web marketing case study

33+ Best Digital Marketing Case Studies [2021 Update]

• June 16, 2020

Looking for some inspiration for your digital marketing?

The best thing you can do is read up some real-life, practical digital marketing case studies.

But see, good case studies are few and far in-between…

...Which is why we compiled this mega-list of the BEST digital marketing case studies in 2021.

Whether you’re looking for SEO, Content Marketing, PPC, or whatever else, we included it in this guide.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Ready, set, go!

33+ Digital Marketing Case Studies [All Channels]

Looking for a specific digital marketing channel you want to read up on?

Feel free to skip ahead:

SEO Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, facebook ads case studies, google ads case studies, influencer marketing case studies, other digital marketing case studies, 1. apollo digital - 0 to 200k monthly organic traffic.

• 0 to 200,000 monthly organic traffic in 2 years.
• Ranked #1-3 for extremely high CPC keywords (20$ CPC+).

Case Study Summary:

Apollo Digital helped set up an SEO strategy for a client (business process management software) that brought in 200K+ monthly organic traffic in just 2 years.

• Apollo Digital (that’s us!) completely revamped a SaaS company’s content strategy.
• We pin-pointed issues with existing blog posts (mainly, keyword cannibalization ), and proposed improvements
• Did keyword research to identify and prioritize top keywords for the company.
• Implemented content outlines to make sure the content that writers were writing was on-point for SEO.
• Used superior content UX to make the blog extremely easy to read.

You can find the full SEO case study here.

2. Backlinko - 652% Organic Traffic Increase in 7 days

• Increased organic traffic to one of their webpages by 652% in 7 days.
• Ranking went from the middle of the second page on Google to #5.

Backlinko implemented the Skyscraper Technique 2.0. Here’s what they did...

• Created a mobile SEO checklist blog post which cracked the top 10 results for the target keyword, got a huge spike in traffic in its first week, but soon dropped to the middle of the second page.
• Realized the post was getting buried because it didn’t satisfy user intent for that keyword.
• Analyzed first page results to figure out user search intent for extremely competitive keywords (“mobile SEO”).
• Changed blog post format from case study to an actual checklist to satisfy the intent, and optimized for user experience by making the text easier to read.

Check out the detailed steps for the Skyscraper Technique 2.0 here.

3. Ahrefs - Using the Skyscraper Technique to Obtain 15 Links With a 6.5% Success Rate

• Sent out 232 emails and obtained 15 backlinks, at a 6.5% success rate.

Dale Cudmore tested the SEO skyscraper technique for his brand new site (an online cv builder).

• Picked a topic that was very relevant to his niche. Since he was trying to build a resume builder, the topic was “how to write a resume.”
• Followed the skyscraper technique and created even better content than what was ranking at the time.
• Then, he reached out to people who had already linked to the specific content he was improving upon. Since they had already linked to a similar article, they were more likely to link to content that’s better.
• Dale sent out 232 emails and obtained 15 links to his article. Though his rankings didn’t change significantly (extremely competitive niche), the technique proved to be a success for generating backlinks.

Want to learn more about the technique Dale used? Check out Backlinko’s write-up on the skyscraper technique here.

Looking to read the complete case study? Go here .

4. GotchSEO - Squeeze Page That Converts at 74.5%

• Set up a squeeze page that converted at 74.5%.

Natchan Gotch set up a high-converting squeeze page that used a lot of trust signals to get the visitors to opt-in for the content.

• Created a well-structured landing page & ran retargeting ads to it.
• Presented his offer through a benefit-driven headline.
• He used distinct trust signals (a recognizable logo, GDPR compliance, copyright notice) to mitigate any trust risks and maximize the chances of the prospect taking action.

You can check out the complete case study here .

5. Online Ownership - Winning in Local SEO for a Competitive Industry

• Ranked #1 for competitive taxi-related keywords ($1.38 CPC+) with local SEO .

Online Ownership, an SEO agency, helped a taxi company dominate local search rankings.

• Created in-city location guide on how to get to/from the local airports which has been viewed over 170,000 times by now. ..
• Mentioned info on long-term airport parking companies, got them to share the content once it was live.
• The company was at the end of one county, and the beginning of another, which hurt their location-based search queries when the county was specified. So he changed the local NAP (name, address, phone number), and corrected the PIN marker to correctly account for the business location.
• The business started appearing within the local pack for almost all main search queries within the city.

Check out the full case study here.

6. Kaiserthesage - The Definitive Guide to Enterprise Link Building

• Drove almost 5 million organic visits in 2 years through authority content. Focused 80% of the campaign promotion on acquiring high-quality backlinks.

Jason of Kaiserthesage wanted to create a process for generating high-quality backlinks. In this case study, he details his process outreach process:

• Identified tactics they could effectively use for link acquisition campaigns (broken/resource link building and link reclamation).
• Compiled list of high-authority brands that were likely to link back to them.
• Conducted large-scale outreach campaigns, and followed up at least 3 times per prospect.
• Tried out different content types for link building, including practical guides/tutorials, original research studies, case studies, infographics, and more.
• Tracked results every step of the way, optimized relevant site pages (write for us, recommended list pages, etc.), and tested more outreach tactics.

You can find the full enterprise link building case study here.

7. Growth Machine - 0 to 150,000 Monthly Organic Visitors in 8 Months

• Generated 150,000 monthly organic visitors in 8 months for a brand new blog project.
• The site grew from a tiny blog to one of the most popular tea blogs on the internet.

Nat Eliason (founder of Growth Machine), grew a tea blog to 150,000 monthly searches in order to use it as a case study for his agency.

• Nat chose a topic area he knew a lot about (tea) and knew there was an audience for.
• Researched keywords with the perfect mix of low difficulty and high volume and arranged everything in a spreadsheet.
• Started publishing high quality content surrounding the topic at a rate of four blog posts per week, every week, for 8 months.
• Used Reddit, Facebook groups, and Pinterest to promote the content and drive traffic. inked back to the new content from owned websites, and mentioned it in interviews and guest posts.

You can find the full case study here.

8. Robbie Richards - 6-Step SEO Process That Generated 150,732 Visits

• Increased organic traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months and generated 20,314 organic pageviews with a single post.
• Captured 2,335 emails.

Robbie Richards details the 6-step SEO process he used to grow his client’s drone site:

• Found a topic (drones) with solid monthly search volume and a lot of secondary keyword targets.
• Created the best online guide on how to fly a quadcopter - more in-depth and high-quality than other articles at the time.
• Optimized the blog post for on-page SEO, included plenty of external/internal links, improved page speed, and made the content more UX friendly.
• Inserted a pop-up and lead-box to start generating subscribers from the blog post.
• Promoted content on Quora and relevant online forums.
• Set up social automation to share content automatically
• Submitted content on to relevant scoop.it pages.
• Used 4 different outreach strategies to build high-quality backlinks.

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9. Apollo Digital - $25,000+ From A Single Blog Post

• Content piece went viral, generating $25,000 revenue in business from a single blog post.
• 20+ leads, and over 11,000+ in page views over the first month.

Apollo Digital created and promoted epic content, which went viral and brought in over $25K in revenue (and growing).

• Researched a topic that dealt with major pain points for SaaS founders.
• Created a super in-depth 14,000+ words blog post full of actionable tips and tactics on SaaS marketing , all based on their unique perspective and experience.
• Provided better content UX, used a ton of on-page visual elements, and a Smart Content Filter plugin to make the guide easier to digest.
• Promoted on 12 different marketing channels, including Reddit, Hacker News, and Facebook groups
• Ran ads on Quora, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter.

Check out the full content marketing case study here.

10. Content Mavericks - This Content Distribution Strategy Got 87,591 Visits To One Blog Post

• Used a content distribution strategy to get 87,591 visits to one blog post in 60 days.

Chris Von Wilpert of Content Mavericks created a giant article that completely breaks down HubSpot’s marketing strategy. In this case study, he talks about the content promotion strategy he used to get the article to go viral.

• Created keystone content on HubSpot’s growth strategy.
• Promoted it to his fans: inner circle, social circle, and outer circle.
• Used free traffic multipliers: email, push notification, Facebook messenger, and outreach lists to distribute content.
• Used paid traffic multipliers to manufacture virality. Reached thousands of new fans by running retargeting ads on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Outbrain

Check out the full content distribution strategy case study here.

11. OptiMonk - How iSpionage Increased Blog Referral Traffic by 58% in 1 Month Using Onsite Retargeting

• Increased blog referral traffic by 58.09%.
• Achieved a 5.47% CTR for blog redirect popup.

iSpionage was publishing new blog posts regularly, but their blog wasn’t redirecting a whole lot of referral traffic to their product page. Here’s what they did to fix that....

• They used an OptiMonk exit-intent popup to entice users to check out their main homepage.
• To redirect only interested visitors,the popup would only appear for readers who had spent a minimum of 10 seconds on the blog. And for better visitor experience, they set up the popup to appear a maximum number of 5 times per visitor, with at least 1 day between appearances.

Check out the full iSpionage case study by OptiMonk here.

12. SEO Travel UK - 11K Website Views in 2 Weeks From Infographic Marketing

• 11,304 website visits in 2 weeks.
• 245% increased in referral traffic compared to the same period of last year.
• More than 100 new high-quality domains linking to the site.

During the peak Game of Thrones popularity, SEO Travel UK went viral by creating infographic based on the popular show.

• Researched the best/most popular Game of Thrones content on the web to make sure that their project was worth pursuing.
• Created an infographic of all the real-life locations where the TV show was filmed.
• Reached out to people who had shared similar content in the past and asked if they’d like to feature the infographic as an exclusive.
• Promoted infographic on GoT fandom and other ‘geek’ sites and forums.

Check out the full content marketing strategy used and the case study here.

13. YesOptimist - Scaled a Startup From 0 to 100K Visitors/Mo In About One Year

• Scaled College Raptor from 0 to 100K organic sessions per month in about one year.
• Generated 1M+ visitors to the website.

YesOptimist used a content marketing strategy that combined evergreen, social/viral and link-earning content.

• Used public data and visualcontent (infographics, maps, rankings, etc.) to score early wins and backlinks from high-quality domain websites.
• Created a giant resource with rankings for overlooked colleges. Then, they reached out to the said colleges, and asked for a share. Overall, just this netted them around 250,000+ visitors in just one week.
• Published 200+ articles over a few months to achieve explosive growth.

14. CanIRank - How Fieldwire Scaled Marketing Without Losing Their Focus on Product

• Achieved top 3 rankings for nearly all of their primary keywords in 6 months.
• The traffic (if they’d advertised on the keywords) would cost them more than $10,000 a year.

CanIRank helped Fieldwire (web and mobile collaboration platform) boost their rankings for all primary keywords in their domain, beating out larger and more established companies.

• Used CanIRank’s “Improve My Ranking” tool to identify high potential pages with keywords that were ranking, but too low to get much traffic.
• Used data-driven on-page optimization for high potential pages.
• Revised content strategy and identified additional content topics that offered a good balance of value and ranking difficulty.
• Reached out to relevant media outlets and pitched founder interviews and other relevant stories.

You can see the full Fieldwire content marketing case study here.

15. BuzzSumo - How BuzzSumo Achieved $2.5m Annual Revenue in its First Year: Case Study in SaaS Growth

• Gained over 160K freemium subscribers and more than 2K paying customers in their first year.
• Gained 2.5M annual revenue total.

In 2014, as the use of AdBlock was growing, businesses were starting to rely on content more than ever. Here’s how BuzzSumo capitalized on the content marketing frenzy.

• Spent most of their budget on their content marketing tool, which generated more awareness, sharing, and advocacy than any marketing expenditures.
• Gained the support of important influencers (Larry Kim, Rand Fishkin, Neil Patel, etc.).
• Focused on making the product sticky and reducing churn rate.
• Created unique content based on data, gave away everything they knew, and started growing steadily over the year.

See the full case study of how BuzzSumo achieved 2.5M in annual revenue here.

16. GrooveHQ - Behind the Scenes: How We’ve Built a $5M/Year Business in 3 Years With Content Marketing

• Achieved $5M/Year in annual recurring revenue and gained over 250,000 readers each month in over 3 years.

GrooveHQ wanted to rebuild their content marketing strategy with a focus on their target market's challenges and goals. Here’s how they accomplished that:.

• Redesigned their content marketing strategy to be more transparent and focus on their own business challenges and goals.
• Asked new email subscribers about their business struggles, and answered those questions in the form of blog posts.
• Reached out to influencers, and asked for their thoughts and feedback on blog posts (Instead of begging them for shares).
• Ran A/B tests on narrative-based storytelling blog posts to see which ones performed better.

Find the full GrooveHQ $5M content marketing case study here.

17. Zest - Generate MQLs for 15x less? Yes, please. How Whatagraph crushed it

• Lowered Whatagraph’s cost per marketing qualified lead (MQL) by 15x - from $60 to just $4.
• Of all the users who signed up for a free trial as a result of the campaign, 9% were sales qualified leads (SQLs) that converted at a cost 4x less than Whatagraph’s usual paid advertising per-lead cost.

Whatagraph wanted to promote their annual marketing report template to the right audience without breaking their budget. Here’s how they did this:

• Whatagraph partnered with Zest to extend their web presence and promote their marketing annual report template.
• Paid $400 for a content boost strategy to promote their template on the Zest Content Stream and in their newsletter.
• The campaign started just before Christmas and continued through January 23, 2020, which lowered Whatagraph’s cost per MQL by 15x.

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18. AdEspresso - Facebook Ads Case Study: The Million Dollar Indiegogo Campaign

• Secured pre-orders from over 76 countries, with over 2,000 backers on Indiegogo.
• Achieved over $900K in funding.

BionicGym wanted to promote their Indiegogo page for an increase in sales and site visits. Here’s how they did this:

• Set up one campaign per country ads and set the objective to ‘Conversions’.
• Split-tested up to 252 ads and used the auto-optimization feature to relocate funding across the different ads, depending on how they performed.
• Set up retargeting campaigns and split test to everyone who visited the Indiegogo page and watched the Facebook video ad.
• Created lookalike audiences for the best-performing audiences.
• Reached a 9x ROI for some of the campaigns.

Check out the full Facebook Ads million-dollar Indiegogo campaign case study here.

19. Andrew Hubbard - $36,449 In Revenue From a $4,159 Ad Spend

• Generated $36,449 in revenue from $4,159 ad spend,
• Gained 769 new email subscribers and 128 new Facebook page likes.

Andrew Hubbard helped the client (Navid Moazzez) advertise his flagship course through Facebook ads.

• Ran ads a week before the course opened to get email newsletter opt-ins.
• Targeted warm traffic (Facebook fans, email list) first to an opt-in page.
• Ran ads for cold traffic, directing them to an un-gated (no-opt in) blog post. Once people had read the blog post, they were retargeted with ads promoting a relevant lead magnet.
• Created ads focusing on urgency and scarcity when bonus packages were starting to expire.

You can see the full Facebook Ads case study here.

19. Sugatan - Step-by-step Ecommerce Scaling from 50k/Mo to 520k/Mo with Facebook Ads

• $520K+ in monthly sales with 3.79x ROAS through the funnel.
• 2.35x ROAS at top-of-funnel, spending $100k+/monthly.

Sugatan (eCommerce growth-hacking agency) scaled their client using Facebook Ads and by testing different kinds of creatives. Here’s what, exactly, they did:

• Installed HotJar on the client’s eCommerce site to get insights on how customers behaved. Tested different video creative types, different ad ratio sizes, copy, thumbnails, and buttons to see what converted best.
• Killed off smaller ad-sets with the same audiences to prepare for scaling. Increased budget 20-30% twice per day for 2-3 days.
• Increased budget 1 month before Christmas and Black Friday sales, and launched a Facebook Messenger & email collection campaign 1 week before the sale started. Created VIP discounts for people who gave them their email addresses or subscribed to their messenger list.
• Starting running ads for the whole week before Black Friday - giving 10% off to everyone tracked via Facebook Pixel and 20% for VIP sales which were on for 24h.

Check out the full agency eCommerce business Facebook ad case study here.

20. Mark Brinker - How I Improved My Facebook Advertising By 400% In Just 4 Weeks

• Decreased cost per subscriber from $11.43 to $2.40 (79% reduction) in 4 weeks.
• Increased number of weekly subscribers from 10 to 51 (400% increase).

Mark Brinker (consultant) increased his weekly subscribers at a cheaper cost through Facebook Ads by promoting his e-book.

• Tested 6 different ad headlines and 3 ad images.
• Let all the 18 variations of the ads run for 1 week, and then eliminated the ones that were performing poorly.
• Deleted 3 more ads with headlines that were not resonating with the audience after that week.
• Found the winning combination by end of week 4 and continued running that ad.

You can see the full Facebook advertising case study here.

21. Leadpages - From 4% to 40% conversion

• Conversion rate shot up from 4% to 40% - a 10x increase from similar campaigns in the past.

Jenny Berk used Leadpage’s ad builder to promote her coaching services and optimize her micro funnel.

• Queued up $50 budget, created a custom audience from her email database (.CSV file), and layered a lookalike audience on top of that.
• Sent traffic to a targeted landing page, and created consistent ad copy and images throughout the whole funnel.
• Ran Facebook Ads for her warm leads and lookalike audiences, based on her email subscribers.

Check out Jenny’s full Facebook ads case study here.

22. Brian Downard - $194 in Facebook Ads into $100K in Sales

• Generated $106,496 in patio furniture sales from $194 in Facebook ads.

Brian Downard helped high-end patio furniture store client drive more sales and bring in more people into their local store;

• Built a warm audience using the content the furniture store had been previously sharing (blog posts, eBooks, infographics, guides, and more).
• Incentivized people to go visit the showroom in person by offering a 50% discount in the ads.
• Redirected people to a landing page from the ad, which showed a variety of products to appeal to different target audiences.
• Included a clear CTA for them to get in touch with the sales team.

You can find the full Facebook ad case study here.

23. Reinis Fischer - Spending $4 Per Day On Facebook Ads - Case Study

• Top ads gathered 1,000+ likes and shares for a budget of $8.
• Gained 50-200+ clicks per day back to the website and acquired 600+ new followers on Facebook.

Reinis Fischer grew his Facebook page about his tourism services through Facebook Ad campaigns promoting his article:

• Targeted other countries for his blog articles about tourism activities in Georgia to build brand recognition and grow his Facebook page.
• Spent $4 per day on Facebook ads and promoted only the best possible articles related to his audience.
• Promoted 1 article for 2 days with an 8$ budget for 30 days.
• Once each campaign was over, manually invited everyone who liked the posts to follow the Facebook page as well.

Check out the full spending $4 per day on Facebook ads case study here.

22. Paid Insights - AdWords Case Study: How $520 Turned Into $6,120

• Spent $520 and acquired 6 new clients for local mental health counselors.
• Gained $6,120 in revenue over 3 months.

Ross Kaplan of Paid Insights helped mental health counselor client gain new clients by running a local AdWords campaign:

• Built a new website for the client & optimized it for conversions.
• Used modified broad match keywords so that people would still get the ad even if they searched for it in a different order.
• Targeted only local zip codes surrounding the client’s office so the drive time for her customers would be under 10 minutes

Check out the full AdWords case study here.

23. Daisy-ree Quaker - PPC Case Study: How We Cut AdWords Costs by 67% With a Simple Tweak

• Costs dropped by $10,000 while conversions remained the same.
• The cost per conversion dropped from $87 to $16.
• Impressions dropped by 72% while CTR went up 103%.
• The conversion rate rose from 6% to 18%.

Daisy (online marketer) helped her SaaS client rethink their ad bidding strategy.

• SaaS company client wanted to cut back on ad spend because constantly bidding for first place was becoming too expensive.
• Realized most web users are trained to scroll past ads and decided to start bidding on 3rd position on Google as a test.
• Saw campaign results start increasing over the course of 3 months. Lowering AdWords rank helped get more views on their ads, and widened the pool of people that could see the ads because of a closer association with natural listings.

You can find the full PPC case study here.

24. Exposure Ninja - How We Increased PPC Leads by 325% in 60 Days for a Dental Clinic

• Increased conversions by 252.94% (from 17 to 60).
• Decreased cost per conversion from £154.28 to just £34.37.

Exposure Ninja helped a dental clinic, based in a competitive area for PPC ads, generate more customers.

• Installed Hotjar to understand where users were dropping off on the landing page and which areas were acting as conversion blockers. Found that visitors weren’t able to find the information they needed about the client's top service.
• Created a new landing page focusing on their priority, high-profit services.
• Because the client was running a Google Ads campaign before, they could use historical data to experiment with advanced bidding strategies.
• Introduced the new landing pages and tweaked the campaigns to maximize the client’s budget.

You can find the full increased dental PPC leads case study here.

25. ColaDigital - How We Increased Sales by 30% in 30-days Using Optimized Google Ads For a Local Business

• Increased year over year sales for local business by 30% in 30-days

ColaDigital helped a client set up their Google Ads account campaign from the ground up after they had an unpleasant experience with another agency.

• Created unique ad groups and ads for the client's most profitable keywords.
• Set up a hyper-targeted campaign using 1 unique ad group and 3 different match types for each ad group keyword.
• Set up negative keywords and turned on audience demographics in Google Analytics

You can find the full google ads local business case study here.

26. BoxCrush - AdWords Success Story

Helped an industrial client who had a lot of impressions but very little clicks:

• Increase CTR from 2.41% to 3.89%
• Decrease CPC from $2.24 to $2.17 in 1 month.

BoxCrush helped an industrial client improve their AdWords campaign when their click-through rate had fallen.

• Rebuilt customer’s AdWords account from the ground up, splitting it into meaningful campaigns that targeted specific demographics.
• Built Ad Groups within each campaign and created ads targeting audiences with each group.
• Once they saw an increase in performance, they expanded the client’s campaign from three Ad groups to six.
• Made the ads relate more to specific keywords, which caused the clickthrough rate to increase.
• Refined and re-optimized the process over time, causing the results to grow even further after the 1st month.

27. Sumo - How Noah Kagan Grew A Website To 10K Visitors In A Month

• Grew website from 0 to 10K visitors in a month.
• Grew email list from 173 to 2,322 in 3 days.

Noah Kagan took on an apprentice (Julien Marion) and helped him grow his brand new blog about sleep from scratch, with no prior connections or budget.

• Created a simple landing page to capture emails before the site was live.
• Set realistic and SMART traffic goals of 10,000 visitors in 30 days.
• Created a quant-based marketing approach strategy to build the plan, thus working backward from the 10K visitors goal.
• Reached out to relevant companies to participate in a viral giveaway that he would then promote to the site’s audience through their newsletter.
• Reached out to niche influencers for interviews to drive referral traffic.
• Tracked daily results and goals to stay accountable.

See the full marketing plan and the whole growing website case study here.

28. HubSpot - How PureVPN Increased Website Traffic by 289% Through Storytelling

• Gained a 289% increase in new visitors’ traffic site year over year.
• Helped raise awareness on cyberstalking and attracted people who wanted to add to the conversation.

PureVPN wanted to tell the stories of cyberstalking victims and raise awareness on the subject. Here's how they did it:

• Designed a buyer’s journey centered around raising awareness on cyberstalking and its effects on society.
• Researched reading habits of their buyer persona, used keyword research tools for idea generation, and searched for topics on Quora based on questions real people were asking.Gathered statistical data of past and recent cyberstalking incidents. Identified and reached out to influencers who were associated with cyberstalking awareness campaigns and victims or people who could tell their stories.
• Interviewed influencers and turned the interviews into blog posts. Experienced a significant spike in website traffic through influencers sharing the content.

See how PureVPN increased website traffic through storytelling and influencer marketing tactics here.

29. Beeketing - How Gymshark Grew by 200%+ Year On Year and Hit £41M in Sales

• Grew by 200% year on year and hit £41M in sales in nearly 7 years.
• Achieved a cult-like following.

Ben Francis (founder of GymShark) disrupted the gym apparels market using social media and influencer marketing.

• Only selected specific influencers with strong Instagram engagement and following to gain credibility.
• Sponsored various fitness Instagrammers, YouTubers, and bloggers and organized meet-ups.
• Partnered with fitness and lifestyle influencers on TikTok.
• Announced the "66 Days" fitness challenge on their site and other social media platforms to drive user-generated content.
• Built long-lasting relationships with fans on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Spotify, and other social media channels.

Check out the full Gymshark influencer growth story here.

30. Leadfeeder - How ConvertKit Grew from $98k to $625k MRR by Doing 150 Webinars in 1 Year

• Grew monthly revenue from $98K to $625K in 12 months.
• Hosted more than 150 webinars in the first year, saw a 637% growth in monthly revenue.

Founders of ConvertKit (email marketing platform) wanted to grow their brand and generate revenue with a low budget. They decided to focus on webinars.

• Focused on one marketing strategy (webinars) that didn’t require a lot of money and they could use to build a community around a relatively new product.
• Maintained a wide-open affiliate program and started doing webinars with any affiliate partner, no matter how small their audience was.
• Gave away tons of free information in 20-30 webinars per month, while asking for nothing in return.
• Maintained a narrow target audience (blogging community), and kept the technology simple (minimal tech issues).

You can find the full webinar marketing case study by ConvertKit here.

31. Buffer - The Simple Facebook Posting Strategy That Helped us 3x Our Reach and Engagement

• Tripled reach from 44,000 to 150,000+ people per week on Facebook.
• Increased average daily engagement from ~500 to 1,000+.
• Posts started reaching between 5,000-20,000 people

Buffer noticed their Facebook reach and engagement were decreasing for their posts over time. Here's what they did:

• Noticed that the more they posted on Facebook, the less reach they received with each post.
• Started posting only entertaining and educational content.
• Posted only once or twice on Facebook and curated content to increase engagement.
• Created a few brand awareness and engagement-focused posts to build an active Facebook audience.
• Boosted posts that were already performing well to amplify the reach.

You can find Buffer’s complete Facebook posting strategy here.

32. SEMRush - Raise Your Game: A Step-By-Step Guide To Gamification Marketing

• More than 9,300 users took part in their game.
• Received 8+ million impressions on Twitter.

SEMRush wanted to educate their users on their different product features and stand out while doing so. For this, they used gamification marketing..

• Customers were finding it hard to stay up to date with all the novelties the SEMRush tool offered. SEMRush wanted to increase their awareness of their platform’s wide functionality and increase the number of tools people used.
• Aligned campaign with a global event (Easter).
• Made it so that the Egg Hunt game looked good and felt satisfying from a gamification perspective. Those who found all 15 eggs were awarded a list of the 10,000 most searched keywords for 10 countries.
• Created a special hashtag for Twitter (#semrushegghunt), which picked up and went viral, and made sure the customer support and social media teams were ready in case users needed any help.

Check out the full step-by-step guide to gamification marketing case study here.

33. Hootsuite - How the British Museum Increased Social Media Engagement by 126%

• Gained 2M+ new followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Gained 126% more tweet responses, increasing customer engagement.
• Over 1,300 tweets tagged and analyzed to uncover actionable insights.

The British Museum turned to Hootsuite to set up a better social media campaign strategy and engage more frequently and more effectively with its audience.

• Set a three key goal strategy to increase online reach and engagement, deliver digital-first customer service, and identify opportunities for income and revenue generation.
• Identified opportunities to develop channel-specific content to make the best of each social media channel.
• Used Hootsuite to adapt to the new social media strategy and to track and analyze results.

See the full British Museum social media case study here.

34. Saashacker - 19 SaaS Marketing Strategies That Bootstrapped Ahrefs To $40m ARR

• Grew from 15 to 50 employees and over $40M in annual recurring revenue while being 100% bootstrapped.

Ahrefs used a mix of different SaaS marketing strategies to grow their brand.

• Rejected conventional SaaS marketing wisdom, focused on product quality driving word of mouth marketing and boosted their exposure at the world’s biggest SEO event. Went semi-viral on Twitter by adding nerdy SEO data to the coffee cups at the conference and giving them away to attendees..
• Produced a lot of content on how their SEO tool solved specific problems and used blog posts as ads.
• Created and gave away courses on blogging for businesses for free, used word of mouth marketing to promote it, and pushed employee images to the front to gain readers’ trust.
• Did 20 podcasts in 4 months, posted content a lot on Reddit, YouTube, their own blog, and other channels.
• ...And a LOT more.

See the full case study here.

And that’s a wrap!

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Digital Marketing Case Studies: 35 Examples for Online Success

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How would you like to read the best digital marketing case studies ever published?

More importantly, how would you like to copy the best practices for online marketing that are based on real-world examples and not just theory.

If that sounds, good then you’ll get a lot of value out of this post.

By studying these Internet marketing case study examples and applying the lessons learned in your own digital campaigns, you can hopefully achieve similar results to speed up your online success.

Table of Contents

Digital Marketing Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, appsumo grew organic traffic 843% & revenue 340%  – omniscient digital marketing case study.

In this digital marketing case study, you’ll find out how Omniscient Digital used a four-part approach to grow AppSumo’s organic website traffic by 843% and the revenue from that traffic by 340$. Includes details on the research process, strategy development, content production, and building links to those web pages.

From 0 to 100,000 Visitors Per Month  – Optimist Digital Marketing Case Study

This online marketing case study example shows you how Optimist took a startup called College Raptor from 0 to 100,000 organic sessions per month. It focuses on the big-picture strategy that was used to achieve that result and explains why it worked. This is a good case study example that demonstrates what successful content creation and promotion look like for startup businesses.

American Kennel Club Increased Online Traffic by 30%  – Contently Digital Marketing Case Study

If you’re in the animal niche and looking for good Internet marketing case studies that can help you grow your website with content creation, then this article by Contently can help. Inside, you’ll learn how the company used a digital content strategy to increase website traffic by 30% for the American Kennel Club. This method attracted both new puppy owners and seasoned dog lovers and resulted in $26.6 million in content value.

3,532 New Beta Users for alwaysAI  – Beacons Point Digital Marketing Case Study

Beacons Point is a digital marketing agency that partners with B2B companies in software and technology to execute results-driven online campaigns. In this case study example, you’ll learn how Beacons Point discerned the right market for alwaysAI, a software company, to target prospects with the content they wanted, and transform the audience into an avid user base using a well-researched Internet strategy and content planning process. As a result, alwaysAI gained 3,532 new beta users, 20,000 monthly website sessions, and a 2,021% increase in traffic within just 10 months.

Online Marketing Strategy Drives 452% Increase In Organic Traffic  – Top Rank Digital Marketing Case Study

Check out the full list of 15+ Content Marketing Case Studies here .

SEO Marketing Case Studies

How i increased my organic traffic 652% in 7 days  – backlinko digital marketing case study.

Learn how Brian Dean from Backlinko used the “Skyscraper Technique 2.0” to increase his organic SEO traffic to one of his web pages by 652%. It’s also the same approach that helped a brand new post hit the #1 spot on Google within a few weeks. This online marketing case study example is full of screenshots, key findings, and guided steps for you to follow.

From 126 to 121,883 Unique Visitors In Under 6 Months  – Ahrefs Digital Marketing Case Study

This digital marketing case study example focuses on Northmill, a Fintech company founded in Stockholm. It reveals how you can analyze your top business competitors to develop higher-quality SEO content that can gain a large amount of traffic and convert those readers into customers. Read this case study to find out exactly what Northmill did during the search engine optimization campaign to go from 126 unique visitors to 121,883 in under 6 months.

From 0 to 75,000 Visits A Year  – Ryan Darani Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll get complete details on the challenges, limits, budgets, and timeframes for a client in the property industry that went from 0 clicks per day to 300-400 on average with only 60 pieces of content on the website. This is a good SEO marketing case study for any business that’s on a tight budget.

How We 4x’d Traffic and Doubled Revenue in E-Commerce  – Diggity Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies for e-commerce using SEO. Inside, you’ll learn how an e-commerce client grew its traffic by 417% in 8 months. You’ll get the exact SEO strategies deployed, content improvements, and backlink marketing tactics. The results speak for themselves: an extra $48,000 in additional monthly revenue was achieved for a total of 112% increase in overall revenue using a strategic online marketing strategy.

6-Step Process That Generated 150,732 Visits  – Robbie Richards Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn a repeatable 6-step process that one digital marketer used to get his client to #1 in Google using SEO. This strategy helped him outrank major digital media brands like Mashable, and increase organic website traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months.

Check out the full list of 25+ SEO Case Studies here .

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing Case Studies

32% increase in return on internet marketing ad spend  – adshark case study.

Learn how Adshark helped dogIDS, an e-commerce manufacturer and retailer of personalized dog collars and tags, achieve a high return on investment (ROI) for their pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns by analyzing historical search terms, categories, and product performance. This case study example demonstrates how Adshark segmented dogIDs Google Shopping campaigns in a way that allowed for better online bid and budget management.

49% Decrease In CPA  – Captivate Search Digital Marketing Case Study

20% increase in subscribers for forbes  – adventure media digital marketing case study.

Forbes Magazine has been in circulation for over 100 years; however, with print subscriptions on the decline, the company had to get strategic about bringing in new digital customers. The top goals for this online marketing case study were to increase the number of paid subscriptions. In addition to PPC optimization to attract a broad range of ages, income levels, and genders, Adventure Media also used a strategic video marketing campaign to bring in a new wave of college graduates.

139% ROI for a UK Clothing Brand  – Click Consult Digital Marketing Case Study

Roas up 3,197% for natural nutrients  – ppc geeks digital marketing case study.

Discover how PPC Geeks improved the Google Ads campaigns for Natural Nutrients and achieved a dramatic increase in revenue (5,789%) and ROAS (3,197%) year over year. Example paid marketing strategies include granular campaign extension, single keyword ad groups, ad copy A/B testing, KPI-focused ROAS, conversion rate optimization, and more.

Check out the full list of 20+ PPC Case Studies here .

Social Media Marketing Case Studies

793,500+ impressions for semrush on twitter – walker sands digital marketing case study, viral oreo super bowl tweet – digiday digital marketing case study.

During Super Bowl XLVII, the lights went out in the stadium and the Oreo brand went viral with a single tweet that said “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.” Read the historical account of that famous digital marketing moment from the people who lived through it so you can gather insights on how to be better prepared for your future online marketing campaigns that you can take advantage of in real-time.

Facebook Posting Strategy That Lead to 3X Reach & Engagement – Buffer Digital Marketing Case Study

Achieving a 9 million audience by automating pinterest seo – digital marketing case study.

This is a good digital marketing case study example for marketers who use Pinterest. Discover how Chillital went from 0 to 9 million engaged audience members and 268 million impressions. You’ll learn about the step-by-step research process of finding where your audience lives and breathes content, get a detailed analysis of how the author used Pinterest to generate brand awareness, and learn about using community-driven content promotion to scale online results.

5X Increase In App Installs – Bumble Digital Marketing Case Study

Find out how Bumble, a dating app, used TikTok more effectively for social media marketing by following the mantra, “Don’t Make Ads, Make TikToks”. This case study in digital marketing resulted in a 5X increase in app installs and a 64% decrease in cost-per-registration.

Email Marketing Case Studies

Collecting 100,000 emails in one week  – tim ferris show digital marketing case study.

This digital marketing case study on email has it all: tips, templates, and code to create a successful email campaign. Discover how Harry’s, a men’s grooming brand, launched its brand online and how it collected nearly 100,000 email addresses in one week. You’ll learn everything they did using the marketing power of the Internet and email so you can try to replicate the results.

The Science Behind Obama’s Campaign Emails  – Bloomberg Digital Marketing Case Study

Increasing open rates from 20% to 29%  – pipedrive digital marketing case study.

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies on email that any business can learn from no matter the size of the email list. Inside, you’ll find out how Pipedrive used one simple tactic to increase open rates from 20% to 29% that can work with any email software.

25% Reduction In Churn for Peacock  – Braze Digital Marketing Case Study

The amazon email experience  – vero digital marketing case study.

In this case study example by Vero, you’ll get a complete analysis of Amazon’s email experience for the user. It takes you from the initial subscriber welcome message to email receipts, shipping updates, thank you content, invites, Black Friday deals, the review email, and more. There are loads of data in this case study and useful tips you can gain and use for your own email campaigns to have better success.

Check out the full list of 15+ Email Marketing Case Studies here .

Video Marketing Case Studies

8,000 video views on linkedin – biteable digital marketing case study.

During the rise of #OpenToWork movement that hit the world during the COVID layoff, one digital marketer named Katie got creative to make herself stand out from the crowd for potential employers. Find out how Katie approached video in digital marketing to amass 800 video views, 54 comments, and 100 new connections. This case study includes simple tips you can also use to get noticed on LinkedIn with the power of video.

163 Million Views On YouTube – Dove Digital Marketing Case Study

Dove launched an online marketing campaign called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches”, which was a three-minute YouTube film about how women view themselves. The goal was to ignite a global conversation about the definition of beauty, and this case study proves how video in Internet marketing helped Dove reach their goal. During its launch, the video received 163 million global views, topped the Cannes YouTube Ads Leaderboard, and won the Titanium Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Find out how a combination of great content, YouTube Brand Channels, YouTube Ads, and Google Ads led to this beautiful success.

Dollar Shave Club Viral Video – Making a Video Marketer Case Study

How artists and songs go viral – edmprod digital marketing case study.

Although it’s impossible to guarantee that a musical artist or song will go viral, there is a lot to be learned from examples that have gone viral. In this case study, you’ll discover the common threads in every viral music marketing campaign so you can try to use the same strategies for your own music or apply them to an online business.

10X Increase In Video Views – Vireo Video Digital Marketing Case Study

In this example, you’ll find out how Vireo Video helped the “We Are The Davises” YouTube channel 10X its video views. The digital marketing strategy and execution succeeded in driving over 1.2 million subscribers and over 60 million monthly views within 4 months. Inside, you’ll learn about the initial challenges, strategy solutions, and results.

Affiliate Marketing Case Studies

Going from zero to $10k in monthly revenue  – contentellect digital marketing case study.

Follow the steps Contentellect has taken to grow an affiliate marketing website from $0 to $10k a month in under 24 months. Includes a breakdown of the monthly costs, income, and traffic.

Zero to $20k/month In a Year  – Side Hustle Nation Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how the owners of Finvsfin.com scaled their affiliate website from $0 to $20,0000 per month in one year. Includes strategies on keyword research, how to structure content, ways to attract backlinks, optimization tactics to grow traffic, and more.

How I Made $16,433 With One Product  – BloggersPassion Digital Marketing Case Study

Amazon site earns $2,000/month with 100 articles  – fat stacks digital marketing case study.

This is one of the best online marketing case studies for affiliate marketers. Dom Wells from Human Proof Designs posted complete details on the Fat Stacks Blog with example content types, content timelines, link types, and link timelines to help other affiliates improve their sites to make more money on the Internet.

Amazon Site Grows from $0 to $4500+ In 4 Months  – NichePie Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how NichePie took a famous affiliate marketing website called 10Beasts to $4,500 in monthly earnings in just 4 months. The site then went on to make $40,000 by month 8 and kept growing. Luqman Khan, the owner, eventually sold the affiliate site for over half-a-million dollars. Inside this Internet marketing case study example, you’ll get important insights into the keyword research process, site structure, content setup, SEO, and link building process. This article also includes a lot of screenshots to help you follow along with the online journey to success.

Check out the full list of 10+ Affiliate Marketing Case Studies here .

What Is a Digital Marketing Case Study?

Are case studies good for digital marketing.

Case studies are good for digital marketing because you can learn about how to do digital marketing in an effective way. Instead of just studying the theory of digital marketing, you can learn from real examples that applied online methods to achieve success.

Digital Marketing Case Study Examples Summary

I hope you enjoyed this list of the best digital marketing case studies that are based on real-world results and not just theory.

New online marketing case studies are being published every month and I’ll continue to update this list as they become available. So keep checking back to read the current sources of information on digital marketing.

SEO Chatter is dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of search engine marketing to help marketers understand how to increase organic website traffic and improve search engine rankings.

10 Marketing Case Study Examples: Learn How to Master Them in Your Campaigns

There are millions of blog posts, articles, and videos across the internet that try to give you advice about marketing. According to Google, at least 7,050,000 unique content pieces include the phrase “marketing tips.”

But with plenty of outdated and filler content creation to just build out a website, it’s hard to find applicable advice that actually works online.

In this article, you’ll learn from marketing case study examples that demonstrate what it takes to master channels like social media, email marketing , and PPC, as well as how to use case studies in your own campaigns.

Don’t rely on empty words. Learn powerful marketing best practices that are backed up with examples and data.

What is a marketing case study?

In marketing, a case study is an in-depth study of the effectiveness of a certain tool, tactic, or strategy. It focuses on measurable outcomes, like an increase in sales, visitors, or production hours.

Typically, it includes a few key elements:

• Introduction to the customer/client
• The problem the client needed to solve (should align with problems prospective clients also need to solve)
• The solution (and context of why your company/software was the right fit)
• Data from before and after implementing the solution

In a sense, a case study documents the journey of working with your company. And it gives potential future customers a reason to trust your company.

What are the different types of case studies in marketing?

In marketing, there are three main types of case studies that are commonly used:

1. Third-person or client case studies: These highlight the experience of a specific client working with your company or using your product.

2. Explanatory case studies: These case studies explore the impact of a phenomenon or tactic, such as the company’s marketing strategy, and how it impacted their growth. In this case, it’s not based on first-hand experience, but rather observation and inference.

3. Implementation case studies: An implementation case study takes the average client case study a bit further, focusing on the actual implementation and covering it in detail.

You can also divide the case studies further by the type of medium they use — video or text.

And in 2021, video case studies are becoming more and more popular. Many companies even use them as remarketing ads to address potential objections.

Why should you use case studies?

Case studies are a powerful way to prove that your products or services work, showcase your expertise, and build trust with potential customers.

It’s a way to transition away from just “telling” your customer and instead start “showing” them through examples. There’s a reason the old copywriting maxim goes, “Show, don’t tell.”

Consumers’ trust in companies to tell the truth in advertising materials is lower than ever. In 2020, only 14% of consumers said they trust advertising to be honest about a product or service.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t generate trust with your company’s website.

Consumers trust third-party reviews, testimonials, and data. In fact, 91% of 18–34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

So you need social proof. And client case studies — especially those that interview the current clients — are the best of both worlds. You get to highlight data while getting powerful social proof that shows that your product works.

When just adding a simple customer testimonial to your website can increase conversion rates by up to 34% , imagine what a detailed, compelling case study can do.

1. Email marketing case study: Your Therapy Source

If you think that email is a medium of the past, think again. At ActiveCampaign, we have hundreds of recent case studies that prove the opposite.

For example, Your Therapy Source receives a 2000% return on investment (ROI) from our campaigns simply by taking advantage of basic marketing automation .

In particular, a basic abandoned cart email represents around 30% of all revenue generated by automations.

With ActiveCampaign, that’s incredibly easy to set up. You can take advantage of our integrations with key e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce , Shopify , and more.

Because the case study goes into detail about exactly how the company achieved the results, it’s a combination of an implementation case study and a regular third-person case study.

2. Instagram marketing case study: Converse

If you look at all the top Instagram accounts in clothing, Converse has a much higher engagement rate than its competitors.

At 1.79%, their social media posts have an organic engagement rate over 15 times higher than Nike.

Why is that?

Let’s take a closer look at how they achieve these numbers:

When looking at Converse’s top Instagram posts, you quickly notice a trend. Collaborations with influential creators and artists — lately Tyler, the Creator — get a different level of engagement.

The post promoting their new collaboration shoe got over 183,000 likes in a few weeks. Converse even took it a step further and produced a short film with Tyler.

If you want to reach a wider number of people, combining audiences is a great strategy.

This is an example of an explanatory case study.

First, we worked backward from Converse’s powerful Instagram results. Then, we identified tactics that contribute to their high levels of engagement.

Because we didn’t work directly with Converse, and we’re only observing as an outsider, this is an explanatory case study.

3. Content marketing case study: porch.com

Fractl is a content marketing agency that worked with porch.com for over a year to earn 931 unique domain links, 23,000 monthly organic visits, and more.

The case study focuses on results over method — that means it’s a typical third-person case study.

They’re showcasing the results the company generated for a specific outside client without getting into the how-to.

These types of case studies are most useful for persuading hesitant potential customers to get on board. Showing that you’ve generated results for similar companies or people in the past is the best way to prove your skill set.

Depending on your target audience, going into detail with an implementation case study may be a better option.

4. SEO case study: Zapier study by Ryan Berg

This in-depth case study by Ryan Berg is a perfect example of how you can use explanatory case studies in your marketing.

It breaks down Zapier’s SEO strategy and how they created over 25,000 unique landing pages to improve their search rankings for different search terms.

Zapier’s main strategy revolves around targeting relevant long-tail keywords like “app A + app B integration.” That’s the key they used to generate serious organic traffic over the long term.

By breaking down industry leaders and how they rose to success, you can borrow some of their brand power and credibility.

You can use these kinds of case studies if your current clients don’t allow you to go into detail about the tactics you use to grow their online presence.

These case studies demonstrate to potential clients that you know what you’re talking about and have the expertise needed to help them succeed in their industry.

5. PPC case study: Google Ads and Saraf Furniture

When it comes to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, Google was one of the earliest innovators. And in 2021, it’s still the largest digital advertiser globally, with $146.92 billion in ad revenue in 2020.

You might not think they need any more credibility, but Google still uses case studies, especially in emerging markets like India.

This case study shows how Google Ads helped Saraf Furniture generate 10 times more inbound leads each month and hire 1,500 new carpenters as a result.

Without going into details about the methods, it’s another typical third-person case study designed to build trust.

6. Video marketing case study: L’Oréal and YouTube

In this case study, various members of L’Oréal’s global marketing team break down exactly how they used YouTube ads to launch a new product.

As a result of the campaign, they were able to establish their new product as the No. 2 in its category and earn 34% of all mass sales across a network of online retailers.

The case study breaks down how they used YouTube for different stages — from awareness to loyalty. It’s another example of a third-person implementation case study.

7. Remarketing case study: AdRoll and Yoga Democracy

AdRoll is a remarketing platform that tracks your visitors and lets you show them targeted ads across the internet.

Their case study with Yoga Democracy perfectly showcases the power of the platform.

Look at these highlights:

• 200% increase in conversions
• 50% reduction in CPA
• 19% of total revenue attributed to AdRoll

These are metrics you’d love to show any potential customer. The case study goes into detail about how they built an effective remarketing campaign, including cart recovery emails and ads.

Because of the detail, you can classify this as an implementation case study.

8. Influencer marketing case study: Trend and WarbyParker

This influencer marketing case study from Warby Parker and Trend showcases how you can use influencer marketing even with a limited budget.

The “Wearing Warby” campaign was centered around showcasing influencers wearing Warby Parker glasses in their everyday life.

From mundane tasks like eating breakfast to artists creating a new masterpiece — it showcased Warby Parker’s products in use and made the brand more approachable for influencers’ followers.

This is another third-person case study, as it doesn’t go into much detail beyond the results.

9. Customer experience case study: App Annie and Coca-Cola

In this case study, Greg Chambers, the director of innovation for Coca-Cola, explains what App Annie brings to the table.

Instead of specific numbers and metrics, it focuses on the big-picture benefits that App Annie has on Coca-Cola’s customer experience.

The video interview format is also perfect for driving trust with potential customers.

Again, this is a typical third-person case study that you see a lot in the marketing world.

10. SaaS case study: Asana and Carta

Of course, it’s not just agencies and advertising platforms that need to master the use of case studies in digital marketing.

Let’s explore an example of a case study outside the marketing industry, in this case specifically for B2B marketers.

Asana is a project management platform that helps companies make their workflows more efficient.

It’s a good example of a case study that focuses more on the lived experience and less on the metrics.

This is a third-person case study that is closer to a client interview or testimonial, which is a good option if it’s hard to quantify improvements with metrics.

Best practices: How to use case studies in your own marketing campaigns

In this section, you’ll learn best practices to help you maximize the value of case studies in your own marketing campaigns.

Let’s look at four steps you can take to effectively use case studies.

Include a dedicated case study/customer stories page on your website

Most companies with a successful online presence have one of these pages. Emulate the top competitors in your industry by creating an improved version of their pages.

You can also add a case studies section to your resources page or blog.

Build CTAs into your case study pages

The chances are low that a random Googler will make it to your case studies. Most likely, it’s someone who thinks they might need your product.

So don’t be afraid to include calls to action throughout your case study pages.

Share case studies as part of your email marketing campaigns

Email marketing is hands-down the best channel for nurturing potential needs . That means you should always use case studies and customer success stories in your campaigns.

But it’s important that it doesn’t feel too promotional. Instead, share the unique steps they took to ensure success to deliver value, not just pitch.

Use case study video ads to overcome objections

When you’re thinking about buying a product, it’s easy to talk yourself out of it.

“It’s too expensive.” “It won’t work for me.” There are a lot of excuses and objections out there.

A case study video can be a powerful tool to overcome these objections in potential buyers.

Don’t overlook case studies when you’re planning your next marketing campaign. Towards the bottom end of the funnel, in stages like decision and action, they’re a powerful marketing tool.

When used right, case studies will help you fill your sales pipeline and provide your sales team with qualified leads.

Hopefully, the examples in this article taught you how you can use case studies in social media, email, and content marketing strategy to further your business goals.

You should also have learned how to use case studies to sell your company’s expertise.

If you want to grow your business, it’s crucial to learn from the people who have gone before you. In marketing, trying to learn all principles from scratch through trial and error would be a costly mistake.

If you’re ready to take advantage of marketing automation and email marketing tools that help similar businesses generate ROIs of 20x or higher, start your ActiveCampaign trial today .

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40 Detailed Digital Marketing Case Studies [2024]

In the rapidly evolving digital era, the effectiveness of marketing tactics can have a huge impact on the brand’s success. This collection of 40 detailed digital marketing case studies from globally recognized companies offers a deep dive into the tactical approaches and innovative solutions that have reshaped consumer interactions and carved success stories across various industries. From leveraging cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality and artificial intelligence to embracing community-driven initiatives and personalized user experiences, each case study presents a unique challenge faced by the brand, the strategic response implemented, and the resultant impact on market presence and consumer loyalty. These 40 narratives not only highlight the transformative potential of effective digital marketing but also serve as a valuable learning resource for marketing professionals seeking to understand the dynamics of customer engagement and brand growth in the digital era.

Related: Surprising Digital Marketing Statistics & Facts

1. Airbnb – Leveraging User-Generated Content

Task or Conflict:

Airbnb, despite its revolutionary concept, faced significant challenges in scaling trust and global brand awareness. Operating in a highly competitive travel industry, Airbnb needed a cost-effective strategy to resonate emotionally and authentically with potential customers worldwide, without resorting to expensive traditional marketing techniques.

To overcome this challenge, Airbnb capitalized on user-generated content by motivating both parties to share their unique lodging experiences through images and stories on different platforms. They facilitated this by creating hashtags and launching contests to motivate participation. Airbnb’s strategy was not merely about collecting content but about fostering a community-centric brand that values customer experiences and stories as the core of its marketing.

Overall Impact:

• Considerable increase in organic reach across different online platforms.
• Enhanced brand trust and credibility, which translated into increased bookings globally.

Key Learnings:

• User-generated content can serve as an impactful and economical marketing tool.
• Building a brand community can help in enhanced user loyalty and organic brand promotion.

2. Nike – Digital Brand Transformation

Nike faced the challenge of maintaining relevance and connection with its diverse consumer base in a rapidly changing digital landscape. As consumer behaviors shifted towards more digital interactions and personalized experiences, Nike needed to find innovative ways to engage with its audience beyond traditional advertising and retail settings.

Nike addressed this challenge by fully embracing digital transformation with the launch of various mobile applications, such as the Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club, which integrated workout plans, running tracking, and community challenges into their user experience. They also harnessed the power of data analytics to offer personalized product recommendations and tailored fitness advice, thereby creating a more engaging and customized user journey.

• Drastically improved user engagement rates, with millions of downloads and active users on their apps.
• Strengthened brand loyalty and community feel among Nike customers, leading to increased sales both online and in-store.
• Digital tools and apps can significantly enhance customer engagement and loyalty when used to provide value beyond the traditional sales experience.
• Personalization and community building are crucial for maintaining brand relevance in a digital-first consumer market.

3. Tesco – Virtual Store

Tesco was looking to expand its market presence in South Korea without the substantial costs associated with opening new physical stores. The challenge was to reach a tech-savvy and time-constrained commuter population who valued convenience and efficiency in their shopping experiences.

Tesco’s innovative solution was to create virtual stores in subway stations, where busy commuters could shop while waiting for their train. They placed life-sized billboards of store shelves with products bearing QR codes in subway stations. Commuters could scan these codes using Tesco’s mobile app to add items to their virtual shopping cart, making their daily commute time productive for shopping.

• Positioned Tesco as the top online grocery retailer in South Korea.
• Achieved a substantial increase in customer base and online sales, effectively transforming the grocery shopping experience.
• Digital innovations that blend into the daily routines of customers can lead to high engagement and conversion rates.
• Utilizing commonplace technology like QR codes can effectively connect the physical and digital shopping environments, catering to the modern consumer’s desire for convenience and efficiency.

4. Spotify – Data-Driven Personalization

Spotify faced the challenge of differentiating itself in the saturated music streaming market. With numerous services offering similar catalogues of music, Spotify needed to find a way to stand out and retain users in a competitive landscape where user preferences and engagement could make a significant difference.

Spotify’s approach was to harness the vast amounts of data they collected on user listening habits to create hyper-personalized experiences. They developed algorithms for features like “Discover Weekly,” which provides users with a playlist tailored to their tastes every week. This strategy was rooted in predictive analytics and machine learning, aiming to anticipate user preferences and introduce them to new music seamlessly.

• Considerably increased user engagement on the platform.
• Boosted subscription rates as users found more value in personalized content.
• Leveraging user data for personalization can highly distinguish a service in the market.
• Continuous innovation in user experience can drive both retention and acquisition.

5. Domino’s Pizza – Digital Ordering Innovation

Domino’s was striving to enhance sales and streamline the customer ordering process. The fast-food industry is notoriously competitive, and Domino’s needed to innovate to make ordering as convenient and quick as possible for customers seeking instant gratification.

Domino’s revolutionized the digital ordering process by introducing an array of ordering methods, including a pioneering “pizza emoji” text order system and a robust digital platform that works seamlessly across various devices. They also utilized voice recognition and artificial intelligence to predict customer preferences and speed up the ordering process.

• Digital orders rose dramatically to account for a huge portion of total sales.
• The company’s stock price increased due to improved operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Streamlining the customer experience with technology can lead to substantial increases in sales and efficiency.
• Innovative ordering options can set a company apart in a competitive industry.

Related: How to learn Digital Marketing?

6. GoPro – Harnessing Advocacy

GoPro needed to amplify its brand presence and deepen user engagement in a market where consumers are bombarded with countless digital advertisements. The challenge was to make GoPro not just a product but a part of its customers’ adventure narratives.

GoPro’s strategy focused on turning their customers into brand ambassadors by encouraging them to share their thrilling videos and images taken with GoPro cameras. They launched the “GoPro Awards” to incentivize user content submission with rewards, effectively using this content in their marketing campaigns to showcase the camera’s capabilities.

• Enhanced brand loyalty and created a massive repository of authentic user-generated content.
• Fostered a strong community of GoPro users who are engaged and regularly contribute content.
• Encouraging user-generated content can create a vibrant community and provide authentic marketing material.
• Rewarding customer contributions can increase engagement and brand loyalty.

7. ZARA – Agile Social Media Strategies

ZARA faced the challenge of maintaining its fast-fashion leadership while transitioning to a digital-first retail approach. They needed to keep up with rapid fashion trends and consumer expectations on social media, where trends can change overnight.

ZARA employed an agile social media strategy that mirrored its renowned supply chain flexibility. They quickly adapted campaigns and content to reflect the latest fashion trends and consumer feedback, using a data-driven approach to tailor their marketing efforts to real-time insights.

• Increased engagement on social media platforms, driving both online and offline traffic.
• Enhanced brand perception as trendy and responsive among consumers.
• Agility in social media marketing can effectively align with and capitalize on consumer trends.
• Data-driven content adaptation can lead to higher consumer engagement and satisfaction.

8. Slack – B2B Content Marketing

Slack needed to establish itself in the crowded B2B tech market, where differentiation is crucial for capturing the attention of business customers. The challenge was not only to stand out but also to articulate the value of Slack’s platform in streamlining communication across diverse teams and enterprises.

Slack’s strategy involved utilizing high-quality, informative content marketing to address common communication challenges faced by businesses. They created a variety of content types, including case studies, whitepapers, and blogs, which demonstrated how Slack enhances productivity and integrates with various business tools. This approach helped position Slack as a thought leader in workplace communication.

• Successfully established thought leadership in the B2B communications sphere.
• Saw a significant increase in adoption rates among businesses, leading to a larger user base.
• High-value content that addresses specific industry pain points can effectively engage and convert B2B audiences.
• Establishing thought leadership through content is vital for differentiation in the B2B technology sector.

9. Unilever (Dove) – Campaign for Real Beauty

Dove sought to challenge beauty industry norms and redefine what beauty means to women around the world. The brand faced the task of shifting perceptions in a market saturated with idealized, often unattainable beauty standards, to foster a broader, more inclusive definition of beauty.

Dove launched the “Campaign for Real Beauty” by featuring real women with diverse body types, ages, and ethnicities in their advertisements. This strategy was complemented by a series of videos, workshops, and storytelling initiatives that highlighted personal beauty stories, aiming to inspire confidence among women and provoke conversations about beauty standards.

• Successfully shifted consumer perception of beauty, promoting a more inclusive view.
• Strengthened customer loyalty and brand alignment with core values of diversity and authenticity.
• Marketing campaigns that resonate emotionally and challenge societal norms can create powerful brand affinity.
• Authenticity in advertising can lead to deeper customer connections and loyalty.

10. Coca-Cola – Share a Coke Campaign

Coca-Cola needed to rejuvenate its brand and increase beverage consumption among younger demographics globally. The challenge was to create a personalized connection with consumers in a way that felt genuine and encouraged social sharing.

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign replaced the iconic Coca-Cola logo on bottles with common first names and invited people to find bottles with their names or those of their friends and family. The campaign was amplified through social media, encouraging customers to share their personalized Coke bottles online using specific hashtags.

• Revitalized global brand engagement, particularly among teens and young adults.
• Triggered a worldwide trend of personalized consumer goods that led to increased sales.
• Personalization at a mass scale can effectively engage consumers and foster a personal connection with the brand.
• Social media can be a impactful tool for amplifying interactive marketing operations and driving consumer participation.

Related: Design Tools to help you become a better Digital Marketer

11. Amazon – Prime Day Optimization

Amazon sought to boost its annual Prime Day sales and enhance customer loyalty in a market crowded with competing sales events. The challenge was to distinguish Prime Day from other sales and drive both participation and revenue across global markets.

Amazon utilized targeted email marketing campaigns, personalized shopping recommendations, and exclusive Prime member promotions to drive engagement. They also leveraged their massive logistics network to ensure fast delivery, enhancing the customer experience and encouraging repeat purchases during the event.

• Record-breaking sales figures each year, surpassing previous Prime Day events.
• Increased Prime membership sign-ups, reinforcing customer loyalty and recurring revenue.
• Personalization and exclusive benefits can effectively drive participation and customer loyalty during large-scale promotional events.
• Efficient logistical support can enhance customer satisfaction and drive repeat business during high-demand periods.

12. LEGO – Reviving a Brand

LEGO faced a severe decline in sales in the early 2000s, with risks of bankruptcy looming due to outdated product offerings and a failure to engage a new generation of children.

LEGO revamped its marketing strategy by integrating digital experiences with physical play. This included partnerships with popular franchises for themed LEGO sets and developing interactive digital platforms where children could share their creations.

• Successfully reversed the sales decline, returning to profitability.
• Expanded their customer base to include both children and nostalgic adults.
• Combining digital experiences with traditional products can breathe new life into classic brands.
• Strategic partnerships can effectively expand market reach and relevance.

13. Ford – Euro 2020 Sponsorship Activation

Ford aimed to leverage its sponsorship of the UEFA Euro 2020 to enhance its brand visibility and connect with a diverse European audience, amidst a cluttered advertising environment.

Ford developed an interactive campaign that included a virtual reality experience allowing fans to “sit” in a Ford while taking a virtual tour of football stadiums. They also used real-time social media updates linked to game events to engage viewers.

• Increased brand engagement across Europe, particularly during game times.
• Enhanced brand association with innovation and excitement.
• Out-of-the-box advertising can develop unforgettable brand experiences and enhance user engagement.
• Real-time social media engagement can effectively capitalize on event-driven marketing opportunities.

14. IBM – Smarter Planet Initiative

IBM wanted to position itself not just as a technology provider but as a thought leader addressing global challenges through innovation, needing to shift public perception and increase business engagements in new verticals.

The “Smarter Planet” campaign was launched, utilizing extensive content marketing, including thought leadership articles, case studies, and partnerships with academic institutions to demonstrate how technology can solve real-world problems.

• Successfully shifted IBM’s brand perception towards that of a global innovator.
• Increased engagement in new industry verticals, including healthcare and renewable energy.
• Thought leadership can effectively shift brand perception and open new market opportunities.
• Content marketing can be a dominant device for demonstrating product relevance and company values.

15. Adidas – Digital Shoe Launch

Adidas needed to launch a new line of running shoes and wanted to stand out in a highly competitive market, aiming to reach a global audience while highlighting the technological advancements in their product.

Adidas created an augmented reality app that allowed users to virtually try on shoes and participate in a digital scavenger hunt that led them through interactive challenges based on shoe features. This was complemented by influencer partnerships to drive awareness and engagement.

• Generated significant global buzz and high consumer engagement online.
• Achieved high sales volumes immediately following the launch.
• Innovative use of augmented reality can provide engaging and unique consumer experiences.
• Influencer partnerships can amplify reach and credibility in product launches.

Related: Simple Ways to get better at Digital Marketing

16. Pepsi – Refresh Project

Pepsi aimed to rejuvenate its brand and foster a positive corporate image in the face of growing health concerns about sugary drinks. They needed a campaign that would resonate broadly and foster substantial consumer engagement.

The Pepsi Refresh Project was a community-focused campaign that allowed people to submit and vote on projects for Pepsi to fund. The initiative focused on social good and community development, utilizing social media platforms to maximize engagement and participation.

• Improved brand image as socially responsible.
• Created widespread consumer engagement through voting and participation in the campaign.
• Brand alignment with social responsibility can enhance corporate image and customer engagement.
• Interactive and community-focused campaigns can drive substantial consumer participation and loyalty.

17. Samsung – Galaxy Launch

Samsung faced the challenge of launching their new Galaxy smartphone in a market dominated by Apple’s iPhone. They needed to differentiate their product and create a compelling argument for consumers to switch.

Samsung embarked on a comprehensive marketing campaign that highlighted the Galaxy’s superior tech specifications and user-friendly features compared to the iPhone. The campaign included high-profile television ads, social media challenges, and interactive pop-ups where consumers could experience the technology firsthand.

• Successfully increased market share in the smartphone industry.
• Enhanced consumer perception of Samsung as a leader in technology innovation.
• Highlighting product advantages through comparative advertising can effectively influence consumer purchasing decisions.
• Interactive marketing experiences can deepen consumer engagement and brand loyalty.

18. Google – Education Initiatives

Google aimed to expand its influence in the education sector but faced skepticism from educational institutions about the applicability and security of digital tools in educational settings.

Google launched a series of educational initiatives, including Google Classroom, which offered a seamless, integrated platform for managing teaching and learning. They provided robust security features and collaborated with educators to tailor their tools to classroom needs.

• Widely adopted by schools worldwide, becoming a staple in digital education.
• Strengthened Google’s reputation as a valuable partner in education technology.
• Tailoring technology solutions to meet specific industry needs can lead to widespread adoption.
• Collaborations with industry professionals can enhance product design and market acceptance.

19. MasterCard – Priceless Campaign

MasterCard needed to differentiate itself in a crowded credit card market and foster deeper emotional connections with its customers, moving beyond transactional relationships.

The “Priceless” campaign was launched, featuring stories of unique and emotional experiences made possible by MasterCard, emphasizing the card’s role in facilitating priceless life moments. The campaign was supported by partnerships with travel, dining, and entertainment sectors to offer exclusive experiences to cardholders.

• Successfully resonated with customers on a deeper level, strengthening brand loyalty.
• Increased usage of MasterCard for booking experiences and high-value purchases.
• Emotional branding can create deeper consumer connections and loyalty.
• Exclusive partnerships can enhance the value proposition of a product.

20. Netflix – Global Expansion Strategy

Netflix needed to expand its subscriber base internationally but faced challenges related to content relevance and local competition in various countries.

Netflix invested heavily in local content production, creating original series and films that catered to local tastes and cultures. They also optimized their user interface to accommodate multiple languages and cultural nuances, improving user experience globally.

• Significantly increased international subscriber numbers.
• Enhanced global brand recognition and loyalty through culturally relevant content.
• Investing in local content can significantly improve market penetration and customer satisfaction in new regions.
• Cultural customization of product offerings can enhance user experience and brand loyalty internationally.

Related: How  to use AR/VR in Digital Marketing?

21. Volvo – Safety Marketing

Volvo sought to reinforce its position as a leader in automotive safety in a market increasingly focused on electric and autonomous vehicles. The challenge was to communicate Volvo’s longstanding commitment to safety innovation in a way that resonated with modern consumers and differentiated it from competitors.

Volvo launched a multi-faceted digital marketing campaign highlighting its historical safety innovations and the integration of advanced safety technologies in its newest models. The campaign used emotional storytelling through customer testimonials and crash-test footage to highlight the life-saving impacts of their vehicles.

• Reinforced Volvo’s reputation as a leader in vehicle safety.
• Increased consumer trust and interest in newer Volvo models.
• Leveraging brand heritage in marketing can strengthen consumer trust and loyalty.
• Emotional storytelling can effectively communicate complex product features like safety innovations.

22. Adobe – Subscription Model Transition

Adobe faced the challenge of transitioning from traditional software sales to a subscription-based model, which was initially met with resistance from its long-standing customer base used to one-time purchases.

Adobe implemented a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that highlighted the benefits of the subscription model, such as continuous updates, cloud storage, and improved collaboration tools. They also offered transitional discounts and bundled offers to existing customers to ease the shift.

• Successfully shifted the majority of their consumer base to the subscription model.
• Achieved a steady increase in recurring revenue and customer satisfaction.
• Clear communication of product value changes can facilitate major business model transitions.
• Offering incentives can mitigate customer resistance to new pricing structures.

23. Patagonia – Environmental Advocacy

Patagonia aimed to enhance its brand commitment to environmental sustainability while driving sales. The challenge was to authentically integrate this commitment into their marketing strategy without appearing opportunistic.

Patagonia’s approach included high-profile environmental projects, such as “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” which encouraged responsible consumption. They underlined the longevity of their goods and their restoration services, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to reducing environmental impact.

• Strengthened brand loyalty among environmentally conscious consumers.
• Maintained strong sales despite the campaign’s call for reduced consumption.
• Marketing activities that align with core company values can connect deeply with users.
• Advocacy and authenticity in marketing can differentiate a brand in a competitive market.

24. Microsoft – Cloud Computing

Microsoft needed to solidify its position in the rapidly growing cloud computing market against strong competitors like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

Microsoft focused on marketing its hybrid cloud solutions, emphasizing security, compliance, and seamless integration with existing on-premise infrastructure. They leveraged case studies of successful deployments in key industries to showcase their expertise and reliability.

• Enhanced market share in the cloud computing industry.
• Built reliance and integrity among enterprise customers.
• Focusing on unique selling propositions such as security and hybrid capabilities can capture a niche market segment.
• Case studies are effective tools for demonstrating capability and building trust.

25. Red Bull – Branding Through Sports

Red Bull faced the challenge of marketing an energy drink in ways that would continually capture the attention of a young, dynamic audience.

Red Bull created a unique brand image focused on extreme sports and adventurous lifestyles. They sponsored athletes, hosted extreme sports events, and produced high-adrenaline content that was shared widely across digital platforms.

• Successfully maintained a vibrant and exciting brand image.
• Increased global brand recognition and loyalty among target demographics.
• Investing in brand-aligned content and sponsorships can improve product identity and user engagement.
• Content that resonates with the brand’s audience can drive both online engagement and real-world participation.

Related: High-Paying Digital Marketing Jobs

26. Oreo – Real-Time Marketing

Oreo aimed to capitalize on real-time events to stay pertinent and appealing in the current social media era.

Oreo’s digital marketing team set up a “war room” during major events like the Super Bowl, allowing them to react instantaneously to live events with clever, themed social media posts. This strategy was highlighted by their famous “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during a Super Bowl blackout.

• Gained extensive media coverage and social media buzz.
• Enhanced engagement and supporters on social media platforms.
• Real-time marketing can create significant brand buzz and viral potential.
• Preparing to leverage unexpected events can lead to high-impact marketing moments.

27. Toyota – Hybrid Cars

Toyota needed to drive adoption of its hybrid vehicles amidst skepticism about hybrid technology and performance concerns.

Toyota launched an educational campaign that included test-drive events, informational videos, and customer testimonials highlighting the reliability, performance, and environmental benefits of their hybrid models.

• Increased sales and market share in the hybrid vehicle category.
• Strengthened Toyota’s reputation as a leader in automotive innovation.
• Educational marketing can effectively address consumer skepticism and boost product adoption.
• Demonstrating product benefits through real-life experiences can enhance consumer trust and interest.

28. BuzzFeed – Content Virality

BuzzFeed needed to maintain its dominance in the digital media space amid increasing competition from other content platforms offering similar viral-type content.

BuzzFeed optimized its approach to content creation by leveraging data analytics to understand what makes content shareable. They focused on creating highly engaging, visually appealing content tailored to specific audiences and distributed across various social platforms.

• Maintained high engagement rates and growth in readership.
• Solidified its leadership in developing viral content.
• Data-driven content creation can effectively maintain engagement in a competitive market.
• Tailoring content to platform-specific audiences can maximize shareability and reach.

29. IKEA – Augmented Reality App

IKEA faced the challenge of enhancing customer shopping experience and minimizing returns due to size mismatches or style misfit with their furniture.

IKEA launched an AR app that allows users to visualize furniture in their own space before buying. The app, integrated with IKEA’s digital catalog, enables users to see how different furniture styles and sizes fit and look in their actual living spaces.

• Reduced return rates due to size or style mismatches.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction and increased sales conversions through the app.
• Augmented reality can significantly enhance the online shopping experience.
• Providing solutions that reduce consumer uncertainty can lead to higher satisfaction and sales.

30. Canva – Democratizing Design

Canva aimed to make design accessible to non-designers, competing against professional design software that requires significant skills and training.

Canva developed an intuitive, user-friendly platform with drag-and-drop features and an extensive library of templates. Their marketing focused on empowering users with no prior design experience to create professional-level designs easily.

• Rapid growth in user base, including small businesses, educators, and marketers.
• Established Canva as a leader in accessible design tools.
• Making professional tools accessible to a broader audience can capture a significant market share.
• User-friendly design and effective educational marketing can drive adoption and loyalty.

Related: History of Digital Marketing

31. Fitbit – Community-Driven Fitness

Fitbit needed to differentiate itself in a crowded market of wearable fitness technology and engage users on a long-term basis.

Fitbit enhanced its devices with social features that allow users to interact with friends, challenge each other, etc. They focused on building a community around fitness, highlighting a lifestyle rather than just a product.

• Increased consumer engagement and retention rates.
• Strengthened brand loyalty through a community-centric approach.
• Community features in tech products can enhance customer engagement and product stickiness.
• Promoting a lifestyle and building a community can have more impact than concentrating solely on the features.

32. Sephora – Beauty Insider Loyalty Program

Sephora faced the challenge of increasing customer loyalty and repeat purchases in the competitive beauty retail market.

Sephora revamped its Beauty Insider loyalty program to offer more customized incentives, exclusive experiences, and beauty classes. The program utilizes customer data to tailor recommendations and promotions, enhancing the personal connection with the brand.

• Increased frequency of repeat purchases.
• Enhanced consumer faith and contentment with customized experiences.
• Loyalty programs that offer personalized experiences can improve user loyalty.
• Utilizing customer data effectively can lead to more fruitful marketing policies.

33. New York Times – Digital Subscription Growth

The New York Times needed to adapt to the digital age, facing declining print subscriptions and the challenge of monetizing digital content.

The NYT introduced a flexible digital subscription model, which included tiered pricing levels to attract a broader audience. They invested heavily in quality journalism and digital content to provide value that justifies the subscription cost.

• Successful growth in digital subscriptions, offsetting declines in print.
• Strengthened brand reputation as a leading news provider in the digital age.
• Providing high-quality content is crucial for monetizing digital platforms.
• Flexible pricing models can appeal to a broader range of consumers.

34. L’Oréal – Embracing Digital Beauty Tech

L’Oréal faced the challenge of personalizing the beauty shopping experience in a digital environment, where customers traditionally rely on in-store trials before purchasing makeup and skincare products.

L’Oréal invested in augmented reality and artificial intelligence technologies to create a virtual try-on app, allowing customers to see how different products look on their own skin. The app also provided personalized skincare recommendations based on user skin analysis conducted through their mobile device cameras. This technology was heavily marketed through social media and online advertising to drive app downloads and engagement.

• Significantly increased online sales and customer interaction with the brand.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction through personalized and innovative shopping experiences.
• Digital technologies like AR and AI can effectively bridge the gap between online shopping and the need for product trial.
• Personalization in the beauty industry enhances customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

35. Duolingo – Gamification of Learning

Duolingo faced the challenge of making language learning engaging and retaining users over long periods.

Duolingo implemented gamification strategies in their app, including points, levels, and daily streaks, to make learning languages fun and addictive. They continuously updated their app with new languages and features to engage audiences.

• Significantly increased user retention and daily engagement.
• Expanded globally, ranking among the most popular language learning apps.
• Gamification can make educational content more interactive and improve retention rates.
• Regular updates and new features keep users interested and encouraged in using the application.

Related: Predictions about Digital Marketing Future

36. Warby Parker – Online Eyewear Customization

Warby Parker needed to overcome consumer hesitation about buying prescription glasses online without trying them on first.

Warby Parker introduced a home try-on program where consumers can shortlist five frames to try at home for free before buying. They combined this with a robust online virtual try-on feature that uses augmented reality to simulate the glasses on the user’s face.

• Reduced barriers to online purchases of eyewear.
• Increased user contentment and sales conversions.
• Innovative trial options can overcome traditional barriers to online shopping.
• Augmented reality can effectively bridge the gap between online and offline shopping experiences.

37. Tesla – Direct Sales Model

Tesla aimed to revolutionize the car buying experience but faced legal and market resistance against its direct sales model, bypassing traditional dealerships.

Tesla persisted with its direct sales approach, focusing on educating users about the advantages of electric vehicles through experiential showrooms and interactive displays. They also engaged in legal battles to secure the right to sell directly in various states.

• Established a successful direct-to-consumer sales model.
• More control over brand identity and user experience.
• Direct sales models can provide significant advantages in controlling the brand experience.
• Educational marketing can effectively shift consumer preferences and overcome market resistance.

38. Chanel – Leveraging Heritage in Digital Marketing

Chanel needed to maintain its iconic brand status while transitioning to a digital-first marketing strategy, ensuring they connect with a younger audience without losing their established customer base.

Chanel leveraged its rich heritage by creating digital storytelling campaigns that intertwined its history with modern elements. They utilized high-quality visuals and collaborated with contemporary artists and influencers to remain relevant and appealing across generations.

• Successfully engaged both younger and older demographics.
• Maintained a luxury brand image in the digital marketplace.
• Integrating brand heritage with modern digital marketing can appeal to a broad audience.
• High-quality content and strategic influencer partnerships can elevate brand perception in the digital era.

39. Under Armour – Connected Fitness Strategy

Under Armour sought to differentiate itself from other sports apparel brands by integrating technology into its product offerings.

Under Armour acquired several fitness app companies to create a connected fitness community that tracks and shares health data. They integrated these apps with their apparel and footwear, offering consumers a comprehensive fitness monitoring system.

• Created a unique ecosystem combining apparel, footwear, and digital health tracking.
• Strengthened brand loyalty among tech-savvy fitness enthusiasts.
• Integrating digital technology with traditional products can create a unique market position.
• Building a brand community can improve user loyalty and engagement.

40. Disney – Streaming Service Launch

Disney needed to enter the competitive streaming market controlled by established players such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The challenge was to carve out a niche and attract subscribers to yet another streaming platform.

Disney leveraged its extensive library of beloved classics, along with exclusive new content from popular franchises, to launch Disney+. They marketed the platform with a nostalgic appeal combined with the excitement of new, exclusive releases, utilizing cross-promotions through their theme parks, merchandise, and television networks.

• Quickly amassed millions of subscribers worldwide.
• Successfully established Disney+ as a key player in the streaming market.
• Exclusive content and strong brand heritage can be pivotal in differentiating a new entrant in a crowded market.
• Leveraging existing brand ecosystems for cross-promotion can significantly boost the launch of new services.

Related: Digital Marketing Internship vs. Taking a Course

Closing Thoughts

These digital marketing case studies underscore the transformative power of strategic, data-driven marketing initiatives across a diverse array of industries. By examining these examples, it becomes clear that whether through embracing technological innovations, capitalizing on brand heritage, or engaging with communities in meaningful ways, companies can significantly enhance their market position and forge deeper connections with their audiences. Each case study not only narrates a story of challenge and solution but also distills critical lessons about the adaptability, creativity, and forward-thinking necessary in today’s digital marketing landscape. For businesses aiming to refine their marketing strategies, these insights offer invaluable guidance on harnessing digital tools to foster customer loyalty, drive engagement, and accelerate growth. Ultimately, these narratives celebrate the ingenuity of marketers in navigating the complexities of the digital world and crafting campaigns that resonate profoundly with consumers globally.

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The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Case Studies

Everything you need to know about creating effective marketing case studies that will help you convert more leads.

FREE DOWNLOAD: CASE STUDY TEMPLATES

Showcase success using compelling case studies.

Updated: 12/02/21

Published: 02/16/16

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and imagine you were considering purchasing a new product.

Would you be more inclined to:

A) Chat with a salesperson — while trying to block out the tiny voice in your head reminding you that they’re working on commission?

B) Review a case study about a customer who used that product to solve a problem similar to yours?

Probably option B, right? That’s because we put more trust in word-of-mouth marketing than we do salespeople.

The way people consume information has changed, and buyers have all the resources they need to make decisions about what to purchase. Companies can either continue marketing the old, less effective way … or they can embrace these changes and let their customers do the work for them through testimonials, reviews, word-of-mouth marketing, and marketing case studies.

Customers trust other customers — the companies that recognize this will benefit in the long run and grow better.

Plenty of companies have already proven how beneficial marketing case studies can be. They are the most popular form of self-promotional marketing used by marketing agency executives in the U.S. Additionally, 88% of surveyed B2B marketers say that customer case studies are considered to be their most impactful content marketing tactic.  

While chatting with a salesperson can be helpful, and even preferable for some, it’s clear that having marketing case studies on your website can be beneficial. Case studies answer potential customers’ questions, demonstrate success, build company-wide credibility, increase conversions , and most importantly, eliminate bias so your customer can make a confident decision to buy your product.

What Is a Marketing Case Study?

Marketing case studies analyze the ways that a customer uses a product or service. They describe a challenge the customer faced, the solutions they considered, and the results they experienced after their purchase. Strong case studies can compel others to buy a product.

Benefits of Case Studies

Converting Leads with Case Studies

Choosing a Case Study Format

Conducting a Case Study Interview

Benefits of Marketing Case Studies

The use of marketing case studies is beneficial to companies of all sizes and customers of all backgrounds. Well-crafted marketing case studies provide potential customers with engaging content that excites them to buy your product.

They Tell a Relatable Story

Case studies often involve an interview with a customer that has had success using your product. Before choosing a customer for an interview, consider who you’re targeting. Your case studies should appeal to your buyer persona .

When your target customer feels connected to your case studies, they will feel more confident in their purchase.

Consider this: You’re buying a new software for your team. You have a few possible options in mind, so you head to their respective websites to do your own research. The first two options sound good on paper (or rather, on screen), but you want a solution you can really trust. Something that is preferably not written by the company itself.

The third site you go to has a landing page that includes a few case studies. One of the case studies features an interview with an employee at a company similar to yours. You listen to that person describe challenges that they faced prior to getting the software — challenges that sound a lot like the ones you and your team currently face. The interviewee then talks about the ways that their software purchase resolved their pain points.

Wouldn’t the case study you found on the third website make you feel confident that the software could help your team, too?  

The key to creating relatable case studies is considering your buyer personas. That means considering demographics, company size, industry, etc. and selecting a person that the majority of your potential customers will feel a connection.

They Demonstrate Success

Take a look at HubSpot’s case study landing page . Check out the wide range of case studies listed. Notice how these case studies cover all types of industries, a wide variety of locations, different company sizes, and more.

If there are so many companies using HubSpot — to solve a vast array of challenges — then wouldn’t you assume HubSpot has a solid product that you could trust, too?

Case studies demonstrate success by showing potential customers that current customers — who once had challenges similar to their own — solved their pain points by making a purchase.

They Help Build Credibility

Credibility is what gives the people around you a reason to trust you.

For example, let’s say you’re looking at a product on Amazon , and you scroll down to the customer review section. You find that almost everyone has given the product a five-star rating or has written a positive comment about their experience. These comments and ratings build credibility for that product and brand.

Marketing case studies help your company build credibility. They also convince prospects to give your product a try when they see how many people already trust you, love your products, and believe in your mission.

They Help You Convert Leads

Case studies are a bottom-of-funnel strategy that will help you convert more leads . If a prospect is on the fence about your product, case studies are the marketing technique that will push them closer to that purchase decision.

For example, if a potential customer visits your website and they watch (or read) multiple case studies explaining the ways that customers have had success with your product, then they too may feel excited to become a customer.  

If that same prospect just left your competitor’s website where there were no case studies, your solution then becomes an easy sell … and your competitor becomes obsolete.

Marketing case studies retain value over long periods of time — meaning the same study has the potential to convert leads for years . Unless you have a revamp or a complete update of the product being referred to in your case study, it can remain on your website as long as you see fit.

Marketing Case Study Template

Now that we’ve reviewed the reasons why you should have case studies on your site, you might be wondering how to actually create a marketing case study.

First, it’s no secret that video content is more effective than written content. So, if you can create a video case study, do it. If not, be sure to include images throughout your written case study to break up the text and provide visual stimulation for readers.

Second, remember one size does not fit all when it comes to creating case studies. They vary in length, format, content, and style based on what experience you want to provide for your potential customers.

Keep this in mind as we go through the following example … some of the content here might work perfectly in your case study, and some might need to be modified.

If you need some guidance, check out HubSpot’s Case Study Creation Kit .

1. Choose Your Case Study Format

To determine which format you want to use for your case study, think about what type of content would be most beneficial for your buyer personas. You should consider what challenges your buyer personas might face, what types of industries they work in, their locations, and their business demographics.

Two commonly used marketing case study formats to consider include an exposé and a transcription.

An exposé is an interview technique that covers specific details about a topic, event, or individual. If you look back at the case studies on the HubSpot landing page , you’ll see the exposé format in action. The director, or author, is conducting the interview, leading conversation, and asking the interview subject questions about their interactions with HubSpot.

Tip: When you’re recording a video interview for your case study, make sure the interview subject repeats your question before providing an answer.

For example, if you ask them, “What challenge did our product help you overcome?” you don’t want them to simply say “organizational challenges.” The editing process will cut your voice out of the interview, and their response won’t make sense. Instead, make sure they answer all questions as a complete statement such as, “This product helped us overcome several organizational challenges.”

Transcription

This is a simpler case study format. It’s a transcription of an interview with your customer , meaning there is typically a significant amount of text for potential customers to read through.

Be sure to include the interview questions throughout this type of case study so readers know exactly what the interview subject is referring to. Lastly, feel free to pair your transcription with a series of images or even video to break up the text.

2. Conduct the Interview

The interview is the most important part of the case study … and quality matters. Strong interviews and videos take time . It’s not unusual to conduct a one to two-hour interview just to get a solid two minutes of video to use in your case study.

During the interview, you should ask your customers about their lives prior to purchasing your product, what it was like to acquire your product, and how their company’s future has changed because of their purchase.

If possible, record the interview. If not, be sure to use a transcription or audio recording device to ensure accurate quotes and statements throughout your case study.

Here are some sample questions for you to consider:

Ask about the customer’s life prior to your product.

• Who are you? What is your title? What does your company do?
• What challenges were you experiencing that made you realize you needed a solution?
• Why was finding a solution to this challenge important?

Ask what it was like finding and purchasing your product.

Capture general commentary — information that anyone could understand — from your interview subject in this section so potential customers can relate no matter their background or experience.

• How did you find our product? What was your experience like while purchasing our product?
• Ask about your customer’s criteria during their search for a solution. What was crucial versus what was nice to have?
• What were the results that came from using our product? How did our product solve your challenge?
• Ask for numerical results and hard data. Get proof of these from your interview subject (or even your own company if you have records).
• What were you able to start doing as a result of our product working for you? What are the intangible results of our product?

Ask about the impact that the product has had on your customer’s life.

• How did our product change your view of your company’s future?
• What are you excited about moving forward?
• What would your future be like without our product?

After conducting your interview, it’s time to actually put your case study together.

Edit your interview down to the most important, relevant information for potential customers to learn about your product. Cut that hour-long video interview down to a minute or two of the best clips.

If your interview is going to become a written case study, include the very best quotes. Make it easy to read by separating your information with the help of headers, bulleted lists, images , and bold or italicized text.

3. Incorporate Your Case Study in Your Marketing and Sales Processes

Determine how to best use the case study in your marketing and sales processes. Here are a few ideas:

Create a case study library.

By creating a case study library on a landing page — similar to the HubSpot landing page or this page by Fractl — you provide your potential customers with an easy way to learn about your products and company as a whole.

Source : Fractl

A case study library or landing page will prevent potential customers and leads from having to dig around on your website for any product information they’re searching for. If this information is not easily accessible, they could lose interest, become frustrated, leave your website, or even find an alternative solution on a competitor’s site.

Case study landing pages and libraries also help build credibility, look official, and typically bring in a lot of traffic — both through people searching for your company’s website and organic search.

According to Fractl , their case study landing page is the second most-visited page on their entire website. Additionally, it is their fourth most-visited page through organic search. Lastly, they’ve seen a huge boost in converting visitors to leads since the creation of their case study landing page — half of Fractl’s leads view at least one of their case studies.  

Surround your case studies with social proof.

If so many people are saying it’s true, then it must be true — this is how companies use the theory of social proof to their advantage.

Social proof theories say that people let the actions, behaviors, and beliefs of those around them impact their own. For example, some theories say most people would answer “yes” to the question: “If all of your friends jumped off of a bridge, would you?”

Social proof — or in this case, your friends all jumping off of the bridge — influences people to make decisions based on the expectations and behaviors of the people around them, even if their decision would be different if they were alone.

Companies use social proof in the form of customer reviews, logo walls (that is, the logos of companies that have purchased their products), or long-form videos. Social proof acts as a supplement to the information in a case study.

By showing potential customers how your products have changed the lives of other individuals, teams, and companies, prospects are more likely to buy into your claims and believe your product could help them, too.

Add product overviews to the case study section on your site.

If you’re editing down your case study interview and realize your interviewee said something vague or made a comment that a potential customer may not necessarily understand, you can add a product overview or reference guide next to that case study.

For example, imagine HubSpot is conducting a case study interview and an interview subject goes into detail about the specific functions of Workflows . A potential customer may not know much about HubSpot’s Workflows, so a detailed discussion about their features may not be relatable and could even raise some questions.

By including an overview or description of Workflows next to the case study where the product was mentioned, HubSpot can provide clarity for the viewer. You will also avoid making potential customers feel confused or uninterested.

Keep your sales team in the loop.

Once your case study is complete, you should notify your sales team so they can use them when reaching out to potential customers. They will be able to incorporate this information into their sales enablement kits — which include the technologies, processes, and content that allows them to sell efficiently and effectively.

By learning about the ways that real customers are using and benefiting from the products they are selling, sales teams can share relatable stories with potential customers and leads. These will help build trust and, most importantly, increase sales.

To help your sales team narrow the vast amount of information that typically comes from an in-depth case study, provide them with key takeaways that they can share with potential customers and leads. These key takeaways should include information about the interviewee’s background, title, and experience level and details about their company’s size, industry, and potential annual revenue.

This data will allow the sales team to tailor the information they share with potential customers and leads, organize it for future conversations, and make more efficient and impactful sales.

4. Determine How Many More Case Studies You Need

As I mentioned, every company is different and every product they sell is unique. Not every company will need the same number of case studies on their website to have an impact. To determine the right number of case studies for your company, think about the following tips.

Cover all of your bases.

A good rule of thumb is to have at least one to three case studies for each of your buyer personas.

To do this, cover a range of industries and types of companies, and interview people of different backgrounds, titles, demographics, and experience levels. You should make sure there is something for everyone who visits your website.

If your company targets customers all over the world and has offices located around the globe, this is especially important to consider. Think about what works for your buyer personas, your company’s location, and your goals when deciding how many case studies you need.

Sometimes, less is more.

Having an extensive list of case studies sounds like something everyone should have … right?

Not always. Think about it this way — if your company is on the smaller side and is relatively new, there’s a chance you haven’t given your customers much time with your products yet. There is also a chance that you don’t yet have a wide range of customers.

If your company then takes the time to create dozens of case studies, potential customers may feel you are being inauthentic and even unconvincing. It may also be a waste of resources that you can’t quite afford as a new business.

To be effective, try to make every one of your case studies relatable and helpful for your personas. Cover multiple use cases in each of your case studies when possible. You’ll not only simplify your own life, but you also keep your case study library clean and impactful.

Case studies are powerful marketing tools. They tell your potential customers relatable stories, demonstrate your company’s success, and help you build credibility. Case studies will help you reach your audience in a way that no sales pitch, email, newsletter, or advertisement will.

Plus, if your company made such a positive impact on a customer that they want to share their experience with others, why not broadcast that story?

Now it’s time to start creating content that matters to your potential customers and converts more leads.

Don't forget to share this post!

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8 Real Digital Marketing Case Studies

December 24, 2021 ~

Last updated: May 4, 2023

We’ve put out so many posts covering different marketing strategies and tutorials. 

In this list of Facebook ad campaign examples , we covered 7 of our clients’ top m ost profitable Facebook ads…

…and we broke the ads down to show what made them work.

You guys really seemed to find that post helpful.

So in this post, we’re going to follow a similar format, but we’re not limiting the examples to Facebook. 

Today, we’re going to walk through some of our top digital marketing case studies using 8 real client examples.

Let’s get started!

8 Digital Marketing Case Studies From Our Clients

Case study #1: moto trax.

The first one on our list of digital marketing case studies is Moto Trax.

It is a snow bike company so he had specific products for a specific audience.

We performed SEO , social media marketing, PPC , and website needs for them. 

• SEO, Website, & PPC

We got them 78 first-page Google rankings that resulted in over 77,000 new clicks to their website and $96,664.98 in revenue, in 5 months. 

We know that’s a lot to unpack, so let’s start with the SEO process.

SEO is the process of making your website rank at the top of the organic Google search results page.

That is when somebody types in a keyword or search term that’s relevant to your business.

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For example, if someone searches “atlanta social media management company” on Google/Bing/Yahoo (or any search engine)…

…then the site that is search engine optimized the best for that keyword will be the first organic listing.

So we helped them appear on the first page of Google results for 78 keywords.

Now, SEO is usually a long-term approach, sometimes taking 12 months or more to see first page results. 

So the major key to achieving these results so fast was their site’s age and history.

Our client had already established some web authority over 5 years but was doing SEO wrong.

Our team was able to successfully come in to:

• restructure their website,
• develop a strategy that included on and off-page optimization, and
• drive top search results.

And while we did perform other services for them, which we’ll get into in a second…

…SEO was a big part of our strategy because of the nature of their business.

Because their products were so specific and niche, it made sense to put their business in front of people actively searching for those specific terms.

That’s what our SEO and PPC services did for them.

So just take a minute to think about your business. 

Is the problem your company solves or the solution that your product or service provides something that people Google often?

If you think so, you can confirm by using Google Keyword Planner (it’s free!) to see exactly how often any search term is searched a month. 

But for now, we just wanted to point out that even though SEO is usually a long-term approach…

…that shouldn’t deter your company from starting the process if your audience is on Google actively searching for what you offer.

Now as for the social media service we provided for Mototrax, it’s important to note that you can still target a specific cold audience on social media.

But, it’s not guaranteed that they’re actively searching for or in need of your product right then and there when you deliver the ad to them.

So on that note, let’s look at the social media marketing we did for them to see what worked. 

We drove over 49,000 Facebook page likes, over 205 thousand video views, and 1,718 leads at $2.00 per lead, from social ads.

So how did we do this and what made it work? 

Well to answer the first question, we used specific objective-oriented ad campaigns to fuel their marketing funnel. 

We ran a page-like ad campaign…

…that drove Facebook page likes at $0.19 per like – that’s less than a quarter per like!

We ran a video views campaign…

…that drove over 2-05K video views at $.001 per video view.

We used the post-engagement campaign to boost their posts…

…and get over 300,000 engagements at $0.01 per engagement.

And lastly, we ran a conversion campaign…

…to acquire over 1700 leads at $2 per lead.

We’ve said this in other posts, but campaign objective selection is important because they’re optimized by goal. 

So a video views campaign is going to show your ad to people within your target audience who are most likely to watch your video. 

Whereas if you targeted the same audience with a page-like ad campaign…

…the ad is going to be delivered to people within that audience who are most likely to like your page. 

And this is all driven by Facebook’s AI and users’ behavior patterns on the platform. 

So that’s why we thought it’s important to show you all the different campaigns we used.

That’s because too often we see business owners who are new to advertising come in and start running engagement campaigns…

…when what they really want are website lead form completions. 

Now, the reason all of these campaigns worked is because:

• our client had the budget to fuel them, and
• we were addressing every part of the marketing funnel. 

Our client spent over $18,000 in those 5 months but was happy to do so given the returns. 

And if you’ve read any of our marketing funnel posts, you know there’s:

• an awareness phase,
• an engagement or consideration phase, and
• a conversion phase

…that your audience usually has to go through in order to become a customer. Check out this post next to learn what marketing funnel means for your business .

Our page likes and video views campaigns helped them garner brand awareness…

…that could later be retargeted to get further engagement out of their new followers and eventually, convert them into leads.

And before we jump into case study #2…

…we also want to invite you to check out our new social media ads training course to fuel your knowledge in social media advertising.

Case Study #2: Royce Chocolate

The next one on our list of digital marketing case studies is for a famous brand of chocolate from Japan.

We helped Royce Chocolate generate a 225.25% return on investment using PPC.

We generated 287 conversions that resulted in $13,686.90 in revenue.

So, a little background on the company, they were voted as the number one gift item in Japan’s gift-giving culture.

But after a few years, their products were eventually made available across 14 countries, including the U.S.

So, they hired us to help increase their brand awareness and online sales via Google Ads.

Similar to what we discussed regarding SEO in the last example…

…PPC is another way to put your website at the top of the search results for any given keyword that you feel is relevant. 

The main difference is that with PPC, you’re paying Google directly for that space, and this is reflected by users with the “Ad” symbol next to your website.

It’s a quicker route to get to the top of the search results…

…but the caveat is that it constantly takes money to fuel it. Soon as you stop paying for clicks, you stop appearing there. 

Having said that, it is often a great temporary option to start driving immediate sales and get some cash flow coming in…

…while you work on a more sustainable plan like SEO. 

For Royce’s Chocolates, they spent $4,208.14 and made $13,686.90 back! So let’s look at how we did it.

We broke their campaigns up:

• by different keywords, and
• by different match types

…based on popular search terms we found in the keyword research we did prior.

Now some of the match types we used in their campaign are no longer available.

The match types available now are broad match, phrase match, and exact match.

So Google’s example here is for the keyword “lawn mowing service.” 3 words, 1 keyword. 

If you use “broad match” targeting, your ad will appear when related searches are made such as lawn aeration services.

This is probably the least popular type to use because it’s very loose targeting.

Phrase Match means your ad will only be shown if the search query includes the meaning of the keyword.

For instance, “lawn moving service near me” or “hire company to mow lawn.” 

This is the match type that replaced Broad Match Modifier which is what we used in Royce’s campaign.

And then lastly, we have the Exact Match, where your ads will only be shown on searches that have the same meaning as your keyword such as:

• “lawn mowing service”
• “grass cutting service”

So that was our crash course in PPC match types for you.

And for this post, we wanted you to understand that we tested out multiple keywords…

…in addition to testing Broad Match Modifier and Exact Match to drive the results we did for Royce’s Chocolates. 

These were the top search ads we used that resulted in their 287 conversions…

…sending them right to the shop page for the collection of chocolates they were promoting.

Now let’s look at a PPC case study for a client from a totally different industry.

Case Study #3: Fox Cities Real Estate

Moving on to the next on our list of digital marketing case studies is Fox Cities Home Buyers is a company based in Wisconsin, USA.

They buy houses, pair up sellers with real estate experts, and help people with selling their properties.

They reached out to us for help with their Google advertising.

We scored 95 conversions for them at $16.05 per conversion…

…which is nothing when compared to the revenue gained by any closed lead in real estate.

We followed a similar approach in that we tested a multitude of keywords and tested them with the BMM match type and exact match type.

These were the top-performing ads. 

All of them address pain points that are relevant to their target market including:

• fast closings,
• selling your home in 7 days,
• no fees, and
• no appraisals. 

Using verbiage that is eye-catching for their target market, not only got them more clicks to their website, but it helped to acquire the right kind of lead.

People are who looking to buy a home are not going to click on those ads that all start out with “selling your home”, and that’s what our client wanted. 

Our ads resulted in almost a 40% increase in their conversion rate.

Now to learn more tips for your real estate marketing strategy , be sure to read this post next.

Case Study #4: Wingstop

Fourth on our list of digital marketing case studies is Wingstop.

It is a restaurant chain that specializes in chicken wings with has locations nationwide, as well as a few international locations. 

Wingstop came to LYFE Marketing with a goal to grow their social media.

Specifically, they wanted to increase their engagement on Instagram and Twitter so as to obtain new customers.

And we did just that. We grew their Instagram by over 1,300 and their Twitter by more than 1,200.

Now, there’s a lot of ways to grow your followers organically, we’ve made a few posts about it that you can read. 

But the reason we specifically wanted to talk about this client as an example in this post is because:

• We were working with a local restaurant which is not something you see addressed a whole lot in posts like this, and
• We used a specific outreach strategy for their Twitter account. 

We would look for people actively talking about wings or being hungry on Twitter.

We’d see if we could verify that they were in the local area, and if so, we’d engage with them from Wingstop’s account.

In this digital marketing case studies example, a local tweeted that they were hungry.

We replied to them from the WingStop account and said, “It’s time to defeat that hunger!” with a mouth-watering picture of their wings and fries. 

The user tweeted back and said, “I’ll make a stop today! Omg. It looks so good!”

In a massively automated world, there’s still something to be said for personal, one-on-one engagement.

This is especially when you pair that with an enticing food photo that makes you hungry on the spot.

But for small businesses, and especially local businesses – restaurant or not – engagement methods like this can do a lot for your:

• brand awareness,
• brand recall, and
• customer loyalty. 

Case Study #5: Embroidery Store

The next company on our list of digital marketing case studies is The Embroidery Store which is a wholesaler for embroidery supplies.

They have a wide range of products and are known as the leading supplier of embroidery supplies to the commercial embroidery industry.

They came to us after failing to realize profitable sales via Google ads on their own.

Our ads produced 99 conversions which resulted in over $15,000 in revenue for them, so let’s look at how we did it.

We ran ads for different keywords based on different products, again using different match types as well.

These were the top-performing ads that sent people directly to their shop page. 

One thing that’s important to note about PPC campaigns is that you’re putting them in front of people who you know ( are at least somewhat interested)…

…because they’re actively searching for a high-intent keyword that’s related to what you offer. 

That’s what we did with their ad group here to help them find their niche target audience. 

In the ad, you have a limited amount of character space to work with, and for search campaigns, in particular, there is no image.

So you usually want to get right to the point and that’s what our ads did here: “Embroidery Supplies. High quality, low prices.”

Our client spent $5,731.82 on these ads and made a 162.41% return on investment with $15,040.66 in revenue.

Case Study #6: Talijah Waajid

The next one on our list of real digital marketing studies belongs to Taliah Waajid.

This brand is a natural hair care specialist, a master cosmetologist, and a manufacturer…

…of the first complete line of natural and chemical-free hair care products. 

Her brand offers hair care products that are specifically created and formulated for naturally curly, coily, kinky, and wavy hair textures.

Taliah Waajid reached out to us to help them with their social media management.

We generated 54,874 fans for them, over 263,000 total engagements, and over 146,000 video views at $0.01 per view.

 So let’s look at how we did it.

Similar to Mototrax’s social media campaign , we ran multiple ad campaigns for Taliah to accomplish these different objectives. 

We generated her Facebook fans (or page likes) at $0.16 per Facebook fan,

Her post-engagement at anywhere from 1 cent to $0.004 per engagement, which is very low, and her video views at 1 cent per view.

But you can’t just throw some ads up on social media and expect these kinds of results. The magic ingredient was in our planning. 

We broke our strategy down into 5 phases.

• Research of Competitors and Customers
• Development of Content and Growth Strategy
• Implementation of Content and Follower Strategy
• Measure and Reporting and
• Optimization Lifecycle

The short version is that we found and targeted her ideal prospects, built a connection with them, and created engaging content…

…to keep them coming back to her page and brand for more.

Case Study #7: The Handkerchief Shop

Next on our list of digital marketing studies is the Handkerchief Shop.

They are a small business that produces custom handkerchiefs for weddings.

The shop has expanded its embroidery options over time so that customers can fully personalize their products.

They came to us to optimize and improve their search engine rankings.

They started with 185 first-page rankings, and we helped them get to 314 first-page rankings.

They even outranked Etsy here for the keyword “custom handkerchief”.

So how did we do it? 

We performed thorough keyword research to see which search queries were being used most by their target audience.

Then, we helped them add hundreds of new Google keywords and rise to first page rankings for over 300 of their total keywords.

So again, you can see we’re working with a client that has a specific offering and target market, which is why utilizing SEO works so well here.

The key in this campaign was to be diligent in our keyword research and ensure we were going after industry-relevant keywords…

…while also following Google’s best practices.

If you don’t know, there are actually unethical ways to perform SEO. It’s called black hat SEO. 

Black hat SEO is a way to perform SEO in a way that violates the search engine’s policies.

And if the search engine catches you doing it, it is catastrophic for your campaign and business, to put it bluntly.

White hat SEO tactics is what’s considered a search-engine-approved series of SEO tactics that you can follow.

We want to mention it because if you’re adding keywords to your website to rank higher, you don’t want to perform what’s called keyword stuffing.

This is where:

“keywords are loaded into a web page’s meta tags, visible content, or backlink anchor text in an attempt to gain an unfair rank advantage in search engines.” 

But we’re going to talk about this a little bit more in the next case study so let’s go ahead and move on to our last case study of the day,

Case Study #8: Egyptian Magic

Moving on to the last on our list of digital marketing case studies is Egyptian Magic.

This is a multi-purpose skin cream product made of all-natural ingredients.

Now if you read our top Facebook ad examples post, you’ve seen us talk about this client in that post as well. 

But we’re mentioning them here again because we did more than just Facebook ads for them.

We also performed SEO and organic social media management.

For SEO, we helped them achieve 53 first-page rankings.

While for social media management, we helped them acquire 67,233 total new followers across all their platforms.

And if you missed it in our other post, we helped them generate $10,062 in revenue from their social media ads .

They began with 0 first-page rankings, so how did we get them to have 53?

Our main strategy was blog creation.

We wrote blogs for them, and in doing so, we added 1,500 new Google keywords to their content.

As a result, they saw greater visibility with these efforts and started continually yielding more organic traffic and sales.

So what we wanted to mention here from the last example about keyword stuffing is that…

…your content should be equally written for your audience as much as it’s written for Google. 

You don’t want to just stick keywords everywhere for the sake of sticking them there- that’s a quick way to be flagged by Google. 

What you do want to do is research to see which keywords are being commonly searched by your audience, and create blogs around those topics. 

Make sure that your blogs are just as helpful and valuable to your audience as they are optimized for Google. 

A lot of times, we see business owners making the mistake of only focusing on one or the other.

• Social Media Management

Now for their social media management strategy, we did a few things to engage their target market. 

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We researched their audience and found that their consumers are influenced by and care about an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed . 

So, we would send our client a mockup of what their Instagram feed would look like with our content for the month prior to publishing.

Now, we sent this to them in a Google doc because we were also planning out the copy, hashtags , stories, and more alongside the images.

But if you want a quick and easy way to plan your own Instagram feed, you can download free apps like Preview. 

We also reposted consumers’ posts of their Egyptian Magic photos…

…where they had tagged us to further encourage brand awareness and other customers to tag them in their posts.

And lastly, we boosted posts and ran giveaways to further drive post engagement and brand awareness.

This paired with the social advertising strategy that we covered in our other post that helped them to continually find and convert new customers. 

And that about wraps up our 8 digital marketing case studies! We know it was a long post but we hope it was helpful to you. 

If you want results like these, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our award-winning digital marketing company today. 17

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What Is a Case Study in Marketing and How to Build One (Examples)

A marketing case study allows you to illustrate and explain how you achieved enormous success in a specific situation.

For instance, last year, Jacob McMillen wrote about how Pronto used Crazy Egg to increase leads by 24 percent .

That’s a big number.

It’s not a full case study , but it demonstrates the goal of a marketing case study. You want to shock your audience, then explain exactly how you achieved your results — preferably with proof.

You might have read lots of case studies over the years without realizing your business could benefit from them. Lots of entrepreneurs are put off by the hard work and long hours required to build a marketing case study.

However, think about how many leads you might convert by proving your track record, establishing trust, and attracting traffic through SEO .

Let’s look at how marketing case studies can impact your business, discuss how to write one, and check out a few examples.

What Is a Case Study in Marketing?

A case study in marketing is a document or web page that includes several basic parts:

• Description of the subject : Explain your customer’s or client’s history and pain points.
• Subject’s goal : Identify your customer’s or client’s goal for the project so readers understand what to expect.
• Hypothesis for strategy : Tell your audience what you expected to happen after you implemented your strategy for the customer or client.
• Implementation of strategy : Take the reader through the step-by-step process you used to help your customer or client.
• Results of strategy : Deliver the results in as much detail as possible, preferably with a quote from the client or customer.
• Concluding findings : Explain what this case study has taught your specifically and how it can help other people.

You don’t have to include every category, but the more detail you add, the more effective your marketing case study becomes.

Most of the time, you’re conducting a case study for your own business. You want to show the world how your product or service has helped a customer in a huge way.

For that reason, it helps to know you’ll perform a case study from the beginning. In other words, try not to reverse-engineer a case study from a great result. Instead, track your arrangement with your customer throughout the process.

The Importance of Creating Case Studies to Convert Leads into Customers

Think of a marketing case study as a lure. It’s a way to dangle amazing results in front of your leads so they’ll decide to convert .

Imagine that you’re a customer who’s trying to decide between two businesses, each of which offers time management software. One company has a marketing case study that illustrates how it helped a customer save four hours per week. The other company has no case study.

Which company would you trust most?

You can use that consumer logic to inform your business decisions. Thinking like a customer can help you achieve new insights into marketing.

Creating a marketing case study gives you an edge that your competitors might have. It can also help your leads make more informed decisions.

Too many businesses copy their competitors or other businesses. Instead, you should spend time being more creative and innovative. Below is a video by Neil Patel that illustrates why you need to quit copying digital marketing strategies.

If you’re bold enough to be different, you can convert more leads. A marketing case study gives you that opportunity because nobody else can duplicate it.

Why is it so important to build trust?

Anybody can throw testimonials on their site by Ron R. and Jennifer K. Anyone can also make them up.

Trust is tenuous in the digital marketing world. If you can’t create it, you likely won’t convert leads into customers.

Think about all the companies that have experienced data hacks. Their stocks plummeted, consumer sentiment turned ugly, and profits dwindled. That’s because consumers lost trust.

Similarly, any company can make bold claims about its products or services. Consumers have become numb to superlative-littered copy and hyped-up videos. They want to see evidence.

If you can prove that your product or service delivers powerful results, you’ll gain your leads’ trust.

Marketing case studies show how you tackled a problem and overcame it on behalf of your customer or client. It’s that simple. The more detail you give, the more authority you create for your company — and the more your leads will trust your expertise.

4 Case Study Examples

Before we tell you how to build a case study, let’s look at a few examples to get you warmed up. Each of these marketing case studies illustrates the power behind the medium.

They’ll also show you how different case studies can look depending on design, detail, results, and goals.

The Shopify case study by HubSpot demonstrates how a narrative can be woven from a company’s journey. When Loren Padelford became head of sales, he immediately identified weak spots in Shopify’s sales cycle, so he decided to adopt HubSpot.

This case study highlights the ways in which Shopify used HubSpot’s email plugin to save time and improve communication flow. There’s a quote from Padelford in the case study, which can add even more impact in terms of building trust among leads.

Here, we have a fairly vague result. The company — specifically Padelford — claims to have achieved great success with HubSpot’s tools, but there aren’t any concrete numbers to back that up.

There’s nothing wrong with this approach, though, as long as your customer or client can offer a raving quote.

Ecommerce marketing case studies can become extremely valuable. In this case, Bit.ly used a more traditional template for a marketing case study. The PDF document includes several sections that take you through the process of how Vissla improved its omnichannel marketing with Bit.ly.

The results were that Vissla was able to visualize and centralize data in one place. They gained greater control over their social media marketing, which resulted in faster and better improvements in the content they shared.

There’s also a quote from Vissla’s media marketing manager, Keegan Fong: “Bitly Campaigns offers us a whole new way to look at our marketing channels. By giving us an easy-to-use dashboard that instantly displays the results of our multichannel promotions, we can see what kinds of content work on what channel, which channels we should be investing in the most, and what we need to do to optimize our content.” [ For Social: @vissla ]

3. Viperchill

There’s a great marketing case study from Viperchill that you’ll want to check out. It’s a quick, fun read that explains how the author created a squeeze page that generated more than 700 leads and results in a conversion rate of 64 percent.

Notice that he used hard numbers. Sometimes, it’s impossible to boil results down to a figure or percentage, but if you can, do so. People comprehend real numbers faster than lengthy text explanations.

4. MarketingSherpa

This MarketingSherpa case study is super detailed and describes the process by which MarketingSherpa helped a natural foods company boost revenue by 18 percent with a site redesign. You see the entire project from start to finish.

You’ll notice that there are lots of visuals. Since this marketing case study focused on design, visuals were imperative. Let your business and its niche guide the way in which you construct your case study.

How to Create a Case Study Marketing Strategy That Converts

Now that you’ve looked through a few case studies, how do you create a marketing case study of your own?

It starts with a case study marketing strategy that’s designed to convert leads. You don’t want to choose just any project. It should be geared toward other businesses or customers who might benefit from your business.

Let’s take it step by step.

1. Choose a success story that is closely related to your potential customer

You might notice that many companies publish numerous marketing case studies. There’s a reason for that.

Each case study targets a different segment of the company’s target audience. Let’s say that you sell shoes, purses, and hats. A case study about shoes won’t interest someone who’s shopping for hats.

You can either choose a project that has already concluded or one that is starting or underway. It’s always best to start at the beginning, but if you’re anxious, you can take the reverse-engineering route.

Decide which segment of your target audience you want to appeal to first. Next, select a case study subject closely related to that segment. You want your marketing case study to resonate with the leads you most want to convert.

2. Identify the key points of the case study and use storytelling

Decide what parts of the case study you want to highlight. These details will likely appear in the marketing case study’s headline as well as throughout the rest of the text.

For instance, if you helped a customer boost revenue by 200 percent, that’s a highly relevant detail. You’ll want to spotlight it in the headline and several times in the content so you keep it fresh in readers’ minds.

You might have several key points. Think about the struggles your customer was facing before you stepped in, how you approached the solution, and why alternatives weren’t working. When you can provide numbers, do so.

Once you’ve identified those key points, start weaving them into a narrative. Make it exciting! Add sensory details, frustration points, and colorful anecdotes.

A marketing case study shouldn’t sound dry. It needs to engage the reader so he or she keeps going until the end.

If possible, intersperse the copy with images. Make them relevant and easy to see on the screen. Let the images help supplement the story you’ve woven.

3. Highlight the great results

As mentioned above, results are paramount. If you can express them in numeric form, so much the better.

Consider creating a custom graphic to serve as the featured image on your post. That way, people can share the image on social. Add the amazing result to the text on the image to entice people to click.

The point here is to capture attention. If people are willing to pay attention to you, then you’ve won the first part of the battle. As long as you maintain that attention, you have a good chance of converting the lead.

4. Explore different types of design

Design can prove fundamental to a marketing case study’s success. If you’re publishing it as a blog post, break it up with H2s, H3s, and H4s to guide the reader through the story. Add images and leading lines to keep the visitor engaged.

Remember that color matters. Consider using colors for text and images that correlate with your customers’ color scheme or with your own site’s palette.

5. Ask for feedback! What does your potential customer want to learn?

Don’t let the conversation stop at the end of your marketing case study. Open up the forum for more insights.

Invite readers to ask you direct questions about your business, products, services, or methods. Not only that, but respond to those comments. Take each one as a gift.

These comments might tell you what type of case study you should create next or allow you to cement a conversion by answering objections or questions.

Marketing case studies can improve your conversion rate , but you have to put in the time and effort. Yes, a polished case study requires work, but if you can secure sales from its publication, why wouldn’t you give it your full attention?

Remember that trust matters when it comes to converting leads into customers . If you don’t have trust, you’ll lose your leads to your competitors.

A great marketing case study demonstrates your track record. It builds a case for leads to use your products or services over someone else’s.

What are you waiting for? Start creating your first marketing case study now.

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Last Updated on July 25, 2017