5 Steps to a Case Study That Makes Clients ‘Holy Sh*t’

· May 21st, 2025 ·

Hey friend 👋

It’s an exciting week here at Ravenwood! My new course, Case Study Accelerator, is officially open for registration.

It’s the FASTEST way to start landing paying case study writing gigs that pay big bucks.

If you’ve been following the newsletter for a while, you know I’m passionate about this niche. Writing case studies has allowed me to support my wife through grad school, scale my freelance business to new heights, and work less while earning more.

It has truly changed my life. I want the same for you.

That’s why I’m pulling back the curtain on everything I’ve learned in Case Study Accelerator to help you get your foot in the door of this high-paying niche.

Oh, and if you register this week, you can lock in a special pre-sale discount as well as exclusive live coaching calls with me.

Interested? Grab your spot now.

Now, onto the newsletter 🙂

This week I’m sharing a little taste of what you can expect from the course and breaking down the five essential elements of every great marketing case study.

Enjoy!

Best,

🐦‍⬛ Cody – Founder @ Ravenwood Writing Academy

P.S. Case Study Accelerator comes with a 90-day risk-free guarantee. If you complete the course, follow all the steps, and still don’t land a paid gig in 90 days, I’ll refund your entire investment, no questions asked.

I know everyone’s wallets are stretched thin, and investing in an online course can be risky. But I’m so confident you’ll benefit from Case Study Accelerator that this show of faith is a no-brainer!

Here’s the link again to sign up if you’re interested: Learn More.

🧛 Freelance Bites:

News and Resources in 2 Minutes

• SEO has changed a lot recently. This is a fantastic report on where it’s at and where it could be heading (Detailed).
• If you don’t know the name Jon Morrow, you should. This is one of the best stories I’ve heard of someone scaling a freelance writing business (LinkedIn).
• Breaking into the case study writing niche is worth the effort. This is how you can position yourself as an expert… even if you’ve never written a case study before (Ravenwood Writing Academy Blog).
• Criticism is part of the territory when you’re a writer. Here are four ways to keep those critical voices quiet (The Write Life).

📬 Letters From My Desk

What Makes the Bones of a Great Case Study?

Case studies are the heavy lifters of the marketing world. A great one can help clients generate thousands of dollars in new business.

But only when it’s structured with intention. A poorly designed case study is just a blog post with extra steps.

That’s why expert case study writers can charge upwards of $2,000 for a single project.

Today, I want to walk you through the five essential parts of a high-converting case study. These are the same ones I’ve used to write killer case studies for eight-figure brands (and that you’ll learn to apply inside my new course: Case Study Accelerator).

Let’s look at the bones.

1️⃣ The Hook

Every great case study is useless if no one reads it. That’s why yours needs to start with a hook that tees up the success story without giving too much away.

Your goal is to set expectations and connect with the reader in some way. Appeal to their emotions. State their problem before they tell you. Show how X company solved their biggest challenge with a concrete metric.

When the reader sees their story in the case study, they want to keep reading. This is how great case study hooks work.

2️⃣ The Context

You’re not here to write a novel. But you do need to give just enough backstory to introduce the client, their offer, and the problem they were facing.

Skip the fluff and focus on real-world challenges. What was the problem? How did your client’s solution help X company overcome it?

3️⃣ The Strategy

This is where your client’s approach/product/service/team gets the spotlight. What decisions did they make? How did they identify and solve the problem? What actions did they take?

Ironically, this should be one of the shortest sections. You don’t want to give away a step-by-step roadmap to solving the problem. You simply want to show why your client’s expertise allowed them to solve it.

Bonus points if you can back up the strategy with a few authentic quotes from someone involved in the project.

4️⃣ The Results

Time to share the outcome. Ideally, you’ll do it with hard numbers.

Whether it’s new leads, more revenue, or a drop in churn, results are what sell. In the B2B world, measurable wins are essential. The B2C space can be a bit more accepting of qualitative testimonials and “customer stories,” but data-backed results are still #1.

5️⃣ Call to Action

Telling a feel-good story is great. But case studies need to convert readers into buyers to be effective. A clear, direct call to action is an essential component.

Note this doesn’t necessarily mean asking the reader to buy something. The goal could be scheduling intro calls, starting a free trial, or booking a tour. Regardless of what the goal outcome is, readers should walk away from a case study knowing exactly what to do next.

💡 Testimonials and Quotes

This is a bonus, because every good case study should include words straight from the source. Adding quotes and testimonials both brings the story to life and increases its authenticity.

Snippets that directly call out the results are great because they put the reader in the beneficiary’s shoes. Hearing firsthand how someone with the same problems overcame them is an inspiring psychological trigger. It’s why positive reviews can increase conversions by as much as 370%.

Want to Be a Great Case Study Writer?

I’ve been writing case studies for eight-figure businesses and small businesses alike for the past five years. They’re among the most lucrative projects you can land as a freelance writer.

Case studies are also incredibly difficult to replace with AI, making them an ideal niche to be in right now.

In my new course, Case Study Accelerator, you’ll learn everything you need to know to become a highly paid freelance case study writer. Even if you’ve never written one before.

Right now, you can grab your seat at a special early bird price and get exclusive access to a 1:1 coaching call with me as well as a live group “hot seat” coaching session where you’ll learn to level up your case study game.

Don’t miss out! Pre-registration is only open until Friday May 23rd at 11:59pm EST.

​Learn more and secure your spot here​

Cody’s Top Picks

This is the part where I share some of the content I’ve been enjoying lately. Hope you enjoy!

(This section may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I’ll earn a small percentage, which helps support this free newsletter at no extra cost to you.)

• 📺 I’m Watching… “Welcome to Wrexham” season four. This is perhaps my favorite documentary of all time and is what got me into English football several years ago. I’ve become a much bigger fan since then and have learned a lot about the sport.
• 🎧 I’m Listening to… Brain.fm. This is my favorite way to get into the all-important “flow” while I’m writing. It’s music made for your mind and nothing else does the job like it. Just five minutes and I’m locked in for whatever task I’m working on.
• 🌍 I’m Doing… A visit to the Seattle Art Museum. This weekend we had a chance to check out SAM and had a great time. Their collection of Roman sculptures and vases was a unique highlight alongside lots of pieces done by artists local to the Pacific Northwest.
• 🧠 You Should Remember:

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