The written case study remains a tried and true practice to attract new customers, with 56% of enterprise-level purchasers and 23% of small business owners saying it influenced a technology purchase in the past six months. Buyers overwhelmingly prefer traditional written case studies over audio, video, or PowerPoint presentations. A library of over a dozen Zapier case studies was launched recently, following months of work gathering customer stories and editing them down to make them scannable. The format of a case study is crucial, with length being a key factor - some marketers recommend 500 words as a reasonable word count, while others suggest longer content for better results. A story-like approach is also essential, with the "hero's journey" format being particularly effective. The customer's experience and pain points should be highlighted, followed by the solution and benefits. To make case studies skimmable, marketers can use headlines, subheads, pull quotes, and sidebar summaries. Offering incentives and providing a "leave-behind doc" can help secure customer participation. It's also essential to present an approval form upfront and avoid "blind" customer case studies. Customer quotes are vital, but should be used carefully to avoid sounding generic. Case studies can be repurposed into various formats, such as videos, infographics, or SlideShare presentations, and can be marketed through social media and email campaigns. Ultimately, the goal of a case study is to build credibility and trust with potential customers.