If you are a marketer and want to attract new customers for your business in the most effective way, then you need effective strategies for conversion. You need strategies to convert your leads into customers. One of the best ways to do this is through an existing customer. Word of mouth or a positive testimonial from an existing customer can help you increase your conversions multifold. The best kind of testimonial is a video testimonial where a customer narrates his/her experience using your product online.
If you want to tap into the power of customer testimonials, then we tell you everything you need to know about it. This is a guide to help you use customer testimonials in the best possible way to increase your conversions.
The power of testimonials
Testimonials are the voice of the customers. In today’s customer-driven world, there is nothing like a testimonial to win over new customers. The testimonial conveys the experiences of a customer while using your product. This is what a lead is looking for before deciding whether to buy the product or not. This is the reason why testimonials are powerful strategic tools for marketers.
Studies have shown that 56% of consumers believe that testimonial plays an important role in the decision-making process while purchasing a new product. 72% of respondents said that when they came across a positive testimonial, it made them trust a brand more. Here, the importance of emotional connects needs to be stressed. Testimonials, when done well, can help in creating an emotional connect with potential customers.
A company that can create such an emotional connect has the potential to get thrice as much as word of mouth as compared to competitors. When respondents in the study were asked whether they would trust a testimonial they see online as much as a recommendation from a friend, 84% said they would trust testimonials.
These facts show the power of testimonials. This is the reason why testimonials are useful in ensuring conversions. This is the reason why testimonials can be helpful for marketers.
Why use video testimonials?
A testimonial is a review, where a customer shares his or her experiences using the product. The testimonial can be used in two forms:
- Text
- Video
A text review is where a customer writes a testimonial about a product on a website like Amazon or Google and shares his experiences. While sites like Amazon filters reviews to ensure they are genuine, most sites don’t do so. As a result, text reviews can be manipulated by marketers to create fake testimonials to promote their products. Customers are now wiser and will not always believe a positive review they read online.
The video testimonial, on the other hand, provides credibility to the testimonial. Since a lead can see a real customer in a video talking about his experiences, this is more believable. The use of moving images, coupled with graphics and texts makes the video testimonial a more comprehensive tool to reach out to new customers and leads. The benefits of using video testimonials explain why marketers should use it more and more:
- The primary benefit is that video testimonials are credible and would be believed by leads and potential customers.
- It is more effective than text-based reviews since the use of video with graphics and text creates a powerful visual impact.
- It helps to create interest as visual communication can be more effective in getting the attention of a lead.
- It helps a viewer to clearly understand what the customer feels about the product. The search for the product and how the product helped the customer would be clearly presented through a video testimonial.
How to use video testimonials effectively?
Having discussed how useful video testimonials are, it is now time to understand how to create an effective video testimonial that works. If you are a marketer and planning to use a video testimonial, then you must note that it works only when used in the right way. The testimonial must project an honest review and be credible without sounding like an advertisement. The following are some guidelines to help you create the best quality video testimonial.
Create a testimonial, not an ad
An ad is where you project the features of a product with the focus being on your brand and product. The testimonial is an honest review of a product by a customer. The focus should be on the customer and his/her experiences. This will make it more believable and seem less like a promotion. The entire focus of the video should be to highlight the benefits of the product, rather than its features.
Create a narrative to ensure an emotional connect
As discussed above, an emotional connection can help a brand link to its customer ensuring a higher chance of conversion. Trustmary can help achieve this. Presenting the testimonial as a narrative, where a story is created revolving around the customer’s experiences can help create an emotional connect. Someone planning to buy a product wants to know all about it – how it works, what are the benefits, and why buy it instead of some other product. A well-made testimonial can answer all these questions as a narrative. This helps a new customer connect to the brand, increasing the chances of making a sale.
The testimonial should be credible
As discussed, the biggest advantage of a video testimonial is that it is more credible than text reviews. To ensure this credibility works, the customer’s name and contact details (email or phone) should be displayed during the video. This ensures authenticity and a potential customer would believe what the customer is saying. The video should project the customer explaining his/her experiences as a review talking about the search for the product to purchase decision and post-purchase experience. This would make the testimonial more credible and enhance its effectiveness.
It should be natural
An effective testimonial is one that is natural. If you make it appear like an ad, then it loses credibility. The customer presenting the testimonial should speak naturally without reading from a script. This may take some time to shoot, but this is very important. Instead of shooting the video in a studio, it must be shot at the customer’s home or office, where the product is actually used. This makes it more natural and believable. A testimonial that appears natural is more likely to establish an emotional connect with potential customers.
Let it be professional
Using the services of a professional agency ensures that the video testimonial looks professional. A well-shot video with proper lighting and editing can make a more powerful impact. A professional agency would have created many such videos and would know exactly what works. They can put the customer at ease while speaking and help in creating a video that is natural, appears professional, and is able to create a powerful impact on those who view it.
This guide explained all about video testimonials with useful guidelines on creating a top-quality video testimonial. Any marketer planning to tap into the power of video testimonial will find this information useful.
