audience. Case studies are a brilliant way to teach your audience tips they can incorporate into their businesses. It can also serve as research that industry experts will quote in the future.
To show off your expertise: A great case study is a perfect blend of data and storytelling. It showcases your expertise to your target audience, most likely dealing with similar issues. By telling a good story in your case studies, you’re essentially saying, “Look how we made everything better for X client—we can do that for you, too.”
As social proof: Because case studies are available to the public, they’re undeniable social proof—better than hard-to-believe testimonials with client initials. This makes them extra valuable as MOFU and BOFU content; they can drive sales at the click of a button.
Good to Know: Not sure how to use case studies? They work well as lead magnets, landing pages, repurposed blog posts, and, if you have the capacity, even video content!
12 Real-Life Case Study Examples to Bookmark
Reading about the mechanics of case studies is more straightforward than writing case studies from scratch.
That’s why we’ve gathered 12 real-life marketing case study examples you can review before you embark on creating yours.
What works: In this great case study, GatherContent includes quotes from the client (the University of Edinburgh) about how their software has improved their content workflow. This adds a human element and will help readers with the same issues identify with the client.
What works: Besides hosting this case study on their website, Bit.ly provides a PDF link that can both be viewed online or downloaded. Plus, the PDF is visually appealing and easy to read.
What works: Asana leads with their impact and includes basic information about their client to the right of the page so the reader immediately gets bite-sized background information.
What works: Shopify includes a video in their case study, as well as multiple eye-catching images of Bombas products. This ensures that the case study serves both companies, possibly generating customer interest in Bombas socks.
What works: Outfunnel has repurposed their case study into a blog post, which increases its visibility. The study is also full of client quotes, which adds valuable social proof.
What works: Sapling also shares quick preliminary information about Zapier on the left panel and includes several screenshots to show the impact of their product on the company’s processes.
What works: The quick metrics in bold hit readers quickly and highlight BigCommerce expertise to potential customers even before they read the entire case study.
What works: Video format. Few things beat hearing the client praise the service and explain the process and results of the campaign in their own words.
What works: The main benefit is highlighted on the first page of the PDF and the rest of the study delves into the process and the nitty-gritty of the product’s impact.
What works: This page features minimal text. It focuses on quotes from decision-makers at Upwork and ends with a call-to-action that will likely drive conversions.
How to Create a Case Study in GatherContent
With these A+ examples of case studies, it's time to create your own case study. Remember to include the following vital sections in your case study format:
Title
Client name and profile
The problem
Your solution (and screenshots!)
Quotes
Before and after (real results with data)
Appealing visuals, photos, illustrations, infographics, charts, and graphs
A memorable CTA
Thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone. GatherContent makes it possible to keep track of all your case study research—even while working with your marketing team. You don’t have to guess what stage the piece is at or consult another tool to know when your part is due or who to pass the torch to.
GatherContent is a content hub that helps you keep all your content creation in one place, whether you’re writing blog posts, email newsletters, social media posts, or case studies. With content modeling features like Components, you can effortlessly maintain brand identity throughout all your case studies.
If you’re new to the world of case studies, we’ll be diving into what case studies are and why they’re important. We’ll also highlight some compelling case study examples that you can learn from.
What is a case study?
A good case study highlights customer stories showing the following:
The problems the business faced before using a product
How the product proposed to solve the problems
The before and after of using a product
The measurable positive impact of the product on metrics such as click-through rate, website traffic, or sales
"A case study in marketing is detailed, data-backed research into the effectiveness of a product or service."
While case studies are most often product or service-focused, sometimes businesses use case studies to share their brand or founder story.
These types of case studies typically focus on organizational progress, such as how they grew their revenue or website traffic. One example is this Outfunnel case study on how the team saved over 80% of its time with user onboarding.
Why are case studies important?
Although they may not suit every business, case studies are beneficial for helping SaaS brands reach future customers.
If they make sense for your industry, case studies should be an important part of your content marketing strategy for many reasons.
Three reasons you should incorporate them as soon as possible are:
To provide value to your audience: At its core, the best marketing doesn’t just serve to drive sales; it should serve your audience. Case studies are a brilliant way to teach your audience tips they can incorporate into their businesses. It can also serve as research that industry experts will quote in the future.
To show off your expertise: A great case study is a perfect blend of data and storytelling. It showcases your expertise to your target audience, most likely dealing with similar issues. By telling a good story in your case studies, you’re essentially saying, “Look how we made everything better for X client—we can do that for you, too.”
As social proof: Because case studies are available to the public, they’re undeniable social proof—better than hard-to-believe testimonials with client initials. This makes them extra valuable as MOFU and BOFU content; they can drive sales at the click of a button.
Good to Know: Not sure how to use case studies? They work well as lead magnets, landing pages, repurposed blog posts, and, if you have the capacity, even video content!
12 Real-Life Case Study Examples to Bookmark
Reading about the mechanics of case studies is more straightforward than writing case studies from scratch.
That’s why we’ve gathered 12 real-life marketing case study examples you can review before you embark on creating yours.
What works: In this great case study, GatherContent includes quotes from the client (the University of Edinburgh) about how their software has improved their content workflow. This adds a human element and will help readers with the same issues identify with the client.
What works: Besides hosting this case study on their website, Bit.ly provides a PDF link that can both be viewed online or downloaded. Plus, the PDF is visually appealing and easy to read.
What works: Asana leads with their impact and includes basic information about their client to the right of the page so the reader immediately gets bite-sized background information.
What works: Shopify includes a video in their case study, as well as multiple eye-catching images of Bombas products. This ensures that the case study serves both companies, possibly generating customer interest in Bombas socks.
What works: Outfunnel has repurposed their case study into a blog post, which increases its visibility. The study is also full of client quotes, which adds valuable social proof.
What works: Sapling also shares quick preliminary information about Zapier on the left panel and includes several screenshots to show the impact of their product on the company’s processes.
What works: The quick metrics in bold hit readers quickly and highlight BigCommerce expertise to potential customers even before they read the entire case study.
What works: Video format. Few things beat hearing the client praise the service and explain the process and results of the campaign in their own words.
What works: The main benefit is highlighted on the first page of the PDF and the rest of the study delves into the process and the nitty-gritty of the product’s impact.
What works: This page features minimal text. It focuses on quotes from decision-makers at Upwork and ends with a call-to-action that will likely drive conversions.
How to Create a Case Study in GatherContent
With these A+ examples of case studies, it's time to create your own case study. Remember to include the following vital sections in your case study format:
Title
Client name and profile
The problem
Your solution (and screenshots!)
Quotes
Before and after (real results with data)
Appealing visuals, photos, illustrations, infographics, charts, and graphs
A memorable CTA
Thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone. GatherContent makes it possible to keep track of all your case study research—even while working with your marketing team. You don’t have to guess what stage the piece is at or consult another tool to know when your part is due or who to pass the torch to.
GatherContent is a content hub that helps you keep all your content creation in one place, whether you’re writing blog posts, email newsletters, social media posts, or case studies. With content modeling features like Components, you can effortlessly maintain brand identity throughout all your case studies.
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