An honest case study tells a specific story: the situation, what was done, what changed and what is still unknown. It persuades because it is checkable, not because it is glowing. Get written permission, claim only results you can support, and be clear about your own role and what other factors contributed.
Why honesty is also the better marketing
Readers are wary of hype. Nielsen Norman Group’s research on web writing found that users dislike boastful, promotional language, that exaggeration makes them doubt a site, and that a version written with objective language scored 27% better on usability than a promotional control. Plain, specific statements are easier to trust.
There is also a legal reason. The ACCC states that claims about quality, benefits and results must be accurate, truthful and reasonably grounded, that a business must be able to prove what it advertises, and that the rules cover websites and social media. Intent does not matter. This is general information, not legal advice.
Before you write: permissions
- Written client consent. Confirm in writing that you can name the client, use their logo, quote them and publish figures.
- Approval of the final text. Let them review the version that will be published, especially numbers and quotes.
- Third-party rights. Check photos, footage, music and screenshots in the case study are cleared for this use.
- Confidential material. Remove anything covered by an agreement, or anonymise the case study and say it is anonymised.
- Incentives. If the client received something in return for their endorsement, say so. The ACCC’s guidance on reviews says incentives must be clearly disclosed and that hidden connections between a reviewer and a business can mislead.
A structure that stays honest
- Context. Who the client is, in one or two sentences, and the problem or goal.
- Approach. What was actually done, and by whom. Be specific about your contribution.
- Outcome. What changed, with the measure, the time period and how it was measured.
- Caveats. Other factors that could have contributed, and anything that did not work.
- Next step. A single relevant action for the reader.
Claims you can and cannot make
| Safer | Riskier |
|---|---|
| “Enquiries through the contact form increased over the campaign period, measured in the client’s analytics” (add exact figures only when they are real and approved) | “Dramatically increased sales” |
| “We rebuilt the product pages and added a quote form.” | “Transformed the business” |
| “The client reports that the team saves time on weekly reporting.” | “Saved hundreds of hours” with no basis |
| “Results during this period were also influenced by a seasonal promotion.” | Presenting one cause for a multi-cause result |
The example figures in the first row are placeholders to show the form of a claim, not real results. Never invent numbers, and never imply an outcome was typical when it was exceptional.
Handling the case study that has no big numbers
Many good projects do not have a headline metric. A case study can still be valuable if it explains the decisions made, the constraints, the trade-offs and what the client was able to do afterwards. Qualitative outcomes, described plainly and approved by the client, beat a vague figure. If you cannot measure an outcome, say that. Measuring creative campaign performance beyond views explains how to set up measurement so that next time you have something to report.
Reusing a case study
A single case study can feed several formats: a landing page section, a short video, a sales one-pager, a social post. Keep every version consistent with the approved text, and update or retire it when facts change. The ACCC advises businesses to correct misunderstandings and update consumers if circumstances change. For the page layout itself, see landing pages that turn campaign traffic into enquiries, and for production mechanics see content repurposing.
Pre-publication checklist
- Written permission on file
- Client has approved the final wording and figures
- Every number has a source, a period and a method
- Your role is described accurately
- Caveats stated
- Images, music and quotes are cleared
- Any incentives disclosed
- A date on the page, and a review date set
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Growth division helps businesses plan and write marketing content, and its work page labels every item as a concept demonstration, internal study or sample workflow rather than client work. To discuss content that tells your story honestly, contact us or see Growth and Marketing.
Sources
- How Users Read on the Web, Nielsen Norman Group
- False or misleading claims, ACCC
- Online reviews, ACCC
