“Oh, I love that shirt; where’d you get it?”
“Tell me all about your vacation – how was it?”
“That must have been the best massage. You look so relaxed!”
If you’ve had a conversation like this, you’ve just been testimonial-ed. A friend or acquaintance asked you for information about a product they were considering, and you spoke up in response, giving them details about your experience and the company providing the product or service.
We do it every day, because we trust in and rely on those close to us to give us genuine feedback about their experience, which we can then use to make our own informed choices.
Testimonials are extremely valuable if you’re seeking to market a product, and these are a few guidelines on how they can be successfully incorporated into a business plan.
Why are testimonials important?
I’ll use myself as an example. I can tell you all day that I am the best writer and strategist you’ll ever meet. I can sing my own praises until I’m blue in the face.
Will that alone make you want to hire me? Probably not.
Before hiring me, you’d probably like to talk to me, to hear my ideas, and… to hear from people who have had great experiences working with me in the past.
They create trust.
A business may tell you how fantastic their product is, but, here’s the thing: the business can say anything about their product. They’re giving the high notes.
The testimonial from the customer is what really highlights the experience that comes along with the process. The testimonial can take a product from good to great.
According to Nielsen, 92 percent of people will trust a recommendation from someone they know. And, more than 70 percent will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t know.
How do you get testimonials for your business?
Even though it feels amazing when it happens, it’s not everyday that a customer takes time out of their schedule to proactively tell you how happy they are with your product or service. And, it’s probably even less likely that they’re feeling camera-ready to share their experience on demand.
Some of the best opportunities to get testimonials from customers include sending a survey after a purchase is completed; asking for comments or suggestions in a storefront location; or requesting feedback on social media.
You shouldn’t expect their initial feedback to be your word-for-word testimonial. Instead, consider it a starting point to ask some additional questions and dig deeper into their positive relationship with your product or service.
So, what makes a good testimonial?
When you’re working with a customer to create a testimonial statement, you want to share more than just a blurb saying the product was good, great or excellent.
As an example, “XYZ Company’s butterfly net was amazing. Love it so much!” is nice, but that same statement could apply to anything from cotton candy to nail polish to windshield wiper fluid.
Try to pull out some key strengths or positive experiences that came along with the product—something more like, “I’ve never had a butterfly net I loved as much as XYZ Company’s. It allows me to catch my insect friends without worrying about harming them, and the long handle makes it easier to approach them without disturbing them. I’ve had three successful bug hunts this week!”
Understanding exactly why your product is uniquely excellent will help drive interest from others who may have dealt with inferior butterfly nets in the past, or who don’t want to deal with the many stressors that come along with a short handle on a butterfly net.
Whatever you’re selling, from butterfly nets to business strategy, understanding and sharing the best qualities of the product in an honest testimonial are key.
How should you use them to market your business?
Here’s the great thing about testimonials. They can fit into almost any aspect of your customer and prospect communications.
Why?
Because they’re telling your potential clients exactly what’s great about the product, service or experience you provide.
That means a testimonial can fit into an email marketing campaign to introduce a product, or into a website landing page, or into a social media paid ad. How do you decide where to use them?
Look at where your customer may be in their journey and what questions they may be asking to determine whether to buy in to your product.
Do you have a testimonial from a user that addresses this specific concern? If so, let them tell your story and demonstrate their trust in your product.
But, what if the feedback I get is no good?
Hearing what your customers have to say about your business isn’t always for the faint of heart.
It’s never fun to hear that a customer has had a terrible experience, because that means something about your brand isn’t living up to their expectations, and it probably isn’t matching up to your standards either.
A negative review or feedback from a customer means an opportunity to right a wrong. And, sometimes the testimonial about going the extra mile to correct a negative experience can be just as powerful as the story where everything went right in the first place.
If the testimonials you receive just don’t sound quite polished enough, that’s okay. You’re aiming for authenticity, which means everything doesn’t have to sound like a college professor wrote it.
Feel free to work with the phrasing (with the testimonial provider’s consent), but leave enough original flavor to keep it sounding real.
Anything else I should know about using testimonials?
A picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s extremely valuable to allow your potential customers to put a real person’s face with their positive feedback about your company.
A real name is a positive too. Even if you provide only a first name to give customers a semblance of privacy, it still feels more like a true connection than using just an initial or a generic title like “Store Customer.”
Testimonials work in marketing because they are more than just words or corporate-created promises.
They’re authentic; they create trust; and they appeal to emotion. If you’re looking to attract customers through content that resonates and drives decision-making, great testimonials should be a part of your marketing arsenal.
Wondering about how to collect testimonials and grow your marketing efforts? Learn more about how Phlox Partners can support your business growth through social media and email automation campaigns.
