# Case Study Factory · TOJ

**Every shipped client becomes marketing for the next three.**

The single highest-ROI activity Kyron does after shipping a snapshot is publish the case study within 14 days of go-live. This folder holds the template + the process.

---

## The premise

A case study isn't a testimonial. It's a **fully reasoned account of what changed and why**, in Kyron's voice, published to `case-study.tojcampaign.com/{client-slug}`.

Every case study does 3 jobs:

1. **Proves the process works** — receipts before promises
2. **Sells the next client** — "this is what we did for X, we can do it for you"
3. **Creates a compounding SEO / share asset** — every article ranks for the client's category over time

---

## The 5-slot structure

Every case study fits into this skeleton. No skipping slots. If you can't fill one, ask a question until you can.

### Slot 1 · The Frame
*What was true when they walked in the door.*

- Client name + brand + vertical + niche
- Foundation Score before (from Internal Intake)
- The one sentence that captured their situation
- 1-2 relevant photos of their pre-TOJ state (their old website, their old IG grid, etc.)

**Length:** 2-3 sentences · 1 image

### Slot 2 · The Decision
*What we decided together in the meeting.*

- Primary goal (from Internal Intake Section 2)
- Tier chosen + why
- Signature quote from Kyron or the client that captures the strategy
- The one thing we consciously chose NOT to build

**Length:** 3-4 sentences · pull-quote treatment

### Slot 3 · The Build
*What we shipped in 14 days.*

- Screenshot / photo of the live snapshot
- 3-5 specific design or copy decisions with 1-sentence rationale each
- Ship date + actual delivery date
- Key numbers: sections built · testimonials placed · placements documented · photos processed

**Length:** 6-10 sentences · 2-3 images (hero screenshot + detail crops)

### Slot 4 · The Result
*What changed after go-live.*

- Traffic / booking / conversion numbers (30/60/90 day)
- Client's own words — direct quote (video preferred, text OK)
- One tangible outcome that wouldn't have happened without the site
- Foundation Score after (Kyron re-scores at 90 days post-launch)

**Length:** 4-6 sentences · 1 quote block · 1 stat card

### Slot 5 · The Takeaway
*The lesson other clients can steal.*

- The one thing that made this build different from a template
- A specific principle other operators can apply to their own brand
- Signature closing line in Kyron's voice (see Subject Report + Subject Medias personas)

**Length:** 3-4 sentences · closing pull-quote

---

## The publish cadence

**Day 0:** Client goes live · celebration DM sent
**Day 3:** Kyron drafts Slots 1-3 while it's fresh (spawn `copy-lead` agent)
**Day 30:** Kyron collects first traffic / booking numbers · drafts Slot 4
**Day 60:** Client interview for video testimonial · final Slot 4 numbers
**Day 90:** Foundation Score re-scored · Slot 5 written · full case study published
**Day 91:** Case study shared to IG story · linked from TOJ mothership · sent to 3 warm prospects

---

## The distribution playbook

Once published, one case study drives ~3 new inquiries when distributed correctly:

1. **Post to the client's IG** — they share to their audience
2. **Post to TOJ IG** — @tojcampaign story + feed
3. **DM to 3 pre-identified warm prospects** in the same niche — "here's what we built for X · want to talk about yours?"
4. **Feature on the smallbusiness / fbtrainer / authority mothership** — rotate 3 case studies at top of the demos section
5. **Reference in every future outreach DM in that vertical** — "we recently shipped [X] in the same niche · take a look"

**Rule:** Never ship a case study without a distribution plan attached. A published case study nobody reads is a marketing failure.

---

## The files in this folder

- **[template.html](template.html)** — case study HTML page · matches TOJ editorial design system · content slots for each of the 5 slots
- **[template.md](template.md)** — markdown fill-in-the-blanks · Copy Lead drafts here first
- **[README.md](README.md)** — this file

---

## The naming convention

Case studies live at:

```
case-study.tojcampaign.com/{client-slug}
```

Or (temporary, until case-study subdomain is wired):

```
{vertical}.tojcampaign.com/case/{client-slug}
```

`client-slug` is lowercase-kebab-case of the client's brand name:
- `sky-limit-football`
- `gem-experience`
- `elevate-performance`
- `locked-in-db-academy`

---

## When NOT to publish a case study

- Client explicitly opts out
- Numbers aren't real yet (< 30 days post-launch)
- The build had QA blockers that shipped anyway (fix first, then case study)
- The client's brand voice doesn't match Kyron's — case study becomes cross-branded confusion

If any of these are true, defer publication and keep drafting internally. Never fake numbers to publish sooner.

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## Change log

| Date | Change | By |
|------|--------|-----|
| 2026-07-12 | Initial spec · 5-slot structure · distribution playbook | Kyron + Claude |