Should I hire in-house or use freelancers?

If content is your GTM backbone, go in-house. If not, freelancers + a fractional lead will get you farther, faster.

Can I use AI instead of hiring a writer?

Not unless you like editing bad writing for hours. Use AI as scaffolding — not a final product.

What’s the difference between a B2B copywriter and a content marketer?

Copywriters sell. Content marketers explain. Both matter. Just don’t confuse the two.

When should I bring in a fractional content lead?

When you're producing stuff but have no system, no message hierarchy, and no clue what’s working.

B2B Case Study Template (+ 10 Examples & 2025 Best Practices)

Gil'ad Idisis
Aug 24
6 min read

Updated: Aug 24

TD;LR [Quick answer]: In 2025, high-performing B2B case studies:

Lead with a clear, measurable result in the headline
Show a snapshot box above the fold (industry, size, region, products used, KPIs)
Follow a Situation → Trigger → Barrier → Solution → Results flow
Include a proof pack (quote + before/after table + diagram)
Emphasize Time-to-Value
Ship web + PDF + short video.

Why B2B case study best practices matter now

I analyzed over 30 B2B case studies published or updated in 2025 by leading vendors across payments, cloud, security, data, and productivity to provide the most up-to-date guidelines for creating an effective case study.

Most general principles for producing great case studies still apply. Here’s what changed in 2025:

with informational overflow from AI-generated content — In April 2025, 74.2% of new webpages contained AI-generated text (Ahrefs analysis of 900k pages); advertisers’ GenAI use in video is also surging (IAB 2025). (Ahrefs, TV Tech)
increased competition for attention — Massive content supply + AI tooling means more noise; even as impressions rise, click-throughs fall ~30% YoY (BrightEdge). (Search Engine Land)
limited attention span from buyers — 2025 Edelman–LinkedIn data shows “hidden buyers” prefer quick takeaways and accessible formats over deep, academic reads. (Edelman)
A changing landscape of discoverability due to AI — With AI Overviews, median zero-click ~80% and overall CTR drops (e.g., +49% impressions / −30% CTR); users click links ~8% of visits when an AI summary appears. (Similarweb, Search Engine Land, Pew Research Center)

The takeaway, in 2025 buyers want immediate, quantifiable numbers and skimmable proof that humans (and AI assistants) can parse.

That’s why the strongest case studies:

Put a single KPI in the hero (e.g., “fraud down to 0.10% in 8 weeks”).
Add a snapshot box with “Products used,” industry, region, and KPIs above the fold.
Package each story as a mini-kit: on-page, a PDF one-pager, and a short video.
Tie claims to proof (before/after data, quote, simple diagram) instead of product hype.

The 2025 Case Study Template

Use this skeleton; Keep sentences short; make metrics time-bound (e.g., “in 12 weeks”).

H1 (Outcome-first):[Primary KPI] in [Timeframe] — [Product] at [Customer]

Subhead (2 lines): Business context in one sentence + a secondary metric or two.

Customer Snapshot (above the fold):

Logo, Industry, Size, Region
Products/features used
Time to implement / Time-to-Value
Top KPI(s) (1–3)

The Challenge (60–90 words): Describe the problem in business language (no jargon). Name constraints (scale, security, data silos, legacy, budget).

Why Us (40–60 words): Selection criteria + alternatives considered (brief).

The Solution (120–160 words): What was deployed, how it integrated, who used it, and what changed in day-to-day operations. Include a small architecture/flow diagram.

Results (bullets + table):

KPI #1: +[X% or $X saved] in [timeframe]
KPI #2: –[X% in ACW / AHT / churn / MTTR]
KPI #3: +[X% adoption / coverage]

Before/After table (3–5 rows):

Metric	Before	After	Timeframe
Fraud rate	1.2%	0.10%	8 weeks
After-Call Work	3m 40s	3m 12s (-13%)	6 weeks
Avg. Handle Time	9m 10s	7m 31s (-18%)	6 weeks

AI Angle (optional, 40–60 words):Where assistants/automation/agents made the difference (e.g., faster triage, higher precision, fewer manual steps).

Customer Quotes: At least one. Preferably 2-3 covering different values. “Short, specific line with a number or capability call-out.” — Name, Title

What’s Next (30–50 words): Roadmap, rollout to other regions/functions.

CTA: Keep the journey going, make it easy to share the data: “Talk to us / Book a demo / Download the PDF.”

What “good” looks like (and how to implement it)

Headline = outcome. One number, one timeframe, one customer. Don’t bury the result at the end.
Snapshot box above the fold. Industry, size, region, products used, KPIs. Serves buyers and improves answer-friendliness.
S → T → B → S → R narrative. Keeps the story tight (~800–1,000 words on-page) with richer detail in the downloadable PDF.
Proof pack in every story. At least one approved quote, one diagram (or flow), a simple before/after table.
Time-to-Value is the king of KPIs for B2B case studies. Spell out implementation time and “time until impact.” Buyers optimize for speed.
Multi-asset by default. Publish a scannable web page, a sales-friendly PDF one-pager, and a 60–90 second video.
Answer-friendly formatting. Consistent H2s, short answers to common questions, entity-rich copy (industry, product names), and a small FAQ at the end.
Hub hygiene. Organize stories with filters by industry, use case, and product to route readers to the right proof.

10 B2B Case Study Examples That Nail It in 2025

reMarkable × Stripe (Payments + Radar) — Leads with the headline result (fraud minimized to 0.10%); clean snapshot and “Products used” reinforce scannability.
Toyota Connected × Twilio Flex — Fast proof (1-day POC) and −13% ACW / −18% AHT called out in the hero.
Rituals × Google Marketing Platform — Outcome-first stat (+85% conversions/sales) with ML-driven audience automation; short narrative, strong KPI.
ServiceNow — Model for multi-asset storytelling: every story ties to a short, high-signal video or event segment.
Microsoft — “1000+ AI stories” — Living compendium anchoring AI impact by function/industry; great for cross-linking and AEO coverage.
Shopify — Case Studies Hub — Filterable gallery by industry/use case; each page foregrounds one or two tangible outcomes and migration timelines.
Okta — Snapshot metrics (adoption, secured identities) right on the hub; shows how to surface proof without forcing a click-through.
Twilio — Flex product pages — Re-surface story KPIs (ACW/AHT reductions) across product pages to strengthen proof site-wide.
Databricks — Customer Hub — Organized by industry and AI use case, mapping outcomes to modern AI workloads—useful pattern for B2B platforms.
Shopify × DECKED (2025) — Recent example framing migration, scale, and DTC outcomes; keeps story anchored in business value.

How to fill this template in 60 minutes (lean team edition)

Collect numbers first. Baseline → post-metrics → timeframe; implementation time; adoption rate; a dollar figure if allowed.
Draft the headline last. Write 3 versions; pick the one with the strongest single KPI.
Prove it visually. Add one mini diagram (architecture or workflow) and a 4-row before/after table.
Quote for context. One short line that names the result (or the blocker you removed).
Legal/brand pass. Confirm use of logo, names/titles, and any regulated claims.
Ship multi-asset. Publish the web page; export a one-pager PDF; cut a 60–90s social clip.

Common Questions about B2B Case Studies

What if the customer won’t/can't share exact numbers?

Use defensible proxies: relative deltas (e.g., “−18% AHT”), time-to-value, adoption/coverage, error-rate change. Offer bands (10–15%), or ranges (“low single-digit %”). Add a brief “Methodology” note describing source systems/timeframe.

Can I publish an anonymized case study and still keep credibility?

Yes—lock down industry, company size band, region, stack, and KPIs. Use a titled role (“VP Operations, Global Logistics”) and a legal-approved paraphrase if a direct quote isn’t possible. Include a one-line disclosure: “Figures verified with customer.”

What incentives persuade customers to participate? Co-marketing value (backlink from your domain, speaking slots, joint webinar), early access to features, training credits, or a charitable donation in their name. Make the “what’s in it for them” explicit in your outreach.

How many case studies do we actually need? Map by ICP × use case. Aim for 1 “lighthouse” per priority vertical/use case, then fill gaps by region/segment. Start with 3–5 that neutralize your top 3 buyer objections, then expand.

What’s the best way to distribute beyond “publish on site”?

Seed into product pages, sales decks, and pricing pages; arm SDRs with a 3-line email blurb + the one-pager; post a 60–90s clip on LinkedIn/YouTube; pitch analysts and partner marketplaces. Retarget visitors with the matching case.

How do I keep stories from going stale?

Set a refresh cadence (every 6–12 months) or triggers (new logo, feature, region). Add a tiny “Last updated” stamp. If the KPI improves, version the PDF and update screenshots.

What belongs in a video version (60–120s) without repeating the page? Cold open with the result line, 2–3 on-screen metrics, 1 customer soundbite, 1 diagram beat, and a single CTA. No narration dumps; let captions carry the details.

How do I measure performance post-launch?

Track assisted revenue, influenced pipeline, sales usage (opens/copies), page scroll depth, PDF downloads, and demo fills from the case page. Attribute with UTMs per asset (page/PDF/video).