How to Do a Case Study When You’ve Never Written One?

A while back, I was talking to a founder at a SaaS mixer (yes, those exist). He told me, “We’ve got a killer product, but somehow... no one trusts us until we get on a call.”

I asked him, “Do you have any case studies?”

He blinked. “No, but we’ve got a really solid features page.”

Friends, if your features page is doing all the heavy lifting, your marketing might need therapy.

Here’s the thing:
In B2B, trust isn’t built with promises—it’s built with proof. And nothing builds trust faster than a sharp, well-told case study.
Not your homepage headline. Not your Google reviews. Not even that one blog post you wrote that went semi-viral on Hacker News in 2021.

And if you think that’s fluff?

• 73% of B2B buyers say case studies are the most influential content when making purchase decisions (Source).

• Meanwhile, 88% of marketers agree that case studies are the most effective form of B2B content marketing (Source).

But most SaaS companies either don’t use them or bury them three clicks deep under “Resources.” 🤦

If you’ve ever had a prospect say, “This looks great, but do you have an example of this working for someone like us?”—congrats, you need a case study.

Now you just need a solid story, a little strategy, and a framework that works.

So, how to write case studies for business? Let’s break it down.

What Is a Case Study, Really?

A case study is a strategic sales asset disguised as a story. For SaaS companies, a good case study shows your product in the wild, solving real pain points for real people, not just ticking off features in a vacuum.

It’s your best chance to say, “Here’s exactly what we did, and here’s the measurable impact we had.”

What makes case studies especially valuable in SaaS is their ability to tackle objections before your sales team ever hops on a call.

Got a long sales cycle? Case studies reduce perceived risk.

Selling to different verticals? Tailor your case studies by segment.

Trying to win the CFO’s blessing? Pull in the ROI metrics.

A well-crafted case study doesn’t just prove value, it aligns your value with the decision-maker’s language.

Here’s what most people miss: the best SaaS case studies don’t just share outcomes. They spotlight process clarity, stakeholder collaboration, tech stack integration, and even change management wins.

Why? Because B2B buyers aren’t just buying results, they’re buying how you got there.

The behind-the-scenes stuff? That’s what helps them picture working with you.

The value is in the nuance, and that’s what separates a skimmed case study from one that actually closes deals.

How To Create a Case Study with Minimal Effort?

So, how do you actually write one that people want to read and remember afterward? One that makes prospects say, “Wait, can you do this for us too?”

Let’s break it down, step by step

Step 1: Set a Clear Objective (Before You Even Open a Google Doc)

Before you write a single word, ask yourself:
“What do I want this case study to do?”

Is it to prove ROI to skeptical CFOs?
Show off a slick integration to a technical buyer?
Help your sales team handle the dreaded “but will it work for us?”

Your goal defines everything else, from the story you tell to the format you choose.

So, before you even start the outline, define:

• Who is this for?

• What part of the funnel will it support?

• What kind of proof will resonate most? (Time saved? Revenue gained? Tech simplified?)

Once your objective is locked in, writing gets 10x easier, and your case study gets 100x more useful.

Step 2: Choose the Right Client

Not every customer success story deserves a spotlight. And just because a client loves you doesn’t mean they’ll make a great case study. You want a story with stakes, a transformation, and (ideally) some metrics that make prospects sit up straighter.

The best case study candidates fall into one or more of these buckets:

• A clear before/after story (“We were drowning in spreadsheets, now we’ve automated 90% of our workflow.”)

• Strong, quantifiable results (Bonus points if it ties to money, time, or growth.)

• A recognizable name or industry relevance (Especially helpful if you’re trying to break into a new vertical.)

• Willingness to go on record (Yes, we love you. No, we can’t get legal to approve anything. RIP.)

Hot take from the field:

“The best stories often come from mid-size, fast-moving customers, not just the whales. They’re scrappy, they’ve seen change fast, and they’ll tell it like it is.”
– SaaSpirin client

Oh, and one more thing: align your client selection with the objective you set in Step 1. Want to show how fast your onboarding process is? Choose someone who got up and running in days, not months.

Step 3: Gather Deep Insights

While working on how do i do a case study, this is where most case studies lose their flavor. They stick to safe questions like “How was your experience?” or “Would you recommend us?” and end up with copy that sounds like a 3-star Yelp review: polite, vague, and entirely forgettable.

If you want a story that actually moves the needle, you need to dig deeper. Don’t just ask what happened—ask why it mattered. Get curious. Get nerdy. Get uncomfortable (in a good way).

Here’s what you’re after:

• Before: What was broken? What were they wasting time or money on? What was frustrating or risky?

• During: Why did they choose you over competitors? What surprised them about the process? What almost derailed things?

• After: What changed? What metrics prove it? How did the team feel about it?

Power questions to steal:

• “What would have happened if you didn’t solve this?”

• “What was your ‘aha’ moment with the product?”

• “How do you explain the impact of this change to your boss?”

Use this tip: Record every interview. Transcribe it. Pull out direct quotes. Because the best lines—the ones that make people feel something—wouldn’t come from your notes, they’ll come from the client's unscripted offhand comment that says it all.

And don’t be afraid to go beyond one interview. Talk to the end user, the stakeholder, the implementation lead. The more perspectives you gather, the richer and more credible your story becomes.

Step 4: Write a Compelling Narrative

This is where you shift from reporting what happened to crafting a journey with tension, transformation, and takeaway.

Here’s a simple, high-converting structure (use it like a template, break it like an artist):

1. Executive Summary

A quick snapshot: what problem was solved, how, and with what outcome? Two to three sentences, max. Make it skimmable.

“In just 30 days, [Client] reduced onboarding time by 60% using [Your SaaS]. Here’s how they did it.”

2. Client Background

Introduce the company. Who are they? What do they do? Make it relatable to your target audience. (“Fast-growing HR tech company serving mid-sized businesses in Europe.” Boom. Done.)

3. The Challenge

What was the real pain point? Don’t just say “they wanted to grow.” Dig into what was blocking them, annoying them, or flat-out breaking. Use their words.

4. The Solution

Now show how your product stepped in—not with a feature list, but with real actions. What did implementation look like? How did your team support them? Bonus points if you can highlight integrations or collaboration moments.

5. The Results

This is the payoff. Numbers, numbers, numbers. Time saved, revenue increased, churn reduced, happiness unlocked. And don’t just dump them—show contrast:

“What used to take 3 weeks now takes 2 days.”

6. Client Quotes

Sprinkle these throughout, but especially at the climax. Look for the emotional punch: “This saved my team 15 hours a week and my sanity.”

7. Call to Action

End strong. Invite the reader to act—whether that’s scheduling a demo, downloading a resource, or sharing it with their team.

Narrative Tip:
Frame it like this: Problem → Stakes → Breakthrough → Impact. That’s what turns a flat testimonial into a conversion machine.

Step 5: Back It Up With Real Evidence

So, how do you do a case study without sounding too full of yourself?

Buyers, especially in B2B SaaS, don’t just want to hear that things improved. They want to know how much, how fast, and what exactly changed.

The magic lies in contrast. Show the “before” clearly enough that the “after” feels like a win. Don’t just say, “They became more efficient.” Say, “They cut manual reporting time from 12 hours a week to 90 minutes.”

Here’s what to include:

• 2–4 solid metrics that tie to business outcomes: revenue, cost savings, time saved, conversion lift, churn drop, etc.

• Visuals: Before/after charts, screenshots, simple graphs. Make the transformation visible, not just readable.

• Specifics: Dates, percentages, real usage data—anything that builds trust and believability.

Step 6: Design for Readability & Multi-Format Use

You could write the world’s most persuasive case study, but if it looks like a tax document, no one’s reading it.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Use short paragraphs, bold subheads, and bullet points to make scanning effortless.

• Pull out key stats and quotes as visual “anchors” throughout the piece.

• Add visuals—graphs, screenshots, flow diagrams—to show impact and simplify complexity.

And don’t just publish it once. Case studies are meant to be reused, repackaged, and redistributed across channels. So think beyond the PDF.

Consider:

• A blog version optimized for SEO

• A two-slide version for sales decks

• A short-form social cut for LinkedIn or email

• A quick video version for demos or nurture flows

Step 7: Validate and Optimize

This part’s not glamorous, but it’s where a lot of case studies go sideways.

Start by looping in the client. Share a draft, give them context, and clearly outline what you need: approval of quotes, confirmation of data, and any legal or branding checks they require. Don’t just ask, “Does this look good?” Instead, ask:

• “Are these numbers correct and okay to publish?”

• “Do these quotes reflect how you’d like to be represented?”

• “Is there anything your team would want removed or clarified?”

Internally, run it past marketing, sales, and anyone else who needs to sign off. Sales teams, especially, will spot places where more specificity or a stronger objection handler could make it more usable in real conversations.

Then, edit ruthlessly. Cut the fluff. Check the tone. Prove it line by line.

And finally, optimize. Make sure the URL, title, meta description, and image alt tags are SEO-friendly. Add internal links to relevant product or industry pages. Case studies can drive organic traffic, not just conversions, if they’re findable.

Step 8: Publish and Promote

You’ve put in the work—don’t just toss your case study into a hidden “Resources” tab and call it a day.

Start by giving it a proper launch:

• Feature it on your homepage or create a dedicated “Success Stories” section.

• Link to it from relevant product or industry pages.

• Send it in your next email newsletter or onboarding drip.

• Turn it into a blog post or LinkedIn carousel.

And remember: the best case studies don’t just live on your site. Repurpose them for every part of your funnel:

• Top of funnel? Use them in ads to establish credibility.

• Middle of funnel? Include them in nurture emails and retargeting.

• Bottom of funnel? Arm your sales team with a one-pager or slide deck version.

Step 9: Track and Refresh

Your case study is live. It’s out in the world. But your job isn’t over.

Like any high-performing asset, case studies need to be monitored and maintained. This isn’t just about tracking pageviews—it’s about measuring impact. Are people reading it? Is it showing up in sales calls? Is it helping move deals down the pipeline?

Here’s what to track:

• Time on page and scroll depth (are people actually reading it?)

• Click-through rates on CTAs

• Inbound leads mentioning the case study

• Sales team usage and feedback

If a case study isn’t getting traction, revisit your headline or how you’re distributing it. Sometimes a small shift in framing (“How [X] Cut Costs by 40%” vs. “Our Work With [X]”) makes all the difference.

And don’t let your best stories go stale. Revisit top-performing case studies every 6–12 months. Update metrics, add a follow-up quote, or expand the story if the customer’s grown with you. Buyers love to see not just wins, but lasting impact.

Think of your case studies like compounding interest. The more you keep them relevant and reused, the more they return.

What Does a Great Case Study Actually Look Like?

Let’s stop talking theory and show you the real thing. Below is a complete case study example, built using the same framework we recommend to our clients.

Absentify × Territorium

Source

https://www.saaspirin.co/work/absentify-territorium

How we created the testimonial
When SaaSpirin spoke to Mariela Flores from Territorium, her HR team was doing what way too many global teams still do, tracking employee leave across multiple countries… in Excel. And not just one Excel. Multiple sheets. Different files. Different people. No central system. “It was taking us a lot of time,” she said. Understatement of the year.

The challenge
Territorium, with 12M+ users and teams across several countries, had zero visibility and tons of manual effort baked into a process that should have been simple. Leave requests were sent to multiple people, tracked in scattered spreadsheets, and riddled with opportunities for error.

The solution
They switched to absentify, a Microsoft-integrated leave management platform. Setup took less than a week. Adoption? Seamless. With help from onboarding videos and native Outlook integration, the HR team went from chaos to clarity practically overnight.

The results

• 70% reduction in admin workload

• 2 people now manage what used to take 5

• Real-time visibility across teams

• No more errors, missed emails, or “Who approved this?” moments

Why it works
Clear challenge. Tangible results. A real quote from a real person:

“We love it, to be honest.”- Mariela Flores, Talent Acquisition & Development Leader

What is a Case Study Template That I Can Use?

So, how do you conduct a case study?

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need a format that’s clear, persuasive, and tailored for busy decision-makers.

Here’s a case study template we’ve seen work across dozens of SaaS teams, tight enough to stay readable, flexible enough to customize:

1. Title

Format: How [Client] Achieved [Impressive Result] Using [Your Product]

Example:

How Growlytics Increased Product Signups by 63% Using OnboardIQ

2. Executive Summary

Format: 2–3 sentence summary of the challenge, your solution, and the outcome.

Example:
When Growlytics noticed a steep drop in trial-to-paid conversions, they turned to OnboardIQ to fix onboarding friction. Within six weeks, they cut user drop-off by 42% and boosted paid signups by 63% with personalized onboarding journeys.

3. About the Client

Format: Brief background of who they are, what they do, and their market.

Example:
Growlytics is a product analytics platform serving mid-sized SaaS businesses across North America. Their tool helps teams visualize user behavior and product engagement without needing SQL or engineering support.

4. The Challenge

Format: Describe the specific pain point or goal the client was struggling with.

Example:
Despite strong acquisition numbers, Growlytics was losing 7 out of 10 users during onboarding. They had no way to tailor onboarding experiences based on user roles, which led to confusion, drop-offs, and low activation rates.

5. The Solution

Format: Explain what you did, how you implemented it, and any standout tactics or features used.

Example:
The team used OnboardIQ’s no-code onboarding builder to launch three user-specific flows—marketers, product teams, and founders. They integrated Mixpanel events to trigger in-app guidance based on real-time behavior, and layered in A/B tests to refine the messaging.

6. The Results

Format: List 2–4 outcomes with specific metrics. Use contrast (“before vs. after”) wherever possible.

Example:

• Trial-to-paid conversions increased from 9.2% to 15.0%

• First-session activation jumped by 47%

• Onboarding-related support tickets dropped by 33%

• 25% less manual onboarding effort reported by the CS team

7. Client Quotes

Format: 1–2 powerful, specific quotes that add emotion or credibility to the story.

Example:

“This was the first time we felt in control of our onboarding. It was targeted, fast, and clearly working within a week.”
– Nina Patankar, Head of Product, Growlytics

8. Visuals

Format: Include screenshots, graphs, diagrams, or branded quote cards to make the content more engaging.

Example:

• Chart showing pre/post onboarding conversions

• Screenshot of a personalized in-app message

• Workflow diagram of the onboarding sequence

• Pull-quote graphic with “+47% Activation” stat

9. Call to Action

Format: Clear next step. Invite the reader to take action—demo, read more, download, etc.

Example:
Want to reduce onboarding drop-off like Growlytics?
Book a free onboarding audit →
Explore more SaaS success stories at onboardiq.com/results

Or… Get Someone Who Actually Knows What They’re Doing

Look, you could write your own case study. You could chase down clients for quotes, awkwardly transcribe interviews, wrestle with metrics, and spend your weekend formatting PDFs like it’s 2009.

Or… you could call in the pros.

At SaaSpirin, we live and breathe B2B SaaS case studies. We know how to dig out the real story—the one that moves the needle, not just fills the page. We handle the outreach, the interviews, the writing, the design, the approvals… all of it.

You get a high-converting, on-brand case study that your sales team will actually use—and your prospects will actually read.

Zero stress. All signal. No fluff.

Let’s turn your customer wins into growth →

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main parts of a case study?

A strong case study includes a research question, case study design, key problems, data collection plan, sources of evidence, and a final case study report based on solid evidence from different angles.

How long should a case study be?

It depends on the case study approach, but most effective case studies are 800–1,500 words, covering the necessary information, alternative solutions, and conclusions drawn from both quantitative methods and qualitative research.

Do I need consent to publish a case study?

Yes. You need written consent, especially if the case study research involves primary research interest, focus groups, or internal data sources. Research team access must also be approved for ethical case study analysis.

How do I choose the best subject for my case study?

Start with a particular case aligned with your research question. Use case selection methods that consider available sources of data, unit of analysis, and whether you're conducting an intrinsic case study or a collective case study.

What are common mistakes to avoid when writing a case study?

Avoid weak data sources, unclear case study design, and skipping the first draft of your case study analysis. Missing the time period or failing to explore alternative solutions can weaken your overall argument.

Can someone help me with this case study?

Yes. A case study research partner can help with data analysis, case study design, and writing the first draft of your case study analysis, ensuring your report includes all necessary information and solid evidence.

What is the best format for case studies on your site?

A clean, skimmable format works best—introduce the research question, outline key problems, walk through data collection, and present a case study report with solid evidence and alternative solutions from different angles.

What are the key components of an effective case study?

An effective case study includes a clear case study approach, unit of analysis, primary research interest, solid data sources, and findings supported by both qualitative research and quantitative methods.

How can visuals enhance the presentation of a case study?

Visuals clarify data analysis, highlight alternative solutions, and make complex sources of evidence easier to digest. Charts, timelines, and infographics help communicate different angles and results from your case study research.

How are case studies conducted?

Case studies are conducted through a defined case study design, case selection, and data collection using interviews, focus groups, or documents. Analysis is based on the time period, sources of data, and research team access.