Notes on interviews, research, and writing case studies, reports and long-form content people will read.
These notes draw on what twenty years in journalism taught me about asking the right questions and keeping an executive audience reading to the end.
I’m Sara Edlington, a case study, research report and long-form writer for B2B technology, specialising in enterprise technology and cybersecurity.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
- How to find the right source for your case study or report
A client once joked to me: “Creating case studies would be so much easier if we didn’t have to find the right sources.” We all know that feeling. It can seem like a daunting process; not to worry. You probably already have several potential sources, and for others, you may need to take a different approach to find them. - Lost in translation: turning tech-speak into business value for your case studies and reports
Subject matter experts are a great source for your reports; whether they’re your own or outside experts, they can add ‘weight’ to what you’re saying. The knack is finding what matters in amongst the technical talk. - What to do when an interview falls short
You know that sinking feeling you get when you read through an interview transcript and think: “Oh dear.” Or maybe something a bit stronger. There can be any number of reasons why you didn’t get what you wanted or needed, so what can you do? - How to create case studies for your reports
A case study can help you show your readers how your report’s findings work in real life. They can be a one- or two-page addition to it. Or they can be short, 100- 200 words, as a sidebar. Either way, readers like them and they help ‘build the case’ you’re making in your report to them. - Five signs your case study or report is too technical for business readers (even if it doesn’t look like it)
When you’ve checked your report for acronyms, jargon and the other usual tech-suspects, it can seem like it’s ready to go. However, there are other, more subtle ways it can be too technical. Here are my top five to check.
