If you want to win the trust of customers and give your sales team some serious ammo, then you need to know how to write a killer SaaS case study.

It's the perfect way to showcase your success story, prove why customers should trust you, and make potential leads stop in their tracks to say, “hold on, these guys are onto something!”

But writing an effective case study takes some guidance – you need to put in the time, research, and lots of hard work. But where do you even begin? Don't worry, we got you covered with this ultimate guide on how to write a case study that will have your potential customers lining up to do business with you.

Psst! Need a pro to write a SaaS case study for you? Save time by giving us the talking points. We'll get on it! Reach out today 😉

Case studies: What's in it for me? ⚖️

You might be wondering, why should I bother writing a case study? Well there are plenty of reasons. Here are the most important reasons:

Showcases Success: A case study allows you to showcase the success of your product or service and demonstrate how it has helped other companies achieve their goals.
Builds Trust: By providing real-world examples of how your product or service has helped other businesses, a case study can help build trust with potential customers.
Provides Social Proof: A case study provides social proof that your product or service is effective and can help increase conversions.
Improves SEO: A well-written and optimized case study can improve your website's search engine ranking and increase visibility.
Provides Competitive Advantage: A case study can set you apart from your competitors and provide a competitive advantage.

According to the 2020 State of Marketing Report by HubSpot, case studies are the fifth most popular form of content used by marketers, with 13% naming them as a primary component of their content strategy. They’re only surpassed in popularity only by visual content, blogs, and ebooks.

Step 1: What will you document in your case study? ✍️

The first step in writing a killer case study is to figure out exactly who you will be documenting. Who are the protagonists in your story, and what do you want to show them doing?

We think it goes without saying that no one wants to read about a failure (but we'll say it anyway, in case). But you also don’t want to just pick any random customer success story – it needs to feel authentic and relevant. That means choosing a customer that represents the majority of your user base, and who has experienced a significant improvement with your product or service.

Some factors to consider when selecting a subject include:

The industry they're in
The size of their business
Their success metrics

Once you've found the perfect subject, it's time to approach them and get their buy-in.

Step 2: Approach this client for a case study interview

Next up, it's time to prepare for the case study interview.

This is where you'll ask all the juicy details about how your product or service helped them kick butt in their industry. To make sure you don't miss anything important, prepare a list of relevant and effective questions ahead of time.

Sample questions to ask during a SaaS case study interview:

Can you describe the business problem or challenge you were facing before using our product/service?
How did our product/service help solve that problem or challenge?
Can you provide specific examples of how our product/service improved your business operations or bottom line?
How has our product/service impacted your customer satisfaction or retention?
Can you discuss any measurable results, such as increased productivity or cost savings, that have been achieved since implementing our product/service?
How has our product/service helped your company stand out in your industry?
Can you discuss any unique or innovative ways your company has utilized our product/service?
How does our product/service compare to other solutions you have used in the past?
Can you discuss any future plans for continuing to use or expand upon our product/service?
Can you provide a testimonial or quote about your experience with our product/service that we can include in the case study?

Keep in mind, depending on the nature of the product or service you're providing and the industry of the customer, you may need to adjust the questions accordingly.

But what if my client doesn't have time/is putting off the interview? Your clients are busy people. Understandable. So,

a) Don't be afraid to send them a written questionnaire that they can fill out on their own time, or,

b) If you know their situation well enough, write the answers yourself and get them to sign off on the case study for accuracy.

Oh, and when it comes to conducting the interview, remember to schedule it at a time that works for both parties, choose a location where you'll be able to hear each other clearly, and make sure to take notes and/or record the interview (with their permission, of course).

Pro tip: Sweeten the deal by offering them a complimentary service or a discounted rate on your product.

Step 3: Time to write out your SaaS case study 📝

You've done your research, and you've interviewed your customer. Now it's time to start writing the case study itself. Start off by crafting a compelling headline that will grab readers' attention from the get-go.

Tips for writing a click-worthy case study headline

As copywriters, we know a thing or two about writing headlines, so let us give you a few tips:

Keep it short and sweet. You want to grab people's attention but not overload them with too much information. A headline should be brief and to the point, ideally no more than 10-12 words.
Use strong action words: Words like "boosted," "increased," or "transformed" can make your headline more powerful and convey the impact of your solution.
Throw in the juicy numbers. Including numbers and statistics in the headline can make it more attention-grabbing and demonstrate the value of your solution. A headline like “How Our Product Helped a Business Triple Its Revenue” will make readers want to jump right in and learn more about how you achieved such great results.

Examples of compelling case study headlines

"X Company boosts revenue by 30% with Y Product"
"How Z Service helped A Retailer increase online sales by 50%"
"B Tech firm achieves a 90% reduction in customer complaints with C Solution"
"D Consulting firm's employee productivity skyrockets with E Tool"
"F Industry leader improves customer retention by 20% with G Platform"

Now it's time for the meat and potatoes: the body of your case study.

In the introduction, provide some background information on the customer, including their industry and what challenges they faced. Then, briefly explain why your product/service was the best solution for their needs.
In the main body of your case study, tell the story of how you worked with this customer and achieved success. Address any challenges that arose along the way and discuss how you overcame them. Include quotes from both yourself and your customer to bring the story to life.
When describing the results, be sure to include specific numbers and metrics whenever possible. This will help readers understand just how much impact your solution had on the customer's bottom line.
Finally, wrap things up by re-stating the key takeaways from the case study in a compelling conclusion.

Pro tip: Don't forget to include screenshots, videos, or other multimedia elements in the case study to make it more engaging and visually appealing. Articles with images get 94% more views as opposed to those with no visuals – so this is an easy hack to get some free exposure for your SaaS case study on Google.

Step 4: Promoting your SaaS case study 📈

Now that you've written your case study, it's time to get the word out to make the most out of it. Here are a few ideas on how to use the case study to promote your SaaS product:

Share it on social media: Social media is a great way to spread the word about your case study and reach new audiences. Share it across all the platforms you use, and don't forget to include relevant hashtags for extra visibility.
Send it out via email: Email is still one of the most effective ways to get your message out there. Send the case study out as an attachment or include a link in your emails.
Include it on your website: Feature the case study prominently on your homepage and product pages, as well as other landing pages.
Write a blog post about it: Post the case study on your blog with an accompanying article that elaborates on the case study's main points. And whenever possible, link to it from related blog posts.
Use it in your trade show booth: If you're attending a trade show, bring copies of the case study to hand out in your booth and use it as part of your pitch.

These are just a few ideas on how to promote your case study and maximize its reach. Remember, the more people see it, the more impact it will have.

Now let's study some SaaS case study examples 🔎

1. How a Major Financial Services Company Improved Conversion 118% with Heap

Heap is a digital insights platform that gives you a comprehensive understanding of your customer's online behavior and journey - so you can boost conversions, retention rates, and customer satisfaction.

They have an arsenal full of customer stories that detail how their platform helped businesses achieve success. The more the merrier. For example, one of the case studies tells the story of how Heap helped a major financial services company increase conversion by 118%.

What they did right:

Heap didn't hesitate to mention that they helped boost the client's conversion rate by a whopping 118% in their title – immediately catching the reader’s attention.
The case study was neatly divided into sections, making it easy for readers to follow the story. If you notice on the right (highlighted with a red box), they've included a neat overview that gives users a critical snapshot of the story with the industry, use cases, and results.
Clear, accessible CTA: Heap conveniently leaves an easily visible "Contact Us" button on the side of the page, so it's always available to their viewer, even when they're scrolling.

2. How a Typeform cut an agency’s lead-to-client time by 40%

Typeform is an online form and survey platform that helps businesses make their forms more interactive and engaging. In this case study, they highlighted how one of their clients was able to reduce lead-to-client time by a crazy 40%.

What they did right

They made the content digestible – everything from bolding the most critical information to adding appropriate subheadings to break the page up by "The Challenge," "The Solution," and "The Outcome."
Still using their client as a real-life demonstration, Typeform outlined exactly how to use their tool with product screenshots and easy-to-understand textual instructions.

They even threw in direct quotes from their client, so customers can hear from the horse's mouth just how successful Typeform is.

3. ChurnKey's wombo combo of client mentions, reviews, and case studies.

Who said you only had to boast case studies? Churnkey enables SaaS companies to deliver and manage custom cancellation flows to retain more customers.

What they did differently was dedicate a Happy Customers page that integrates client logo mentions, reviews, and actual case studies – hitting three birds with one stone. Notice how they didn't forget to keep those titles descriptive, number-driven, and catchy to draw readers in. You also can't miss the clear CTA, "Reduce your churn now," at the end of each case study.

Screenshot of Churnkey’s case studies page

Did someone call for a case study?

And that about wraps up our guide for writing a killer SaaS case study! By now, you should have enough knowledge and expertise to get started. Just remember to keep your story compelling, showcase the results in an easily digestible format, and let your successes shine so clients will be more likely to be interested in your product.

Need some expert help crafting your SaaS case study?

Get in touch with our SaaS experts today – we'd love to hear from you! 📝💃🏼✨

How to Write a Killer SaaS Case Study: The Ultimate Guide