Key Takeaways (TLDR):
Topic: How to tell great customer success stories through case studies, portfolio pages, testimonials, and social media posts, and why they’re one of the most powerful marketing tools available to small business owners.
What you’ll learn: Customer success stories build credibility, demonstrate your process, answer potential clients’ unspoken questions, and help people who are dealing with similar challenges feel genuinely seen. This post covers the Situation, Need, Action, Result framework for structuring client stories, how to lay out a case study or portfolio page, what to include beyond the basics, tips for asking clients to share their experience, and ten specific questions to send that get rich, usable responses. Whether you’re a designer, photographer, coach, copywriter, or home trade professional, this framework applies to your work.
Who this is for: Entrepreneurs, coaches, service providers, and small business owners across any industry who want to leverage their client work as a marketing asset and learn how to tell the stories behind their projects in a way that attracts more of the right clients.
Written by: Emily Aborn, Small Business Copywriter & Podcast Host of the Small Business Casual Podcast, based in NH.
There’s a story we could all stand to tell a little more often…
The story of a happy and satisfied project and the customer on the other side of it.
Great customer success stories (via case studies, portfolio pages, blogs, etc.) help you to stand out and share your expertise in a creative way while showing social proof.
This blog will walk you through how to share great customer success stories through case studies, portfolio pages, testimonials, and more!
In a recent podcast episode, I shared four ways to structure your content depending on what you’re creating and where you’re showing up.
In that episode, one of the structures I shared was:
Situation | Need | Action | Result
In a nutshell: Describe the situation at hand, what needs to happen from here, the action you took or would take to solve the problem, and then the result.
This structure doesn’t only lend itself to short-form content, it can also be used in blogs, emails, and on portfolio pages.
As a copywriter for interior designers, I use the Situation | Need | Action | Result structure frequently for my interior design clients when putting together project pages that highlight their work.
Why is it important to tell great customer success stories?
First off, we need to talk about why, the benefit to you and the benefits to them:
- It builds credibility and social proof as you share experience with real people doing real work!
- If SEO is part of your strategy, project and portfolio pages can play an important role in your SEO (something I help you with!)
- Telling client stories answers a lot of questions as they highlight your approach, your style, and the unique types of problems you encounter and help with
- It helps people feel seen and heard when they’re dealing with something similar
- These stories show how you take time to listen, understand, and problem-solve for each case, working to find the right unique solution for them.
All of that blends together to show what makes you different and why they should choose YOU.
Industries that have great customer stories to tell:
- Website design
- Graphic design
- Home trades
- Photographers
- Organizers
- Coaches and Consultants
- Copywriters
- [insert your industry here] because the possibilities are endless!
The overall structure for telling great customer stories (when in doubt, remember, situation, need, action, result):
- Set up the situation: Show or describe the situation before, and describe any issues they were having.
- Share how you took time to learn the needs.
- What actions did you decide to take and why?
- Share the result or outcome and how it made them feel on the other side. What benefits did they receive?
How to lay it all out…
There are tons of ways to lay out your case study, testimonial, portfolio or project page. I LOVE doing these for clients. I often do them for interior designers with their portfolio pages, where we show off home design projects they’ve worked on.
I mix up my approach with some of the fun stuff we do along the way, but they all pretty much include:
- A title and intro that brings in the reader or listener
- The client’s backstory – reason for contacting you, issues they were having, any pertinent details
- The solution or action that needed to take place: You can detail the approach or solution that was implemented to address the problem. Explain the steps taken, strategies employed, and any innovative or unique aspects of the solution.
- How you implemented it, if applicable, or any steps in your process you want to highlight
- Result – how they feel now, what it allows them to do, features, benefits, etc.
- Conclusion – any closing thoughts, key points, lessons learned, or future implications
- A Call to Action
Other things to include when telling your client success stories:
> Quotes
> Visuals – photos, floorplans,
> Video testimonials
> Interlinks to other, similar projects, or to the services you’re promoting
Now, how do we get this rave feedback from our clients!?
Here are a few tips on asking your clients and customers to share their stories and then I’ll give you some questions you can send them:
Tip #1) Timing is Key
Reach out to clients shortly after completing a project or delivering a service while their experience is fresh in their minds. This increases the likelihood of receiving a prompt and enthusiastic response. Make your reach out personal so they know this isn’t just something you mass send out.
Tip #2) Make it Easy
Simplify the process for clients to provide testimonials. Provide clear instructions and offer multiple channels for submitting testimonials, such as email, online forms, or direct messages on social media. We’re also going to give them specific questions (see below). Feel free to provide them with examples of others too!
Tip #3) Make sure they know their privacy will be respected.
Always respect your clients’ privacy and obtain their consent before using their testimonials publicly. Clearly communicate how and where their testimonials will be used and give them the option to opt out if they prefer not to participate.
If you don’t receive a response to your initial request, or if they said, “Yes” but then left you hanging… don’t be afraid to follow up politely with a reminder. Sometimes, clients may forget or overlook your request amidst their busy schedules.
Don’t forget to express your gratitude and thanks!
Ask These Q’s to Get More Customer Stories:
Note: you will find a TON more so I recommend you look this up and find the ones that apply for you!
Here are ten I like to get you started…
- Location, occupation, position, name, any details like that you’ll need
- What problem or challenge were they facing prior to working with you?
- What were they feeling prior to working with you? What problems was it causing them?
- How did they find you?
- Why did they choose YOU to solve this problem or help them overcome this challenge?
- What did they enjoy about your process?
- How did they feel in working with you?
- What was the result on the other side?
- How did they feel after working with you?
- Anything else they’d like to add?
With their responses, it’s up to you (or me if you hire me ;)) to craft their answer into a testimonial, case study, portfolio page, and beyond!
I’ll even give you bonus points if you repurpose it into a social media post or two!
Great customer success stories are some of the best stories you can tell in your business because they help others relate to your work, build your social proof, and show clearly what sets you apart and makes you the unique flavor of genius you are!
FAQ: Customer Success Stories & Case Studies
What’s a customer success story? How is it different from a testimonial?
A testimonial is a short statement from a client about their experience working with you. A customer success story goes deeper. It tells the full arc of the client’s journey: where they started, what the challenge was, what you did together, and what changed as a result. Think of a testimonial as a snapshot and a customer success story as the full photo album. Both are valuable, but success stories give potential clients a much richer picture of what it actually looks like to work with you and what they can expect on the other side.
What is the Situation, Need, Action, Result framework for client stories?
It’s a four-part structure for telling a client story in a clear, compelling way.
Situation: describes the context and what was going on before you got involved.
Need: identifies the specific challenge or gap that had to be addressed.
Action: covers what you did, your process, your approach, and any unique aspects of the solution.
Result: shares the outcome and how the client felt on the other side.
This structure works across formats including social media posts, blog posts, portfolio pages, emails, and podcast episodes, and it works especially well for visual industries like interior design, photography, and home trades where before and after is built into the work itself.
What should I include in a case study or portfolio page?
Start with a title and introduction that pulls the reader in. Follow with the client’s backstory, the reason they reached out and what they were struggling with. Then walk through the solution or approach you took, any notable steps in your process, and the result including how the client feels now and what the work allows them to do. Close with a brief conclusion and a clear call to action. Supporting elements like direct client quotes, photos or visuals, video testimonials, and links to related projects or services all strengthen the page and give potential clients more ways to engage with the story.
When is the best time to ask a client for their success story?
Shortly after completing a project, while the experience is still fresh and the results are most tangible. A timely, personal outreach is far more effective than a generic form sent weeks later. Let the client know specifically how their story will be used and make the process as easy as possible by giving them clear questions to respond to rather than a blank page. If they say yes but go quiet, a polite follow-up is completely appropriate. And always express genuine gratitude after they contribute, whether that’s a handwritten note, a personal email, or a public shoutout that lets them know you value what they shared.
How do I turn a client’s answers into a usable case study or testimonial?
Take their responses and craft them into a cohesive narrative using the Situation, Need, Action, Result structure. Use their own words wherever possible since the most authentic testimonials sound like a real person talking, not a polished press release. You can clean up grammar and tighten the language, but preserve their voice and the specific details that make their story unique. Once drafted, share it with them for approval before publishing. And don’t let it stop there: a single client story can become a portfolio page, a blog post, a social media post, an email, and a podcast talking point. Repurpose it everywhere it fits!
