A Case Study Template: Structure, Interview Questions and the Rules on Claims

A case study template should include six parts: a customer snapshot, the problem in the customer's terms, what you did, the results with how they were measured, a quote the customer approved, and a clear next step for the reader. Keep each part short enough to scan. A prospect reading a case study is asking one question: could this happen for me?

Order matters less than completeness. The weakest case studies skip the measurement method, so the reader cannot judge whether "doubled enquiries" means from 4 to 8 or from 400 to 800. The blank template below is a structure to fill with real material. Do not use it to produce a placeholder story; a case study with invented content is an advertising claim without a basis.

Length and tone follow the reader's stage. Someone comparing suppliers wants the result and the method quickly; someone near a decision wants detail on cost, timing and what went wrong. A short version for the website and a longer one for sales conversations can come from the same interview and the same evidence file, which saves a second round of customer time.

Start with the situation, not the product. Ask what was happening in the business when they decided to act, what they had tried, and what a good outcome would have looked like at the start. These answers give you the problem section in the customer's own phrasing, which is more believable than yours.

Then ask for specifics you can verify. Which number do they watch, and where is it kept? What was it before, and over what period did it change? What else changed in that time, such as a price rise or a seasonal peak? Finish by asking what they would tell a peer considering the same step, and what did not go well. Honest limits make the rest more credible.

Record the call with the customer's consent and write up quotes only from the recording. People remember their own words differently a week later, and a transcript gives you something to point to if a figure is questioned. Ask permission to follow up by email for numbers; customers will often send an export later that is more accurate than what they recalled on the call.

Yes to permission, in writing, covering the company name, the person's name and title, the quote word for word, and any numbers. Let the customer review the final draft. In the US, the FTC's Endorsement Guides treat an endorsement as a message consumers are likely to believe reflects the views of someone other than the advertiser, and require that it reflect honest opinions. They also require disclosure of material connections, such as payment, free services or discounts given for the story.

Claims need a reasonable basis before you publish them. The FTC's advertising substantiation policy says advertisers must have that basis before a claim is disseminated, and that it covers implied as well as express claims. Its endorsement guidance adds that a testimonial claiming specific results is usually read as what others can expect, and that "results not typical" does not change that reading. If a result was exceptional, either have proof it is typical or say plainly what is generally expected. Rules differ outside the US and in regulated industries such as health and finance, so confirm with counsel or your professional body.

Lead with the result and its context, then explain how it happened. A strong opening sentence gives the outcome, the period and the baseline: for instance, "Qualified enquiries rose from X to Y per month between January and June, measured in the customer's CRM" with real figures in place of the letters. Then walk through the problem, the steps and the constraints, and keep every number tied to its source.

Include the parts that make it believable: what you could not control, what else changed, and what you would do differently. Add a line on how the figures were produced and the dates they cover. Where the customer's team did the work alongside you, say so; crediting everyone is both fair and more persuasive. Keep the source exports so you can answer if a reader or a regulator asks.

If the results are modest, say so and still publish. A credible account of a twelve percent improvement, with the method and the dates, persuades more readers than an unexplained claim of tripling. Always state the baseline and the period; a percentage without them is not a claim anyone can check.

Publish what you actually have, labelled as what it is. A method write-up explains how you would approach a problem, using public information and clearly marked assumptions. An independent analysis examines a public example and states that the subject was not a client. A process note describes what you did on your own site. None of these implies a customer relationship that does not exist.

Do not write a hypothetical story with a made-up customer and made-up numbers, even with a small disclaimer. A reader may not see the disclaimer, and an AI summary may well drop it. If a real project finished without a measurable result, a candid write-up of what was tried and learned can still earn trust. The next step is to ask your best customer for a ten-minute interview today.

Aim for 500 to 900 words with a clear heading for each template part, a short summary at the top and the key result stated in the first two sentences. Readers skim, and so do the AI tools that summarise pages, so each section should make sense when lifted out on its own. A one-page PDF version helps sales teams attach it to a proposal.

Publish it on a page of its own, not only in a slide deck, so it can be found and cited. Link it from the service page it supports and from related posts, using descriptive anchor text. Add the date and the period the figures cover, and put a reminder in your calendar to review the claims in a year; the FTC's guidance notes that if you imply an endorser still uses a product, you need good reason to believe they do.

Treat the customer as a stakeholder, not a prop. Share the draft early, accept corrections to factual points without argument, and send the published link. A customer who feels respected will often agree to a second story or a referral, which is worth more than any single page.