How to Use Case Studies in Marketing When Buyers Are More Skeptical Than Ever
A Conversation with Copywriter and Case Study Strategist Sreyasi SenGupta of Moxie and Heart
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If you’ve been feeling like your audience needs way more hand-holding before they buy anything, you’re not imagining it. The market has changed. Buyers are more skeptical, slower to trust, and way more cautious with their money. A screenshot of a testimonial isn’t cutting it anymore.
And honestly, if you’re in a slow season and need ideas for what to post, I talk about this a lot in my episode on slow sales. You can check that out here: What to Post During Slow Sales.
But today we’re diving into one of the most effective ways to build trust when the market feels shaky: case studies.
And I couldn’t think of anyone better to bring on than Sreyasi SenGupta, the copywriter and case study strategist behind Moxie and Heart.
I first noticed her work when she created a case-study-style carousel for Kal from Words Hurt Copy. It wasn’t one of those generic “before and after” posts — it was thoughtful, specific, and actually helpful. The kind of thing you read and go, “Oh… this is what everyone should be doing.”
Because I loved that approach so much, when she put out a call asking for other businesses to get their own carousel, I HAD to throw my hat in the ring. If you want to see the one she made for me, you can check it out here.
Now let’s get into what Sreyasi shared and how you can start using case studies to actually move people through your buyer journey.
Why Testimonials Aren’t Enough Anymore
Testimonials are fun to share. We all love getting them. They’re a little dopamine hit.
But they don’t give your audience enough context to make a buying decision.
People want the full story. They want to know:
what wasn’t working
what they tried before
why they invested
what the process looked like
what changed
what the results were
whether someone like them got results
A screenshot can’t do that.
A case study can.
And this is one of the biggest gaps causing friction in the sales process right now.
People aren’t saying “I need to think about it” because you’re doing something wrong.
They’re saying it because they don’t have enough information to decide.
Case studies fill that gap.
Case Studies Build Trust Faster Than Anything Else
One thing Sreyasi said that I keep thinking about:
lack of context is the number one reason people hesitate.
When people don’t know what it’s like to work with you, they can’t picture themselves inside the container. So they hang back.
But when they see a real client’s story — especially someone who sounds like them — it clicks.
A case study shows:
“This works for someone with my schedule.”
“This person had the same concerns I do.”
“This is exactly the kind of support I’m looking for.”
“This is worth my time and money.”
That clarity makes people pre-sold before they even reach out.
The Mistake Most People Make: Using a Case Study Once
Most business owners treat case studies like the fancy dishes they only bring out for Thanksgiving.
They’ll post one carousel.
One email.
Maybe one blog.
Then it disappears forever.
But case studies are the most versatile content you have.
One case study can become:
Instagram posts
multi-slide carousels
emails
Threads posts
podcast episodes
YouTube videos
workshop topics
sales page content
FAQs
long-form blog posts
launch content
nurture content
Every single piece of that content builds trust and moves people closer to buying.
If you want help making that easy, Sreyasi actually created a custom GPT called the Repurposing Bestie. It helps you take one case study and turn it into posts, emails, workshop ideas, and more.
You can try it free here:
Repurposing Bestie.
Why Custom Interview Questions Make Better Case Studies
Here’s where her process gets really good.
Most people send out the same five-question Google form to every client. And you can always tell. The reflections are vague, repetitive, and not very useful.
Instead, Sreyasi customizes every interview based on:
who the client is
what their specific challenges were
what your audience’s biggest objections are
what messaging gaps your offer has
what people need to hear before they buy
what makes your process unique
what results matter most
When clients feel seen, they give you the real story — not the PR version.
This is where you get the gold:
the “before” they never admitted publicly
the turning point
the emotional shifts
the frustrations
the unexpected wins
the deeper transformations
And those insights become powerful messaging for everything you create.
Case Studies Fill the Messaging Gap Most Business Owners Don’t Realize They Have
Inside Content That Converts, we talk a lot about how Instagram has become… very surface level.
Everyone’s copying the same hooks.
Everyone’s posting the same “pain point” lists.
Everyone sounds like everyone else.
There’s a huge gap between:
what your clients are actually thinking,
and what creators are posting because it’s “trendy.”
Case studies fix that.
They show you what your clients truly cared about before they bought.
What they were afraid of.
What they were hoping for.
What they believed.
What convinced them.
Once you have that clarity, your content gets sharper, more specific, and way more effective.
And you don’t have to rely on guesswork.
Case Studies + Multi-Platform Marketing Are a Perfect Pair
This is where our perspectives fully aligned.
Instagram alone is not enough anymore. Not even close.
People forget.
People scroll past you.
People take breaks from social.
Algorithms shift every five minutes.
You need multiple platforms, but you don’t need more work.
Case studies are a perfect bridge because you can take one story and get weeks of content across:
your blog
your podcast
your email list
Instagram
Threads
Reels
YouTube
Longform content works harder for you, and the platforms work together instead of depending on one post to carry your entire launch.
If You’re Busy, Start With This
If you don’t have time to create a full case study right now, start here:
Identify your biggest sales objection.
Then share a short version of a client story that answers it.
That’s it.
That alone builds trust.
You can always turn it into a full case study later when you have more capacity.
Try the Repurposing Bestie
If you want to turn one case study into a few weeks of strategic content without thinking too hard about it, definitely try the tool Sreyasi built.
You can get it here: Repurposing Bestie
It gives you:
Instagram angles
Threads variations
workshop topics
content ideas
long-form breakdowns
messaging themes
It saves so much time.
Want Support With Your Messaging and Content Strategy?
If this has you thinking “wow… I need to fix my messaging,” that’s literally what we do inside Content To Clients Club.
You get:
monthly content planning
messaging workbooks
support and feedback
a multi-platform strategy
a community of business owners who want intentional content that leads to sales
You can learn more here: Content to Clients Club
